Greer company starts during pandemic, makes face masks with 99% filtration rate Share Updated: 2:26 PM EST Feb 11, 2021 Greer company starts during pandemic, makes face masks with 99% filtration rate Share Updated: 2:26 PM EST Feb 11, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript MIKE: AN UPSTATE COMPANY SHIFTED OPERATIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND STARTED MAKING MASKS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS. CAROLINA FACE MASK AND PPE HAS GROWN, AND IS NOW ALSO MAKING MASKS FOR PEOPLE AT HOME. KYLIE JONES TONIGHT, ON WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THESE MASKS. >> WHAT BREAKS US APART IS THAT WE HAVE THE EXTREMELY HIGH 99% OR BETTER BACTERIA AND PARTICLE FILTRATION RATES. >> THREE PEOPLE, 25,000 MASKS DAY. HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN GREER. CAROLINA FACE MASK AND PPE WAS BORN FROM ADVANCED TESTING INSTRUMENTS, A COMPANY THAT TESTED TEXTILES. >> >> WHEN I WOULD GO TO THE CHIROPRACTOR, OR WHEN I WOULD GO TO THE DENTIST, OR TALK TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY, THEY DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO MASKS. >> THE VETERAN-OWNED COMPANY STARTED MAKING MASKS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND BIG COMPANIES. NOW THEY’VE EXPANDED SELLING TO PEOPLE TO AT HOME. >> THE BIGGEST THING YOU WON’T SEE WITH THE CLOTH OR THE HOMEMADE MASK IS HOW THEY’RE TESTED OR WHERE THEY’RE TESTED. >> COO RICK GEHRICKE SAYS THEIR MASKS ARE 3-LAYER LAB-CERTIFIED. DIFFERENT, HIS TEAM SAYS, FOR MANY YOU SEE OUT AND ABOUT. >> SOME ARE MISSING MELTBLOWN. MELTBLOWN IS WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSES THE BACTERIA AND PARTICLE FILTRATION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE MIDDLE LAYER IN OUR MASKS. >> RYAN GEHRICKE SAYS THESE MASKS HAVE A 99% FILTRATION RATE. >> WHEN YOU SNEEZE OR COUGH INTO OUR MASKS, OR SOMEBODY SNEEZES OR COUGHS AROUND OUR MASKS, 99% OF THAT SNEEZE OR COUGH IS FILTERED. >> THE COMPANY USES AMERICAN MATERIALS, MAKING 80 MASKS A MINUTE. THEY SAY EACH MASK GOES THROUGH THREE PEOPLE FOR QUALITY CONTROL. >> I THINK THE EDUCATION PIECE HAS BEEN THE BEST PART OF THIS. >> IN GREER, KYLIE JONES WYFF NEWS 4. MIKE: THE COMPANY SAYS THE MASKS ARE SINGLE USE AND RECOMMEND THEM -- RECOMMEND WEAR