Duncan Aviation Makes Masks and Gowns for Front Line Workers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Employees of Duncan Aviation take on a new kind of work, sewing face masks and gowns at its full-service facility locations for its own workers as well as local health care workers.

In late March, Duncan Aviation began social distancing at work to prevent potential spread of COVID-19. When the company sought to aquire face masks for team members who had to work together in close quarters, like an aircraft flight deck, for short periods of time, it became obvious that mask supplies were depleted. Health care workers and those working directly with the public in service roles didn’t even have enough masks to meet their anticipated needs.

Duncan Aviation’s interior and upholstery teams reached out to a local hospital in Lincoln, NE, and asked for help in designing a mask, as well as advice on what the company could do to support hospitals during this time of need. The hospital shared specifics, and two different mask templates were created. Using the hospital's instructions, Duncan Aviation digitized the designs for cutting with its automated fabric-cutting machine, which usually cuts leather, sheepskin and other durable materials for use in business aircraft. Depending on the width of the material used for the masks, Duncan Aviation can cut materials for up to 900 masks every hour. To date, the company has cut more than 15,000 masks.  

Sewing the masks is a bit more time-consuming. Upholstery professionals with Duncan Aviation’s full-service facilities in Lincoln; Battle Creek, MI; and Provo, UT, have been sewing masks, as have more than 300 volunteers from local churches, fabric stores and hobby groups in the communities Duncan Aviation calls home. The company has also cut and begun sewing hundreds of medical gowns for area health facilities. 

“This all started with a team of employees who recognized a problem and had the means and desire to solve it,” says Aaron Hilkemann, president and CEO of Duncan Aviation. “It is indicative of the creativity, compassion and initiative found in our team members. And we are happy to help our communities in this manner. We feel it is the least we can do and appreciate the opportunity to show our concern and gratitude to those working on the front lines of this pandemic.”