A company which usually supplies items to dental surgeries has secured a £200,000 lockdown loan to import a million face masks.
F2 Medical Supplies, in Leicester, has gained the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loan from Santander 海角视频 after being inundated with orders for personal protective equipment.
The funding will help it speed up the import process which might otherwise have taken weeks.
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The bank has also helped F2 become an approved NHS supplier.
The business imports disposable gloves, masks and dental brushes from China and Vietnam.
Following the Government lockdown dental practice orders slowed, only to be replaced by demand from other sectors including care homes, food manufacturers, construction, councils and companies working with the NHS.
Santander agreed the CBILS loan to help F2 meet demand, including paying for travel by air freight rather than shipping the masks by sea.
On top of that the bank has brought together manufacturers and suppliers, including F2, to support the production of vital PPE and other medical supplies for the National Health Service, working closely with the Government’s Covid-19 response team.
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F2 Medical Supplies director Arvind Sarna said: “This financing package means we can use our supply chain to quickly import one million facemasks to the 海角视频 to help meet growing demand.
“Santander has also provided invaluable support to help us to become an NHS approved supplier – showing what collaboration and great working relationships can achieve in these difficult times.”
Jill Yates, relationship director at Santander 海角视频, in Leicester, said: “We’re proud to support F2 Medical Supplies, an already successful business, as they’ve quickly adapted to help support growing demand for personal protective equipment in the 海角视频.”
The Government is seeking support from organisations, companies and individuals who can help supply PPE for frontline services in the fight against coronavirus.
You can visit https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-support-from-business to find out how businesses might be able to help.