Coronavirus Gold Coast: Allstar Plastics turns to production of sneezeguards to meet demand in COVID-19 pandemic

A Gold Coast business has pivoted its operations to keep workers on the job. Now it’s busier than ever.

A GOLD Coast plastics business has pivoted operations and is now pumping out sneezeguards and aerosol boxes as demand for the protective equipment soars.

Allstar Plastics at Southport has retained about a dozen workers by supplying hospitals, medical centres, chemists and retail businesses in the coronavirus crisis.

Usually Allstar produces a range of plastic products, from signage to aquariums and fabricated letters. Recently, it made light boxes for the Sydney Opera House Mardi Gras float.

Kiel Taylor hard at work at the Allstar Plastics premises in Southport. Picture: Tertius Pickard

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Marketing manager Aislen Tom was proud of how her workplace quickly shifted focus.

“We’re trying to cope, trying to get stuff out for everyone, the hospitals and the medical centres. Anyone who’s still open, basically,” she said.

“It’s very busy and we’re really trying to push everything out ASAP. We’ve never quoted so much, done so much work. Everyone’s working overtime, weekends – you name it.”

Ms Tom said Allstar has had to be mindful of strict social distancing measures during production and while out in the field. It’s also closed its office for walk-in sales for now.

A sneezeguard installed at the front counter of a business. Picture: Allstar Plastics/Facebook.

“We’re lucky enough that we can pretty much have everyone working in their own sheds, their own offices,” Ms Tom said.

“Right now we are busier, but we don’t know if that’s going to peter out. If we get shut down, we get shut down. We’re trying to keep up with the changing events day to day.”

The aerosol boxes protect medical workers when they are intubating COVID-19 patients.

Allstar Plastics was launched by owners Sandra and Peter Moore about three decades ago.