Project22 Boronia make COVID-19 protective screens for businesses
More businesses are looking for ways to protect their staff from COVID-19 forcing a Boronia company to ditch its core work to try and help protect the health of other businesses’ employees and customers.
Outer East
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A Boronia business has turned its hand to making protective screens for pharmacies, supermarkets and medical centres during the coronavirus crisis.
Project22, a family-owned joinery, window and metal fabrication business recently diversified to manufacture protective screens.
Director Deborah Fisher, who runs the business with husband Robert Vorpasso, said the screens offer a physical barrier between teller and customer by blocking out coughs, sneezes and saliva and act as a physical barrier to aid the elimination of touch contact.
Ms Fisher said the business had been busy installing the custom-made screens in IGA’s, pharmacies, medical centres and businesses that have customer contact.
The business recently bought a perspex folding machine and are bolstering perspex supplies to create the screens.
She said it used good quality perspex, that was easy to clean and would last.
“We like to do quality work that is our company motto — we thought if we’re going to do this we’ll do it right,” she said
Ms Fisher said the business had to change in the wake of the coronavirus.
“We are shop fitters and we had (a lot of our work) all end in one day,” she said.
“Not that things were cancelled but just put on hold — no one was willing to commit because obviously many shops are closed.
“We saw a need for the screens and we thought we will get the machine in and manufacture them.”
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Ms Fisher said the business could also create screens for workspaces to suit an office environment.
She said the response to the screens had been great and people were keen to support a Melbourne business.
“We’re a family business — my husband and I have five kids, three of our sons work in the business, one is a lawyer and been helping out with the legalities of things,” she said.
“We also see our staff as family.
“We have over 50 staff and they’re dependent on us and they’re worried about the future
and we’ve told them we will make it happen, we will make sure we keep operating.”