COVID – 19 EMERGENCY SMT PRODUCTION LINE SUPPORTING KENYA MEDICAL PRODUCT MANUFACTURING

Robert Conway, Chairman of Parable Trust & Blakell Europlacer Group, Dr Kamau Gachigi, Executive Director of Gearbox, Kenya and Neil Sandy, CEO of Wellers Impact & Weller Law Group are delighted to announce a collaboration resulting in essential medical manufacturing technology being sent to Nairobi, Kenya to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Parable Trust Limited a UK ‘not for profit’ company with the support of Wellers Impact Limited, a FCA regulated UK based Impact Investment Manager with offices and investments in Kenya has agreed to provide an emergency SMT (Surface Mount Technology) production line to support Gearbox a Kenyan ‘not for profit’ company manufacture PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) for assembly into new medical products that are urgently required in response to COVID-19, including Ventilators, Oxygen Concentrators, Pulse Oximeters and Automated (contactless) hand-washing equipment.
• The SMT equipment has been manufactured in the UK & France by Parable Trust’s 100% owned subsidiary Blakell Europlacer (‘Europlacer’). Europlacer is the Global Leading Flexible SMT Pick & Place Equipment Company recognised by Frost & Sullivan (Independent Industry Analyst) for 5 years in a row.Robert Conway, Chairman says “We welcome the opportunity to partner with Gearbox & Wellers Impact in response to this COVID crisis by flying out our SMT equipment manufactured in UK & France to assist in the production of emergency medical devices in Kenya.”
• The equipment is being air freighted to Kenya to create the first SMT production line in Sub- Sahara Africa outside South Africa.
• Wellers Impact and the Wellers Law Group LLP, a London and South East based law firm are co-ordinating and overseeing this important initiative.Neil Sandy, CEO of Wellers says “providing practical help at this time is paramount, if Covid takes hold in East Africa it will be devastating.  Everyone involved in this initiative wants to see Kenya and the East African region get ahead in their planning and preparedness and put in place long-term sustainable solutions.  People’s health and that of the Kenyan economy is paramount.”

For more information go to www.parabletrust.com, www.europlacer.com, www.gearbox.co.ke and www.wellersimpact.com