DETROIT, MI-- General Motors, Ford, Rolls-Royce and other companies are talking to governments about converting idled factories to make vital goods to fight the coronavirus such as ventilators and surgical masks.
On Friday, President Donald Trump said he was invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, which allows the government to marshal the private sector to fight the pandemic. But he did not give examples as to how he was using it.
Experts say while possible, switching plants to new goods will be difficult and take a long time. Repurposing a factory depends on how similar the new product is to what it's already making.
Meanwhile, printed circuit board manufacturer Calumet Electronics is filling a major order for a breathing machine equipment company. The U.P. company’s 290 employees are creating boards for ventilators being used in the fight against the coronavirus.
