Top 40 supplier Next Level Apparel (asi/73867) is responding to the urgent call from the White House for medical grade masks.

The Gardena, CA-based company has joined a coalition of major apparel brands – led by Parkdale Inc., the country’s largest yarn spinner – dedicated to speeding up the manufacturing and delivery of masks for hospitals and healthcare workers.

Next Level is manufacturing surgical face masks with a proprietary fabric and chemistry finish that is both Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certified. This is the only program to get FDA approval and HHS certification through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will determine where the masks go, according to Next Level. The U.S. Postal Service will deliver the masks. Once it reaches full capacity, the coalition expects to produce up to 10 million face masks per week.

“As a part of our responsibility to be good corporate citizens, Next Level is proud to be dedicating our resources and manufacturing capabilities to help our country in this time of crisis,” Joe Simsolo, founder and CEO of Next Level Apparel, said in a press release.

As the economy reopens and employees return to work, businesses will have an increased responsibility to keep workers safe, so Next Level has released a line of fabric face masks and neck gaiters to meet this new promo need. A portion of proceeds for its face masks will benefit City of Hope, a comprehensive research and treatment center for cancer and other serious diseases in Duarte, CA. The institution has been caring for COVID-19 patients and is among those working on a vaccine.

Next Level is also donating a variety of personal protective equipment (PPE), including 2,500 KN95 masks, 20,000 surgical masks, and 50,000 units of apparel to allow doctors and hospital staff to change before going home to their families. Made of the same material as Next Level’s Eco Performance Tees, the Eco Face Masks are reusable, eco-friendly, sustainable, washable and breathable. Each two-ply moisture-wicking mask with a tear-away label is made from approximately one recycled poly (RPET) water bottle and consists of 40% recycled poly, 30% recycled cotton and 30% cotton. Masks are also available in Next Level Cotton, CVC and Tri-Blend fabrics. For larger, more customized orders, Next Level has developed a private label program for orders of 25,000 or more masks. In addition to a customizable printed label, customers can choose among six fabric options and 50 color choices.

“At Next Level, we recognize the difficulties businesses are facing as they navigate this new normal environment, so we’ve expanded our tee business to include face masks and neck gaiters — made from the same great Next Level fabrics you’ve come to know and love,” Simsolo said. “We hope these products can help keep employees safe during these challenging times.”