Over the last 2 days, the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded $226.3 million in contracts and contract modifications to increase domestic production capacity of nitrile gloves and SARS‐CoV‐2 antibody tests.
DOD’s Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell (DA2) led these efforts in coordination with the Department of the Air Force Acquisition COVID-19 Task Force (DAF ACT). HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) funded these efforts through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act and the Health Care Enhancement Act (HCEA) to support industrial base expansion for critical medical resources.
DOD Awards $63.6 Million Contract to US Medical Glove Company, LLC. to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of Nitrile Gloves
On May 27, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $63.6 million contract to US Medical Glove Company, LLC. to increase domestic production capacity of nitrile gloves.
This industrial base expansion effort will allow US Medical Glove to increase production capacity of nitrile gloves by 2.31 billion gloves per year in Fort Knox, Kentucky, by May 2023. The award will facilitate the production of 24 new production lines to support domestic nitrile exam glove manufacturing.
DOD Awards $123.1 Million Contract to Blue Star NBR, LLC to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of Nitrile Butadiene Rubber
On May 28, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $123.1 million contract to Blue Star NBR, LLC to increase domestic production capacity of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), a key raw material in producing nitrile exam gloves.
This industrial base expansion effort will allow Blue Star to increase production capacity of NBR by standing up a new production facility in Virginia. This effort will increase NBR production by 90,000 metric tons per year by August 2022 to support domestic nitrile exam glove manufacturing.
DOD Awards $35 Million Contract to Renco Corporation to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of Nitrile Gloves
On May 28, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $35 million contract modification to Renco Corporation to increase domestic production capacity of nitrile gloves.
This industrial base expansion effort will allow Renco to increase production capacity of nitrile gloves in Houston, Texas, and Colebrook, New Hampshire, standing up 10 high-speed dip lines (glove manufacturing equipment lines). This effort will increase nitrile glove production by 166.7 million gloves per month by November 2022.
DOD Awards $4.6 Million Contract to DiaSorin Incorporated to Increase Production of COVID-19 Tests
On May 28, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $4.6 million contract to DiaSorin Incorporated to increase production capacity of LIAISON® SARS‐CoV‐2 TrimericS IgG antibody tests to support domestic COVID-19 testing.
The LIAISON® SARS‐CoV‐2 TrimericS IgG antibody tests are an essential component of the LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 laboratory-based testing portfolio. This industrial base expansion effort will allow DiaSorin Incorporated to increase production capacity of LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG tests in its Stillwater, Minnesota, facility from 1.3 million tests per month to 10 million per month by May 2022. This effort was funded through the Health Care Enhancement Act (HCEA).