PLASTIC SWITCH
Making plastic shields for Whole Foods launched new business for local metal fabricator.
People may be familiar with the handiwork of Houston Custom Metal Works, whether it’s the chandeliers at State of Grace restaurant or the four foot tall inspirational “REFLECT ”or “EXPLORE” rising along Buffalo Bayou Park as part of the Monumental Moments installation.
In normal times, the company fabricates interior decor items for residential and commercial customers. Projects include wine glass racks, foot rails for bars, kitchen islands and chandeliers. Private customers order custom shelving and other products for their homes.
The firm also brings to life public art projects such as the decorative steel archways cut to resemble papel picado (perforated paper) along the Esplanade at Navigation, a 14-foot-wide design by artist Gary Sweeney. For a few industrial customers, the company does machining work.
“That’s what we used to do,” said owner Adam Davidson, a Texas State University graduate in manufacturing engineering who started the company in 2012.
These days, the bulk of the metal HC Metal uses goes into the custom feet used to hold up the protective plastic shields that make up much of its business since the coronavirus swept in.
Until switching gears, hours for the company’s five employees were roughly cut in half when the pandemic hit. Now, the 5,500-square-foot fabrication shop on Upland Drive in west Houston is humming again.
“We sort of lucked into a job making protective screens for Whole Foods,” Davidson said. “We were able to bring everybody back on. It wasn’t steel, it wasn’t aluminum, but it was still something to do.”
HC Metal made screens for Whole Foods, which is known for its commitment to support local businesses, across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Calls for work followed from Marriott, then landlords at downtown buildings needing screens at security desks with cut out areas where a clipboard could be passed through, then offices inside those office buildings with specific configurations matching the desk layouts. The shields are also being used at upscale apartments and at valet stations at condominiums.
Costs vary depending on the number ordered, size and how much measuring and customization is needed for the job. A finished shield could typically go for anywhere between $80 and $400.
HC Metal’s customers need a quick turnaround on their orders, typically a matter of days.
The shields are made from either acrylic or polycarbonate sheets of varying thicknesses, depending on what’s available. Prices for raw materials are volatile, rising from about $76 to $90 each when Davidson first started making the shields to as high as $225. He’s recently found them for $105 to $125 each when buying in bulk.
“The price for materials has gone through the roof,” he said. “You just take what you can get now.”
Calls are starting to come in from customers such as a restaurant and a private client looking for custom shelves for a residence.
“I think people are kind of gathering we can’t just hide anymore,” Davidson said. “We have to get back to business. I think some business is trying to happen, because some of my regular work is coming back around.”