One of Detroit’s largest automotive manufacturers and producer of the manufacturer of the first and only Multi-Function Ventilator announced Friday they are coming together to help ramp up production of ventilators for medical patients affected by COVID-19.
General Motors Corp. and Ventec Life Systems, in cooperation with StopTheSpread.org, the nation’s coordinated private sector response to the COVID-19, said they are collaborating to enable Ventec to increase production of its respiratory care products to support the growing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ventec will leverage GM’s logistics, purchasing and manufacturing expertise to build more of their critically important ventilators, according to officials from the two companies. To support these efforts, StopTheSpread.org said it will continue to unite business leaders across the country to collect resources to complement and support government efforts.
“We are working closely with Ventec to rapidly scale up production of their critically important respiratory products to support our country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO, said in a company statement. “We will continue to explore ways to help in this time of crisis.”
Ventec Life Systems, an American medical device company, was founded in 2012 by Doug DeVries. Its headquarters is in Seattle, Wa. According to its website, Ventec’s leading product, VOCSN, integrates five separate devices including a ventilator, oxygen concentrator, cough assist, suction and nebulizer into one unified respiratory system.
“With GM’s help, Ventec will increase ventilator production,” Chris Kiple, Ventec Life Systems CEO, said in a joint statement with the Detroit-based mobility company. “By tapping their expertise, GM is enabling us to get more ventilators to more hospitals much faster. This partnership will help save lives.”
In a statement, StopTheSpread.org said, “We are grateful for the partnership between GM and Ventec Life Systems, which will enable Ventec to drastically scale production of critically needed respiratory care products. This is a vital step in delivering relief to our healthcare system, which is threatened by the spread of COVID-19.
“As this virus continues to endanger the lives of countless Americans, StopTheSpread.org is working to unite the business community around a common threat to our economy and our way of life. We know the strength of this effort relies on urgent coordination between the public and private sectors in order to get through this crisis,” the statement concluded.
