KUALA LUMPUR: Komarkcorp Bhd subsidiary Komark Mask (M) Sdn Bhd (KMSB) signed a distributorship agreement with LKL Advance Metaltech Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary LKL International Bhd (LIB), to market, sell and distribute KMSB's disposable medical grade face masks worldwide.
LIB, which deals in supplying medical beds, healthcare accessories and other medical peripheral products, has developed markets across 30 countries worldwide.
LIB provides a diverse array of medical products and services to hospitals, medical centers, laboratories and specialist clinics.
Komark has this year begun implementation of its diversification into mask and personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing, with its own facility in Balakong capable of housing up to 50 mask lines with a potential capacity of up to 60 million disposable masks a month.
The company currently has 3 operating masks lines and is about to install a further 5 lines within the next 60 days to cater for growing export demand.
Both parties view the international export market for medical grade and certified masks as a huge market, as the world struggles to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic and other related respiratory viral infections.
Moreover, Asean economies such as Indonesia and India have high air pollution levels.
Extensive adoption of protective masks is expected to follow suit throughout the globe, as seen from Asia's experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.
With no clear leader to the disposable masks and PPE industry, both Komark and LIB target to secure a significant slice of the regional market, which researchers have projected to rise up to US$2 billion by 2026.
With growing reticence from Western economies to purchase China made masks due to quality assurances and the ongoing trade war, Malaysia has the opportunity to stamp its mark on the global PPE and disposal masks market.
With Malaysia being in the limelight currently with its global dominance in the disposable nitrile gloves market, LIB will look to broaden its product scope to include disposable face masks as part of a horizontal product expansion into its regional distribution networks, following its recent announcement in securing a landmark order for nitrile gloves.