IFB Solutions to produce 10,000 masks for the USAF. Credit: Photo by visuals on Unsplash.

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Non-profit corporation IFB Solutions has received an order to produce 10,000 masks for the US Air Force (USAF) bases.

The company is the largest employer of visually impaired people in the US. It is one of the six agencies involved in the fulfilment of a contract being managed by AbilityOne agency LCI.

The contract is for the supply of a total of up to 576,000 masks.

IFB Solutions chief operating officer Silas Martin said: “We’ve got an amazing team of experienced sewing operators, so we were able to jump on this order within a matter of days.

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“It’s a significant order that will keep the team busy for several weeks and even longer if we receive additional orders.”

IFB Solutions is considered as a critical manufacturer for the US Armed Forces. During the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the company’s businesses were allowed to remain operational.

Currently, 12 IFB employees are working on producing masks.

The production will soon be increased to 1,000 masks a day. In case of additional orders, the company noted that it has the capacity to increase production.

Work on the order is currently underway at IFB’s Winston-Salem facility in North Carolina.

The first shipment of masks is expected to be delivered to the USAF by mid-May.

Furthermore, IFB is recruiting experienced sewing operators to work on mask production and other product lines.

Martin added: “IFB Solutions is incredibly excited to partner with another not-for-profit agency like LCI on this Air Force contract.

“This opportunity provides employment for people who are blind at a time when unemployment is sweeping the nation.”

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