Page 26 - inPRINT Issue 63
P. 26

inTOUCH


           LOOKING BACK




           WE WANT TO LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, OUR MEMBERS, DID AND ARE
           CONTINUING TO DO, TO HELP DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS.
    members' stories  PHILLIPS DIRECT DIRECTS ITS


           EFFORTS TO PROTECTING PEOPLE


           When the coronavirus started
                                                                                    processes and repurpose
                                   shops to salons to offices.
           to impact the UK, Phillips
                                                            inexpensive but really long-
                                                                                    materials normally used
                                   We’ve even made one that
           Direct decided to shift its   all kinds of businesses, from   in filter, which is not only   had to adapt our designs and
                                                            lasting.
           focus to creating products   can be installed between the   In another effort to assist   for stock items. Despite the
           that would support both   front and back seats of a taxi.   with the return to work,   challenges, it’s been great
           individuals and businesses in   All of our products are made   we’ve made a range of hand   to be able to use our skills
           protecting themselves.   in the UK, so we can usually   sanitiser holders, including   and experience to provide
             We pride ourselves on our   produce screens with custom   small wall-mounted models   solutions that have helped
           ability to design and produce   dimensions within a few   and large, free-standing   people through this difficult
           new products quickly, and   days.                ones that can be used in big   time.
           as we work primarily with   Another popular item has   commercial venues. These
           plastics we were able to come   been our face shields. They   can also be personalised   www.phillipsdirect.com
           up with a whole range of   offer a great alternative to   with branding or with hand
           items in a fairly short period   face masks, especially for   sanitising instructions.
           of time.                workers who are client-   In the past few months,
             First up were our protective   facing, and who have to   the demand for plastic
           screens. Our bespoke    wear a face covering for   materials has been at an
           approach to projects has   long periods of time. We’ve   all-time high, and this has
           meant that we’ve been able to   recently come up with a   led to worldwide material
           provide protective screens for   clear face mask, with a built   shortages. At times, we’ve



           PRIME GROUP                                        SOME MUCH APPRECIATED
                                                              MEMBER FEEDBACK
           TO THE RESCUE

                     Prime Group Director, Jon Tolley, got a call from   ‘During the COVID -19 pandemic, our Platinum
                     his wife, who works for the NHS, asking for help   membership with the BPIF proved invaluable as
                     because she was running out of PPE. Jon picked   the scope of the information available was current,
                     up a visor that had been cleaned and made safe to   detailed and vast. We used their letter templates
                     take away, and re-engineered it over the course of   to engage with staff, both on furlough leave and in
                     that night. By 6am the next morning, Prime Group   work. We followed the COVID route plan to ensure we
           had created a prototype, which was then sent to the hospital for   had the appropriate measures and risk assessments
           testing. By that evening, they had manufactured their first batch   in place. We adapted quickly to new products and
                                                                services and stayed open, and I feel that being
           of visors.                                           involved with the BPIF helped us to do this.’
             The company then re-purposed to manufacturing PPE, and
           before long it was inundated with requests for visors from trusts   Juliette Brown, Managing Director, Design Xpress
           and hospitals all over the country.
             Prime Group spent the next couple of months delivering as
           many visors as they could, free of charge, to trusts and hospitals
           around the country. Meanwhile, they tried to figure out how to
           scale up operations. But the business was struggling to find
           raw material stock. When they finally managed to get hold
           of a large amount, they were uncertain that what they were
           creating was needed at that volume. The company was about
           to export the raw materials when national news picked up on
           the story. Subsequently, the Government informed them that   ‘Jo Haigh has been amazing throughout. It has been
           they absolutely needed it. The raw materials were retained, and   so reassuring to know that I can email any HR queries
           helped to keep front line key workers going.         and have a prompt response. It would definitely have
             Prime Group ended up with a contract from the Government    been a lot more stressful without the BPIF!’
           to provide visors for the country, and this will be something    Carol Collings, Accounts Manager, Calf Hey Group
           that they do long-term.

           www.primegroup.co.uk


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