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Stephanie Fouts and Dr. Brian Heller

Southern Cancer Center was honored to receive face masks from a locally owned printing company, Calagaz, that switched its focus from printing pictures and signs to producing protective-wear in support of our local community’s medical professionals. We sincerely say thank you! Pictured from SCC: nurse practitioner Stephanie Fouts, Dr. Brian Heller.

Story Credit to NBC 15 News. See story here.

“Calagaz Printing, a family owned business in Mobile is determined to stay alive amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Its owner, Joe Calagaz explained his commercial printing company reinvented itself by making face shields for medical professionals.

It’s quite a change from the typical projects his company would take on such as printing t-shirts, business cards and restaurant menus.

However, with the country’s economy taking a hit from COVID-19 he knew something had to be done quickly.

“My wife and I sat down and we decided that we were going to keep everyone employed for as long as we possibly could,” he said.

What fueled this effort came from an idea to repurpose the company’s equipment in order to make the medical face shields.

That bright idea came from Michael Cuesta, the company’s sales director.

“I walked into Joe’s office with something strapped on to my head holding on to my head holding it with my hand and within a week we had prototypes and hospital approval,” said Cuesta.

The nod from hospitals set everything in motion and that’s when the machines took off cutting and printing face shields.

Then they’re assembled by hand by employees, eager to be working and helping to save lives.

Seeing all of this in action was enough to inspire Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson.

“It really is an inspiration. A need was identified a process was created to fill that need and there’s been talk about shortages of face shields and face masks and gloves.” “

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