Empower Clinics Inc (CSE:CBDT:) (OTCQB:EPWCF) (FRA:8EC) announced Monday that its KAI Medical Laboratory has been selected to handle COVID-19 testing on a long-term basis for the Dallas Market Center (DMC), a business-to-business (B2B) trade center, one of the largest in North America.
DMC is a five million-square-foot, global wholesale trade center connecting retailers and interior designers with manufacturers in home décor, furniture, gifts, lighting and fashion. DMC markets events throughout the year, which bring in buyers and sellers from all 50 states and more than 80 countries, the company said.
All told, DMC produces $8 billion in annual wholesale transactions, $1.1 billion in indirect local economic impact and $380 million in direct local economic impact, the company noted.
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To safeguard its staff, vendors, purchasers and visitors, DMC turned to KAI Medical Laboratory. The KAI facility is located less than three miles from DMC and provides onsite concierge medical COVID-19 testing, as well as processing at its certified lab.
"Kai Medical laboratory continues to receive numerous requests to provide large scale testing services across the US, including commercial businesses, local clinics, drive-up testing facilities, and major convention and trade centers, to name a few." Empower CEO Steven McAuley said in a statement. "Our investment in R&D is paying off, propelling Kai Medical to a national stage, providing support to a talented team, expanding reach as we leverage the resources of our integrated healthcare company."
In order to handle the anticipated test volume, Empower is securing space next door to KAI to separate the lab from logistics, admin and customer support, the company said. Material-handling staff are being added to process the potential intake of thousands of packages per day.
KAI’s current run rate is now projected to exceed 8,000 tests in January, which would surpass its total fourth-quarter tests. That run rate could jump to more than 1,000 tests per day later in the quarter and beyond, the company said.
The DMC agreement, in addition to a previously announced recent 25,000 unit order for KAI Saliva test kits, as well as ongoing commercial conversations, positions the KAI for a strong first quarter, the company said.
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