A Change in Manufacturing for Tennessee with COVID-19 Pandemic: Governor Bill Lee told the media that Tennessee is seeking help from the manufacturing community to battle COVID-19 illness.
Like times past during World War I, manufacturers re-tooled their product line to help the country. For example, Packard in Detroit switched from cars to airplane engines (ABOVE PHOTO: THE PACKARD PLANT TODAY).
During World War II, copper and zinc were rationed for the purpose of ammunition - so, the U.S. Mint made pennies out of steel over a one year span in 1943. The change saved enough copper to make 1.25 million shells of ammunition.
Similar things are happening across the country.
In New York, manufacturers are re-tooling to make critical COVID-19 supplies for health departments and hospitals. Some of those supplies include ventilators and Nasal Swab test kits.
This past Friday, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to require automaker GM to manufacture ventilators in a fight to keep those hospitalized alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ford, long time maker of the Mustang, F-150 and other lines - will be manufacturing 50,000 ventilators within 100 days.
