Pittsburgh-Area Warehouse Shifts To Assembling Coronavirus Test Kits To Meet Increasing Demand
CLINTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- As the demand for coronavirus test kits increases, one local warehouse is helping meet the demand.
Berlin Packaging in Findlay Township has switched gears and is now doing something they have never done before. They are assembling coronavirus test kits.
KDKA got an exclusive look inside Berlin Packaging on Tuesday. Part of the warehouse is being used to assembling the kits, which are shipped to hospitals and testing sites in Pittsburgh and around the country.
Dan Waters says one of his customers called him back in March to ask for help putting together the kits.
"The call began with this is a matter of national security. And they explained they are making COVID-19 test kits," Waters told KDKA's Jennifer Borrasso. "They could not keep up with the demand and asked us if we could go ahead and step in."
Berlin Packaging stepped in and hired nearly a dozen temporary full-time workers, like Courtney McSheehy, a senior at Duquesne University.
"Being able to actually work on something that people need is just amazing," McSheehy said.
"You can be a part of that solution and help out millions of people," said Drake Duffy of New Springfield, Ohio.
But keeping up with fulfilling 200,000 test kits per week has been nearly impossible.
"Last week, unfortunately, we were only able to get about 40,000 out," Waters said. "We definitely are scaling up and trying to get things done."
Berlin Packaging plans on hiring more workers and adding a second shift. They currently have 10 temporary full-time employees and would like to get up to 40 temporary full-time employees.
"The pressure is definitely on for COVID-19," Waters said. "This isn't going away as everybody can see."
The work will continue through Septemeber and maybe longer, depending on the demand.
Click here or call 412-430-3175 for more.
