Moorestown Mask Company Has National Reach

MOORESTOWN, NJ — When the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the shutdown of business across the state in March, Craig Tinkelman knew it was time to hunker down.

Tinkelman had recently become the sole owner of Quaker Chroma imaging in Moorestown, and quickly found a way to translate the skills and resources his company had into something the community was going to need: face coverings.

“There’s a high demand for masks,” Tinkelman said. “At the beginning of the pandemic, more than 38,000 companies registered to make masks.”

Tinkelman is involved with one of them. He joined his wife, Staci, and Rebecca Pyles, to launch Everyday Masks. Staci Tinkelman and Pyles are the heads of the company, which create higher-end masks, which are 2-3 layers and hug the face of the person who is wearing it tightly.

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Everyday Masks has sold more than 50,000 masks to people all over the country with minimal advertising. Many sales have come through word-of-mouth, Tinkelman said.

“Someone in your neighborhood has a mask, and other people ask, ‘where did you get that?’ Next thing you know, five people in the neighborhood have masks.”

Out of those five masks, one would’ve been donated. For every four masks they sell, Everyday Masks donates one mask. In all, they’ve donated thousands of masks to children’s facilities and retirement homes.

They make custom masks for the hearing impaired and those with special medical conditions.
They are also building three-sided barriers that children will be able to erect at their desks once school starts. They’ve also begun to manufacture Gaiters and other clothing so the company can continue to thrive beyond the end of the pandemic.

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Pyles is in charge of the sewing and manufacturing of the face coverings, and Staci Tinkelman runs the digital and design aspect of the business. Although Tinkelman had to lay off many employees from Quaker Chroma, he’s been able to employ some of them with Everyday Masks.

Quaker Chroma is a merger between Quaker Photo — which has been in existence since 1926 —and Chroma Copy. Tinkelman was the owner of Chroma Copy, a family business, when the companies merged in 2003. Last year, Quaker Photo’s owner retired, leaving Tinkelman as the sole owner.

Quaker Chroma produces fabric graphics for trade shows and retail stores. After several good years, the business shut down suddenly at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic. Tinkelman said a full reopening plan is in place once it becomes possible.

To reach Everyday Masks, visit everydaymasks.net, call 267-228-9873 or email orders@everydaymasks.net.

For more on Quaker Chroma, visit quakerchroma.com.

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