Meet the Yorkshire-based company that aims to produce 1.4 million surgical masks per week from mid-June

A YORKSHIRE-based company is aiming to produce 1.4 million surgical masks per week from mid-June to help halt the spread of coronavirus.
Adam CarnellAdam Carnell
Adam Carnell

Bluetree Group, which is the owner of InstantPrint.co.uk and Route1Print.co.uk, has become one of the first UK businesses to manufacture type IIR-medical grade face masks which have a greater than 98 per cent bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE). It has also launched a face mask subscription service.

A spokesman said: “Following a call from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in March for industry to help increase face mask production by 40 per cent, the Rotherham-based printing business decided to diversify its manufacturing capabilities to help with the response to Covid-19.”

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Over the past two months, Bluetree Group has converted its 45,000 square foot facility in Rotherham, which was originally acquired to expand its printing operations, into a surgical face mask factory.

This facility will soon be capable of producing 1.4 million masks per week, with the potential of expanding capacity to 20 million per week by September.

The business will be producing type IIR-certified surgical masks, one of the most commonly used types in UK healthcare, and will be launching them under the product name OBISK.

Adam Carnell, managing director at Bluetree Group, said: “The team has worked hard over the last eight weeks to work through the understandably complex regulations around producing medical products; building a clean room production facility and securing some of the most sought-after materials needed to make the masks.”

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Bluetree Group employs more than 350 staff in Wath Upon Dearne. It has grown from a turnover of £3.5m in 2012 to £42m in 2018.

For more information on Bluetree Group’s face masks, please visit the website here: https://bluetreemaskbox.co.uk/

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