CINCINNATI, Ohio. (Dec. 15, 2022) — Cynthia Booth, a recognized Cincinnati business leader and veteran entrepreneur, has founded Emerge Manufacturing to bring onshore Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturing to the Roselawn-Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati. Under Booth’s leadership, a new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing plant will be built in the Roselawn-Bond Hill area, providing jobs and economic stimulus to a population of approximately 14,000 residents, while also addressing our nation’s problem of overdependence on offshore resources for critical life-saving supplies and equipment
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the reliance on offshore manufacturing from outside of the United States became increasingly evident to hospitals and other industries,” said Booth, president and CEO of Emerge Manufacturing. “At the same time, I experienced the impact of the supply chain crisis as a 20-year owner of a business that employed essential workers. It was during this time that I decided to launch Emerge to bring PPE onshore sourcing and manufacturing to my hometown of Cincinnati.”
Once operational, Emerge Manufacturing will produce products that will help protect and save the lives of first responders and essential workers in the health care industry and, eventually, other industries. Emerge plans to manufacture face masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks, among other PPE products. The plant will run multiple production lines, manufacturing PPE from chemical-free woven fabric supplied by U.S. companies. Additionally, there will be space in the facility where medical professionals and others can provide training and information on health care related topics to the community. Emerge expects to create more than 100 jobs in the company’s first three years. Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2023, with an expected opening in early 2024.
Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH), one of the twenty largest health systems in the U.S., has formed a strategic collaboration with Emerge, to support and advance U.S.-based sourcing and manufacturing of PPE to the health care industry. BSMH’s 60,000 employees who serve patients in 48 hospitals and 1,200 care sites across seven states, will use Emerge PPE as they care for their patients and communities.
“By investing in Emerge Manufacturing, we are supporting ongoing job creation in Ohio,” said Brian Smith, president of Bon Secours Mercy Health. “Emerge Manufacturing is a minority-owned business that aligns to Bon Secours Mercy Health’s Mission and core values. Health equity, diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and in our communities, are top priorities for our health system. Domestic sourcing and PPE production means a smaller carbon footprint, which supports our commitment to long-term environmental sustainability.”
Advantus Health Partners, a health care solutions company designed to make supply chain easier for its clients, will be one of Emerge Manufacturing’s initial clients. Advantus is a subsidiary of BSMH and operator of supply chain services for the health system.
“Bon Secours Mercy Health and Advantus Health Partners are proud to be part of Cynthia Booth’s vision to bring U.S.-based sourcing and manufacturing of PPE to the health care industry,” said Dan Hurry, chief supply chain officer for BSMH and president of Advantus Health Partners. “The pandemic highlighted the need for more sophisticated supply chain organizations to support our health care infrastructure with solutions that make supply chain easier and more cost efficient. There has never been a more important time to help mitigate the economic pressures faced by hospitals and health systems.”
As a Cincinnati company, Emerge Manufacturing will help organizations throughout the United States quickly and effectively source their PPE domestically. Laura Brunner, President and CEO of The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, cited the importance of Emerge as an onshoring resource based in Cincinnati.
“The Port is thrilled to have sold the final parcel of the historic Cincinnati Gardens site to a minority-owned, woman-owned, local entrepreneur,” said Brunner. “Cynthia Booth’s vision will support our economy with high-paying, accessible jobs in the Bond Hill community and reignite Cincinnati’s position as a logistically prominent distribution hub in the Midwest.”
About Emerge Manufacturing
Emerge Manufacturing is a woman- and minority-owned U.S.-based on-shore manufacturing company that specializes in the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare, hospitality, and industrial organizations. Emerge’s products help protect and save lives, and its manufacturing facility ensures that organizations can quickly and effectively source PPE equipment within the United States.
About Bon Secours Mercy Health
Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) is one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Bon Secours Mercy Health provides care for patients more than 11 million times annually through its network of more than 1,200 care sites, which includes 48 hospitals. In 2021, BSMH provided more than $600 million dollars in community investments across five states, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to health care for our patients in need. In addition to charity care, BSMH invests in programs that address chronic illness, affordable housing, access to healthy food, education and wellness programs, transportation, workforce development and other social determinants of health that directly affect the communities we serve. The Mission of Bon Secours Mercy Health is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of its communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information, visit https://bsmhealth.org
About Advantus Health Partners
Advantus Health Partners is a health care solutions company that makes supply chain easier for its clients through streamlined supply chain management, organizational purchasing, operations and cost-savings efficiencies. With innovation at the forefront, and an advanced operational model, Advantus provides a portfolio of solutions to further drive value beyond contracting, all with the singular goal of reducing health care costs across the U.S. Advantus is committed to helping organizations meet business goals through its distinct solutions. Advantus is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bon Secours Mercy Health, the fifth-largest Catholic health care system in the United States.
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Emerge Manufacturing Media Contact: Bon Secours Mercy Health & Advantus Health Partners Media Contact:
Dan O’Keeffe
513.235.8638
dan@okeeffepr.com
Carol Billingsley
Carol_billingsley@bshsi.org
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• Cynthia Booth, CEO & President, Emerge Manufacturing
