Tekrider, an Ontario based company out of Minden has stepped up in the face of this ever-changing world we are in at this time. Steve Brand, owner of Tekrider realized how they could help and quickly re-tooled to provide some much needed Personal Protective Equipment for Canadian frontline workers.
We are happy to see the innovative shift from Tekrider, well known for its TekVest within the snowmobile and dirtbike community. From off-road protective gear, now to personal protective gear producing gowns, face masks, and booties. We were lucky enough to have a quick chat with Brand, while on his way to pick up 8 new sewing machines to increase their capacity for the coming weeks. Currently, they are able to produce up to 1000 gowns and 2,500-10,000 face masks in a 40 hour work week. These numbers are only possible with the help of their community, Tekrider is heavily reliant on local sewing groups and individuals to help finish the face masks for health service workers. These are washable material masks, not N95 masks, still offering protection and a sense of security especially for people who are working with the elderly or the sick, or with compromised immune systems.
Tekrider has funded this cumbersome task of retooling and shifting its production on its own without any government support, and because of the rising need for PPE, they’ve had a staff increase of 15%. Although this idea started with the motive of helping health service workers they’ve since been able to sell their masks and gowns publicly through their website.
Brand saw a gap in the production of PPE and stepped up, his company along with the community are showing Canada the goods that people (and the motorsports community) have to offer. Brand said positively “We’re going to get through this… Here’s to some motorsport therapy.”
