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SanMar to Make Medical Masks for COVID-19 Shortage

March 26, 2020

SanMar Corp., Issaquah, Wash., has joined a coalition of United States apparel companies that are building a supply chain of much-needed face masks to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions of masks will be distributed by the federal government to support hospitals, health care workers and others battling the spread of the unrelenting virus.

Jeremy Lott, president of SanMar, was moved into action after one of his employees told him that her son, an emergency medical technician, is ill-equipped to help patients in the field, according to the company.

“She said they don’t have masks and have been advised to wear bandanas, and she is worried about him,” Lott says. “That really hit me. We want to do whatever we can do support these efforts.”


SanMar joins Hanesbrands, Fruit of the Loom, Parkdale Mills and five others that are retooling their manufacturing capabilities to quickly make millions of face masks each week.

“We are doing daily calls with the White House and are part of this effort as a result of our ability to make and sew textiles here in the U.S., as well as in Central America,” says Renton Leversedge, chief customer officer for SanMar. “We have manufacturing expertise and we have scale, which enables us to take part in this very important work.”

SanMar’s manufacturing plants in Knoxville, Tenn., and Central America are working to produce masks and many of the textiles in order to support the sewing operations across the coalition.

Production is expected to start this week and deliveries will begin the week of March 30. — D.S.


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