Dumfries company secures £53m PPE contract with NHS Scotland, creating hundreds of jobs

Alpha Solway will provide 232 million surgical face masks, two million visors and six million respiratory masks.

A company in Dumfries and Galloway has been awarded a £53 million contract to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS Scotland – creating hundreds of jobs in south west Scotland.

Annan-based Alpha Solway is a manufacturer and supplier of respiratory, eye protection, hearing protection, head protection and protective clothing solutions.

The contract, announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in her coronavirus press briefing on Thursday, will see the firm provide 232 million surgical masks, six million respirator masks and two million visors.

Safety equipment manufacturer Alpha Solway has been awarded a £53 million contract to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said: “This order, that will support 200 new jobs in Dumfries, is expected to meet the needs of our health and social care sector in relation to surgical masks and visors between now and next summer.

“It will also meet most of the sectors requirements for respirator masks.”

She added: “This contract is a really important step in ensuring that Scotland has secure supplies of PPE for the foreseeable future.”

Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation, Ivan McKee, said: “This is fantastic news for Dumfriesshire and for NHS Scotland. It is great that this substantial PPE order will be supplied by Scottish firm Alpha Solway.

“It delivers significant savings to the NHS as well as supporting vital jobs – both at Alpha Solway and at other Scottish businesses in their supply chain - and demonstrates that Scottish manufacturing is competitive on a global stage.

“The order also highlights that the proactive work undertaken during lockdown to bolster the COVID-19 supply chain is continuing to deliver real benefits in the form of higher employment, increased manufacturing activity and savings for our NHS.”

Alpha Solway director, Steven Binnie, said: “Alpha Solway, part of Globus Group, is proud to be awarded this order to further support NHS Scotland during this incredibly challenging time.

"We are also delighted to announce that it allows us to create two hundred new jobs.

“NHS Scotland’s commitment to purchase critical PPE equipment from local manufacturers sends positive signals to businesses such as ours and gives us the confidence to continue investing in the local area.

“It enables us to do more in the fight against the impact of COVID-19, but in a way that lays positive, sustainable foundations for the future.”

Since March 2020 more than 380 million items of PPE have been supplied to Health and Social Care by NHS National Services Scotland.