POLLOCKSVILLE, NC. - Ronnie Buck, & the team at Advanced Plastic Extrusion had no idea when the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) plagued the United States earlier in the year, they would play a huge factor in supplying acrylic sheet into the market. Businesses shutting down, closing retail stores, employees told to work from home.
The team at Advanced Plastic Extrusion could see what was happening and questioned whether or not they could play a role to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Once the CDC published protective measures for employers, "Install physical barriers, such as clear plastic sneeze guards, if feasible" the demand for clear sheet took off. According to Ronnie, "Before you could blink, customers were calling left and right for acrylic sheet.". The overwhelming demand for acrylic outpaced the supply to a level not measurable according to many in the acrylic industry. Suppliers rushed to get orders filled, even outsourcing material from overseas supply. Different plastic substrates were used to meet the crisis at hand. It appeared to be an all out battle for clear extruded sheet. The experienced team at APEX quickly met that rising customer demand, doubling their on site manufacturing personnel and ramping production to a continuous 24/7. This allowed APEX to supply enough acrylic sheets to make an estimated 2 million barriers to date.
Ronnie, Owner and CEO, said "We are proud to help our country and supply products to meet the need of our customers. We will continue to put our customers needs first any way we can. I am proud of our employees who continue to work through the pandemic who put in the hours to help out."