Outdoor Research is converting its onshore production facility in Seattle, Washington to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) destined for their home state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Defence (DOD), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Outdoor Research will manufacture ASTM level 3 masks, N95 respirator masks, and ASTM level 1 fabric face masks, at a rate of 200,000 total masks a day by May/June.
The brand started bolstering its facility to produce a high number of PPE units two weeks ago by investing in specialized machinery. Outdoor Research will also obtain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification.
All materials will be sourced from the United States to help support local economies.
Outdoor Research has started making ASTM level 1 face masks at a rate of thousands per day. ASTM level 3 surgical masks are slated to start this month or next month, and N95 respirator masks are slated for May or June. The ability to produce the ASTM level 3 and N95 masks differentiate Outdoor Research from many other outdoor brands’ efforts, as does the ability to produce high daily volumes in the United States.
“Our 39-year history of rapidly developing cutting-edge Outdoor, Military and Tactical products provides Outdoor Research the ability to quickly shift to supporting the personal protective needs of the medical community,” said CEO Dan Nordstrom. “Our entire company is fully committed to ensuring that doctors, nurses, health-care workers, and first responders have the personal protective equipment they require to effectively care for their patients. We are working with state and local officials to better protect our employees in this environment as we ramp up production in the following days and weeks.”
