Posted April 9, 2020

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Unifi, Inc., one of the world's leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, recognizes the hard work that its customers are doing in supplying critical products during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Unifi supplies yarns and fibers to more than 100 companies that are producing the masks, gowns and other personal protective equipment needed by our first responders, medical personnel and military.

 

“We have customers actively engaged in the fight against COVID-19,” said Tom Caudle, president & chief operating officer of Unifi. "We’re proud that our company is playing a part in that fight by providing the fiber they need.”

 

Unifi customer Contempora Fabrics, based in Lumberton, N.C., normally supplies fabric for baseball uniforms this time of year, but this season’s fabric is shifting to the production of medical masks and gowns. The factory using Contempora’s fabric is located in Pennsylvania and is owned by sports gear producer Fanatics. The repurposed fabric is 100 percent polyester sourced from Unifi’s operations in Yadkinville, N.C.

 

“We’re honored that our fabric is able to help the medical staff, first responders and military personnel who are putting their lives on the line every day to combat the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Ron Roach, president of Contempora Fabrics. “Only in the American textile industry will you find the ingenuity to solve a mask shortage with baseball uniform fabric. Thanks to Fanatics for their innovative vision, we’re just happy to be a part of the solution.”

 

Another Unifi customer, Phenix Engineered Textiles, based in South Carolina, supplies elastic strapping for face masks. Unifi supplies the fiber to Phenix Engineered Textiles, and the yellow yarn for the familiar yellow straps is dyed in Unifi’s dyehouse in Reidsville, N.C.

 

“We’ve had to ramp up production to keep up with the demand,” said Rod Grandy, CEO of Phenix Engineered Textiles. “Unifi is a vital part of our business, and it would be difficult to keep pace with heightened demand without such a reliable partner. U.S. manufacturers are often overlooked, but this local supply chain is precisely why we haven’t missed a beat.”

 

Unifi’s fiber is an essential ingredient in the production of hundreds of critical components and products including masks, gowns, sewing thread for gowns, sterile wipes, drapes and elastics for masks and face shields.

 

“We expect to continue to deliver critical products to our customers who are supplying the necessary fabrics and products to those most in need,” Caudle said. “I also want to recognize and thank our hard-working employees for their efforts, especially during these unsettling times.”

 

Source: Unifi

Unifi recognizes customers supplying the frontlines in fight against COVID-19