Holland Applied Technologies in Burr Ridge races to meet COVID-19 test kit demand
BURR RIDGE, Ill. (WLS) -- A suburban company is scrambling to put together kits to test COVID-19 as the number of Illinois cases surpassed 400.
Just steps from the Willowbrook nursing home where at least 46 people have fallen ill, Holland Applied Technologies is working around the clock, producing some of the materials that go into the new coronavirus test kits.
Andy Soukup, of the Burr Ridge company, said they obtain platinum-cured silicone tubing from another company, and then repackage and sterilize it for use within the test kits.
"It's scary to have this be so close to home, but everyone is still showing up. We've had really great attendance and we're working really hard to keep up with demand," Soukup said.
Now cataloged as a critical supplier, Holland Applied Technologies is scrambling to keep up with the increased demand to get their product out the door to places like Abbott Labs.
They currently have 35 workers and room for more, if they hope to speed up their current two-week turnaround time.
"We need more people and we need to make sure the people we have are still able to come to work," Soukup said. "If I could have anything right now for our business, it would be five or 10 really great welders or fabricators, machinists, anything like that."
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Holland Applied Technologies supplies companies worldwide.
Soukup said he's seen a return of orders from China in recent days, a good sign that things are coming back online as the country has now turned a corner in their own battle against the virus.
