ANAHEIM, Calif. (CNS)—A manufacturing facility focused on making surgical face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and other protective equipment will be in full-scale production this week in Anaheim.
Demand for personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing QYK Brands to quickly expand from its current 20,000-square-foot facility in Garden Grove to an additional 120,000-square-foot plant in Anaheim, company CEO Rakesh Tammabattula told City News Service on May 26.
“We’ve gotten many requests from our buyers, and we did not want to risk our name by getting products from China, so we decided we would rather make them here,” Tammabattula said about the company’s decision to increase its manufacturing capacity by six times pre-virus levels, and soon double the size of its roughly 40-person staff.
The second facility is open, and expected to reach full production before June 1.
QYK Brands—which is behind product lines such as Dr. J’s Natural, QykSonic, and Glowy—will be making lifesaving equipment, while also helping the local economy through its privately-funded operation, Tammabattula said.
Part of his vision, he said, is to see the country as a whole reduce its dependence on foreign entities for vital materials, now and in the future.
“Personally, I’ve always advocated for domestic manufacturing, and this is a great opportunity to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.,” he said. “I am doing my part showing that we can make things here and not depend on China.”
QYK Brands, founded in 2017, currently supplies products to health professionals, government-related entities, and retail stores.
Tammabattula, who lives in Irvine, said the company’s first priority is the supply for health care workers.
“It’s uncertain how things will be tomorrow, so we’re trying to do as much as we can,” Tammabattula said.
