Even in the midst of a pandemic, innovation is driving business in Wake Forest. For Drew LaBarbera, owner at Atlantic Design & Manufacturing LLC, a season of uncertainty is being met with unique ways to aid in the fight against COVID-19.
In the weeks since North Carolina declared a statewide stay-at-home order, LaBarbera has manufactured thousands of vital components to be used for hospital-grade air-filtration systems and protective face shields, all from ADM’s facilities in South Forest Industrial Park. Partnerships with companies like P&G Manufacturing in Washington, N.C. and Image Quality Labs in Durham, are what LaBarbera hopes is just the start of a larger network of supply chain needs where ADM is poised to innovatively provide assistance.
“In this pandemic, I’ve met several customers who want to help out like Image Quality Labs,” LaBarbera said. “It’s an honor to be able to join the efforts against COVID where I can.”
Two primary resources offered through Atlantic Design & Manufacturing LLC include LaBarbera’s own sizable resume in engineering and design work and sophisticated manufacturing machinery. With the arrival of COVID-19, LaBarbera’s established work with P&G has led to greater production of vital components for in-demand air filtration systems to be used in government buildings and hospitals. While niche, at ADM’s facility in Wake Forest, LaBarbera is producing necessary damper blade and flange gaskets required for monitoring air flow and connecting pipes to air-filtration systems which function as large-scale air purifying filters that protect hospitals and more. These important gaskets range from 8 inches to 5 feet in diameter and require the high-precision equipment found at ADM.
His work with Image Quality Labs, however, has been a new collaborative effort to provide Duke University Hospital with critically needed personal-protective equipment (PPE). Using ADM’s technology, LaBarbera is helping manufacture face shields that will help to protect healthcare workers from the novel coronavirus. Image Quality Labs, located near Duke University, contacted LaBarbera when deciding to join the fight against COVID-19 and after recognizing a need to collaborate in order to quickly produce thousands of items of PPE. While Image Quality Labs 3-D prints headbands, ADM is using high-powered water jets to cut 1,600 face shields. Once assembled, these valuable face shields will serve to protect essential health care workers on the front-line of the battle against the pandemic.
At the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership, we recognize the difficult circumstances many of our local businesses are enduring as a result of COVID-19. But as we have shared previously, our community and her people are resilient and will persevere through this. LaBarbera offers hope as well: “To other businesses, keep your head up, keep going. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, it may take a moment to get there, but it’s there.”
