Kickers, 

I’m the owner of a material science company in Newnan (suburb of Atlanta) that specializes in the production of micro-porous plastic materials.  On March 22,  I  watched New York become consumed with our country’s first COVID crisis and I listened to the endless number of nurses make pleas for PPE.  I was moved by their tears and angered by their predicament – how…how could this happen in the USA, and what on earth can I do to help?  

I started researching N95 masks the next day.  Honestly, I didn’t know the first thing about N95 masks, NIOSH, or the specifics of N95 masks as it relates to healthcare and COVID, but I did know a thing or two about filtration efficiency, air permeability, and the nuances associated with molding and forming porous plastic materials.  Beyond this slight affiliation, however, I had no idea if I’d ever be able to make a N95 mask.  We had a lot to learn, the clock was ticking, the virus was spreading.

Fast forward – six months and countless design failures.  In September, we were issued five N95 certificates from NIOSH for our revolutionary mask ( CDC Listing ).  Out of the 18 certificates that have been issued since NIOSH created a “COVID fast track application process”, we received five!  This was a major accomplishment, and at the same time, we joined the ranks of other manufacturers that have also stepped up to answer the nation’s call to action.  

Unlike these other manufacturers, however, we’ve developed an unique contoured solution that is NOT made from the non-woven raw materials that are in such short supply ( AP Story, Non-wovens and N95 Shortages ).  We’re instead able to use a very common polyethylene film which is subsequently shaped into our Form-N-Fit respirator.  Our manufacturing process is simple, easily scalable, and it should be on the radar of every hospital, state/fed government entity, and anyone in the public that seeks protection for themselves AND others.  We are, however, a small business, and our story and technology has not yet been communicated to the masses.

Kickers, if there was ever a time to band together and demonstrate the power of: 1) crowd funding, 2) social media, and 3) the unleashing of American innovation and production wherewithal – this is it.   N95s for the general public is the easiest safeguard our country can undertake in the fight against COVID…..cheaper than any other form of prevention (vaccines, therapeutics,  or, ahem, “injection of disinfectants”).  The more you buy, the bigger I can scale, the more masks we can produce, the more lives we’ll save. 

Stay safe, and thanks for reading.   

Ken Milam

 www.formnfit.com