Former NFL Champion’s J2 Medical Supply Company Secures PPE Production Deal Worth More Than $400 Million Annually

Roland Williams, a former NFL tight end who won a Super Bowl in 1999, has secured a multiyear production deal worth $400 million for his company J2 Medical Supply.

According to Becker Hospital Review, US demand for nitrile examination gloves doubled in 2021 as doctors and nurses across the country needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, a study revealed securing exam gloves as the second greatest hurdle behind clinical staffing.

J2 Medical Supply is trying to meet the demand with its Advanced Premium Nitrile Examination Glove. Through strategic manufacturing partnerships in Malaysia and China, J2 has secured the production deal, and Williams is as excited about the deal as he is about helping doctors and nurses help others.

“The J2-100 Advanced Premium Nitrile Examination Glove provides a winning solution for clients looking to reduce costs, access a high-quality product while meeting their Tier 1 & Tier 2 supplier diversity goals,” Williams said according to The Grio. “Honored to join my partners in becoming an even more reliable and robust teammate for healthcare, government, and business clients committed to economic equity within their supply chain.”

Williams played for the St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After his playing career, he helped co-found J2, a U.S.-based, Black-owned, MBE certified manufacturer and importer of high-quality medical equipment with friends Fred and Claudia Lewis.

The company manufactures and distributes an array of PPE and medical equipment, including disposable non-sterile apparel, N95, and KN95 masks, Covid Test Kits, crutches, walkers, and more.

PPE became scarce during the initial days of the pandemic in spring 2020 as hospitals and citizens fought to get the safety equipment. Within five months of the pandemic, hospitals had difficulties obtaining PPE equipment. By the end of 2020, hospitals across New York City and the state struggled to gather a required 90-day supply of PPE for frontline medical staff.