April 29, 2020

CSI completed production of 2500 gallons of hand sanitizer in 8 days. Just under 15% was retained for NDCS use and the remainder was distributed throughout Nebraska through DAS and DHHS Public Health Districts. Since then, we have provided some assistance to UNL in their production of sanitizer that continues to be distributed. We recently got a tote from UNL and bottled an additional 250 gallons for NDCS use.

We have produced over 27,000 face masks in orange, khaki, gray and white. The majority have been distributed to NDCS staff and the incarcerated population

• 3000 to Health and Human Services
• 500 to Douglas County Corrections
• 300 to Sarpy County Corrections
• 10,000+ currently on order for state agencies

We are currently making a new design for CSI workers that includes filter material for dusty environments

Over 200 cloth gowns were made

Vinyl material has been sourced to produce 1000 disposable gowns for NDCS

Nearly 1000 face shields were made in the production office

April 16, 2020

Long list from the EPA of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19

From the CDC, Cleaning and Disinfection for Households

April 7, 2020

• All CSI employees and inmate workers are now required to wear a protective mask made at the Omaha Correctional Center Sewing Shop and at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women Sewing Shop in York.
• All visitors to CSI headquarters are required to wear the same mask as CSI employees
• We are moving to virtual meetings instead of in-person meetings
• We have manufactured hand sanitizer for use in the NDCS facilities. It is available for use by state employees in all state agencies. See a story here. 

March 25, 2020

To our valued customers,

Cornhusker State Industries (CSI) is continuing a regular schedule of deliveries to our customers. Our supply chain is solid and we are continuing our regular manufacturing schedule making products for our customers to meet future delivery dates. Our shops are under normal operations and our staff and incarcerated workers are working normal hours.

Due to the escalation of COVID-19, CSI has taken several safety measures for our customers, staff and incarcerated workers. CSI has implemented the following measures:

• CSI buildings are cleaned continuously using CDC approved methods
• All CSI employees have been provided the CDC information related to COVID-19
• Though we are fully engaged in our sales and customer support efforts, we are limiting customer visits by our sales representatives
• We have suspended all domestic air and modified surface travel
• We allow customers to visit our showroom via appointment only
• We have cancelled previously scheduled attendance to conferences through May
• We have set limits to the number of non-CSI employees who use our facilities, such as conference rooms, per the CDC and Nebraska Governor new policy
• We monitor and will continue to follow any new rules established by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS), the Nebraska Governor, Lincoln Mayor and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Should circumstances require us to temporarily close one or more of our shops, we will prioritize operations that contribute to the interests of public health such as laundry, chemical production, hand sanitizer and interim health care items. Affected customers with current orders will be notified if this occurs.

CSI is starting to produce hand sanitizer, gowns and masks. These products will be available for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services staff members and for distribution to other state agencies via the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). When these products are available for distribution, CSI will make an announcement how to obtain them. 

Thank you for your continued trust and patience as we work through this unique challenge. We will keep this page updated with any new measures as things change.

Important Information about COVID-19
How to Protect Yourself - CDC
What To Do if You Are Sick - CDC
National Institutes of Health
World Health Organization
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nebraska Local Health Departments
Douglas County Health Department
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency
Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center
NPR: The Coronavirus Crisis Latest News
NET: Coronavirus (COVID-19) News