Our consolidated net sales in 2020 were driven by face mask sales of $41.8 million, primarily attributable to increased sales of our proprietary N-95 Particulate Respirator face mask, manufactured in Salt Lake City, Utah, which surpassed the prior sales record set in 2009 during the H1N1 pandemic by a multiple of 2.4 times. Face shield sales also had a record year in 2020, surpassing the prior record from 2009 by a multiple of 2.9 times, and sales of our disposable protective garments in 2020 also increased by an impressive 24% from 2019. Our Building Supply segment experienced a record year with growth across all product lines, including synthetic roof underlayment, housewrap and other woven material.
We materially improved our balance sheet throughout 2020. The Company had cash on hand of $23.3 million as of December 31, 2020, which was up over 250% or approximately $17.0 million from December 31, 2019. This substantial increase was driven by increased operating cash flow, even after repurchasing $2.7 million of our common stock and spending $1.2 million on deposits for new equipment for our Building Supply segment.
Looking Ahead to 2021
As we turn the page on a record 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we expect the market for our products to normalize in some respects, although we believe that sales should remain strong as compared to historical levels. Due to open orders remaining at historically high levels, the Company has committed to investing approximately $4 million in new equipment to increase production capacity of the Building Supply segment. Additionally, the Company’s joint venture has ramped up production capacity of our disposable protective garments.
For 2021, we are optimistic about the outlook in the Building Supply segment. We have strong demand for synthetic roof underlayment, in particular, the TECHNO SB
® family, as we continue to gain traction and market share. In addition, the outlook for our housewrap product lines, which include REX Wrap
®, REX Wrap Plus
® and REX Wrap Fortis
®, remains positive and we anticipate continued growth in light of continued strong demand. The Company, therefore, has committed to investing in new equipment to support the expected growth.
In the first quarter of 2021, we witnessed a softening in the demand for NIOSH-approved N-95 particulate respirator face masks manufactured by smaller companies like Alpha Pro Tech, creating some uncertainty in the market. As a result, we expect that face mask sales, primarily sales of our N-95 Particulate Respirator face mask, in the first quarter of 2021 will be materially lower than in the fourth quarter of 2020, although we expect to show top line revenue growth as compared to the first quarter of 2020. Going forward, with the improvement in outlook with respect to the pandemic and the growing number of individuals being vaccinated to protect against COVID-19, we expect face mask sales to continue to decline in future periods.
We remain optimistic regarding the outlook for our disposable protective garments. Orders remain at historically high levels, which prompted ramped up production capacity in response to the increased demand. As we continue through 2021, we believe we have strong product and supply chain partners, along with a team that is responsive to the market.
Our achievements and success in 2020 have enabled the Company to focus on the future growth drivers in our markets and expand capacity in order to take advantage of these opportunities. On behalf of our management team and the Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support.
Lloyd Hoffman
President and
Chief Executive Officer
3 ANNUAL REPORT 2020