Our Respected and Valued Customers,

 

Our thoughts are with everyone around the world as we continue fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. We are especially grateful to all the healthcare workers, local communities, and government entities who are working tirelessly to keep us all safe.  We are also grateful to all of you, our customers, that have engaged in supporting our health care system - thank you for donating your time and skills to help out.

 

SVP Worldwide, the owner of the SINGER^®, PFAFF^®, and HUSQVARNA^® VIKING^® sewing brands, has also stepped up to the challenge and are supporting hospitals, health care providers, and organizations around the world. Although our company and employees have been materially impacted by the situation it is not stopping us from getting involved and doing the right thing. We do not manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). However, due to extreme shortage of PPE, the Center for Disease Prevention & Control (CDC) has recently announced that in settings where facemasks and similar equipment are not available, health care professionals may use homemade masks for the care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort or to prolong the life of existing PPE. In light of this, we are:

 

Donating hundreds of sewing machines directly to hospitals to help sew face masks, gowns, respirator covers, and other PPE. For example, we recently helped one of the hardest hit hospitals in the region, the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, GA, by donating SINGER^® Heavy Duty sewing machines and were able to provide relief to the hard-working doctors and nurses. 

 

Partnering with a range of organizations and companies who want to contribute their time and skillset to help out in their communities. For instance, we are partnering with Old Time Pottery, a regional home essentials retailer, to join their effort in creating masks for frontline healthcare workers by donating sewing machines, tools, materials, and space for sewers.  We donated SINGER^® sewing machines to Christian Siriano and his efforts in NYC, and to the seamstresses at Rightfully Sewn^® to support their mask-sewing initiative in Kansas City, Missouri. SVP Worldwide supports JOANN employees in their headquarters with SINGER^® machines.  See the link for more information on community support. https://www.singer.com/support-your-community

 

Helping consumers directly by providing sewing instructions, patterns and videos for masks, mask covers and gowns. Instructions on how to make a homemade mask

 

Keeping as many as possible of our Viking Sewing Gallery stores in the USA open supporting local initiatives. Please find your closest Viking Sewing Gallery here. 

vikingsewinggallerylocations

  

We are also proud to say that our dealer and retail partners around the country are joining us on this mission by providing sewing locations, patterns, and materials in their communities. 

 

We now invite you, our valued customers, to help us in supporting our healthcare professionals by contacting your local hospitals to coordinate efforts to supply sewn masks, gowns and face shields. Share your efforts to motivate others to help out: #sewunited #itstartswithastitch #sewcialdistancing #stitchesuniteus.

 

Please note that homemade masks are not considered PPE since their ability to protect is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade face masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face. For more information visit: 

Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Facemasks: COVID-19 | CDC

Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings | CDC

 

 

Carl-Martin Lindahl

Chief Executive Officer