Clare King | President, Propel LLC
1. How has Propel, a Pawtucket-based textile product innovation company, responded to the COVID-19 demand for safety products? We have responded in three ways – designing and making cloth masks, undertaking a new … project for the U.S. Navy to develop 3D knitted masks and developing a sew-at-home kit mask (no machine needed). The last effort is a collaboration with another Rhode Island company, Threadfollower.
2. Can you describe the partnership between Trans-Tex LLC, Darlington Fabrics Corp. and Propel, or other manufacturers making this work? All three companies are members of the Rhode Island Textile Innovation Network that was established recently to connect the many textile companies in Rhode Island. I’m not sure I would be making masks now if it were not for the strength of this organization, as we were quickly able to mobilize to use Darlington’s fabrics and elastic from multiple companies, including Stretch Products Corp., North East Knitting Inc., American Cord & Webbing Co. and Providence Braid Co. Michael Woody is the chair at RITIN and helped galvanize the efforts. He also connected me to Eagle Tool Inc., which has worked day and night to make mask nose stays.
3. How have you opened new markets for COVID-19-related products – do you have a sales staff redirected to finding new customers for the masks? So far almost all of our sales have been by word of mouth. Newport Fire Department, A.B. Munroe Dairy Inc., a local liquor store, University Orthopedics Inc., Build Rhode Island, Rhode Island Manufacturers Association … spread the word.
4. How hard has it been to find sources of material, or new suppliers? Existing relationships were key here. We were up and running in less than 10 days. Propel buys from Darlington for specialized products we sell for the Joint Integrated Aircrew and I knew them well from RITIN. And I reached back even to my business [relationships] in the 1990s. I hired a logistics expert I have known for years that is currently partly furloughed from Patagonia Inc., and he was able to help organize the manufacturing side at light speed. I hired Morris + Deluzio, the Providence-based marketing and design company, to do the packaging.
5. Have you had to cut back on your existing workforce or is the transition to new markets allowing you to hold on to the labor force? No cutbacks at Propel. I have added to our team through subcontracting right now, but if this goes on for a while, I may add staff just to run the mask-making business.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
