Local company now manufacturing face shields to keep employees and help fight cause

NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WLNE): G-Form, a manufacturing company, known for making sports protective gear, was ready to shut down its factory and furlough employees because business was coming to a halt.

“Everything was working perfectly until the Coronavirus came along,” Glen Giovanucci, CEO of G-Form, said. ” So what happened at that point, our partners like Dicks Sporting Goods, retailers we sell directly too have shut down.”

Giovanucci said his employees are like family, so his company found a solution. They would swap their protective sports gear for face shields.

G-Form is now on track to produce several hundred thousand shields weekly.

“By doing that we’re able to number 1 keep our employees and family work,” Giovanucci said. “And number 2 help in the fight against the Coronavirus and make a product that ends up on nurses, doctors, first responders.”

One of the biggest challenges for G-Form was gaining access to the right materials including plastic for the shields and foam.

Giovanucci said local companies have come together to contribute to the cause.

“There have been so many people helping like  Sharples,  a die cutter in Rhode island. They made dies for us quickly, knowing what we were trying to do. We are also working with Atlantic Footwear also in the North Smithfield area.”

The shields, which are meant to give healthcare workers an extra layer of protection gear over their masks, are distributed to hospitals and American centers in need.

“In some cases were dealing with people in the white house,” Giovanucci said. “Or some of the agencies in the government. Other people are tied to disaster relief.”

The distributors are paying G-Form directly, which is how they are able to still pay for employees.