Choosing to be in the PPE business has saved a lot of promotional products businesses so far, suppliers and distributors alike. Conversations I’m having lately about the PPE market maturing have been centered primarily around the blank business, with the real possibility of overstocks and price drops combining to turn surplus blank masks into this year’s fidget spinner mistake. That, along with cash flow issues that have distributors tightening credit and dating expectations, and you could say it’s been an interesting couple of weeks in the business.
Our post a couple of weeks ago on counterfeit masks caused M. Pauline Hershey, the founder of All Valley Printing in Hanford, CA., to reach out for clarification (frankly, I wish more folks would engage directly like that). Pauline and her team in California’s Central Valley really pivoted early to focus on PPE, even branding their web presence “Let’s ReOpen California Safely.”
Pauline was doing her homework on the differences between N95 and KN95 masks, including reaching out directly to the FDA when it appeared to her that some product delays might be the result of market manipulation by the largest suppliers. The FDA was a bit of a moving target, making changes in the Emergency Use Authorization, and first expanding then retracting which factories in China were authorized to manufacture masks. The FDA did finally reassure Pauline that the changes came with good reason, which was the poor quality and dubious claims of proper filtration from some Chinese factories. “After some time looking at masks that are meeting the filtration levels (or aren’t), from NIOSH,” Pauline told us, “and learning that a lot of middlemen were assisting in getting manufacturers approved in the US without the appropriate testing of the products either in China or the US, I took a breath. While the process got more complicated, this important work must be done by someone. I’ll do the best I can for my community.”
The majority of the masks being offered in the promotional products space are face coverings, not FDA/NIOSH approved respirators and, as such, need to follow CDC guidelines. “There do appear to be fake N95 masks out there,” Larry Whitney, product safety and compliance expert, and managing partner at Whitney and Whitney Consulting told us. “The Chinese Government has been cracking down on pop-up factories selling masks that are purported to be N95 but in reality, it appears they are not. In the past two months, I have seen Rapid Alert For Non-Food Products (RAPEX) listing dozens of recalls for masks whose filtration levels don’t even come close to the claimed filtration levels.” Larry recommends insisting on PO/ Lot Level testing if you must procure and supply masks for a medical environment, as well as working only with one of the 14 factories currently remaining on the list of Chinese manufacturers approved by the CDC.
Back to central California, and Pauline’s 29-year-old business that she says she just fell into when the record label she was working for moved to Nashville. Woman-owned and, literally, woman-operated, the team is self-described on the web as “a few good…women.” Pauline explains, “while All Valley Printing survived the 2008 recession, we really tightened our belt and altered our game plan to include primarily freelancers and a smaller crew. It ended up being women, and we would joke about that. It was a natural progression. ‘Let’s ReOpen California Safely’ was also a natural progression as we hit COVID-19 and the stay at home orders. Printers are considered an essential business, and we were grateful to be able to continue to operate. After 29 years in business, I am more passionate and more invigorated to do my part and be the best me I can be than ever before — hopefully, some of that excitement shows.”
How All Valley Printing will come out on the other side of the pandemic, Pauline is not entirely sure. “I’ll tell you one thing. We treat our clients like family — and they keep coming back. It’s not about numbers, it’s about relationships here. We watch out for one another, work with clients to get them the best solutions, and they appreciate that. I was trained as a graphic designer, and design is my first love. Whether you are talking about print, apparel, signage, or whatever, they are all just tools to help tell a story about your brand.”
Jeff Jacobs has been an expert in building brands and brand stewardship for 40 years, working in commercial television, Hollywood film and home video, publishing, and promotional brand merchandise. He’s a staunch advocate of consumer product safety and has a deep passion and belief regarding the issues surrounding compliance and corporate social responsibility. He retired as executive director of
Quality Certification Alliance, the only non-profit dedicated to helping suppliers provide safe and compliant promotional products. Before that, he was director of brand merchandise for Michelin. Connect with Jeff on
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Instagram, or read his latest musings on food, travel and social media on his personal blog
jeffreypjacobs.com. Email
jacobs.jeffreyp@gmail.com.