Posted in Company News,PPE
At IDD, we value ingenuity and strive to put our creativity in action both internally and externally to support our clients and our community. So in March 2020 when our custom retail display customers were upended by the coronavirus, we had to act fast to adjust our business, apply our innovation mindset, and add value at the onset of the pandemic. Our pivot into personal protective equipment (PPE) came about when a new design for a face shield was needed to protect frontline healthcare workers. In partnership with Dimensional Innovations, the University of Kansas, and its Health System, our team designed, tested, and manufactured an open source, reusable face shield within a few days.
Fast forward through the summer and that face shield spawned a suite of PPE products like desk shields, standing and hanging barriers that helped businesses and schools reopen as stay-at-home orders were lifted. Our pivot kept our doors open and preserved 35 permanent and temporary jobs. Now, it was time to give back. In partnership with BMG Advisors, IDD donated 1,000 face shields to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City to help keep kids safer during before and after school activities.
Trevor Lewis, IDD's Sr. Sales Manager crafted the idea with Adam Hawley, partner with BMG Advisors. Both are active in the Greater Kansas City philanthropic community and wanted to help where they could during the pandemic.
“When Trevor brought this idea to me, I knew it aligned perfectly with BMG’s internal saying of ‘Do good by doing good.’ We love helping people, especially our community’s youth. We are honored to be a part of providing face shields to the Clubs,” said Adam Hawley, partner BMG Advisors.
This donation aimed to provide an additional layer of protection for children and staff and reduce the challenges presented by traditional cloth masks like improper use and communication barriers.
“We are so grateful to InStore Design Display and BMG Advisors for their generous and kind donation. It will help us ensure our Club members remain protected while allowing for the visibility of facial expressions and lip movements that will help with facilitating Club programming,” said Dr. Dred Scott, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City.
Branded with the Clubs’ colors, logo, and a place for kids to write their names, th
e face shields are stored and cleaned by the Clubs each day. Roberto Camacho with Whiskey Design provided the graphic design for the face shield band.
IDD is committed to positively impacting our team and the broader Kansas City community with what we do best—designing, prototyping, and manufacturing. When we can combine our skills and ingenuity with a cause we are passionate about, our team is all in.
