A-Root Establishes Factory with Annual Production Capacity of 300 Million Units... "Entering the Mask Business"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] A-Root announced on the 6th that it has established a new factory for mask production and completed factory registration after an on-site inspection by Osan City.

The newly registered A-Root mask factory has a total area of 1,557 square meters, where all processes for mask production?including ▲raw material inspection ▲production ▲inspection and product testing ▲packaging ▲shipment inspection?are carried out.

A-Root invested 3.5 billion KRW in the first phase to complete the installation of mask production equipment and packaging machines at the new factory. The workforce newly assigned for mask production will reach about 70 people.

The annual mask production capacity upon first phase completion is 300 million units, starting with triple-layer disposable masks, followed by splash-proof (KF-AD) masks and health masks such as KF masks. Due to a surge in supply requests, a second expansion is planned soon.

In particular, as the summer heat and monsoon season have begun in earnest, demand for triple-layer disposable masks, commonly called “dental masks” among consumers, is rapidly increasing. Health masks like KF94 or KF80 are hot and stuffy, so consumers prefer dental masks or splash-proof masks that offer better breathability.

Triple-layer disposable masks are also advantageous for export. Many overseas countries distrust the quality of Chinese-made masks and prefer Korean-made masks, which have gained recognition through K-quarantine, leading to increased demand. However, due to the government’s domestic mask supply stabilization policy, health masks are restricted from export. Triple-layer disposable masks are not subject to export restrictions, so they can be exported.

An A-Root official said, “Triple-layer disposable masks, called ‘dental masks,’ do not require approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, so there are no export restrictions, and supply requests from overseas buyers are rapidly increasing.” He added, “Starting with dental masks that can be exported immediately after production, we plan to expand our product lineup to include splash-proof masks and health KF masks,” and “we are preparing for certification by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.”