Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout to include additional information from an April 29 release from the Tomball Economic Development Corp.

Wildcat PPE was created after the Magnolia-based business, Wildcat Cables, pivoted from previously manufacturing cables to personal protective equipment, founding member Jason Arcemont said.

“[Our] core business was in oil and gas, and with that meltdown we were looking to pivot,” he said.

As local hospitals and clinics had a need for PPE, Arcemont said with the company’s background in streamlined manufacturing, they decided they could enter the market and do a quality job.

Orders for 1.3 million units had already been received by Wildcat PPE in mid-April, and Arcemont said the company is now looking to expand into Tomball.

“The biggest issue we have is man power,” he said. “We need about 150 people [for the new complex] and that will grow to about 800 at the end of the year.”

As Wildcat PPE is currently working out of the Wildcat Cables complex, Arcemont said he is looking to move into a new Tomball location within the next 30-60 days.

Wildcat PPE hosted a job fair on April 24, and hired more than 100 people Arcemont said.

Jobs range from assembly line workers to those who would operate machinery, Arcemont said.

The Tomball Economic Development Corp. stated in an April 29 news release that Wildcat PPE expects to hire 200 more employees in the near future and plans to move into a Tomball facility in May.

Additionally, as of the April 29 release, the company has received orders for nearly 10 million isolation gowns to be fulfilled over the next six months.

Wildcat PPE has been making gowns from local materials and manufacturers, but hopes to expand into other PPE products in the future.

“Hospitals and clinics are looking for long term U.S.-made solutions,” Arcemont said.

With the growth into Tomball, Wildcat PPE anticipates having as many as 1,500 employees in the future, Arcemont said.

“Tomball will be a major PPE manufacturer,” he said. “We have to get Tomball back to work, and we are going to do that as safely as we can."

According to the April 29 release, Wildcat PPE has an urgent need for nighttime assembly technicians. Job seekers can email [email protected] for available opportunities.