There are already three companies operating in the market and a fourth is about to arrive. PLATAFORMA visited one of those that are already in full operation. 853 Face Mask is a ‘Made in Macau’ product
It was born in March after a month of almost complete confinement in Macau due to the Covid-19 pandemic that is plaguing the world. The 853 Face Mask is a registered trademark of Marketing by Macaufacture Medical Supplies Limited (MMSL) and was the second company to be created on purpose for the manufacture of surgical masks in Macao SAR. “It is very important for us and other companies to start doing this. Above all, it is important for Macau to have local companies producing ‘Made in Macau’. We want to give the locals a superior quality product and we want the locals to have confidence in the products that are made in the territory, ”explained Angel Lei, head of the company’s Marketing department.
In an area of almost 372 m2, Macau 853 Mask Factory produces about 150,000 surgical masks used by the local population for the time being. “The demand has been great, fortunately, but for now it is only for the territory. We supply to 22 pharmacies, for some companies and even for clinics ”, she explained. “We want to stabilize in Macau. With the raw material we have, we manage to make 10 million masks per year. After that, the market is the world. We are interested in going to Hong Kong, China, Portugal and the rest of Europe. We don’t rule out Portuguese-speaking countries, either, ”he concluded.
At the moment, the factory produces two products: boxes of 30 masks, individually packaged, and boxes of 50 masks to be purchased by other business customers. “A mask costs, more or less, about a pataca to make. We sell the boxes of 30 units to the public for a price that ranges from 80 to 90 patacas, ”said Angel Lei to the PLATFORM.
The official explained that after the company was created, the authorities released the license for the factory to operate only in June, and the first mask was only made later this month. “They are slow processes, but they are essential processes. It is necessary that everything is in conformity so that we can produce an above average product ”, defended the head of the Marketing department of MMSL.
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Some components of the mask come from China, but the main one, the middle layer, comes from Germany. The company that supplies the high quality fabric is Innovatec, with whom MMSL signed a one-year contract for the supply of material. “We are very satisfied. It is a referenced and certified German company. We couldn’t have made a better choice. People can rest assured that our masks are of the highest quality and provide maximum safety. ”
For the responsible, the consumers have given a “positive feedback” of the final product, excepting the good preparation of the material and giving suggestions. The business, he guarantees, is going well and “above expectations”, however there is always room for improvement. “It is necessary to guarantee more international quality certificates, such as that of the European Union, which we should receive very soon,” said Angel Lei, who also revealed that the company is attentive to possible public tenders for the supply of masks to public bodies.
With a team of 20 employees, who work from Monday to Saturday during two shifts, MMSL assumes that it was not easy to build the factory and recruit personnel. “The costs are great. The machinery is very specific. Then we have our hygiene room, where workers dress, which is in the image of the most advanced in the world. Not to mention the difficulty in recruiting local workers. We had to ask for eight Blue Cards for workers in Guangdong who actually live in Macau in rooms rented by us, so that at this stage, they would not have to cross the border daily and risk their health, ”said Angel Lei.
At a time when they have been working for almost two months, the Marketing manager is already talking about news for the near future. “We think that we should create some different masks, namely green – since it is the color of Macau and even in our company -, as well as purple and orange. It is always good to have an alternative to the traditional blue, ”he said, ensuring that diversification will still include cotton and alcohol-gel making.
