KWIPPED Inc., an online business-to-business equipment marketplace based in Wilmington, has had a major increase in demand for equipment related to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a news release.

The increase includes medical, laboratory and safety equipment.

The numbers, based on January and February 2020 combined compared to March and April 2020 (to date) combined, tell the story:

• Requests for ventilators (example pictured above) increased by 744% and the unit quantities increased by more than 55,000% (From 28 to 15,319 units)
• Hospital bed unit quantities increased by 1,676%
• Infusion pump unit quantities increased by 4,156%

"Some of our verticals that are typically very busy have been reduced significantly (especially Food Service Equipment); but other categories have exploded, including medical, laboratory and safety equipment," said Robin Salter, KWIPPED'S chief marketing officer, in an email Monday. "The medical equipment has been in such high demand that it has produced an overall increase in our business.

"March was our best month ever and April looks like it will beat March if the current trend continues," he said.

KWIPPED CEO Robert Preville stated in the release, “We’ve recruited thousands of the nation’s top B2B equipment businesses into one centralized supplier network.  . . . Collectively, our supplier network provides access to a massive amount of equipment and our technology allows us to monitor inventory levels and distribute equipment across the nation efficiently and intelligently.”

According to the release, KWIPPED provides an online source for an aggregated supply of ventilators, respirators, stretchers, beds and other critical equipment, and its technology enables hospitals, health care facilities, government agencies and other emergency organizations to locate inventory and engage multiple equipment suppliers.

Preville said in the release that inventory levels of the equipment needed to combat the effects of coronavirus fluctuate hourly.

Organizations in need of equipment are encouraged to submit a request, and KWIPPED will match that request with the appropriate inventory as it becomes available from one or more of the equipment suppliers in the KWIPPED network.

KWIPPED's office is located in downtown Wilmington, but its 14 employees and one intern are working from home these days.

(Preville and Rob Kaiser are part owners of KWIPPED. Preville is part owner of the Greater Wilmington Business Journal along with Kaiser, who is publisher of the Business Journal.)