ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — In mid-March, healthcare providers around the nation were scrambling to find personal protective gear. 

At the same time, businesses across the state were laying plans on how they were going to survive the shutdown.

Elevate97 found an answer to both concerns on its production floor near Green Bay. The branding and marketing business pivoted to a new market based on two key questions.

“How are we going to help? But also, how are we going to keep our team members working? The first thing we came up with was the plastic face shield. ” said Bill Hawker, the company’s director of business development. “We went into really quick R&D, basically taking a piece of PET plastic, putting a piece of foam on it and figuring out the best way to secure it.”

Elevate97 has produced more than 300,000 shields since this spring — and it continues to produce them. It’s one example of how Wisconsin industry has readjusted and adapted to a world that changed in just a few short days.

 “About 100 companies across the state actually pivoted. So they’re making a product today, a PPE, that wasn’t even on their drawing board three months ago,” said Barb LeMue, president and CEO of New North, a regional economic development organization based in Green Bay. ”They didn’t have a clue that’s what they would be doing. But they had the ability to re-engineer their product lines.”

A recent report from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation said these kinds of stories highlight the adaptability of the state's manufacturers, but the market segment still needs to be monitored to determine long-term viability. 

Hawker said Elevate97, along with a sister company, are expanding their footprint in the market and are offering additional products including plexiglas barriers and pre-assembled PPE kits. Potential markets range from salons to school and colleges.

Months after the first mask was made, the basic tenets of why the company went down that path remain.

“That was what was most important to us, how are we going to help in the community, locally, throughout the state, and it turned out to be us supplying face shields all over the nation,” Hawker said. “It feels really good, and I think our team was really proud of the work that we did  and are continuing to do.”