Ecep Han: Answering the Call for PPE

Jon Picus and Nick Hammond (left to right)

Ecep Han manufactures medical textiles, more commonly referred to as Personal Protective Equipment, providing healthcare facilities and private businesses with masks, medical gowns, medical coveralls, shields and more. “Ecep Han immediately fills gaps in our strained national PPE supply chain. Because we have secured extensive access to raw materials sourced in Turkey, we can quickly turn around a high volume of top -quality PPE at extremely competitive prices to those who need it most,” says Jon Picus, president and partner of Ecep Han North America, which was founded in January 2020.

Picus and Nick Hammond, managing director, explain they were inspired to help find a solution “after seeing the struggles of our front-line workers fight the challenge of staying safe while saving lives.” Noting that, because the pandemic took the healthcare world by surprise, many facilities were left scrambling to get gear to protect their staff, Picus says, “Through strategic connections, we were able to launch the company and start producing PPE right away to help offset some of the burden that hospitals face.” The company’s manufacturing plant in Istanbul produces more than five million gowns and coveralls, 250,000 custom shields and 15 million masks a month.

Says Hammond, “The most important aspect for us is understanding and getting to know our customer’s needs. Our main goal is not to just secure quick deals, but to create long-lasting relationships with facilities that save lives every day. The pandemic might end, but the need for high-quality PPE will not, and we will continue to deliver to anyone who needs our product.”

Picus and Hammond pint out that the one-off brokers and companies looking to capitalize on the pandemic are giving the industry a black eye. “Many healthcare facilities purchased thousands, if not millions, of dollars in gear just to be scammed. For some, the shipment’s quality was next to nothing; for others, the broker selling them the gear did not have enough supply in the first place. We’re heard horror stories from all over the world and learned the hard way that the only way to control supply chain is to manufacture ourselves.”