INDIANAPOLIS — Ken Weaver started his furniture producing business in a garage fifteen years ago.
And now, they have clients around the world.
They’ve supplies furniture for Starbucks, Bloomingdale, Ashley’s Home store, Hilton hotels, Marriott and McDonald's.
“We’re the largest single supplier for Yum! (Brands, Inc.) which is the parent company for Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut. We work across the board. It’s all major international chains, hotel chains, restaurant chains,” said President and CEO of Facility Concepts, Ken Weaver.
Along with the hotel and restaurant industry, Facility Concepts also has clients in retail, education, and family entertainment centers like “bowling alleys, event venues, trampoline parks.”
They’ve been making and selling sani-shields since the spring.
“They’re being used in restaurants, schools, banks, BMV centers, anywhere where there’s a transactional counter. We shipped thousands across the country and are preparing to ship them internationally,” said Weaver.
A table with shield attached to the side of it with two bar stools like chairs on either side has been rolled out in the south. Facility Concepts said they made the prototype for Shake Shack who is testing it out in some of their Texas locations.
This change is just another adaptation Weaver said the company has had to make over the last fifteen years.
“We’ve tried to sort of re-invent ourselves. We’re just trying to stabilize the business,” said Weaver.
While the shields are already out on the market, other designs are in their rendering phase.
“We developed some hands free (door handles) so you can use your arm to open it,” said Weaver.
Facility Concepts has also designed handles that can be opened by foot.
When it comes to drive-thru windows, they’ve designed a shield that protect both the driver and drive-thru attendant.
Weaver said all the shields can be removed if they are no longer needed.
“Shake Shack asked us to develop a screen that would fit into their existing booth seating,” he said as he showed a shield that could be placed between the two backs of the bench.
“We’ve also began prototyping a school desk system and this is using antimicrobial surfaces and shields,” he said.
Anti-microbial fabrics and anti-microbial laminates have been around for some time.
They’re “used primarily in health care and we’re expanding it into our applications,” said Weaver.
Research has shown us that the virus that causes COVID-19 can live on surfaces for an extended period of time, sometimes even days.
But researchers believe the virus can only remain active for a few hours on copper surfaces.
Some studies suggest antimicrobial surfaces can help prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but these studies have no yet been peer reviewed.
Regardless, antimicrobial surfaces are more durable to “pretty harsh chemicals for cleaning, pretty harsh scrub down cleanings,” said Weaver.
Weaver said he’s still testing out the antimicrobial surfaces and laminates.
Facility Concepts is also in the early engineering phases of “touch-less charging stations, solar rechargeable stations and we have a new line of outdoor exterior seating because we think that will be much more in demand.”
Weaver said the last fifteen years have taught him that as a business its important to “focus on your strengths” while thinking outside-of-the box remaining innovative and flexible. Weaver said his priority is to get all of his employees back to work.