Unique public-private partnership leverages Langham for personal protective equipment (PPE) fulfillment as part of state’s COVID-19 “Back on Track” plan
Langham Logistics is at the epicenter of keeping Hoosiers safe as Indiana battles the effects of COVID-19. The company is managing much of the state’s PPE stockpile and distributing equipment kits of masks, hand sanitizer, face shields, gowns, and gloves; as well as reagents, COVID-19 test kits, and some of the ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers across the state.
In May, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced the state’s Back on Track Indiana plan to reopen commerce following more than a month of Hoosiers under a stay-at-home order. In helping to create the five-stage plan, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) identified that the state’s more than 100,000 small businesses lacked resources for procuring PPE compliant with new health and safety standards.
The IEDC sourced nearly 17 million pieces of equipment. The agency then created the free PPE Marketplace so businesses and nonprofit organizations could request protective equipment to safely reopen. These companies are vital to Indiana’s economy and support nearly 942,000 Hoosier workers.
Langham Logistics was selected as the IEDC’s first choice for managing the new marketplace. Under normal circumstances, a project of this magnitude would take about 60 days to launch. Indiana had a May 6 deadline. Langham’s team designed an inventory transport plan, hired and trained new workers, integrated IT systems, and built an assembly operation for kitting and shipping in just one week.
Langham fulfilled more than 10,000 small business orders in the first seven days. By the end of June, the initiative had shipped nearly 31,000 kits.
Efforts expanded in July to supply Indiana’s reopening schools with PPE for more than 1.35 million K-12 students and staff. Langham prepared and shipped no-cost PPE bundles to nearly 500 schools across the state in coordination with the Indiana Department of Education. Kits included child- and adult-sized reusable face masks and bottles of hand sanitizer in various sizes. In total, Langham shipped more than 3 million masks to keep students safe. A second wave of distribution was made in October 2020, including an expansion of shipping to jails and long-term care facilities.
With PPE shortages largely resolved and in-person schooling underway, the free PPE Marketplace transitioned to a directory of vetted companies for direct sales and shipping. As COVID-19 cases climb statewide, Langham now is returning its attention to maintaining safe PPE levels at health care facilities.
The public-private partnership between the IEDC, state agencies, and Langham Logistics represents a unique approach to PPE fulfillment compared to neighboring states, which have relied heavily on state resources.
Similar to Indiana in March, Kentucky houses its PPE stockpile at the state’s Department of Public Health warehouse in Frankfort. The Kentucky National Guard is helping to store, organize, and ship the materials.
Michigan takes a similar approach. The state’s stockpile is in a 130,000-square-foot National Guard warehouse in Lansing. The Michigan National Guard, working with the Michigan Department of Corrections and State Police, collected and organized the PPE stockpile and then turned it over to the state for long-term management. Currently state employees are responsible for shipping PPE to municipalities and first responders.
In addition to a physical stockpile managed by the state Department of Health, Ohio also created a “virtual stockpile.” The initiative is a partnership between the state; Departments of Health, Medicaid, and Public Safety; Ohio Hospital Association; and regional hospitals. Each hospital is responsible for maintaining a certain amount of PPE based on a regional calculation and servicing their area, including other health care facilities and nursing homes.
While Illinois’s stockpile is largely distributed by government agencies currently, the state did look to private industry at the onset of the pandemic to procure PPE. Illinois contracted with select logistics providers experienced in US Military and Department of Defense supply chain work to source PPE from FDA-approved suppliers, including overseas manufacturers.
Langham Logistics is proud to be Indiana’s go-to resource for managing a project that directly impacts the health of the state’s economy and citizens. The company’s long-standing reputation and skills as a best-in-class logistics provider earned trust at the highest levels of Indiana’s government to get the state “back on track.”