It only takes one step to make a big imprint in the world!

Everyone can make a dent in the world. Sometimes even the smallest step can make a huge imprint. Several weeks ago, an email from my favorite 3D printing company talked about the work they did to create a 3D printable face shield. I posted that article on our department Teams site. I asked if anyone wanted to start using our company printers to help out. The next morning one of my employees asked if we were serious about this because his partner was a doctor at a local hospital and needed shields. I asked how many, and they said 400 would be a good start. I knew then that 3D printing was not the way to go. So I put a team to work trying out a more straightforward design. One of the engineers came across another straightforward design. At that point, I went to management and asked if this was something the company was willing to do. Yes, was the answer, but I was to make sure a put together a team that could make it happen.

Within one day, that team was able to source materials for 10,000 shields and started working on a manufacturing process. As things were looking promising, I had a status update meeting with another member of the team and the CEO. That meeting ended with the CEO telling us that if we couldn’t produce 50,000 shields, we were babies. By the end of the first week, we had produced and delivered 10,000 shields, and sourced materials for another 40,000. Most of the materials were donated, and we even had a subcontractor to simplify the manufacturing by die-cutting the plastic.

Through this effort, I joined a group in Wisconsin that was working to source needed PPE. Another member of that group reached out to me to see if ETC would be willing to help with a Germicidal UVc project he was developing. Of course, we said yes. He brought us a rough design of a hotel Toaster oven conveyer retrofitted with UVc lamps. The idea was to be able to disinfect 150 masks per hour through this system. Again, our team jumped into action. We were able to legitimize his design by working with the State Health Department and the FDA to get emergency approval and testing. We got a crash course in UVc disinfection devices and the needs of the Health Departments through this process. The first units were delivered to sites this week to very grateful first responders. We are now getting requests from all over the country for all different types of uses.

I am now actively participating in a team put together by the American Society of Cinematographers to find ways to help open film and television studios back up. We are looking into new devices that may help keep sets and equipment safer.

Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t do all of this. It took a team and a company willing to give resources. But it was just one step after the next the lead to having a significant impact in multiple ways. If I hadn’t shared the original article or if the employee hadn’t asked for help, and if I hadn’t asked the company for help, and if any of us didn’t use our relationship skills reach out to others for help and advice, none of this would have happened. Sometimes you have to take a risk and put yourself out there.

I am thrilled I work with the team that I do and for a company that cares.

Click here for more information on ETC PPE equipment