Ford donated 15,000 custom face masks for those attending the inauguration following months of PPE efforts and early criticism from Trump

• Ford produced 15,000 face masks and donated them to attendees of the inauguration.
• The masks bore the logos of the 59th inauguration and the JCCIC, which plans presidential inaugurations.
• Ford has produced PPE throughout the pandemic, including millions of ventilators, gowns, and face shields.

Ford autoworkers produced 15,000 face masks that were donated to attendees ahead of Wednesday's inauguration.

The masks bear the logos of the 59th inauguration and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which plans and executes presidential inaugurations. The emblems were printed by women-owned commercial printing company Hatteras, which is based in Ford's home state of Michigan.

"As a storied American company that employs more autoworkers than any other manufacturer, it's a huge honor for Ford to support a tradition so fundamental to our democracy," Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company, said in a statement. "We've been a leader in COVID mitigation efforts since April, and donating these masks only furthers our commitment to keep families and communities safe as we gather for this important moment in history."

Ford has been working to produce personal protective equipment and ventilators since last spring, when it launched Project Apollo, a partnership with the United Autoworkers to help meet demand at the onset of the pandemic. Since then, Ford says it has produced 50,000 ventilators, 32,000 respirators, and millions of gowns and face shields.

The partnership led to a film by director Peter Berg, of "Friday Night Lights fame, that documented the effort, titled "On the Line."

Read more: Ford ditched its old PR playbook amid coronavirus turbulence like the shift to remote work, medical supply manufacturing, and criticism from President Trump. Here's what it's doing instead.

Ford's extensive PPE efforts began prior to former President Donald Trump's public visit to a Ford plant in Michigan in May, at a time when Trump had made a public show of not wearing a mask. Ahead of his visit, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said that Trump had a "legal responsibility" to wear a mask, though he opted to wear one only while he toured part of the plant, not in front of the press.

Trump had also previously lashed out at Ford, as well as General Motors, about the automakers' ventilator efforts, saying in late March that the companies weren't moving fast enough. The company said at the time it was "pulling out all the stops" to produce the medical devices.