Jonathan Padley operates several business ventures and we are delighted to have provided him with a working capital injection to grow his holiday lets company, which he is in the process of extending to include log cabins, as well as barn conversions.
However, rather than calling on our support to help one of his other businesses, Kalas Packaging, to adapt its manufacturing capability to make face shields, he made excellent use of Government’s ‘Bounce-back’ loan.
The company came up with the idea of manufacturing PPE, when the virus led to them having to consider the safety of their own staff; initially buying visors that cost £50 each. Believing this would be outside many companies’ budget, it designed an alternative costing as little as 75p each dependant on volumes, enabling companies to buy them in bulk.
As their core business is printing, cutting, and converting synthetics materials, they designed a simple face shield that incorporates the best elements from the various designs currently on the market, without needing to invest in new procedures or equipment.
Made from the thinnest materials, the face shields have an APET visor for improved clarity and a polypropylene, adjustable head strap that can accommodate a safety message or corporate branding. Each shield is fully recyclable in a household recycling stream, while being robust enough to be re-used, if properly sanitised.
Due to the company having hygiene certification and the visor itself being CE marked, Kalas Packaging Limited is currently in negotiations with several health sector suppliers, food preparation sites, pack houses, and hotel groups, for large volumes of its face shields. It will also be able to supply restaurants, bars, and food outlets, giving them a unique edge over other suppliers of PPE.
Paula Jones, Relationship Manager for Reward Finance Group, said: “Whilst we have supported Jonathan with working capital for his hospitality business, his diversification into PPE is entirely due to his own innovation. We commend his initiative because it gives hope to the economy at a time when it is really needed. We wish him, and his company, all the best with this endeavour.”