Box of 50 medical grade surgical face masks, manufactured by Private White VC, in 2020, as part of their government contract to produce PPE for the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three-ply earloop masks, disposable type IIR surgical. Manufactured at Private White V.C. in Glossop.

The clothing manufacturer, Private White V.C., based in Cottenham House factory on the banks of the River Irwell in Salford, was established in 1853. Their clothing has been worn by royalty, politicians, musicians, actors, and sporting greats. Not solely a fashion brand, they supplied the Allied forces with trench coats in WW1 and troops with parkas during WW2. They are now known for their upmarket traditional British styles, all made in Salford. In 2020 the Private White V. C. factory ceased clothing production for the first time since WW2.

The employees and machines did not stay still for long. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there was a very real possibility of running out of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) in the UK. Private White V. C. quickly used its production skills learned from classic men’s clothing to produce medical-grade gowns and face masks. In the summer of 2020 Private White V.C. was awarded two contracts to produce PPE exclusively for the NHS. With a £1.4 million loan from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, they scaled up their production to fulfil these PPE contracts.

To fulfil their contract to produce medical-grade masks, Private White V.C. converted a former automobile garage in Glossop into an ISO-grade clean room. There they could produce 150,000 masks a day. An extra 50 full-time jobs were created for local people at Private White V.C during the pandemic. They became one of the largest UK suppliers of masks to the NHS. When the contracts were fulfilled, they stopped producing PPE.

The masks are made up of three layers of non-woven materials, all of which are sourced from Scotland. Externally, there is a splash-resistant or hydrophobic (blue) layer. On the inside, there is a hydrophilic (white) layer designed to absorb moisture. In the middle, there is the ‘melt-blown’ layer that offers a sophisticated source of filtration. The three layers and ear loops are fixed in place before being checked and packed in boxes.