Coronavirus: Wakefield Company Develops Shield For Businesses

WAKEFIELD, MA — A family-owned sign and awning company in Wakefield has shifted its focus during the coronavirus pandemic to manufacturing protective shields for businesses. Batten Bros, Inc. designed the Defender 365, a free-standing, acrylic shield, to be used at checkout counters, customer service desks and anywhere person-to-person interaction occurs.

"Like many businesses, as COVID-19 started having a larger impact on the world, we immediately started thinking about ways we could help support businesses being impacted by COVID-19," Richard and Maria Batten, owners of Batten Bros, Inc., said in a statement. "As a sign company, we shifted our focus to develop a new product using the same fabrication process and material we use for signs to create the new Defender 365 protective shield. Most importantly, our family wanted to give back as part of the launch of our new product to support those affected by COVID-19 and stay #bostonstrong."

For local orders, Batten Bros will hand-deliver standard shields to businesses in eastern Massachusetts within three business days. The company will also design custom sizes and applications and can ship anywhere in the United States.

A portion of the proceeds from each shield order will be donated to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. For more information, visit http://battensign.com/ or call 781-245-4800.