Alene Candles, one of the nation’s leading full-service contract and private-label candle manufacturers, has transformed its Milford-based production facility so it can assemble 10,000 face shields to donate to first responders and health care facilities in New Hampshire and Maine. Alene employee Josh Rowsey packs up face shields. Courtesy photo

MILFORD – Personal protective equipment is in high demand as those on the front lines combating the spread of coronavirus diseasestill are awaiting a surge to hit, and in helping to meet their needs, a local candle company is stepping up to help.

Alene Candles, one of the nation’s leading full-service contract and private-label candle manufacturers, is leading the charge on donating 10,000 face shields to first responders and health care facilities in New Hampshire and Maine. The company is not producing candles, instead shifting their focus solely on helping the community.

The company transformed its Milford production facility to assemble face shields by the thousand, and began producing them on March 30. Currently, the face shields are being produced only in the Milford facility, but there are plans to begin production in Ohio next week, pending the availability of materials.

“Our team could not sit by while doctors, nurses and first responders do everything they can to combat the coronavirus pandemic, all without enough personal protective equipment to keep them safe,” said Rod Harl, president and CEO of Alene Candles. “Many of our team members have stepped up to make this effort possible – from our supply chain team working nonstop to secure the scarce materials needed to produce face shields, to our operations and engineering team creating a production plan and our candlemakers who are mastering the new assembly procedures to create the shields. This is truly a team effort to give back to our community.”

Harl said that the company plans to complete the first 10,000 face shields by early next week. Right now, Alene’s supply chain team is working with suppliers to source additional materials so the company can continue production.

In order to produce the equipment, the company found a face shield design from John Hopkins University after engaging in discussions with several industry peers. Alene is partnering with Thermoformed Plastics of New England – based in Biddeford, Maine – who is donating the plastics with the condition they pay it forward by giving face shields to Biddeford’s Emergency Medical Services .

This was an easy ask for Alene. Aside from Biddeford EMS, Alene also plans to donate face shields to first responders in Milford and neighboring communities, as well as hospital groups in both Concord and Nashua.

“We are looking to provide shields to Milford, neighboring communities and those in which we have team members,” Harl said. “We received early interest from Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua and the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association. We have also since received inquiries from across the state and even from Boston. Clearly, there is a tremendous need and we hope our team can help meet that need.”

Nearly 20 of Alene’s team members have been enlisted to help the company assemble the PPE, while also practicing social distancing and adhering to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, additional staff may be brought back to work if production ramps up. Right now, the company is aiming to produce 3,000 to 5,000 face shields each day.

The company is listed as a face shield provider by the state of New Hampshire, and is anticipating additional requests to come in. Face shields can be requested by emailing Alene Candles at faceshields@alene.com. Any additional face shields beyond the initial 10,000 donation will then be sold to local health care organizations and first responders.

In the meantime, all the company’s nearly 400 team members between New Hampshire and Ohio will continue to be paid regularly. The company has instituted remote work for all employees who are able to do so.

“Those who cannot work remotely are still being paid, as we don’t want our team members to worry about finances at this time,” Harl said.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.

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