Dräger to set up Blyth facility following government PPE order

Dräger, a company which makes breathing and protection equipment, has received an order from the British government to deliver respiratory protection masks (FFP3) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The delivery of the order is planned to start in 2020 and continue until the end of 2021. The anticipated net sales are roughly €100 million.

In order to meet this demand, a mask production facility will be set up in the Blyth area of Northumberland, UK. Here, Dräger has had a development and production site for respiratory protection technology for firefighters and industry for over 50 years. The company also has an existing production network in Sweden and South Africa, as well as the recently decided new production sites in France and the United States. The investment in the expansion of production capacities across all five production sites will require a mid-double-digit million euro amount in the 2020 financial year.

Rainer Klug, chief officer of Safety Division at Dräger, said: "We are very pleased about the major order from the British government. It gives us the opportunity to expand our international production network for FFP masks. With this additional production unit, Dräger will increase volumes quickly and flexibly.

“Our international production network enables us to react very quickly and specifically to national or local requirements on the one hand, and to cover international requirements in a closely networked and flexible manner on the other. Dräger thus operates a highly responsive manufacturing system for certified FFP respiratory protection masks, with a product design originating from our own development in Germany."