Apr 13, 2020   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

SVP Worldwide SINGER®, Pfaff®, and Husqvarna® Viking® Sewing Brands Help Hospitals and Organizations with COVID-19 Medical Supply Shortage Effort

LA VERGNE, Tenn., April 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SVP Worldwide, the owner of the SINGER(®), PFAFF(®), and HUSQVARNA(®) VIKING(®) sewing brands, has stepped up to the challenge and are supporting hospitals, health care providers, and organizations around the world to aid in the shortage of personal protective equipment.

"Our world is going through a difficult time and our company, just like the rest of the world, has been materially impacted, but it is not stopping us from getting involved and doing the right thing. We are donating sewing machines directly to hospitals and organizations to help sew face masks, gowns, respirator covers, and other PPE. We are in a unique position to help during this challenging time," says CEO Carl-Martin Lindahl.

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 and
        organizations to help sew face masks, gowns, respirator covers, and
        other PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). 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, companies, and schools 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 per Governor
        Cuomo's request, 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.
    --  Keeping as many as possible of our Viking Sewing Gallery stores in the
        USA open supporting local initiatives.

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 to help support our mission by contacting your local hospitals to coordinate supply efforts and volunteering your time and sewing skills by making face masks, gowns and face shields.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has also provided updated guidelines for PPE and personal use of masks and mask covers. In settings where facemasks are not available, health care professionals (HCP) might use homemade masks for the care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, homemade masks are not considered PPE, since their capability to protect HCP is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade 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 and official CDC guidance on homemade masks, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/face-masks.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html

ABOUT SVP
SVP Worldwide, doing business through SVP-Singer Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates, is the world's largest consumer sewing machine company, accounting for approximately one out of every three sewing machines sold globally. The company and its three iconic brands - SINGER(®), PFAFF(®), and HUSQVARNA(®) VIKING(®) - have collectively delighted consumers for over 450 years. These premium brands and products are regarded as the choice for serious sewers and novice crafters.

The company's corporate headquarters is located near Nashville, TN and is supplemented by regional headquarters and sales offices located in Milan (Italy), São Paulo (Brazil), and Sydney (Australia) that, combined, reach consumers in more than 180 countries. SVP Worldwide has manufacturing facilities across Asia and Latin America, multiple R&D centers, a software development center in Europe and a global supply chain with distribution centers in all regions. The products are sold across a network of sewing machine dealers, mass retailers, online retailers, specialty retailers, distributors, and through the company's ~200 internally-operated retail stores.

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SOURCE SVP Worldwide