Protecting visitors at Windsor Castle, staff at Kettering General Hospital and a Morrisons Distribution Centre are among some of the projects a Wellingborough signmaker and plastics manufacturer has completed since March.
Adapting processes and having the foresight to predict a ‘huge surge’ in demand for plastic screening has enabled Advent Plastics to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
Used to manufacturing one or two shop signs a day, the Finedon Road Industrial Estate-based business adjusted its workshop to accommodate the equipment to produce more than 2,000 screens since March.
Derek Hornbuckle Managing Director of the 60-year-old firm said: “We took the decision very early on to source a large amount of material to enable us to manufacture screens, as the supply of all clear plastics was becoming scarce.
“Having the foresight to prepare and adapt the business to cope with what materialised as a huge surge in demand for protection has enabled us to tick over and essentially keep everyone employed.
“Our regular work as sign makers dried up, and because the demand for screens started taking off in March the supply of material dried up almost immediately. Having anticipated this, word quickly spread that we had stock of material and the orders starting rolling in – mostly by word of mouth”
In just seven days the firm’s team of six successfully designed, manufactured and fitted out the transport offices and canteen at the Morrisons distribution centre in Burton Latimer.
Derek added: “We have processed 20 times more material than we usually do in the same period. We have made regular screens in the past for petrol stations, banks and post offices, that kind of thing, but nothing we have seen on this scale.
“We received a whole host of requests from shops, takeaways, restaurants, trade counters, schools, colleges and Company reception areas to supply both screens and social distancing floor signage.
“One very challenging project was safely working around people and staff when installing five-metre long screens at Kettering General Hospital’s Records Office and the whole of Micro Biology. But our most prestigious order to date has to be supplying screens to the entire visitor accessible areas at Windsor Castle.”
Wellingborough signmaker, Advent Plastics have been manufacturing and fabricating items in all types of plastic for over 50 years. Using state-of-the-art equipment expert designers can cut, bend and bolt screens together to provide accurate fits to cater for all screening demands.
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