© Dreamstime.

Lydall, a leading U.S. manufacturer of value-added engineered materials and specialty filtration solutions that create a cleaner, safer and quieter world, hosted a ground-breaking ceremony on Friday 24 July to celebrate a major expansion of its production facility in Rochester, New Hampshire.

The ceremony marked the beginning of construction on Lydall’s Filtration Center of Excellence, where the company will develop new, high-performing and environmentally sustainable media for air and liquid filtration. The new facility will also house two new production lines that will enable Lydall to dramatically increase production of fine fiber meltblown filtration media for N95 respirators, surgical masks and air filtration systems. U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Mayor Caroline McCarley and Will Arvelo, Director of State of New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, were also in attendance.

“This celebration represents a turning point for our company and solidifies our position as the leading provider of specialty filtration solutions in both the U.S. and the world,” said Sara A. Greenstein, President & CEO of Lydall. “To address the immediate need for personal protective equipment, or PPE, and to support the wider need for improved air quality beyond COVID-19, Lydall is fully prepared to deploy our deep manufacturing experience and longstanding heritage in innovation to deliver the products that will keep people and places safe.’”

Each of the elected officials who attended the event spoke about the great importance of the products Lydall makes and the company’s role in the fight against COVID-19:

Senator Shaheen: “The quick work to begin building these production lines really affirms why we – as a nation – need to prioritize local manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other key products needed to fight this virus. This contract comes at a critical time as COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the country and will help Lydall produce 1.7 billion N95 masks per year to provide essential PPE to frontline workers. Thank you to all of the Lydall employees who are coming to work every day – putting the health of others before their own – so those on the frontlines can do their jobs safely.”

Mayor McCarley: “New Hampshire is a close-knit community. You are making an incredible contribution, not only for the city of Rochester and the state of New Hampshire, but also for the United States and the world.”

Will Arvelo: “What you do for frontline workers, and for all of us, is critically important. What you’re building here will showcase the city of Rochester and the state of New Hampshire. When business and government leaders come together, we create great things for the world.”

By May 2021, when both new production lines are fully operational, Lydall will increase its capacity of fine fiber meltblown filtration media to support the domestic production of 1.7 billion N95 respirators or 6.5 billion surgical masks per year. Lydall’s specialty meltblown media is also a key component for MERV-, HEPA- and ULPA-grade filters used to improve air quality in hospitals, airplanes, restaurants, office buildings and other public spaces. To serve the European market, Lydall also manufactures meltblown filtration media at its facility in Saint Rivalain, France.

Lydall’s investment in the expanded facility and new production lines is supported by a $13.5M commitment from the U.S. federal government. This commitment is a product of the ongoing collaboration between the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, led by the Department’s Joint Acquisition Task Force and funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

For more information on Lydall’s COVID-19-related products, visit https://lydall.com/covid-19-relief-effort.

www.lydall.com