Long Island City Company Wins NY Grant To Start Manufacturing PPE

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — A Long Island City-based manufacturing company was awarded state funding to start making personal protective equipment in high demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor's office announced Wednesday.

Borden Manufacturing, which does business as Kargi Fabric, received $46,000 to retool its facility on 21st Street to manufacture disposable hospital gowns and masks.

The company normally makes hospital equipment such as disposable cubicle curtains and medical waste bags.

With the help of the state funding, Borden will hire four new employees and purchase new machinery, equipment and raw materials, according to the governor's office.

The company will eventually be able to produce 365 masks and 3,276 gowns a week and plans to keep making the supplies indefinitely.

Borden is among 36 New York State companies that have received a combined $20 million in support from the state government to manufacture vital supplies during the pandemic and create and retain thousands of jobs.

"The COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious issues in our nation's medical supply chain, and we were forced to compete overseas and pay exorbitant prices for these life-saving products," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "We learned the hard lesson that these resources need to be manufactured here in the U.S., and we are taking steps to build the infrastructure we need here in New York to keep us prepared for future crises while helping local companies create new jobs."