Ulster Bank will be providing financial support to businesses behind the innovative Hero Shield project which involves the manufacture and delivery of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to frontline healthcare workers.
The Hero Shield project was initially launched in March when a group of local companies pooled their resources and expertise to design, manufacture and deliver PPE to Northern Ireland’s local Health and Social Care Trusts.
The Hero Shield project has to date produced and shipped 100,000 visors for free or on a non-profit basis, and aims to increase production capacity to manufacture up to 70,000 units per week.
Girvan Gault, director, commercial banking, Ulster Bank, commented: “At Ulster Bank we take pride in delivering help for what matters, and never has that been more relevant than now. Across our communities, business and personal banking customers have banded together to show their support for frontline health workers by lending their skills and expertise. We’re strongly committed to supporting these customers and all those who bank with us with the assistance they need during these challenging times.”
Adam Murphy, CEO at Shnuggle, a company that designs clever baby products, says the loan will help sustain the business he and his wife Sinead established over a decade ago: “The team at Ulster Bank have been extremely understanding and responsive to the needs of our business. The bank has been very supportive of the plans we’ve outlined for Shnuggle and the future of the Hero Shield project.
“This loan is a cash flow lifeline that will help us to get back on our feet as quickly as possible. With sales depressed and cash reserves depleting it will absolutely sustain us as it guarantees the future payment of suppliers, ensuring we have access to product to continue to meet future demand.”
Crossen Engineering, an Ulster Bank customer of over four decades, is now working alongside Denroy Plastics to make the innovative products available to the business community. Managing director Paul Crossen said: “Everyone involved in the project is incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. We are fully committed to continuing production of vital PPE for the health service, but we’re now exploring ways to make the Hero Shield product available to the business community in Northern Ireland.
“We believe it’s a product that can protect workers and help businesses to resume trading in a safe manner when lockdown restrictions are eased.”
A percentage from every sale of Hero Shield visors will be donated to Hero Shield to support its charitable work.
For more information on the support measures that are currently available from Ulster Bank, please look at the Ulster Bank Business Hub.