Upstate 19-year-old creates business to help with shortage caused by COVID-19

Hart Bridges spends time home from college buying, selling masks

GAFFNEY, S.C. (WYFF) - A 19-year-old in Gaffney saw a shortage caused by COVID-19. Hart Bridges then decided to start his own mask business called Rosleck Safety to help.

Bridges explained what he was doing at home after returning from college at UofSC Columbia.

“Just flipping through the channels, kept seeing masks shortages, masks shortages, and I thought, ‘how can I get involved in this?’” Hart Bridges said.

So he decided to buy and sell masks much to his dad, Stacey Bridges', dismay.

"When he first came to me and told me to take all of his savings out, that he was going to buy masks to try to help people, I told him he had lost his mind and he'd never see the money again,"Stacey Bridges said.

But...

"He had them all sold within the next day," Stacey Bridges said.

And since Stacey Bridges works for Carolina Cotton Works, he enlisted the business's help with producing the masks.

"Try to support U.S. and local jobs and jobs at Carolina Cotton Works and he was able to partner up with a big coalition of companies," Stacey Bridges said.

Hart Bridges summed up the business model of Rosleck Safety.

"We buy the masks in advance and it's our jobs to put them in the right hands and find people that need masks," Hart Bridges said.

Hart Bridges says around 10,000 masks have been sold and 500 donated so far to various groups, including Cherokee Medical Center. The center's president, Cody Butts, is impressed by the 19-year-old.

"Compassion to action in delivering to much needed health care facilities right now in a time of need," Butts said.

Hart Bridges says it's those factors and more that lead to a successful business, not age.

"Good customer service, good product, and good outreach. If you have those things any age can work," Hart Bridges said.

If you want to help Hart Bridges in his mission to provide more masks here’s a link to his GoFundMe page.