Please note: ISPA wants to hear about challenges and successes in supplying critical equipment needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you encounter government regulatory problems where we might be able to help, or if you have ideas on how ISPA can further assist the industry in its efforts to help, contact Grant Johnson, ISPA policy and government affairs, phone 571-635-6302, email [email protected]. Find more information: ISPA COVID-19 Member Resources page
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Mattress manufacturer Eclipse International will start producing an initial batch of 38,000 face masks from its New Jersey factory that will be donated to healthcare professionals to help them battle the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-layer masks are being made from two materials currently used to make the company’s mattresses.
The first run of masks will be donated to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a New Brunswick, New Jersey, network of hospitals. The North Brunswick factory will produce the masks and is committed to producing more as needed.
Eclipse International has shared a mask pattern, specifications and source information for the elastic bands with its network of 17 domestic licensees, some of whom have already begun their own mask production programs.
“When I first learned about the shortage of medical masks, we started looking at what solutions we could provide. When I started seeing the hoarding and price-gouging going on in the marketplace, I was taken aback and we fast-tracked our own production,” said Stuart Carlitz, president and chief executive officer of Eclipse. “No healthcare professional in this country should go without proper protection and once we determined we had an adequate solution, we put the gears in motion to make this happen.”
Carlitz said he has approached hospital administrators who are thrilled to learn that the company is going to help with the shortage.
“We’re happy to be able to help, and see that some of our partners will be donating to their local hospitals, too,” Carlitz said, adding that he shared the plan on his social media pages over the weekend. “Since then, I’ve seen a number of companies step up and get involved in helping fill the void. That’s what our industry does. We jump in and help when there’s a crisis.”
North Brunswick, New Jersey-based Eclipse International has been making mattresses since 1866. Known for its design innovation in creating advanced sleep products, the company has an extensive global licensing network that distributes mattresses under six brands – Eclipse, Eastman House, Ernest Hemingway, Pure Talalay Bliss, Velika and BIA. A well-established leader in the bedding industry, Eclipse designs products crafted with high quality components, including latex, memory foam, gel and eco-friendly materials. The company holds a number of patents that deliver superb support throughout the product line. Today, the company has 77 licensees worldwide. For additional information, visit www.EclipseMattress.com.
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