Homtex CEO Jerry Wootten speaks about the company's shift to mask production and its repayment of a $1.5 million loan from the Cullman Industrial Development Board, Cullman County Industrial Development Board and the City of Cullman.

Less than two months after receiving a $1.5 million loan from the City of Cullman and the county’s two industrial development boards, Homtex announced Wednesday that it has already paid back that amount plus interest.

Homtex received the loan in April to help the company make a $5 million capital investment to shift its production to disposable masks, and company CEO Jerry Wootten and President Jeremy Wootten presented a check for $1,505,041.67 at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Jeremy Wootten said the loan allowed for the down payment on 15 production lines that will be able to produce 400 million masks per year once they are in place and ready for production — which should be in July — and that will make Homtex the largest domestic producer of masks in the United States.

Coming with that extra production will be more jobs for the area, as Homtex will be adding between 80-120 jobs with wages that will start above the industry standard wage of $17 per hour, he said.