Accelerate 2020, PPG Donates $1.5M to C-19 Relief, Twin Rivers Paper Develops Masks

Leaders in Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, Energy and Utilities to Discuss Impact of COVID-19

GrayMatter’s Accelerate.virtual Leadership Summit on April 30 is packed with valuable insights from industry leaders and opportunities to participate live with speakers and guests.

Some of the features speakers include GrayMatter CEO Jim Gillespie, Civicscience CEO John Dick, Caerus Oil & Gas COO Andrea Passman, GE Digital SVP of Manufacturing Richard Kenedi and Bayer Global Lead of Data Integrity Michael Jameson, just to name a few.

Check out the updated agenda and register to participate in the discussion here.

PPG Foundation Contributes to 5 Groups Providing COVID-19 Relief

The PPG Foundation donated more than $1.5 million in contributions ranging from $150,000 to $520,000 to organizations providing COVID-19 relief services, according to the company.

The recipients include Feeding America, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Chinese Red Cross Foundation and a combination of groups that support causes including emerging community relief efforts and Pittsburgh-area crisis support.

“At the center of our company’s purpose is a commitment to ‘protect and beautify the world.’ Today, the word ‘protect’ is taking on an even greater significance to all of us. We are focused on protecting our communities by supporting these organizations that are helping others, as we all look forward to brighter days ahead.”

Malesia Dunn, executive director, PPG Foundation and corporate global social responsibility

PPG also increased its employee match program.

PPG will match 2:1 employee contributions that go to coronavirus crisis-related nonprofits, up to $250,000 through May 31.

PPG last month announced it donated 80,000 masks to hospitals in Pittsburgh, New York, Cleveland, Detroit and elsewhere. It also gave 290 gallons of MASTER’S MARK™ anti-bacterial interior latex coatings to Shanghai Tong Ren Hospital.

GrayMatter CEO Talks With Pittsburgh Tech Council About Helping Industrial Firms Work Remotely

The Pittsburgh Technology Council featured an interview with GrayMatter CEO Jim Gillepsie this week about how GrayMatter helps companies during the COVID-19 outbreak in manufacturing, energy and medical supply production, among other essential industries.

“We’re helping them, generally, do more with less people,” Jim told Pittsburgh Tech Council VP of Communications Jonathan Kersting.

“We really work in operational technology, so it’s operating those machines or making sure that they don’t go down. It’s giving people a window into those things while not being next to them,” Jim said, stressing that cybersecurity, particularly with additional remote workers, is more important than ever.

Check out the full interview.

Twin Rivers Paper Seeks to Help Fill Need for Medical Masks, Gowns

Maine-based Twin Rivers Paper says it is working to qualify its advanced filtration papers to produce masks and medical gowns.

There’s a shortage of synthetic cloth material to produce the masks, so customers are seeking help from Twin Rivers, which already produces filter-type paper at a Twin Rivers mill in Little Falls, N.Y.

Twin Rivers is working with six U.S. companies trying to produce masks, according to CBC.ca.

“None of them were mask producers before, they were all in other parts of the business and they were not even clients of our company,” said Brian McAlary, the company’s vice president. “What they’ve done is they’ve gone into everything from utilizing mechanized sewing to garment sewing, to die cutting some of our products to make these masks. And they are all in some process of development and testing at the moment.”