Telford firm bounces back during coronavirus crisis with creation of self-isolation doors
A bouncy castle manufacturer has diversified and created a new self-isolation door to help people stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic and keep the business afloat.
Telford-based Pineapple Leisure has started manufacturing the doors, which are made from flame retardant PVC and can be used in homes to aid social distancing and separation.
It comes following a challenging few years for the business, which was formed in 2002 and currently employs eight people.
Founder Andrew Ford said: "As a bouncy castle manufacturer we have had a bit of a tough time with one thing and another over the past few years, needless to say business has definitely been up and down.
"However, I would never have thought that I would one day feel that I was living in a science fiction disaster movie, as my family, staff and I indeed do now.
"This said, my British Army training has taught me to get on with it, regardless. To that end I have designed a new product for my company to produce, to help in some way during this pandemic. The meaning of helping is two-fold, one being that I believe in my product and two, if I manage to secure orders for it, I will keep my business afloat and keep my staff in a job."
Sanity
Mr Ford said two things brought about the door screens being invented.
He said: "Firstly, in seeing the world news and what was potentially in store for us, I started to gradually prepare over the past weeks. If one of us became ill we wanted to try not to make anyone else in the family ill, if that was possible. So we have planned for separate living, paper cups, plates, plastic knives and forks extra towels etc.
"We then decided instead of the person being closed away in their bedroom we wanted to put up a clear screen so they could be checked on – at a distance, and for their own sanity, they would be able to see out and speak to the other members of the family – from a distance.
"The screen was going to allow this and give some piece of mind that although the door was open, the screen was sealed top, left and right and the length was extra-long so it completely covered the doorway. So after making the production plans up I had one manufactured in my bouncy castle factory. I then decided that if we all wanted this product, maybe other people would and maybe it would get orders to keep my staff in work and help my business go in a different direction. The product design has been protected through an organisation called ACID (Anti copying in Design) as I am hoping that it will have a future in places like care homes in particular to help protect vulnerable people."
Mr Ford said the impacts of coronavirus are "huge" on his business, which is based at Halesfield.
"My products are leisure products – very, very nice but not an essential," he said. "People are being told not to gather, so the parties my inflatables used to service have/are stopping. We are hoping for massive parties to be planned after lockdown – actually probably the biggest party we will have seen in our lifetime to come when this is all under control and the scientists who we are all praying will find a solution, do. We can only now try to think outside of the box as like every small business owner out there – we are deeply concerned about the future and what it holds for us."
