GREENSBORO, N.C. — April 6, 2020 — Kontoor Brands Inc. — a global lifestyle apparel company with a portfolio led by two of the world’s most iconic consumer brands, Wrangler® and Lee® — today announced that it has begun producing approximately 50,000 Level 1 patient gowns and 10,000 disposable isolation gowns for clinicians to assist hospitals that are dealing with the influx of patients as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“In times like these, it’s important that we all rise to the occasion and redirect our efforts to help solve critical issues that have resulted from the spread of COVID-19,” said Scott Baxter, president and CEO, Kontoor Brands. “By producing gowns, we hope to help provide hospitals with the much-needed equipment to fight this virus.”
The gowns will be produced by Kontoor at its owned and operated manufacturing facilities with patient gown fabric donated by Copen United Ltd. and Cotswold Industries Inc., zippers from YKK (U.S.A.) Inc., and disposable protective fabric for the isolation gowns from Precision Fabrics Group Inc., based in Greensboro. The gowns will be donated to North Carolina-based hospitals, including Wake Forest Baptist Health.
In addition to the production of patient gowns, Kontoor is making a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina to provide assistance to those in the area who are in need as a result of school closures and job disruptions.
Kontoor continues to assess the impact of coronavirus on its operations and take significant measures consistent with advice from health authorities around the world to ensure the health and safety of its global workforce.
“Our company is proud to support the efforts of many across the country in fighting COVID-19. We will continue to look for ways we can help our communities and the people most affected by this crisis,” said Baxter.
Posted April 6, 2020
Source: Kontoor Brands Inc.
