Cummins Workers Help Chinese Counterparts, Families

The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was first detected in Wuhan

Employees from Columbus-based Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) are helping their counterparts at Cummins manufacturing plants in China as the country deals with the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Cummins’ East Asian Employee Resource Group includes workers who are from China but now live in central Indiana. Many have family overseas who could be at risk for the virus.

The Cummins workers have teamed up with the Columbus Chinese Association to send critical protective medical supplies to China.

Cummins says the two groups raised more than $20,000 in a few days. They’re using the money to purchase protective goggles and supplies from the U-S and shipping to hospitals in China, including those in the city of Wuhan – the epicenter of the coronavirus.

In addition, Cummins says Columbus Regional Hospital donated 10,000 masks to support the effort. The manufacturer says members of the group hand delivered the masks to Chicago O’Hare airport to catch one of the last flights to that region of China.

The powertrain manufacturer says it has 10 facilities in the Hubei province. Wuhan is the provincial capital.

The company says it set up its first China office in Beijing in 1979 – becoming one of the earliest multinationals establishing entities in China.