Defender Safety, a construction and healthcare safety products producer, announced a partnership with Premier Guard USA, a producer of PPE in the U.S., to support a supply chain of over 100 hospitals nationwide in sourcing PPE for their procedure and surgical masks. With significant quantities of PPE imported from overseas and hospitals continuing to experience supply shortages, the partnership will help health systems satisfy a pressing need for medical-grade PPE that is made in the U.S.

"We are past the one year mark in our fight against Covid-19 in the U.S., yet healthcare and essential workers are still in dire need of PPE. We knew we could expand our manufacturing efforts by joining forces with Premier Guard USA to help significantly increase the availability of PPE in the U.S.," says Teddy Haggerty, founder and CEO of Defender Safety. "This partnership will enable Defender Safety to expand our capabilities to supply health systems across the U.S. with PPE manufactured here at home."

"Healthcare workers need to know that the products they depend on to keep themselves and their patients safe meet the highest standards set by the FDA," says Glenn Ferreri, president of Premier Guard USA. "Defender Safety is trusted by millions who rely on their products and we couldn't be more pleased to expand our capacity by partnering with them to help get our country's healthcare heroes through this global pandemic."

Defender Safety has supplied over 50 million pieces of PPE -- medical-grade masks, gloves, disinfectants, and goggles -- to over 70 hospitals and other public entities across the northeast, including Mass General Brigham, companies such as Fastenal, W.W. Grainger, and local governments including New York State.