CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL

GASTONIA, N.C. — Parkdale Inc. is the U.S. government’s fifth-largest contractor for emergency COVID-19 supplies in the nation, with the Gastonia-based textile company producing $543.8 million worth of protective and testing equipment.

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News organization ProPublica published a database on May 27 of the $14.7 billion worth of federal contracting for supplies and services tied to the pandemic. The database details the contracts made by several federal agencies and is searchable by state, companies and the agencies granting them.

According to the database, North Carolina is eighth in the nation for the value of COVID-19 emergency materials to be produced. That is on the strength of contracts by Parkdale and its subsidiary, U.S. Cotton, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The $642.7 million in contracts awarded to North Carolina-based companies represent 4.4% of the contract value awarded nationally.

Gaston County company develops synthetic swab for COVID-19 testing Gaston County company develops synthetic swab for COVID-19 testing

The biggest single N.C. contract is $531.9 million for 60 million reusable isolation gowns for medical workers and first responders, which Parkdale signed April 23.

The Charlotte Business Journal talked with a Parkdale executive about the work the company is doing. Read the full story here.