Governments and hospitals throughout the United States are trying to procure personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, as quickly as possible. Several golf businesses are heeding the call, pivoting from their day-to-day business to making masks.
Seamus Golf's founders, Akbar and Megan Chisti, took to Instagram to announce the company was seeking approval on a mask design. The company believes it could produce 5,000 masks every three days -- 1,667 per day or so -- with their 10 sewers.
Seamus Golf also said they could look at hiring new workers to come in and learn to sew quickly, as they've taught several of their workers to sew on the job. The company made its first production run on March 20, the company announced in an email to its customers.
"We are using materials and constructing them in a way that each of these individuals still wants us to send them masks to use as a last resort," the email read in part. "They have confirmed that what we are making is better than what they are resorting to use. We do not have the N95 material but are seeking it."
The company has temporarily closed their online storefront. The masks are available free of charge for first responders, primary care doctors and nurses with an email to the company.
Other companies, including headcover maker Rose and Fire, are inquiring how they might be able to help and quickly spin their business toward making masks.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has said he will happily offer incentives to pay businesses willing to make masks quickly. Fashion companies and other apparel makers throughout the country are offering to produce. The federal government expects the American medical community to need nearly 1 billion N95 respirator masks over the next six months. 3M has announced plans to make 1.1 billion N95 masks in the next 12 months, doubling previously planned production.
