Dive Brief:

• Kappler, a Guntersville, AL manufacturer of protective body suits, is still trying to catch up with a glut of orders for gear to protect health workers against the Ebola virus. 
• While Kappler typically gets only a few orders annually for the type of suit needed by health workers who are in contact with Ebola patients, once the disease hit US soil, orders flowed in quickly for thousands of Provent 10,000 coveralls.
• Kappler, reportedly the only company making protective suits entirely in the United States, says its product works because of a special method for sealing seams and APTRA, a plastic film that protects against blood and body fluids that could carry the Ebola virus. 

Dive Insight:

While it's not enough of a silver lining to juxtapose against the reality of Ebola, which has killed thousands worldwide, it's at least potentially good for the economy when a US business prospers. However, while the company has about 75,000 of the suits on back order, it has yet to need to add to its workforce of 150 employees or extend working hours, according to reports. 

The demand for Ebola protective gear is poised to continue into 2015, and other US manufacturers, including including surgical face mask manufacturer Kimberly-Clark, are also seeing surges.