Culp expands production of critical products during COVID-19

Mattress fabrics producer Culp, Inc., has announced updates to recent measures the company has taken across several locations in its global platform in North America and Asia to increase production of face masks, bedding covers, and fabrics for healthcare operations and consumer health. These additional steps include:

·      Expanding its work with several companies to produce face masks for supply to FEMA. These non-medical grade, three-layer cotton masks are made in accordance with FDA standards and are sewn at the company’s CLASS facilities in North Carolina and Haiti;

·      Producing and supplying face masks for consumers and healthcare workers through the company’s Culp Hospitality platform in Knoxville, Tennessee, (Read Window Products) and through the company’s strategic partner relationships in Vietnam, which are now sewing face masks instead of upholstery fabric kits for the company. These non-medical grade, three-layer cotton masks are also made in accordance with FDA standards;

·      Producing and supplying sewn bedding covers and bedding fabrics used for hospital beds at the company’s CLASS facility in North Carolina and through the company’s Asian platform;

·      Working to assist other companies by using certain of Culp’s lamination equipment and finishing capabilities at the company’s facilities in Stokesdale, North Carolina, and Canada for their production of critical products for the healthcare industry, including woven medical gowns; and

·      Utilizing the company’s full-scale research and development team to develop fabrics and other solutions for current and future personal protection equipment (“PPE”) needs.

Iv Culp, chief executive officer of Culp, Inc., said, “As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, I am extremely proud of our employees and strategic partners across our global platform for stepping up to assist in Culp’s relief efforts. We are utilizing our production and sourcing capabilities in the United States, Haiti, Canada, and Asia to supply much-needed PPE for healthcare workers and the communities we serve, and to support numerous customer requests for bedding covers and mattress fabrics used for hospital beds.”

“Our mattress fabrics and upholstery fabrics divisions are working cross-functionally in these efforts and leveraging their resources to meet critical needs. Our plans are to produce at least one million face masks and to supply fabric and covers for tens of thousands of hospital mattresses over the next few months. The initiative to reprioritize some of our operations to produce PPE is not about profit, but rather to support our nation during this crisis while also keeping as many workers as possible employed. Culp associates are honoured by the opportunity to pitch in and support our front-line workers, our healthcare operators, our communities, and our nation during this unprecedented time.”

Source: Knitting Industry