Celebrating Our Members In Response to COVID-19

1. SEAMS PPE SPECIAL EDITION
MAY 2020
Celebrating our Members in Response to Covid-19
SEAMS, the National Association & Voice for the Sewn Products
industry for over 50 years, celebrates our many members that
have stepped up to produce PPE products to support our
country's healthcare needs in response to Covid-19.
With over 200 members representing 10,000 plus cut& sew
operators, manufacturing facilities, textile producers and
brands/retailers, we have created a network to supply
components to open capacity facilities to produce thousands of
gowns, curtains, masks, protective equipment, and more to meet
the needs of our heroes and frontline workers.
Historically, 80% of these products have been manufactured in
Asia and Europe, leaving America in a destitute position when the
virus hit us. Our members and industry is committed to bringing
production back to America and have created our Made in
America PPE initiative in response to this pandemic.
CELEBRATING SEAMS RESPONSE
TO COVID-19
by Executive Director Will Duncan A MESSAGE FROM THE
DIRECTOR
MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
PPE PRODUCTION
ACROSS OUR MEMBER
COMMUNITY
ABOUT SEAMS
IN THIS ISSUE
PAGE 1

2. Cut-and-sew contractor LACorp, VA, which is part of a
coalition of iconic American apparel brands including
Hanes and Parkdale created in response to the urgent
call of for U.S. medical PPE supplies. This supply chain
was built “virtually overnight” to fast track the
manufacturing of medical face masks to help hospitals,
healthcare workers and citizens battling the spread of
the COVID-19 disease, according to LACorp President
Jeoff Bodenhorst Jr., who also serves as SEAMS’
president. LACorp has pivoted almost 90 percent of its
production to PPE. “Our world is turned upside down
right now, just like everyone else's is,” he said. “I’m
turning down enough requests today than I probably
do in a year’s time. We’re all in this together and we all
have the same goal. Luckily, we as an industry are
seeing some bright points right now. Most businesses
are really struggling, whereas in our business we are
trying to hire people to keep up with demand.”
SEAMS’ members that were willing and able to
contribute to the PPE cause have been able to keep
most if not all of their employees working and, in
some cases, have been able to hire supporting new
jobs for Americans.
Contempora Fabrics, a NC-based knitter that
supplies fabric for Major League Baseball jerseys
and many other partners saw its normal apparel
business abruptly decline the week of March 16
when the crisis started to heavily impact the
Western Hemisphere and its customers began
shuttering operations, according to company
President Ron Roach said. “During that week,
every hour, something changed,” he recalled.
“You couldn’t plan anything for the next day. By
the end of that week, for the first time in my 35-
year career, we had to lay off 185 people on that
Friday.” But things began to rapidly change when
Contempora Fabrics was asked to join the Hanes
coalition. By Tuesday of the following week, the
company had reopened operations with about half
of its plant personnel, he said. Today, the
company is producing more than 200,000 yards
of fabric a week for masks or gowns with durable
water repellent or with antimicrobial
finishes “We’ve seen the entire U.S. industry build
this so quickly and competitors work with
competitors, and people we didn't even know
existed are assisting others, including us, on how
to get things done and try to help flatten the
curve,” said Roach,
“There are a lot of 15 hour days, but in many ways
it’s been pretty fun to see and be a part of. One
thing we’ve proven is the U.S. textile, sewn
products and apparel industry can move quickly.”
James Lopez
MAY 2020| SEAMS MADE IN AMERICA PPE SPECIAL EDITION
COLLABORATING TO DELIVER
Let's take a look at those that stepped up from face
masks and coverings to isolation gowns, from head
caps to hospital curtains – our member companies
have risen to the occasion to either manufacture these
products or the equipment or components needed to
make them, including yarns, threads, fabrics and
antibacterial and DWR (durable water
repellent) materials. And still others have shifted their
focus to providing services such as cut and sew or
dyeing and finishing to support the effort.
SEAMS SPECIAL EDITION PPE | PAGE 2

3. MAY 2020| SEAMS MADE IN AMERICA PPE SPECIAL EDITION
Henderson Sewing Machine Co., AL supplies equipment
& technology as well as systems integration tools such
as robotics and automation systems and standard
sewing systems. The leadership and technical teams
at the company had to quickly pivot from its normal
products into PPE manufacturing technologies in order
to support the cause, according to President & CEO
Frank Henderson, the company’s 3rd generation leader
of the family-owned company. Henderson
Sewing introduced new, automated face mask
production systems to customers throughout the USA to
manufacture pleated, foldable and cup-type face masks
in an automated or semi-automated supply chain. Other
semi-automated systems were introduced to
manufacture other PPE products, Henderson said.
The company is now shipping and installing equipment
and technology for PPE production into more than 25
states, he said. “We’ve been drinking from a fire hose
the last few weeks,” Henderson said. "It has been a
quick study and an interesting proposition, but I think
our industry was up to the challenge. For us, it’s a joy
to see our industry activated in a completely vertical
supply chain here in America, with everybody working
together the way we have been.” For Henderson, such
an effort has been a long time coming, he said. “Some of
us have been waiting most of our lives to see this
happen,” he said. “For me it’s been 45 years – 45 years
of seeing our industry gutted and decimated and
shipped all over the world, to now being able to say
these are essential items needed in America. These are
essential items for the health and wellbeing of our
people. And I hope our government will tune in to see
that these products are just as essential as a military
uniform or ammunition."
ACCELERATING AUTOMATION OF
THE PPE U.S. SUPPLY CHAIN
SEAMS SPECIAL EDITION PPE | PAGE 3
“I think for each of us, it’s a new day, a new time,
and it's an opportunity for each one of us to share,
one with the other, and also I hope it’s an
opportunity for us to build this vertical supply chain
for things that some of us have waited a long, long
time to see come back here to America. We can do
that and we can compete with the rest of the world if
we're equally yoked – not unequally yoked." Frank
Henderson
LET'S MEET OTHER PPE PRODUCERS
Hamrick Mills, SC, a 120-year-old fabric maker, is
producing fabrics that are being used in scrubs,
gowns, masks and other PPE items. Collaborating with
SEAMS members to do production.
HomTex Inc., an AL-based manufacturer of bed linens
and other items, shifted its focus from traditional
products to making cotton face masks for businesses
and individuals. The family-owned company plans a $5
million investment at its facilities to manufacture
another product in high demand – the pleated, 3-ply
surgical masks used in hospitals and nursing homes –
in a project that is creating 120 jobs and position
HomTex as a permanent U.S. producer of PPE.
Cut-and-sew contractor Hemingway Apparel, SC,
through its participation in the Hanes-led
consortium, has been tasked with manufacturing
nearly 500 million face masks in a short period of time.
These face masks will ultimately end up in households
across America via FEMA.
“As a company, we are proud to be able to contribute
in a meaningful way to the protection of our fellow
citizens, and are sure that each of our employees
take great pride in knowing that their efforts are
making a difference in teh fight against this
pandemic," Jim Hopkins, Hamrick Mills

4. MAY 2020| SEAMS MADE IN AMERICA PPE SPECIAL EDITION
Carolina Cotton Works (CCW), a specialty dyeing and
finishing operation, is processing fabrics for masks,
gowns and scrubs in various constructions, including
cotton, blends and 100 percent polyester, composed of
spun and filament yarns. Some are being infused with
antimicrobial and durable water repellent ingredients.
MMI Textiles, OH is a converter of a wide range of
textiles, moved quickly to address the need for PPE
during this crisis, with most of its products going to
medical workers, and some of its customers are
producing for consumers, as well. It partnered with a
customer that was able to commit over 300,000 gowns
to New York City health workers, and another that is
making face shields for healthcare employees in Ohio.
Minnesota Knitting Mills (MKM), MN, made only a
slight pivot into PPE and other medical goods to
address the PPE demand. The company already was
supplying PPE products and other related medical
products, including medical cuffs and several types of
fabric, but in lower volumes than it is producing
currently.
Clothier Design Source (CDS), MN offers expertise in
apparel design, soft goods engineering, product
development and manufacturing to enable private label
brands to grow, pivoted into making cloth face masks,
nonwoven masks and hoods, with most of its PPE going
directly to the Department of Health and Human
Services (HSS) to distribute to those who need these
products.
LET'S MEET OTHER PPE PRODUCERS
SEAMS SPECIAL EDITION PPE | PAGE 4
A. Rifkin Co., a fifth-generation, family-run
manufacturing company in PA., since 1892, specializes
in reusable fabric security bags as well as mattress
covers for hospitals and prisons, and recently has
started producing face masks, covers for N95 masks,
gowns and head caps.
Shuford Yarns LLC, NC - a 140-year old company that
provides a broad product line of spun yarns for the
industrial, home furnishing and apparel sectors, is
producing yarns for face masks, surgical gowns,
hospital towels, diabetic socks, hospital socks, medical
sleeves, military towels and blankets.
OnPoint Manufacturing, AL specializes in on-demand
mass customization in a highly automated, advanced
production facility, pivoted into full protective mask
production in a matter of days and is now making about
5,000 masks per day and manufacturing some hospital
gowns and scrubs – all new products for the company.
Apparel manufacturer National Safety Apparel® (NSA),
OH is contributing to the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) PPE initiatives in the fight
against COVID-19. The company is working in
partnership with the Hanes coalition to produce 1.5
million+ face masks per week in the U.S. and has
partnered with a textile manufacturer and others to
manufacture gowns, shifting a significant portion of its
capacity to support these programs.
"More than anything, everyone here at MMI loves our
community, our first responders, our workers, our
partners, our industry and America. Therefore, if
there was any way we could be of help, we wouldn't let
anything get in our way." Geoff Senko, MMI Textiles

5. MAY 2020| SEAMS MADE IN AMERICA PPE SPECIAL EDITION
Gerber Technology, CT, which provides integrated
software and hardware solutions to more than 78,000
customers in the fashion & apparel, technical textiles,
& more industries, launched a one-stop Gerber PPE
COVID-19 Resource page in March. Nearly 1,000
companies or individuals have signed up on the site,
which offers a number of resources, such as
production-ready patterns, cut files, markers and tech
packs; setup of cutter parameters specific to the
selected fabrics; training, software, equipment and
service technicians to ramp up production; contact
information for fellow suppliers and manufacturers
through its PPE Manufacturing Matchmaking Program;
and more.
Gehring Tricot Corporation, NY-based textile
manufacturer founded in 1946, is making and supplying
fabrics for medical masks, non-medical masks, hospital
gowns, hospital curtains, medical bandages and other
medical supplies.
Aurora Specialty Textiles Group, Inc., IL a 137-year-old
company that bleaches, finishes, coats and dyes woven,
nonwovens and knit fabrics, is now supplying materials
to be used in the production of cloth face masks,
nonwoven antimicrobial wipes and treated fabrics to
produce Level 1 and Level 2 medical gowns.
“Our employees come to work every day energized. They
believe in what we are doing and what our mission is –
doing good in the world. We know we’re making a
difference and in some cases, saving lives.” Wayne
Wilson, Founder, Prime Medical
LET'S MEET OTHER PPE PRODUCERS
SEAMS SPECIAL EDITION PPE | PAGE 5
Precision Fabrics Group, NC, has made protective
fabrics for years, so it did not need to transition to
support the PPE effort, but it has ramped up production
of barrier fabrics used in medical gowns (AAMI Level I,
II, III, and IV) and face mask components.
Prime Medical, FL, the exclusive manufacturer of Clorox
Healthcare™ Privacy Curtains and CloroxPro™ Scrubs
and Lab Coats, pivoted its operations to produce CDC-
compliant face masks.
Brother International Corporation, NJ, created a
“Powering the Mask Making” initiative to donate up to
100 state-of-the-art industrial sewing machines to
accelerate the production of masks and address the
shortage of PPE.
Hart Bridges, the 19-year-old son of the sales manager
at longtime SEAMS’ member Carolina Cotton
Works, was sent home from college to study online when
the pandemic hit, but he wanted to help the cause during
the crisis. So, with the assistance of his dad, Stacey
Bridges, and his connections, the freshman at
USC launched a company, Rosleck Safety, to make and
donate face masks for healthcare works on the frontlines
and for the general public.
Printcraft Co., NC established in 1930, specializes in the
production of many different forms of tags and labels
ranging from garment tags (printed and woven), law
tags, heat transfer, poly-film, to thermal transfer and
everything in between.
Unionwear, NJ supplier of hats, bags and binders for the
promotional, fashion and uniform markets, shifted its
operations to produce face shields and isolation gowns
to protect healthcare employees.

6. S E A M S . O R G ( 8 0 3 ) 6 4 2 - 1 1 1 1
SEAMS is the Association and Voice of the U.S. Sewn Products Industry for over 50 years,
consisting of more than 200 of America’s foremost fashion brands, retailers, manufacturers and
textile providers. Supercharging the American Supply Chain, SEAMS is the most relevant force
and go-to resource shaping the growth and resurgence of MADE IN AMERICA. By providing access
to people, processes and products to move production back to the U.S., SEAMS serves as the hub
for networking, inspiration, innovation, and intelligence to enhance members’ competitiveness,
productivity and profitability in the new global economy. SEAMS Members represent 10,000+ cut
& sew operators ready and able to proceed with Made in America PPE production for America.
Contact Us
If you would like to speak with SEAMS leadership or representatives of any of these member
companies, please contact:
Will Duncan, Executive Director Nancy Kinderknecht, Member Services,
wduncan@seams.org nkinder@seams.org
Visit our Website to learn more about the SEAMS organization and our Member Community