Hudson Holdings Group has opened a manufacturing facility in Piscataway, N.J., that will produce tens of millions of protective masks a month.
The New Jersey site will create more than 200 jobs at a time when the country is climbing back from the enormous economic toll caused by Covid. Hudson Holdings Group is in partnership on the project with the State of New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy’s economic agenda centers on innovation and ways to make the state fairer and more inclusive.
As Covid-19 surges, Hudson Holdings Group sees its New Jersey facility as a model to expand in the Northeast and beyond, with demand soaring for U.S.-made protective gear. The company’s approach is distinctive as a Made in America solution to an urgent problem. It brings mass production of high-quality, low-cost disposable masks to a space dominated by Chinese imports.
“Our ultimate goal is to help,” said Jonathan Ho, Hudson Holdings Group founder. “We bring American jobs and innovation to this line of business, from our machines to our quality to our costs. Yet what’s most important to us is a sense of social responsibility. It is at the heart of what we do. Companies must rise to this moment by meeting–and never exploiting–the demand for American-made protective gear in this pandemic.”
Ho said the company is driven to make the best products at the lowest costs and pass on those savings to customers.
“For millions of us here in New Jersey and across the nation, wearing our masks has become nothing less than a patriotic act and an act of personal responsibility,” Murphy said in a statement. “And now, by wearing masks produced here by the 200 employees who come to work here each day, we’ll not only be working to protect public health but we’ll be directly contributing to our economic health.”
Masks are proven to reduce the spread of Covid-19, yet a mask shortage still threatens many vulnerable communities and the schools and centers that serve them. Already in production, the Piscataway site is expected to make 90 million masks a month, or about 3 million a day. The site produces the three-ply masks that are one of the types recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The familiar blue look of the disposable cloth masks come with a patented twist: easy-to-adjust ear loop lengths for a better fit.
Related Stories
In the coming months, Hudson Holdings Group also plans to begin manufacturing the N95 respirator masks commonly worn and also in demand by health-care professionals. Hudson Holdings Group said it is in discussions with a major U.S. retailer to distribute its masks nationally. Locally, the company has partnered with Choose New Jersey to make these masks accessible throughout the state.
“Choose New Jersey is grateful for Hudson Holdings Group’s leadership in meeting a vital need in our state during these unprecedented times,” said Jose Lozano, president and CEO of Choose New Jersey. “HHG’s work in providing essential PPE will help protect our frontline workers and the community during the second surge of this virus. Choose New Jersey worked closely with HHG to help them open this new manufacturing facility that will create hundreds of good-paying jobs and we would like to thank them for stepping up during this difficult time and helping to lead the way as we work defeat this deadly virus.”