Hanesbrand Retrofitting Plants to Make Masks Instead of Shirts and Socks
Hanesbrands is retrofitting some of its textile and sewing facilities to produce medical masks to combat the spread of the coronavirus, President Trump announced during a press briefing on Saturday.
“By way of example, Hanes … is retrofitting its manufacturing capabilities in large sections of their plants to produce masks,” he said. “And they’re in that process right now.”
The company confirmed the announcement in a statement, saying it’s manufacturing the masks under contract with the federal government. It expects to ramp up production of 1.5 million masks weekly, while the Parkdale Mills America-led consortium it’s joined will collectively produce 5 million to 6 million masks weekly using Hanesbrands’ design and patterns.
The company is converting its t-shirt, underwear, socks and sweatshirt textile and sewing plants in Ell Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic to make the masks. It’s also working with Fruit of the Loom, SanMar, Beverly Knits, the National Council of Textile Organizations and other apparel companies to share mask specs and patterns.
Hanesbrands, which is based in Winston-Salem, NC, owns such apparel brands as Hanes, Champion, Maidenform, Playtex and L’eggs. It’s No. 77 on the CGT Top 100 Consumer Goods Companies of 2019.