Bona Fides Masks Corp., part of the Ball Chain Manufacturing family of companies, was formed in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to address the shortage of PPE for hospitals and frontline workers. Ball Chain Manufacturing president Bill Taubner explains how he was able to pivot his business to meet this critical need.
How did you decide to get into the mask-making business?
It was a Friday evening in the height of the pandemic when my phone rang. A local community leader had called to explain the critical shortage of protective equipment and ask for my family’s help.
My first instinct was to say “no.” I couldn’t imagine how we would begin this endeavor. Then I thought back on our company’s history. During World War II, Ball Chain had shifted production to manufacture tooling for the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane during the war effort.
This pandemic was yet another opportunity for us to help address a critical need. By leveraging our well-established international supply chain, we pivoted to provide trusted and authentic products to customers in a confusing marketplace.
The mask market seems complicated given all the counterfeit offerings. How do you address your customers’ concerns and establish trust?
Trust is the core of our brand promise. We take this very seriously across all of our businesses. When we first established Bona Fide Masks, there were several bad actors taking advantage of this crisis. We knew if we were to get involved, it would be imperative that we do it right.
We worked quickly to establish a direct partnership with well-known and established mask providers, such as Powecom and Harley. To reinforce the strength of our relationships and supply chain, Bona Fide Masks established elite distinctions with both companies, including: authorized U.S. distributor for Harley Masks, No. 1 distributor for Powecom products in the United States and Canada, and the exclusive distributor of Powecom KN95-SM for children. By establishing these recognitions, we want to reinforce buyers’ confidence in us.
Given the rise of the Delta variant and low vaccination rates in certain parts of the country, is there anything you want our readers to know?
We are steadfast in our commitment to remain the most trusted supplier of genuine masks and related products. Our dedicated New York warehouse team works hard to respond to the demand for masks, ensuring that we ship as quickly as possible. We will continue to grow and maintain our relationships with Powecom and Harley to eliminate confusion in the marketplace.
With back-to-school and vaccination limitations for K-8 students, we have expanded our product offerings to include masks for children, such as our new KN95-SM. About 15 percent smaller than Powecom’s standard KN95, the KN95-SM offers the same high level of filtration standards as adult masks.
We hope everyone stays safe, and we will continue to do our part to serve our customers.
This article has been paid for by Bona Fide Mask Corp.