Battle Creek Company Launches Medical Division

Battle Creek’s Stewart Industries has a new venture, called Stewart Medical.  The new company will manufacture, source, and supply medical products and PPE for businesses across the U.S.  Stewart Medical, a medical device division,  will serve customers throughout the U.S. Erick Stewart, President and Co-Owner of Stewart Industries was a guest on the 95.3 WBCK Morning Show with Tim Collins.

Stewart Medical will manufacture and distribute medical equipment, such as the disposable heat and moisture exchangers, 3 Ply surgical masks, naturally based sanitizers, and more, to eliminate price-gouging and support companies as they return to work.  Stewart says they’re about to introduce a ventilator support project in the next couple of weeks.  “It’s basically a condenser unit that will go on the tube of ventilators that helps clean the air”.

“We’ve had the capabilities, facilities, and supply chain to further expand into medical for a while,” said Stewart. “With the onslaught of COVID-19, we realized how important it was for us to diversity to help fulfill the overwhelming need for medical equipment.  Although we were birthed in automotive and certified to do aerospace, we’re also certified to do medical device assembly and things of that nature since 2016.”

Stewart says not only are they certified to get a quality product out to their clients, but are also able to combat PPE price gouging.   Using their very own Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), they can reduce prices, save customers from import taxes, and control the quality of goods. “When we brought in the Foreign Trade aspect of it in 2020, that’s when we started getting different looks, and then of course COVID happened.”

He says Stewart Medical can find any product and get it delivered to its desired location.  “Utilizing what we already knew, we were able to help hospital systems, now schools and other related parties get qualified products from a variety of qualified sources.”

“As more Americans head back to work, it’s important for employers to ensure their employees can safely return and have access to the necessary supplies,” said Stewart. “We want to help employers do this by providing products at the best price while also meeting FDA standards. We’ve seen many suppliers of PPE charge obscene prices, but that should never be the case. It shouldn’t cost millions to protect your employees.”

Recently, Stewart Industries collaborated with Excelerant Consulting and Wytcote Technologies to manufacture and provide N95 masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). The partnership was focused on eliminating the price gouging which has been costing healthcare organizations dearly during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Stewart Industries, an actual “brick & mortar”  60,000 square foot business in Battle Creek’s Fort Custer Industrial Park that has been around now for 20 years.   They do a lot of assemblies, often things that robots can’t do.  They employ between 55 and 65 workers.   Stewart says they move employees around as needed for different jobs, and also hire additional staff as needed.  He says they do a lot of cross-functional training so that any associate can work on any project. He says flexibility and versatility are key to the company’s success.

The facility is currently taking orders for PPE and other medical device needs. For more information on STEWART Medical and its capabilities, click here.