Growth Manufacturers Case Studies

Surprises for Hardworking Summer Interns at Brownmed

By Karen Myhaver, Manufacturing YOUR Career Link Coordinator, MassMEP

Through a unique and pivotal internship program, Brownmed, Inc., a manufacturer of patient care products including some PPE (personal protective equipment), employed nearly 60 Worcester high school students this summer. A collaborative effort between Brownmed, Inc., Worcester’s Innovation Pathways Program, Worcester Public Schools, Chacharone Properties, and MassMEP, had a satellite assembly facility up and running within two weeks to welcome the students to a summer opportunity with all the necessary safety precautions in place. Here they worked hard for two months, eager to do their part in the battle against COVID-19. In that time, the team assembled over 750,000 face shields which are ready to help keep healthcare workers and others safe.

On August 21st, the last palette of face shields shipped and everyone said their good-byes to begin preparation for the start of a new school year. It seemed sort of anti-climactic to a few people. Kylia Garver, Brownmed, Inc.’s President was one of them. She decided that the students deserved some special recognition and connected with Mass MEP who contacted Mayor Petty’s office in Worcester.

The results: All the students who worked assembling face masks for Brownmed this summer will receive a package in the mail. In the package will be a bonus check from the company based on hours worked and a certificate of achievement for completing their summer internship. As part of the state’s M-ERT (Manufacturing Emergency Response Team) for the COVID Pandemic, MassMEP’s president John Killam included a letter of appreciation and thanks to each student. Mayor Petty signed certificates of mayoral recognition for each intern and included a special pin that reads, "I helped battle COVID-19, 2020. A community at work together."

While COVID prevented people from being able to visit and tour the assembly facility or any types of celebrations to be held, Garver is hopeful that these surprise packages will bring smiles and emphasize just how much the students’ efforts meant.