Getting a waiver wasn’t always a golden ticket for Pennsylvania businesses.

Gitman Bros., a high-end shirt-maker in Schuylkill County that traces its business roots to the early 1930s, received a waiver to manufacture personal protective gear. Unlike some companies that used their exemptions to reopen at full capacity, Gitman halted its shirt-making and limited its work to medical gowns for health networks in the state.

“For us it was a way to keep the lights on,” said Chris Olberding, president of Gitman and Gitman Vintage. “It never crossed our mind to resume normal production.”

Even with a waiver, the financial toll was steep. The storied company recently announced that it will close its factory in Ashland at the end of the summer, and will move production of the Gitman brand to another state. Ninety employees will be laid off, although all have been offered positions at those out-of-state locations, said Olberding.

“It’s a sad time,” he said.

Spotlight PA