Whilst the pandemic has ravaged families across the nation, there are countless stories of businesses and communities banding together to help those most in need. MF Plastics’ most recent project for Coventry City Council is just one of these uplifting stories.
A Project of Importance
In late December, Coventry City Council walked into the showroom at MF Plastics with an unusual request for the fabricator of windows, doors and conservatories. They needed help and wanted to know if Managing Director Manuel Fernandez and his team could manufacture special booths that would be used in locations throughout the area for COVID testing and immunisation.
Whilst unusual, PVCu is an ideal material for this type of project. It’s hard-wearing, lightweight and easy to install, and the booths can be wiped down and sanitised with ease. Manuel accepted the project and with a deadline of 8 January, time was not on their side.
Helping our local community
“The Council came to us on 22 December for the project to be completed by the first week of January,” explains Manuel. “We were due to be closed over Christmas and didn’t reopen until 4 January – giving us a very small window for design, fabrication and installation.
“However, we love a challenge and helping the community is something we’re passionate about. We knew being a part of this project with the Council would be rewarding and would make things better for everyone in our community who is affected by COVID-19.
“Our biggest hurdle was the deadline. With a mere five days from reopening to the deadline, we needed to work quickly and efficiently to manufacture and install the booths required for the first phase of the project – also ensuring that they met our high standards for quality.”
The team at MF Plastics went straight to work in coming up with a plan for making the booths, which would be fabricated out of the existing Liniar PVCu profile lengths they had in stock. Within only a few short days, they had proof of concept that the booths were fit for purpose, they were easy to install and could be cleaned with a cloth and antibacterial cleaner to keep them sanitised between visitors.
Installation of Phase One
The first phase of the Council’s project included 76 testing booths to be installed in community centres and sports halls throughout the Coventry area. Any further phases of the project were to be entirely dependent upon the outcome of this first phase and the community demand for the booths.
“The installation went according to plan, with all required booths installed before the Council’s deadline of the 8th January. Within the next few weeks, we’ll find out how many more testing booths will be required, and we look forward to helping to provide this much-needed support to our community,” comments Manuel.
“We’ve been a Liniar fabricator since we began manufacturing PVCu windows and doors in 2015. I couldn’t be happier with the quality and the versatility provided by Liniar’s profile. This project is just another example of using high-quality profiles, in a high-quality job and I’m proud of my team,” Manuel states.
“We’re very happy and more importantly, the Council is happy with the booths. Over the next several weeks, the final phase of the project will be solidified, and we’ll know just how many more booths are left to be installed.”
Thinking Outside the Box
While this isn’t a standard use of Liniar’s PVCu profile, it shows just how versatile the product is – and also highlights the innovative nature of the
team at MF Plastics.
“This isn’t the only project where Liniar’s products have been reimagined into something new. We can’t wait to share what else we’ve been working on!” comments Manuel.
Learn more about MF Plastics, its range of products and the projects the team are working on at www.mfplastics.co.uk.
