Brooks Brothers, America’s oldest retailer, announced Monday that it will be answering the “urgent call from the White House and other state and local leaders for medical supplies,” turning some of its U.S. plants into factories that will make personal protective equipment and masks.
“This week we are in the process of converting our New York, North Carolina and Massachusetts factories from manufacturing ties, shirts and suits to now making masks and gowns,” the company said in a statement. “Brooks Brothers plans to use these facilities to produce up to 150,000 masks per day on an ongoing basis, to help increase access to protective gear for health care workers and others battling the spread of COVID-19 at the nation’s hospitals and other facilities. The company will also be producing gowns.”
The company explained its long history of helping the nation in times of need, including helping make uniforms in the Civil War, as well as its ongoing efforts supporting "numerous" health and well-being charities on the national and local levels.
“We consider this a duty, and part of our DNA at Brooks Brothers,” said Claudio Del Vecchio, Chief Executive Officer. “These are challenging times that are impacting us all. We are deeply grateful to the medical personnel at the frontlines who are fighting the pandemic, and we are honored to do our part and join our peers in retail to provide protective masks that our health care system critically needs. I also want to thank our dedicated manufacturing employees who are returning to work as we reopen our factories to make this possible.”
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This week we are in the process of converting our New York, North Carolina and Massachusetts factories from manufacturing ties, shirts and suits to now making masks and gowns. #BrooksBrothers
— Brooks Brothers (@BrooksBrothers) March 30, 2020
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