Mopec Secures Increase In Body Bag Production To Address Nationwide Shortage

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Apr 15, 2020, 07:18 ET

MADISION HEIGHTS, Mich., April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mopec, a nationwide leader in equipment manufacturing and supply distribution for the pathology, autopsy, and anatomy lab industries, has secured increased production of standard duty and heavy duty body bags to respond to the nationwide shortage due to COVID-19.

Emergency response organizations, Medical Examiner offices, hospitals, and morgues across the country are quickly depleting stocks of standard and heavy duty body bags. Many have resorted to using thin lightweight or economy bags while increasing to using two or three per decedent to ensure durability and safety. This sudden demand has left the few body bag manufactures and suppliers in the country with the inability to keep up with the demand. Even with adding more employees and multiple shifts, body bag manufacturers are reporting backlogs of three to six months, or longer.

Recognizing this need, Mopec began pursuing manufacturers across the continent to assist in the effort. "As soon as we saw what was happening, my focus shifted to spending all day and night trying to find the right companies who could partner with us to secure enough material, scale production, and build a quality bag to get us through this crisis," said Jeff Pemberton, Mopec's VP of Consumables & Marketing. Using the design specifications for the Department of Defense (NATO) National Stock Number NSN-01-331-6244 Human Remains Pouch as the guide of design with a couple of modifications to increase production capacity, Mopec has secured exclusive production of this bag along others totaling thousands per day beginning Wednesday, April 15, 2020 and continuing through the end of the month. Mopec hopes to increase daily production during the month of May to keep up with current demand and the need to replenish local, state, and federal stockpiles.

"It was our highest hope that communities would not need additional body bags throughout this crisis, but we also recognized quickly the need to be prepared," said Jay Troger, CEO of Mopec. "We are truly hoping that after our current crisis subsides, organizations recognize the need to be prepared and have more of these materials on hand to prevent these future outages."

Mopec's newest body bag offering is available for purchase on our website at mopec.com/bodybag.

SOURCE Mopec