In Md., medical manufacturing grants a short-term boost but not a long-term gain

Grants to Maryland companies manufacturing medical supplies early in the COVID-19 pandemic were successful in the short-term, Department of Commerce data shows, but have made little impact on the state’s manufacturing capability since then.  The state invested over $3.1 million in grants of as much as $100,000 to companies that pivoted to manufacture items like masks, gowns and gloves in the spring and summer of 2020. According to self-reported data, the grants allowed companies, which ranged from live events companies to bridal boutiques, to hire a total of 563 workers and produce hundreds of thousands of units of PPE and other COVID-19 supplies.