New York menswear company shifts to producing protective equipment as CEO cites funding challenges
Menswear company shifts to medical mask production during COVID-19
Stephen Granovsky, CEO of Hickey Freeman’s Tailored Clothing in Rochester, N.Y., joins ‘Fox & Friends.’
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In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in New York, CEO Stephen Granovksy said on Friday that his clothing company, Hickey Freeman’s Tailored Clothing, has shifted its production to make personal protective equipment for doctors and medical workers on the front lines.
“In a matter of days, we built a prototype of the surgical curtain supplied to us by Rochester General [Hospital] and, within a week, had delivered the first 10,000. We’re wrapping up to hopefully produce 300,000 as quickly as we can,” Granovsky told “Fox & Friends.”
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Granovsky said that his company is losing money for every mask they make due to delayed funding from the government. Granovsky said that «it has been a challenge» to get funding from FEMA and the state government.
He said the company planned to take a loss on the first shipment, hoping that funding would come through for further production.
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Granovsky went on to say, “We desperately need a buyer that is either statewide or even better, national, that can coordinate not only proven prototypes but providing the budget because, let’s face it, American manufacturing is more expensive than the traditional Chinese manufacturing that this industry is used to.»
«And while this is an unbelievably valuable exercise for us to be engaged in on such short notice, we do have to be careful not to lose our shirt doing it,” he added.
Host Brian Kilmeade expressed the hope that FEMA officials would be receptive to helping the company make the critically needed supplies.
