Clothing brand Arc’teryx turns to making medical gowns
B.C. outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx has pivoted production during the COVID-19 pandemic to create medical gowns.
The company began preparing to shift production to medical gowns earlier this month at its manufacturing facility in New Westminster, referred to as ARC’ONE, and has already delivered 500 level-three isolation gowns to local front line medical workers.
Arc’teryx will be ramping up its mission to ease surgical gown shortages with a goal of producing 90,000 garments within the next four to six weeks.
Postmedia News caught up with Shirley Chan, the brand’s senior director of product commercialization and quality, to learn more.
Q How did the initiative to create medical gowns to ease shortages for front line workers come about?
A We received the call from local health authorities on March 18 as the world as we knew it was turning upside down and just simply knew we needed to help. Moving quickly and in collaboration with local manufacturing companies Mustang Survival and Boardroom Clothing, we spent 10 days developing and testing a prototype for a level-three isolation gown that would be reusable, instead of disposable like the current medical gowns.
Q Why is this so important to the Arc’teryx team?
A As makers of outdoor products there wasn’t much we could do on the medical front lines except follow guidelines to social distance and work from home. But as makers of sewn products, we could turn our expertise to support the medical community in this fight.
Making the right gear is something we know. It’s been really heartwarming to see how much our entire team wants to help with this effort. We’re so proud of how quickly everyone came together to support our front line workers.
Q Are other companies joining this initiative?
A We’ve been working alongside Mustang Survival, Boardroom Clothing and Kendor Textiles for material sourcing.
Q What were some of the challenges faced when implementing the pivot?
A An immediate need, rapid timeline and finding the right materials. Our manufacturing facility specializes in waterproof, breathable seam gear and while surgical gowns share some requirements for water resistance and breathability, the type of sewing is really different. As we ramped up to produce these gowns we reconfigured our equipment layout, and acquired specialized attachments for our equipment.
While the operations themselves are changing, what doesn’t change is the skill set of our workers. They are simply reapplying what they already know to new product. We are also taking special care to ensure we can create an environment that respects social distancing and ensure employee safety.