When staff at Huntsville Hospital reached out to MBRP to see if their facility could help with efforts to protect staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, owner Martin Barkey said his first thought was, “we just build exhaust systems”.
But through some creative thinking they were able to get to work that same day—after picking up some supplies from the local Home Hardware—and build a plexiglass safety shield to help protect hospital staff.
“It wasn’t my insight by any means to begin with,” said Barkey. “It was my son and a couple of our prototype guys that said, ‘we could build that’.”
They’ve since built a second shield for the hospital and, realizing that it was something that other frontline workers could use, ordered more raw supplies to be sure they could meet that need, free of charge.
“Any local stores that need something like this for their staff or any health facility, anyone that’s going face-to-face that feel that their staff or their own person would be more safe,” said Barkey. ” It’s on us, no charge. We’d love to help out.” (If your business is in need of a safety shield, email MBRP at info@mbrp.com.)
MBRP has about 120 staff members and even before they were deemed an essential service by the Province, Barkey said he “had let every single staff member know that if they felt safer at home, then I wanted them to go home and be with their families. Yes, we had a few that deemed that suited what they wanted to do, but the majority of our workforce is still coming to work. We wrestled with this a little bit. I know there’s mixed emotions about it, and there have been some derogatory comments on social media as to why a company would be open, but we have a lot of staff who want to be at work and they also want to help as well.”
He added that the company has “gone above and beyond any regulations inside our facility. We are super clean and doing our part with social distancing, completely washing our hands, wash stations all over the place. Each one of our staff, every day, has the opportunity if [they feel] it’s safer at home to please stay at home.”
The company does “have production going, we do have jobs that are able to be attended,” said Barkey, “but at the same time we are hopefully able to put more and more staff towards helping some of those that need just about anything… It’s not only our staff coming in to meet their needs, to meet our customers’ needs, but now actually we’re able to even go further and hopefully meet the needs of some of our local frontlines. It’s a small, small role to play, but if we can help out then it makes it all worthwhile.”
He encouraged others in the community to, if they’re able, put their skills out there to see if they can help in ways they haven’t considered. “I’m sure someone will recognize how your skills may be able to be used to make this a better fight against the virus or a better, safer environment here locally.”
Have you heard about other businesses doing their part to help during the COVID-19 pandemic? Give them a shout-out in the comments below!
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KIMBERLEY SABOURIN says
So great for MBRP to step up and really help. Way to go!!!
Glenn Feaver says
That is great of you , Martin!
Doug Beiers says
My partner (at the time) and I met Martin and his wife Ginger about 20 years ago when they were producing their product from their garage attached to their home north of Huntsville. They started as a home-based business. We helped them with their first website which they ended up continuing on their own as with their skyrocketing business growth they needed someone full time just for their website.
https://mbrp.com could have moved anywhere in the world to build their ever increasing production facilities now employing 120 people, but chose Huntsville to our great benefit. Just a bit of background. Martin has got to be the most high-energy person I have ever met.
Don McCormick says
I continue to be impressed and inspired by people like Martin who have willingly and immediately stepped up to the plate during this community crisis. It is my hope that one of the lasting lessons to come from this pandemic is that the importance of community is reinforced and that we will carry that forward when our lives return to normal.
Barb Foster says
Great story.
Thank you MBRP
Bill Beatty says
As with a lot of actions , many comments on ” anti social media ” come from ignorance . Ignore the fools as You continue on with your valuable service to The Community !
Pam Mackenzie says
Perhaps you could make shields for the cashiers at our grocery stores. They are face to face with people and have no way of knowing they have the virus or not.
Gail Orr says
Perhaps they should have face shields as they would be easier to do business with. I’d like to thank the grocery store clerks for coming to work every day and making this pandemic at little less scary.
Gail Orr says
Thank you MBRP for helping out. This is a wonderful project.
Someone in Huntsville who is much better at computer stuff than me, (perhaps the town) needs to set up a central phone centre, web page or whatever where people can ask for help and people can offer their services. A lot of us want to help but have no idea how to go about it.
I can sew and would love to make masks, but are they really wanted?
Sharon Stahls says
Hats off to you Martin & your staff. Awesome gesture on your part. Stay Safe Everyone !
Sharon 👍 ( Retired HPS Principal)
Harolyn Hussain says
THANK YOU MBRP !!! Take care and stay safe.