Switching Gears: Studio TK is making sofas, lounge chairs—and face masks.

At the start of 2020, PPE (personal protective equipment) was not on Studio TK’s product development plan. In response to emerging healthcare needs, Charlie Bell – President, reached out to local healthcare facilities to see how Studio TK could support efforts to combat Covid-19.

We weren’t sure how Studio TK could contribute, but our resources included the 50,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility where we process thousands of yards of fabric a week and an expertise in fabric cutting and sewing. How could Studio TK help front line professionals? We determined that our fabric processing, sewing and upholstery skills can be mobilized to support medical workers.

In the wake of the pandemic, critical medical supplies such as safety shields, scrubs and face masks are in short supply as producers struggle to meet unprecedented demand. To fast-track production, our staff teamed up with the University of North Carolina Healthcare network of hospitals to ramp up production of face masks to provide for their front-line medical personnel. The teams worked together to create medical masks from tightly woven cotton with an additive pocket sewn in for replaceable filtration that the hospitals currently used.

Studio TK is now in the process of converting manufacturing space to assemble face masks.