Local nonprofit lands military medical product contract, adds jobs

Thanks to a three-year contract with the U.S. Army and a partnership with Israeli medical supplier PerSys Medical, Holland-based nonprofit Kandu will be creating 30-40 new jobs for individuals who many times are considered "unemployable."

According to Tom Vreeman, CEO at Kandu, this new book of business has been years in the works, but is fully aligned with their business model as a medical device contract manufacturing facility. "It took about three years to get this contract. I was at a special forces medical trade show that the Department of Defense puts on when I met PerSys, who was looking for a U.S. manufacturer for their high-performance bandages."

Vreeman says their organization invested in creating a clean room manufacturing facility, which is essential to compete for medical device businesses, after years of servicing the automotive and furniture industry. The bandage assembly business is their second contract for U.S. Military medical products.

The Kandu business model provides both employment opportunities and training for individuals that have been considered "unemployable," primarily as the result of disabilities.  

To learn about Kandu, you can visit their website here.

Source: Tom Vreeman, Kandu
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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