RICHLAND HILLS , Texas ( CNN ) -- The machines are buzzing as dozens of workers package freshly made surgical masks . More than 1 million will be made in one day inside Prestige Ameritech 's manufacturing facility near Fort Worth , Texas . Prestige Ameritech in Texas will be making surgical masks around the clock because of the swine flu outbreak . The swine flu outbreak has made this small company a big deal . `` Everyone knows who we are now , '' said Mike Bowen , executive vice president of the surgical mask manufacturer . `` It 's actually been pretty crazy . '' Prestige Ameritech is ramping up production . For the first time in the company 's history , it will be manufacturing masks 24 hours a day , seven days a week . Bowen also is looking to hire up to 20 workers to handle the workload . Ever since Bowen and his business partner , Dan Reese , showed up to work Monday morning , the phones have n't stopped ringing . With the World Health Organization and national governments confirming cases of swine flu in at least 11 countries , orders for masks are coming in from around the world . `` We 're still trying to get a handle on everything , '' Bowen said . Prestige Ameritech is the only surgical mask manufacturing company in the United States . Most surgical masks are made in Mexico and China . The company , with a workforce of 80 people , makes masks for major distributors , like 3M , who sell the masks to hospitals and doctors across the country . Health care suppliers say if the swine flu outbreak becomes a pandemic , it could severely strain hospitals ' efforts to get necessary equipment like masks , gloves and antibiotics . `` What this situation should teach us is that we need to take a critical look at where we source pandemic supplies and in what quantities , '' said Mike Alkire , president of Purchasing Partners for Premier Inc. , a North Carolina-based healthcare improvement alliance with a division that negotiates supply contracts for its more than 2,100 member hospitals . `` We feel that they are in good shape overall , provided the disease does n't overwhelm our current resources or spread to a large number of additional communities , '' Alkire said . With Prestige Ameritech operating at capacity , Bowen worries that a pandemic would create a surgical mask shortage in the United States . The first cases of swine flu in humans were detected in Mexico , where health officials suspect the virus in more than 150 deaths . Scenes of Mexican citizens walking city streets with masks are playing out daily . The Mexican government has handed out masks to the public . Bowen says the United States is not equipped to handle that kind of demand . Learn about swine flu and how to treat it » . `` Surgical masks are used in hospitals . They 're not used in the general public , '' Bowen said . `` So when the general public starts wanting face masks , the supply gets short really quickly . '' He added : `` If there 's a pandemic , America wo n't be able to supply its own needs , because we 're pretty much it . '' Bowen said that if the situation gets worse worldwide , countries like China and Mexico would keep surgical masks for their own citizens . He said he wants to make sure the surgical masks are going to health care professionals and not brokers looking to take financial advantage of this health scare . The shortage of American surgical-mask manufacturers is a critical weakness in the country 's ability to battle a pandemic outbreak , he said . `` Hopefully , this is n't the big one , '' Bowen said . `` What we 're hoping is that this is just a wake-up call . ''
`` Everyone knows who we are now , '' company 's executive vice president says . Texas manufacturer will produce masks 24 hours a day because of swine flu . Company executive worries pandemic would create U.S. surgical mask shortage . `` If there 's a pandemic , America wo n't be able to supply its own needs , '' he says .