The Biden Administration has awarded contracts to Parkdale Mills and Ferrara Manufacturing Inc. for the production of more than 17 million U.S.-made face masks.
Parkdale, the country’s largest cotton yarn spinner based in Gastonia, N.C., has partnered with New York City-based tailored clothing company Ferrara to make the Berry-compliant reuseable masks that are part of the president’s pledge to procure millions of Made in America masks to be distributed at community health centers, food pantries and soup kitchens.
Parkdale will contribute yarn spun at its North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia mills, while Ferrara will use its cut-and-sew operations to complete the masks. The partners will contract other U.S.-based companies from throughout the manufacturing supply chain to assist in the effort including: Clover Knits, American & Efird, America Knits, Apex Elastic, Texlon Plastics, Cotswold Industries, South Fork Industries, USC Bag, Fitessa, Unionwear, Lynda Studios and Domoi Collection.
“The entire Parkdale team wants to thank President Biden and his administration for this opportunity to make reusable cotton face masks for millions of Americans,” said Davis Warlick, Parkdale Mills. “By procuring 100-percent American-made masks, we are putting thousands of workers across the United States to work to help our most vulnerable communities. We are excited to partner with Ferrara Manufacturing and are proud of our supply chain partners and their hard work to make this product crafted with pride in the United States.”
Kim Glas, president and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, said: “We want to sincerely thank President Biden for his leadership and support of American manufacturing workers. We appreciate the administration’s commitment to purchase fully made in America masks and we believe this is a significant opportunity to continue to showcase our incredible domestic textile industry and all of its capabilities. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to onshore these critical supply chains long-term and we look forward to working with the administration and Congress to advance long-term policies to bolster this critical production capacity here in the United States.”
March/April 2021
