In April, Missouri’s Department of Economic Development (DED), in partnership with the Missouri Hospital Association, launched a PPE Marketplace. The platform was built using Google Cloud, in partnership with Quantifi. The public/private initiative matches companies that manufacture and sell personal protective equipment (PPE) with Missouri companies that need to purchase PPE.
As of April 29, there were 269 registered suppliers from all over the nation and 1,164 registered Missouri buyers including hospitals, psychiatric facilities, nursing homes, dentists, adult-day care, pharmacy, EMS, and other companies.
Expanding reserves of PPE by opening public and private supply chains is one of the four essential pillars of the “Show Me Strong Recovery” plan introduced by Governor Mike Parson.
“It’s vital that we keep our health care workers as protected as possible in the fight against COVID-19,” said Gov. Parson. “Manufacturers across the state have answered the call to help protect our health care workers, and we are committed to doing all we can to get this equipment into the hands of those that need it.”
According to the DED, Missouri is the only state providing this tool, which went from idea to implementation in only 14 days.
Vice President Mike Pence highlighted Missouri’s marketplace during a recent White House press briefing. “ worked with Google Marketplace to create an online portal of more than 200 companies in Missouri who have repurposed their manufacturing lines to create medical supplies to meet their need within the state,” said Vice President Pence.
The Missouri DED team that developed the platform attended a WebEx meeting with Admiral John Polowczyk, who is leading the federal supply chain task force. Adm. Polowczyk was interested in Missouri’s PPE Marketplace and how it parallels with the national objective to onshore PPE manufacturing.
Phase 2 of the PPE Marketplace, which began at the end of April, puts raw suppliers from around the world in touch with U.S. manufacturers—not just Missouri manufacturers. The platform is believed to have the potential to help the nation rebuild its PPE supplies to pre-COVID levels.
Missouri businesses interested in selling or manufacturing PPE can contact the Missouri DED.
Submitted by the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
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