Hampton company’s innovative N95 mask helps fill shortage

As New Hampshire and the rest of the country confront the harshest phase of the coronavirus outbreak, a Hampton company has emerged as a leader in the next generation of N95 protective masks.

“We are a case study of going from zero to 100 miles an hour in a flash,” said Tom Moulton, founder and president of Sleepnet Corp., which for three decades has made masks for sleep apnea. “This is the best N95 mask in the world,” Moulton says without hesitation about the company’s Envomask.

Moulton’s confidence stems from experience. “There really hasn’t been much ‘real’ innovation in the mask category for decades. We came up with a cost-effective, reusable solution to replace paper masks. People know they (paper masks) do not seal well, are uncomfortable and mark your face, and it is a non-effective solution for this pandemic environment,” he explained.

In the 10 months since Sleepnet started producing Envomasks at a record pace, sales have skyrocketed, with a flood of domestic and international sales to over 50 countries. In the process, Moulton has doubled building capacity and seen his workforce rise from 23 to 65 with plans to add as many as 15 more “good-paying jobs” to work around the clock — in part because the demand for N95 masks and personal protective equipment in general is far outstripping the supply, as the Covid-19 pandemic spreads.

In fact, a CBS News report in November warned the situation was becoming dire.

“Makers of so-called N95 masks — regarded as the most effective tool for protection against airborne droplets — are struggling to keep up with demand from hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities, as well as businesses in other sectors that now require them to protect workers and the public,” CBS reported. “3M Company, the largest domestic manufacturer of N95 masks — which filter out least 95% of very small particles, including viruses — told CBS MoneyWatch that ‘U.S. and global demand for PPE continues to far exceed supply for the entire industry.’”

Entrepreneurial vision

Citing competitive reasons, Sleepnet declined to say how much sales had grown or where its major distribution points are in the country. But Moulton did say initial orders last spring skyrocketed from 55,000 to 200,000, and it became a challenge to keep up with production and, like so many companies dealing with supply chain bottlenecks, to acquire source materials for Envomasks.

The story of the Envomask and its emergence in the midst of the deadliest pandemic in a century is one of entrepreneurial vision meeting opportunity for Moulton and Sleepnet, the company he founded more than three decades ago.

“It was luck and bit of foresight and a clever, innovative use of our existing technology,” he said.

The foresight began in 2015 when Moulton became frustrated with the quality of a traditional N95 paper mask while at a job site for a construction company he also owned. “I didn’t like how my safety glasses fogged up and how ineffective the masks were in keeping dust particles out,” he explained. “I wanted to take our Air- Gel technology (used in the sleep masks) and create a commercial N95 mask.”

So began a four-year process of design, development and trial and error utilizing Sleepnet’s AirGel existing technology, which provided a secure and comfortable fit for those who need to wear an N95 mask hours at a time. (This reporter gave the mask a test run: Claims about comfort and fit appear true, and it’s relatively easy to put together.) Moulton’s designers also developed its own filtering system that can easily be replaced daily or weekly depending on use (a typical kit comes with five replacements). Moulton said the Envomask can last up to 10 years if stockpiled for future use.

Moulton said Sleepnet didn’t plan major sales when it began offering the Envomask late in 2019, but the pandemic turned things upside down. Moulton expects the Envomasks will easily make up 75% of its sales and more going forward.

National attention

Dr. Tom Sherman has a dual perspective on the Envomask. As a gastroenterologist based in Exeter, he has used the mask since the spring, and he’s not alone — front-line healthcare workers at Exeter Hospital have also worn the masks for months.

Sherman, who is also a state senator and works a reduced medical schedule, says he has worn the Envomask for 10 hours at a time without any issues of breathing, fogged eyewear or being heard by patients and colleagues.

“During the (Covid-19) shutdown earlier this year, I met Tommy and learned about his company. These masks are not only revolutionary but necessary because of all the PPE shortages we face,” Sherman said. He went through a required fit test for the mask and was told there were no leaks, and he says the comfort is important for those like emergency room personnel.

As a senator, Sherman said, “Locally, we are fortunate to have (Moulton’s) company. This is essential mask technology for the world.” He added it’s important to recognize small, innovative companies like Sleepnet who mostly go unnoticed but are the backbone of the state economy.

The Envomask has attracted local, regional and national media attention. The Wall Street Journal highlighted the mask and Moulton’s company in a lengthy, late November story about entrepreneurial innovators who have stepped up to meet a crucial PPE demand.

Full Envomask kits — which include the mask, headgear, a case and five replacement filters — are not cheap, at $79 per kit. But Moulton says that, compared with changing paper masks three to six times a day, the daily per cost use for an Envomask is lower. “I suggest to people that they ask themselves, ‘What is your health worth?’ The Envomask is not in the category of paper masks. It’s a different level of quality and protection.”

This article is part of a series focusing on how members of the Center for Family Enterprise at UNH’s Paul College of Business and Economics are adapting through the Covid-19 pandemic.