Yanky Sports Teams With Other Local Businesses To Make Masks For International Market
FREDERICTON – For Viggila Charles, a dressmaker and owner of Inba Sewing Solutions, the impact of Covid-19 is closer than it is for many people. Her brother, an occupational therapist in New York City, was in critical care after he contracted the virus from a patient he cared for, even while donning protective gear.
He’s gotten out of critical care and is recovering, Charles said. But her brother’s experience has become one of the things that motivate her to collaborate with Yanky Sports’ owner Ryan Jacobson and two other New Brunswick entrepreneurs to make community masks for local and international markets.
“While that was going on, that’s when Ryan was checking with me about the masks and just right away I was into it,” she said. “That was another thing that motivated me to get involved in this. Definitely people need masks.”
The masks Charles is making are sold under the Fredericton-based Yanky Sports brand, under a line called “Mask It.”
They’re triple-layered, with the innermost fabric being 70 percent bamboo organic cotton. They cost $19.99 each, are designed by Cheryl Ryan Designs in Moncton, and manufactured by Charles and the team at Ahmed Design, a business that makes and alters men’s clothing in Fredericton.
Yanky Sports usually makes sports handkerchief, and both Ryan and Charles had been involved with the production for that. Having a close business relationship and a history of supporting each other, the decision to team up again was not a tough one to make, Charles said.
Besides, with large gatherings cancelled and schools closed, her usual business of making party and prom dresses has slowed down.
This time last year, she was working 12-hour days. Now, she’s finishing up orders from January, while no customer has been able to come in for measurements and alterations in the last two months.
With her only employee on leave, Charles was upfront with her limitations and suggested Jacobson also look for another supplier.
“[Jacobson] has a big order in hand. So since I was doing other stuff also, I couldn’t do all of them for him,” Charles said.
That’s where Ahmed Designs came in. With a team of four, the Fredericton company is able to supply up to 100 masks a day.
Local And Global Demand For Masks
Jacobson was hesitant to get into the business of making masks at first. When he did, the aim was to donate funds for the Fredericton Resilience Fund, which already achieved its fundraising target.
When that effort was done, word has gotten out and interest for the Yanky masks grew. Jacobson quickly realized his in-house capabilities couldn’t catch up, so he sought the help of others like Ahmed Designs and Charles.
“They’ve got industrial-grade sewing machines. They know how to measure and cut fabric. And their quality is top-notch,” he said.
Having sold the sports handkerchief across Canada and abroad for years, Jacobson has the infrastructure and expertise to not only sell the masks online, but also export them.
“I’m shipping into the States, I’m shipping to Singapore…masks are mandatory there now in public or they face hefty fines,” he said.
Adding new products to the existing website was quick with the help of Creative Juices, a graphic and web design shop in Fredericton. Sourcing elastics was challenging, but Jacobson has reliable suppliers in California and Montreal that he could rely on.
Yanky Sports has received an order for more than 1,000 masks in the last two weeks. Some of the people buying masks on its website have also checked out its handkerchief, increasing uptake for that too.
Jacobson wishes people don’t have to wear masks, but right now, the demand is high and suppliers need to step up, he said.
“I do see a continued demand for [masks] whether it’s in New Brunswick or Canada…we ship worldwide with our other product and now with the masks,” he said. “So if there’s a demand in Singapore and a retailer that wants to carry our line of masks, we can do that.”
He’s in talks with a retailer with a presence in Canada’s largest airports, too, as he expects demand for masks to come from air travellers. In addition, Yanky Sports has added custom printing offerings for corporations and individuals.
Jacobson said while he could manufacture the masks faster and cheaper somewhere abroad, it’s important that this is a local effort.
“Everybody that’s working on this is in New Brunswick. They’re paying taxes here, and it’s going back to their business, their mortgage or their rent or their groceries or their kids’ needs,” he said. “We have the talent here, we have the people here, there’s no reason we can’t be doing this here.”
Jacobson said if he can’t fulfill an order at the required time, he tries to direct customers to fellow local mask-makers.
“I don’t think this is a time, and certainly not a product, where anyone should feel territorial about it. People need this and I think people who are in this space should be willing to support others who are in this space too because we all need help,” he said. “This whole crisis in many ways, in many different sectors, has shown a coming together.”