Governor Bill Lee said the state will resume distributing face masks that had been provided by the Renfro Corporation after checking out concerns that the masks were not safe.
The governor said it was determined that there was no safety hazard for those using the masks.
Stan Jewell, president/CEO of Renfro Corporation, said, “We have had full confidence in our product all along and are very thankful that Tennesseans will once again have access to face masks to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
These masks, which we stepped up to produce at a time the country needed them, have been a sincere source of pride for me, and for Renfro as a whole. We thank Governor Lee for taking the additional steps to confirm the safety of our masks.
“Renfro developed and manufactured a safe, comfortable, and reusable mask to fill a critical need in a national health crisis. We are proud that we could provide 5 million masks to Tennesseans, who may not have otherwise been able to access them during this pandemic – and that in doing so we created about 500 new jobs for Americans in a great time of need. Our efforts have been entirely focused on making a positive impact on our country in very trying times, and we look forward to continuing on that mission.”