Bill Taubner of Bona Fide Masks Stepped Up To Make A Difference During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Inside the Quest to Secure Authentic PPE and Root Out Substandard Counterfeit Products

As part of my series about people who stepped up to make a difference during the COVID19 Pandemic, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bill Taubner.

William F. “Bill” Taubner serves as President of 4th generation, family owned and operated Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Ball Chain). Founded in 1938 by Frank Taubner and his son, Val, in the garage behind their home in the Bronx, Ball Chain is the world’s largest ball chain manufacturer! Over the last 80+ years, Ball Chain has grown to employ nearly 100 dedicated people. Under the leadership of Bill and his brothers, Val III and Jim, Ball Chain manufactures the industry’s highest quality ball chain and distributes its products globally. Ball Chain proudly makes all of its ball chain in the United States. Headquartered in Mount Vernon, New York (just north of New York City), the 70,000 square foot production facility houses the manufacturing operation, along with offices for the entire company, including Bona Fide Masks Corp. — the most trusted and authentic provider of masks in the United States, Logo Tags promotional products division and the BCM Architectural division, which distributes ShimmerScreen® decorative ball chain curtains. The Ball Chain factory produces millions of feet of ball chain a week and is the only remaining company to manufacture ball chain in the USA.

Born and raised in Westchester County, New York, Bill currently resides there with his wife and two children. While Bill prefers to keep his charitable contributions anonymous, he has been an active member of the community, serving in key roles in the Pelham Civic Association, Village of Pelham Manor Planning Board (Chairman), Board of Directors for Mental Health Initiative, Board of Directors for New York School for the Deaf, New York Athletic Club Travelers Island Tennis Committee (Former Chairman), and more. In 2017, Bill was recognized as a “Person of the Year” by Pelham Civic Association. When Bill is not working, you might find him taking a quick trip to visit his children in college, spending time with his family, or playing a good game of golf or paddle with his friends. Bill is an avid Minnesota Vikings fan.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how and where you grew up?

My name is Bill Taubner and I am the President of our family businesses, Ball Chain Mfg. and Bona Fide Masks. Ball Chain was started in 1938 and is the world’s largest manufacturer of ball chains (www.ballchain.com) that you see on military dog tags, ceiling fans, handbags, light pulls, etc. We make over 4 million feet of ball chain per week and all of the ball chains are made in the USA. Our company was started in a small garage in the Bronx, NY by my great grandfather and his son (my grandfather). We provide all the ball chains for the military and we take tremendous pride in everything we do. I grew up and still live in Pelham, NY which is just north of New York City

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

My favorite business book is Good to Great by Jim Collins. The book focuses on the transitions needed for companies to go from good to great. As an owner and manager of our family business, I find these types of books incredibly valuable. One of the keys to our success has been doing things the right way and always being open to change and growth.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

I was brought up to treat people like you would want to be treated yourself, keep your word and always do the right thing. We run our business based on these simple lessons. It makes for an enjoyable and rewarding experience for everyone.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. You are currently leading a social impact organization that has stepped up during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to address?

The relationship arose in a most unexpected way. In late March 2020, the Westchester County r5 Association (WCA), a local business advocacy group in New York, needed urgent assistance. The COVID-19 pandemic was growing exponentially. Hospitals and frontline workers were in dire need of protective masks. Out of desperation, the WCA reached out to our company, Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc., given we have a long history of helping others in times of need.

Initially, due to the limitations of our machinery, the answer was “Sorry, I don’t think we can help.” Immediately after, my wife relayed a conversation from earlier that day with a close friend who is a physician in NYC, who had said that the situation at the hospitals was alarming. The front pages of the newspapers all had the story of the inadequate supply of PPE at all the hospitals. It was clear we had to do whatever we could to help. This became the catalyst for our efforts. I also spoke with one of my dear friends who is a leader at a major NYC hospital system; they were in dire need of masks. This further energized my efforts to do whatever we could to help.

Later, reflecting on the fact that in World War II our company shifted production to manufacture tooling for the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane during the war effort, further confirmed our instinct that this is what we do.

To consider pivoting the company’s efforts successfully again, we would need to use our experience with our well-established international supply chain. Most importantly, we would always insist on following the simple rule that has defined us since 1938: “Do it right.”

Reaching out to overseas business associates amid an exploding mask market revealed disturbing trends. It was like the wild west and I have never seen so many vultures trying to take advantage of a situation.

Eager to make a quick profit, Chinese companies were producing KN95 masks (marketed as providing 95% filtration efficiency) that only filtered 30–75% of particles. With this knowledge, I decided to search for an established manufacturer, a company with a history of producing quality products, like our own. One name kept popping up: Powecom. They had a wonderful reputation and had been making high quality masks for many years. And the Powecom management team embraced the fact that we were also trustworthy.

The result? In early April 2020, Bona Fide Masks™ opened its virtual doors.

Our operation grew to specialize in the Powecom KN95 Respirator Mask. It was a product that we could unequivocally stand behind.

The process, however, was far from easy. Importing logistics can be challenging enough in normal times. During a pandemic, we discovered, just how hard they can be. Air freight carriers were inundated with orders, and there were airport personnel shortages. Some shipments of Powecom KN95s sat for weeks waiting to be processed.

After working into the wee hours on many occasions (and dealing with a twelve-hour time difference), our efforts paid off. Tens of millions of Powecom KN95s have found their way into local, regional, and even national medical centers through Bona Fide Masks™.

We continued to follow our ethos and established exclusive distribution rights in the US and Canada with the Powecom and the Harley mask manufacturer. Bona Fide Masks has the most secure and transparent supply chain in the industry marketplace.

In order to maintain supply chain integrity, we will not purchase any Powecom or Harley masks from agents, middlemen, brokers, resellers, dealers, closeout companies, intermediaries, third parties or the like.

It is our mission to offer only authentic masks from trusted manufacturers. Please know that we remain steadfast in our pursuit of excellence and our commitment to do the right thing for our customers, particularly during these challenging times.

In your opinion, what does it mean to be a hero?

I would like to preface this by stating that I do not consider myself a hero. I am just a regular person trying to help when and wherever I can.

A hero, in my opinion, is anyone and everyone. It’s your friend, parent, sibling, associate, stranger, doctor, emergency service worker, military person, teacher, and many more. It’s that person who does something for you that makes that difference in your life. They can make a small or large difference.

In your opinion or experience, what are “5 characteristics of a hero? Please share a story or example for each.

Selfless, thoughtful, brave, honest, and trustworthy.

If heroism is rooted in doing something difficult, scary, or even self-sacrificing, what do you think drives some people — ordinary people — to become heroes?

I think there is a hero in all of us — that desire to do something for the greater good. I would like to think most heroes are driven by the desire to do the right thing and protect one another. We are honored to be the #1 supplier to the U.S. Military. I can’t think of a group more deserving than the military to be called heroes. We have been so humbled to support a group that serves and protects our country.

What was the specific catalyst for you or your organization to take heroic action? At what point did you personally decide that heroic action needed to be taken?

Our company has been in business for over 80 years. I often look back to how things were done when past generations were leading our company. It’s simple to think of all the ways it would be too difficult to step up. However, I was inspired by my grandfather’s actions during World War 2 when he pivoted our warehouse to support the war efforts — to make tooling for the thunderbird. To honor my grandfather and maintain the sensibilities of our company, I knew we had to do something.

Who are your heroes, or who do you see as heroes today?

On a personal level, my heroes are my family. My father and grandfather were innovative and fearless. They had a vision for Ball Chain Manufacturing and they put their hearts and souls into making this a reality. From humble beginnings in their family’s garage, I can only imagine what he would say today if he saw how far we have come. My wife, son and daughter are also my heroes. It’s one of the greatest gifts to be a dad and husband and watch my children grow into young adults.

In general, my heroes are the frontline workers that scarified so much to protect our world during this pandemic. They worked around the clock and had to separate from their families. They were faced with unthinkable things and continued to show up every day to protect us. All the women and men that serve in our armed forces are heroes. They put their lives on the live to protect our country and our freedom. I am incredibly grateful to each one of them.

Let’s talk a bit about what is happening in the world today. What specifically frightened or frightens you most about the pandemic?

I think it was a very scary time for all of us because there were so many unknowns… and still are! In such a short time, we were all forced to live so differently. We really didn’t know what was going to happen next. While I am saddened by the lives lost and how much our world has suffered, I am so inspired by how our country has been able to face these challenges. The medical advances alone are just remarkable. I have such deep gratitude for all the frontline workers and scientists that were able to get a vaccination approved in such a short amount of time.

What has inspired you the most about the behavior of people during the pandemic, and what behaviors do you find most disappointing?

I live in a small town in Westchester, and I am very active in our community. I have been amazed by the people in and around my community. From the people sewing masks for frontline workers, to the restaurants despite losing hundreds of dollars a day, cooking up meals for frontline workers, to the doctors and nurses that worked around the clock shifts and missed so much time with their families, to my neighbors that found distanced ways to connect with friends in town, to my employees that continued to show up for work and help run our warehouse with new safety protocols. My list is endless, but it really focuses on all the many uplifting and inspiring stories coming out of this pandemic. I really like to focus on the positives.

Has this crisis caused you to reassess your view of the world or of society? We would love to hear what you mean.

Of course. It makes me value my life, my company, my family, my friends, and my health more. We have lived through such a trying time, and we are luckily to be a part of the endemic. I am in awe of how we have changed as a country to face this pandemic and how quickly we were able to innovate so we could provide more resources and support to everyone living through this. I think if we have learned one thing from the pandemic is that life is truly precious, and we must continue to give it our all and our best every single day. I hope to do this with my company and in my personal life.

What permanent societal changes would you like to see come out of this crisis?

I hope we can remember the efforts each of us took to take care of our neighbors, our community, our first responders, etc. We have all lived through something that has challenged us and changed us. I hope we take that strength with us, and we each find our way to make it count.

If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

Everyone has the power and influence to make positive changes in our environment and our society. Even the smallest steps can move the needle for positive impact. I think my advice for this next generation would be the same as my guiding philosophy, always do the right thing.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

As a business leader, I would suggest lending your talents and expertise for something good. You can make such significant impact by volunteering or supporting a charitable organization. I think it’s important for your efforts to align to your interests and feel authentic to you. For instance, I try to leverage our companies’ assets and resources to provide meaningful impact. Those efforts are generally unique to each business unit, so they align well to each business mission. As we continue to grow our business, we want to invest back not only in our company but in the communities, we serve through donations, sponsorships and more.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I think it would be an honor and a privilege to have a private breakfast with my great grandfather. I never met him, but would love to spend some time with him.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

The best way to follow our work is to sign up at each of our websites for our email communications. We try to communicate often with our customers and offer promo codes as well. Our customers have become a part of our family and we always try to make sure to give thanks for their loyalty and continued business.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!