A March Facebook post changed everything for Shelton based Modern Plastics.
Hearing constantly about the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment, Bing Carbone, President of the 75-year-old Shelton company, wondering what the demand was for plastic face shields.
“That was on a Sunday, at 2 o’clock, and I will tell you that by 4 PM that day we had our first order for a half million (face shields),” Carbone said.
And Modern Plastics quickly got to work, in an assembly area next to their warehouse, fabricating a quarter-million face shields a month. But now, they must ramp up to a million per month. They need more space, and they’ll have it soon in Derby, where the company will add about 60 jobs.
“We are saving lives and it feels good to come to work and know we’re not just coming here for a paycheck,” said employee Daniel Healey.
The company has already made and sold 15-20 million shields and there is a lot more business in the pipeline.
“We have a contract right now for 35 million that’ll take us out for the next 18 months,” Carbone said.
The COVID pandemic led Modern Plastics to create an infection control division, under which face shields for those who wear ball caps have also been created. The company estimates they’ve created over 30,000 plexiglass shields, which are used in many different types of businesses, including for rideshare and taxicab drivers.
Meanwhile, AtmosAir Solutions, in Fairfield, is literally cleaning up because of the coronavirus.
“Our product provides continuous disinfection for air and surfaces in buildings and all sorts of indoor spaces,” said Tony Abate,
Chief Technical Officer.
The company’s clients include homeowners, schools, hospitals, office buildings, and sports venues
“We just did the Minnesota Vikings and we did the Detroit Lions recently,” Abate said. “We are in iconic buildings, like the Empire State Building.”
He adds that an independent lab has deemed its technology 99.9 percent effective in disinfecting air and surfaces, including facemasks and shields.
“Think about bringing all that contaminant close to your face,” Abate said.
FOX61 first featured AtmosAir in early March.
“From the time we last spoke, until today, our business has increased by 500%,” Abate said.
They also more than doubled their office space and staff. But the company reminds everyone they are just an additional layer of protection against this highly contagious virus.