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What started out as a suggestion to make face masks from a staff member living in eastern Europe has turned into a mission to help others around the world make their own. A couple weeks ago, Gloucester business owner, Luke Sutton turned half of his canvas bag factory floor into a cloth face mask making centre. Taking high quality Australian-made cotton from Newcastle and the latest design from Europe, Luke has half a dozen staff making the intricate masks in both adult and children sizes. Before going fully into the manufacturing process, Luke spent some time looking into how to make the mask, using his connections to see of he could source the material and putting a call out on his Drifta fan club's Facebook page to see if anyone wanted them. The response was overwhelming, including being contacted by a nurse in Perth and a doctor in the Gloucester region, so he set to work. RELATED: Italy to make prisoners produce face masks "After making the first batch, we sold 1000 overnight," Luke said. Innovation and creativity is what drives a small business to success and no one knows that better than Luke. He started Drifta in his garage and due to his continual desire to create things that people want, it's grown into a factory that employs close to 100 people. According to Luke, this latest venture isn't about keeping his business going during this COVID-19 crisis, as he's indicated there are plenty of regular orders to fill to keep the factory going. For Luke, this is all about helping others get their hands on a product they want and going forward, helping them make the product for themselves. Unfortunately, his decision has copped some flack on social media, as misinformation about the coronavirsus continues to flood the space, a space where Luke has built his business and connects with his customers. He took such a beating over the conflicting reports on the effectiveness of face masks, he was preparing to stop production. Thankfully, a call out from the NSW Government on Wednesday, April 1 to manufacturers to help fill gaps in the supply of medical equipment and hygiene products has helped boost Luke's desire to continue. RELATED: Boomerang Bags stitching up face masks Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Jobs Stuart Ayres launched a portal for companies to offer to build parts or supply eight urgently needed items, including face masks, and Drifta has registered. While it's being determined whether or not Drifta will meet the requirements, Luke is forging forward with his plan to pass the mask making instructions onto others so they can produce their own. On Thursday, April 2, Luke's factory was filling an order of materials due to be sent overseas. "Using the clicking press we can cut out the material much faster than doing it by hand," Luke explained. The unique machine was purchased to cut material for Drifta products, like the leather for its branded belts. Now it's quickly cutting out the exact size of material needed to make a face mask, many layers at a time. "There's been lots of talk about making masks mandatory and if that's the case, we won't be able to keep up with the demand," Luke explained. So he spent an evening making youtube videos showing people how to make their own masks to go with the pre-cut materials that can be purchased through Drifta. As the mask requires ironing pleats and delicate stitching, Drifta's factory is only able to produce 500 masks per day. Businesses can register their interest to help supply the State Government with needed products through the portal at www.nsw.gov.au. Stay ahead with local news by signing up for the Great Lakes Advocate newsletter here.

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