Typically they sew upholstery for watercraft at the MasterCraft plant in Vonore. These days you'll likely find some of those same employees making protective masks for health care professionals.
Blount Memorial Hospital has received a donation of almost 300 N95 masks made at the boat-making plant, according to spokesman Josh West.
According to a news release, the seamstresses can turn out 120 masks a day.
MasterCraft can make the N95s to the necessary specifications of the health care industry. The company pitched the idea of making and donating some to Blount Memorial, according to West.
It was the idea of Rosie Ellard, the company's upholstery department supervisor, to start making the masks, according to a hospital release.
“The sewing takes a little longer because the surgical masks require a strict finish," Ellard said in the news release. "The hardest part of sewing is the material. It is a lot thinner than what normally is applied under the machine, and the pieces are much smaller."
With experimentation, the upholstery employees arrived at a satisfactory method to make usable and useful masks, according to Ellard.
West said the donation has been a big help to the hospital.
MasterCraft has previously given some of its own supply of N95 masks to Blount Memorial as it confronts the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Other people at the plant also have helped with mask-making, according to the news release, including upholstery operators, purchasing, supervisors, engineering and the customer service replacement team.
Mastercraft Boat Holdings Inc. CEO Fred Brightbill said MasterCraft "will continue to look for ways to leverage its resources to support local communities and participate in volunteer efforts."