Switching gears: Auto design shop making face shields and intubation cubes for local hospitals

STONEHAM, Mass. — Typically, JK Automotive Designs deals with luxury cars and their owners, but now since the need for more medical equipment has grown, they’ve found themselves helping those on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19.

From making cars to medical supplies, the shop has now made thousands of face shields and intubation cubes to donate to local hospitals in need.

Conveniently, the auto shop has the perfect equipment to make both types of medical supplies.

“Evans fianceé has a friend who works at Brigham’s and she asked for just seven shields, so we’re sure we’ll make them, we’ll find a file online and we’ll make them,” said Jeremy Katz, Co-Owner of JK Auto Designs. “Later that day we ordered plastic and started cutting hundreds and hundreds of them.”

The process of making the shields is complicated, but the team at the shop has it down to a science. A machine cuts the mask into the shape that will go around the healthcare professional’s face, and then a second machine takes over, punching holes in the back part of the mask that goes around the person’s head using lasers.

If they were to make one mask at a time, it would take just over two minutes. So far, they have made over 800 masks and about 20 intubation cubes.

“We’ve been basically, for the last nine days, working 10-hour days, cutting [the masks] and putting them together,” said Evan Collins, a fabricator.

Faith Michaels, who runs the non-profit organization Kids Clothes Club is now helping Katz and Collins deliver the face masks and raise money for more supplies.

“When I walk into the hospital with my arms filled with masks, with shields, they’re so happy to see me,” said Michaels.

As the demand for supplies grows, so does the price for the materials needs to make the masks and intubation cubes. Right now the business says they’re paying double what they typically pay for sheets of plastic.

“It’s been tough, we put in a lot of money out of our pocket and we’re not really bringing in any money in at all yet,” said Katz.

While money is a concern for the business to continue furthering their cause, everyone involved says the gratitude they’ve received keeps them working for free during these trying and uncertain times. Katz says it’s nice to know they’re saving lives, that it feels good to be able to help out.

“The emails that come through, the text messages that come through - it’s nice,” said Katz.

The group says they’ll continue to make the supplies last for as long as they can afford to, but there are ways you can help them out. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help them obtain supplies. Katz hopes to use the money from the Go Fund Me to help auto shops around the country produce the medical supplies.

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