Brother International Corp., which calls Bridgewater its headquarters in the Americas, on Wednesday said it was donating up to 100 industrial sewing machines to help make personal protective equipment to fight the spread of COVID-19.
The first to receive donations, Los Angeles Apparel, Beverly Knits Inc. and SanMar, are part of a coalition of American apparel brands and textile companies responding to the urgent call from the White House to fast-track the manufacturing of face masks.
Separate from the coalition, Brother will also be donating industrial sewing machines to Brooks Brothers – the oldest men’s clothier in the United States, headquartered on Madison Avenue in Manhattan – to support their manufacturing efforts. The Brooks Brothers partnership was developed in reply to a request on LinkedIn regarding factories reopening to produce PPE and the need to ramp up operations.
“Brother remains committed to aiding our communities during these challenging times,” said Don Cummins, president, Brother International Corp. USA. “Given the severe and growing shortage of personal protective equipment, Brother is proud to donate our products to support these stalwart manufacturers with their efforts in making masks for our frontline workers.”
The Centers for Disease Control currently recommends all persons wear face masks in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19, and certain jurisdictions, such as Los Angeles, have mandated them as mandatory.