Photo: Abdul Salam / Courtesy
A body bag costs between $ 5 and $ 42. 50 dollars at Salam International, a company that has gained prominence in Southern California over the past months due to the COVID pandemic – 19.
It doesn’t sound like much, but when the sales of the so-called “body bags” multiply as much as in these catastrophic times of the coronavirus, so it is a super successful and important business.
The founder and owner of the Laguna Hills-based company, Abdul Salam, has not been able to cope, but the man from Pakistan is not in celebration of his business success after 29 years in the sector. Their approach is to meet the high demand for their products and wait for the situation to improve.
“There is loss of life and nobody likes that. I don’t like it, I’m sure nobody likes it, ”Salam said in a telephone interview. “From that perspective it’s not a good thing. It is an unfortunate situation ”.
Body Bags: from 9 – 11 to the coronavirus
Salam, from 67 years, he started his business in 1992 in Orange County when someone told him there was a good market for autopsy saws. Little by little, he increased his inventory, grew his company, signed some contracts and then the terrorist attacks of the 11 September 2001.
The 9-11 brought Salam International an unprecedented business due to a contract it achieved with the city of New York, with such demand that the company became expanded to New Jersey to be able to supply each day.
“The first reaction was that there was a greater threat of loss of life. Although many people died, fortunately there were not as many as they expected ”, says Salam, who assures that the 9 – 11 was the worst misfortune reflected in business for him. The pandemic has been the longest.
“This seems that it will never end ”, he comments with concern.
Salam doesn’t know if his company is the largest of its kind in California, but says they can produce whatever is asked of them. . In a previous interview with the Los Angeles Times he revealed that he has an inventory of 15, 000 body bags and who are working on others 150, 000. Business will sadly continue to be very large in 2021 .
“In 2020 our shelves emptied faster than ever. At one point we had nothing else to sell, “adds the businessman, a man who above all has enormous respect for the people who are forced to use his merchandise, including minority customers who come to his business to buy a single bag. Salam offers them in 16 different models.
Salam recommends people to heed orders
In addition to bags, Salam International sells everything related to mortuary services. The digital catalog is 337 pages. Body storage boxes have been the second highest demand product in the pandemic and he says it exists shortage in Los Angeles County, where an average person is estimated to die from COVID – 19 every 8 minutes.
Faced with the alarming panorama that exists in the country and specifically in southern California, Mr. Salam has this message for the people: “Pay attention to orders… I I do not want someone infected to approach me and pass the virus to me ”.
And he, who travels a lot , says that for example in Thailand – where they manufacture part of their merchandise – the other day they reported only 67 dead people, but the United States is where more people are not following the measures.
“Here many do not listen, or most do not listen. I know that in my office we practice measurements. We don’t meet closely with anyone. We have to do it, we have to take care of ourselves ”.
In addition to bags, Salam International sells everything related to mortuary services. The digital catalog is 337 pages. Body storage boxes have been the second highest demand product in the pandemic and he says it exists shortage in Los Angeles County, where an average person is estimated to die from COVID – 19 every 8 minutes.
Faced with the alarming panorama that exists in the country and specifically in southern California, Mr. Salam has this message for the people: “Pay attention to orders… I I do not want someone infected to approach me and pass the virus to me ”.
And he, who travels a lot , says that for example in Thailand – where they manufacture part of their merchandise – the other day they reported only 67 dead people, but the United States is where more people are not following the measures.
“Here many do not listen, or most do not listen. I know that in my office we practice measurements. We don’t meet closely with anyone. We have to do it, we have to take care of ourselves ”.
