INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Bosma Enterprises supplies surgical and examination gloves to VA hospitals across the country.
“We’ve been doing gloves for the VA for about 20 years,” said President and CEO of Bosma Enterprises Jeffrey Mittman.
Providing these medical supplies during the current coronavirus pandemic is critical, not just for Bosma’s clients, but for their employees as well.
“People who are blind or visually impaired have about a 70% unemployment rate across the country and it is those very people who are coming in every day to Bosma and providing those products for our nations veterans,” said Mittman.
Helping to provide critical medical supplies to VA hospitals has come full circle for Mittman.
“I spent over 22 years in the Army and was injured. Fifteen years ago, I got hurt and lost my vision and 15 years ago I had no idea where the (surgical/medical) products came from. And here I am, 15 years later as the president and CEO of an organization providing those very products to other veterans,” said Mittman.
He said a lot of the products made and distributed by Bosma and its affiliates were “actually the products they used to service” him as he recovered from his injuries.
Mittman said the pandemic has created an increase in demand but that Bosma works on an allocation system to ensure that they “don’t run out of gloves. So, we’re continuing to provide those normal allocated levels.”
He said he wasn’t sure of the exact increase in requests because “we’re not actually pushing those numbers out, so to put a quantity on it? I couldn’t do it. But it’s fairly significant, what people are requesting."
And when it comes to staff and preventative measures, Mittman said Bosma is following the guidelines laid out by public health officials.
“About half our staff is currently teleworking. Our production staff comes in, but we’re making sure we’re taking the proper precautions and guides from the government,” said Mittman
Mittman said workstations are spaced six feet apart and on a daily basis his employees wear gloves and gowns because they’re handling medical products. Bosma Enterprises was closed to the public due to the pandemic and 13 News was unable to independently confirm these statements. The video provided by Bosma Enterprises was file video shot prior to the pandemic.
Bosma said amid the slowing of many business they have been able to retain their staff of more than 200 throughout the pandemic.
And added that they’re proud to be doing what they can to help the nation get through this crisis.