Teel steps up to make key COVID test parts

As the United States tries to dramatically ramp up testing for the coronavirus, Teel Plastics Inc. has boosted production of the injection molded and extruded long thin shafts used by the only swab maker in the United States — and one of only two in the world to make the key product.

For Teel, in Baraboo, Wis., it's not a story of rapid conversion, but a massive increase in manufacturing from what it already makes for Puritan Medical Products in Guilford, Maine.

"We've been doing business with them for over 40 years, mostly in extrusion of plastic swabs. Probably about two years ago, we started doing injection molding of swabs for them," Christian Herrild, director of growth strategies, said.

Timothy Templet, Puritan Medical's vice president of sales, said the only other company to make the diagnostic testing swabs is in Italy.

"Teel has become a very important supplier to us. They were one of our leading suppliers of handles," Templet said.

Mass public testing could let medical and government leaders determine how many people have been exposed to the coronavirus and are already immune. That could define the scope of the spread and, by isolating more known carriers, allow a gradual reopening of businesses.

That puts Puritan Medical Products — and Teel Plastics — on the front line of a critical effort to solve the overwhelming shortage.

"We're running six days a week, two 10-hour shifts," Templet said. And the company is hiring machine operators for the COVID-19 testing production, both full and part time.

"What's happening is a lot of people, they're not working now so they're looking to make some extra income. So they're coming and working as temporary or full time if they wish. Some of them will come for one month. Some people will come for three months," he said.

Teel is also hiring, and the company is working 24/7 to make the swab sticks, President Tommy Thompson said. "We'll be running for five weeks straight, and that includes Easter Sunday," he said

The company has not had any layoffs, he said by phone April 2.

Teel has shipped more than 4 million swabs in the past few weeks. The company makes two kinds of shafts for the swabs, which are inserted into the nose of the person being tested. The injection molded one is long and flexible so the swab can bend to go very deep through the nasal cavity to test the upper respiratory area. Puritan Medical puts a flocking material on the end of the handle, then sterilizes the swabs and packages them with test kit supplies.

Teel has long been extruding a swab stick for Puritan Medical, for a shorter swab that has a foam tip on the end.

Thomson credited Teel's staff with coming to work and turning out around a million swab shafts a week.

"We're very appreciative of our employees. They're working 24/7, doing a great job for us," he said.

Teel is making another medical product — this one for another customer that doesn't want to be identified: an extruded fiber used in devices to assist patients that are having trouble breathing.

"It's a similar situation where they pulled a bunch of orders to ramp up production. So we're running 24/7 on this line as well," Herrild said.

The product is very thin-wall, hollow fiber used in disposable cartridges to provide a flow of oxygen to the patient, he said. Teel has made more than 8 million feet of the fiber so far and will continue producing another 8 million feet in April.