CEMEX funds development of personal protective equipment to help up to 20,000 medical staff and first responders across Greater Houston Area

May 8, 2020

• $100,000 grant from CEMEX Foundation to TX/RX Labs supports development of essential face masks, face shields and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to fight COVID-19

CEMEX USA announced a grant award by its philanthropic arm, The CEMEX Foundation, to Houston-based nonprofit TX/RX Labs to fund efforts to develop and make critically-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks, face shields and intubation boxes to aid medical professionals, first responders—including police, firefighters and other public servants—and community members in the fight against COVID-19.

“CEMEX has long-valued health and safety as its number-one priority for employees and communities, and CEMEX has a strong track record of working with our community partners to make a difference,” said CEMEX USA President Jaime Muguiro. “We are all in this fight together against COVID-19, and through this innovative initiative, we are proud to help fill a critical need and help protect the brave men and women who protect us.”

TX/RX, a manufacturing makerspace and anchor of the East End Maker Hub, pivoted all production capabilities in mid-March to making PPE. Memorial Hermann’s Chief Physician Executive Dr. Jamie McCarthy was having difficulty securing protective equipment for the hospital and reached out to TX/RX Founder Roland von Kurnatowski for help. TX/RX immediately began prototyping and delivered samples just a day later to the hospital for testing. To date, the nonprofit has manufactured and distributed more than 20,000 face masks, close to 29,000 face shields, 40 intubation boxes, 26 qualitative fit testing hoods and more than 1,200 nasopharyngeal test swabs across the Greater Houston area. The $100,000 CEMEX Foundation grant supports TX/RX’s continued innovation and ongoing development of PPE to help up to 20,000 people.

“At CEMEX, we always strive to be a good neighbor and be involved in the communities where we live and operate,” said CEMEX USA Regional President—Texas Region Scott Ducoff. “TX/RX Labs adapted quickly to manufacture the PPE needed early in the COVID-19 outbreak and freely shared their designs so others across the country can join in and scale the initiative. They continue to innovate and develop other types of PPE as needs evolve. CEMEX USA and the CEMEX Foundation are proud to work together with TX/RX through this ongoing effort to protect healthcare providers and first responders on the front lines.”

“Our flexibility and agility are key to meeting immediate needs as well as solving long-term problems. With the CEMEX Foundation’s donation, we expect to be able to exponentially increase production to meet the demand we are continuously receiving. We appreciate their support in furthering our PPE initiative and funding grassroots innovation,” von Kurnatowski said.

About CEMEX USA
CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries throughout the world. Its U.S. network includes 10 cement plants, more than 50 strategically- located distribution terminals, 50 aggregate quarries and nearly 270 ready-mix concrete plants. The CEMEX Foundation provides charitable contributions to support communities where CEMEX USA operates.

About TX/RX Labs
TXRX Labs, founded in 2009, is a nonprofit 501©3 makerspace that provides training for the community in Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machining, Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD), and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM). TXRX serves over 4,000 Houstonians a year and is staffed by professional educators, engineers, inventors, artists, and coders, who help others use high-tech tools to turn ideas into realities. TX/RX is a member of the East End Maker Hub. For more information, visit www.txrxlabs.org.

About East End Maker Hub
The East End Maker Hub is a $37 million, 300,000-square-foot, high-tech manufacturing center opening in late 2020, which will eventually be the new home of TXRX Labs. The Maker Hub was developed in partnership with Urban Partnerships Community Development Corporation (UPCDC) and is expected to create over 400 new jobs for the region for local manufacturers, artisans, makers and innovators.