Medford Banner, Flag Manufacturer Flies Again

MEDFORD, MA – For Derrek Coss, business has been "frozen in time."

Coss is the co-owner of Accent Banner, a Medford-based custom manufacturer of appliqué flags and banners, which reopened this week after being shut down for more than two months. Coss, who marks the time by holidays, says he was closed from St. Patrick's Day to Memorial Day.

During that time, Accent Banner kept taking orders — where it could find them. The business's main industries are colleges and universities, which shut down for the semester; professional sports teams such as the Boston Celtics, whose seasons are still in limbo; and events and event planners, rendered nonexistent by public health orders.

"The amount of business we were able to bring in was a tiny sliver," Coss said. "Not being able to produce products hurt us even more."

The business waited until Tuesday to reopen, although it could have resumed operations as early as May 18, to ensure it could comply with Gov. Charlie Baker's guidelines. It's a gradual restart — some of the manufacturer's 10-person team is still working from home, and employees will have to adjust to new health and safety guidelines.

Coss said each employee has been given disinfectant spray bottles, paper towels, gloves and masks. Instead of sharing tools, each employee will have his own tool set. Workers have been asked to stay 6 feet apart and wear masks when they are close to each other.

Reminders of these rules, as well as state requirements, are plastered on posters all over the Accent Banner office.

"It's awkward at best and poses challenges at worst," Coss said.

For example: large-scale flags and banners such as the 30-by-50-foot Celtics banner that hangs outside the Boston Harbor Hotel. A product that large requires several people to handle, and it's difficult for them to maintain a 6-foot distance.

"It's been a challenge to figure out how to do that at once," Coss said.

Right now, Accent Banner is catching up on orders approved during the shutdown. The business was relatively fortunate; clients have been understanding about not getting into production right away, and a federal Payment Protection Program loan allowed it to emerge from the shutdown with its entire workforce intact.

The company will next examine how it can expand its reach into other sectors, as many of its core industries are still shut down. That may include focusing on sectors that were less of a priority in the past. The business plan is simple: "try to stir up as much business as we can," Coss said.

"It's a good thing to be back," he added. "Though it does feel strange."