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Puritan workers share experience after President Trump's Maine visit on Friday

"We all sat around waiting for the president to arrive, there was a charged atmosphere, and when he did come in, the room erupted!" said a Puritan swab maker.

GUILFORD, Maine — Yesterday, the President of the United States of America came to Maine.

As part of his visit, he toured Puritan Medical Products in Guilford.

The medical product facility is one of the main COVID-19 swabs manufacturers in the country.

Some Puritan employees shared their thoughts and what it was like as President Trump toured the facility and congratulated the workers for their efforts. 

"It was amazing!," said Diedra Dow, an operator and assistant production coordinator at Puritan.

"It was surreal!" said Priscilla Widen from the Puritan First Aid team.

Arne Halvorsen has been working making COVID-19 swabs for 3 months.

"I actually have a full-time job, they put a sign up in the middle of town looking for help," said Halvorsen.

Halvorsen works part-time from 5:30 p.m. to midnight making greatly needed swabs.

"Trump's administration has done a lot for the company as far as getting us up and ramp up production," said Halvorsen.

Halvorsen tells NEWS CENTER Maine the country is in a crisis and helping by making critically needed swabs was the way he could help out.

"When I got to work yesterday and I was told I was invited to come today, so that was really special," said Halvorsen.

The president toured the facility as workers made swabs and then President Trump gave a speech to more than 150 Puritan workers.

"We've been working around the clock 7 days a week, it does not stop, we have material leaving and coming in every day," said Dow.

Widen has worked at the facility for more than 7 years.

"This is bigger than all of us, it's not political to us, it's about making swabs for our nation and the world," said Widen.

Featured on let about Puritan's response as a company to COVID-19 and our continued commitment to manufacturing more swabs than ever before! Read More: NEWS CENTER Maine, Rob Caldwell interviewed Timothy Temp... https://bit.ly/3comvrq

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