All corners of the apparel industry are coming together to provide assistance as COVID-19 depletes hospitals’ inventory of supplies.
Kontoor Brands, the parent company of Wrangler and Lee, announced Monday that it has begun producing approximately 50,000 Level 1 patient gowns and 10,000 disposable isolation gowns for clinicians to assist hospitals that are dealing with an influx of patients as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The garments will be produced at its owned and operated manufacturing facilities.
The Greensboro, N.C.-based company’s supply chain partners are pitching in, too. Patient gown fabric is donated by Copen United Limited and Cotswold Industries. Zippers are provided by YKK Inc. and disposable protective fabric for the isolation gowns is donated from Precision Fabrics Group, Inc.
The gowns will be donated to hospitals throughout North Carolina.
“In times like these, it’s important that we all rise to the occasion and redirect our efforts to help solve critical issues that have resulted from the spread of COVID-19,” said Scott Baxter, Kontoor Brands president and CEO. “By producing gowns, we hope to help provide hospitals with the much-needed equipment to fight this virus.”
Kontoor is making a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina to provide assistance to those in the area who are in need as a result of school closures and job disruptions.
Moving forward, the company stated that it will continue to assess the impact of coronavirus on its operations and “take significant measures consistent with advice from health authorities around the world to ensure the health and safety of its global workforce.”
“Our company is proud to support the efforts of many across the country in fighting COVID-19,” Baxter added. “We will continue to look for ways we can help our communities and the people most affected by this crisis.”
