FALL RIVER — A few years ago, motorcycle stunt rider Rhett Rotten dazzled crowds outside Vanson Leathers during one of the Fall River manufacturer's open houses.
The fun times – and apparel befitting them – are on hold for now at Vanson as its team does its part to make masks for medical professionals and others in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The first masks rolled off the production line at Vanson April 3, said sales manager Kim Van Der Sleesen. The company turned to making masks after a phone call between her husband, Vanson owner Mike Van Der Sleesen, and a friend/customer who is a surgeon in the Boston area.
The surgeon, picking up Mike's call, said he was just about to call Mike, said Van Der Sleesen.
The team at Vanson worked with the surgeon’s specifications to make the masks that are larger and deeper than typical masks so they can be worn over surgical-grade masks.
The masks, which are also now available for the public to purchase, are made of two layers of a tightly woven cotton that exceeds International Red Cross specs and rayon straps so they can fit tightly over the face. They’re also washable and can withstand boiling and a 1% chlorine solution.
The Boston-area hospital where the surgeon works is going to have everyone on staff and all visitors wear the masks made at Vanson, Van Der Sleesen said.
Since that initial phone call, Vanson has also added hazmat suits and another type of mask to its offerings for the medical field.
The demand for the masks these days has been, in a word, “huge,” said Van Der Sleesen. “We’ve sold over 18,000 of them, not including the ones for the hospital.”
Though the leather production line isn’t running at Vanson right now, keeping the cloth line running has helped the company maintain a little more than half of its staff. “It’s keeping us going at a certain level and we’re doing a good thing for the community and medical professionals,” Van Der Sleesen said.
With about 20 or so people working there, Vanson is able to churn out 500 to 1,000 masks a day, Van Der Sleesen said – though there have been some snags along the way, such as getting the material they need as there’s such a high demand for it right now.
Orders have also been rolling in from others in the medical field such as veterinarian offices that sacrificed their surgical-grade masks to hospitals, physical therapy offices and a cancer support agency. Construction crews have also ordered them, she added.
The masks cost $4.99 each or $49.99 for a pack of 10. Delivery is free for orders of 10. For additional details, visit vansonleathers.com.