Utah Board Game Company Makes Switch To KN95 Masks
Apr 6, 2020, 7:55 PM | Updated: 8:35 pm
SPRINGVILLE, Utah – Social distancing continues to be tough for many Utah businesses. At least one is trying to recoup from that by joining in the fight against COVID-19. The Springville company is making the unexpected switch to medical supplies.
Normally, Mayday Games would be shipping tabletop games out to brick and mortar stores. Not so much lately. Instead, they’re selling some personal protection against COVID-19.
It’s the not exactly the business Seth Hiatt dreamed of. Certainly not when hundreds of his board games have been sitting on the shelves, and in the warehouse.
With game stores across the country shut down, the largest revenue stream for Mayday Games was down.
“Our largest distributor just emailed us a couple of weeks ago – about 10 days ago. Right after I sent him $17,000 worth of product, and said, ‘We’re not going to pay anybody right now,’” Hiatt said.
Two employees were still shipping some of those products directly to customers, but not nearly enough to keep things going.
Hiatt said when times get tough, you have to get creative. He learned Chinese factories were ready to send KN95 masks to the United States.
“They’re like the Chinese standard equivalent to the N95s,” he said.
With the KN95 masks now approved by the FDA for use in the states, Hiatt decided to become a temporary distributor.
The first shipment of 2,000 were sold out within 15 minutes.
“I think, between trying to not price gouge them, and trying to get them in the hands of the community is kind of a good mix,” Hiatt said. “People really want them and they can’t find them, and some people really need them.”
Hiatt said several orders were already on the waiting list for the healthcare industry, and for first responders.
On top of that, he said 10 percent of every order will be donated to healthcare workers in Utah.
“(It) keeps all of us working, and makes us enough money to keep the lights on,” he said.
These masks are being sold through sleevekings.com. Hiatt said they’re being careful not to price gouge, selling them at about $2.50 a piece, and selling them in much larger numbers to the healthcare industry.