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Our ‘organic’ approach to running Capital Models worked like a well-oiled machine but then we had lockdown! So, like all businesses we have had to adapt our way of working.

architectural model making laser cuting machine

We were a family of 11 however we are now a small team of seven. Some employees are furloughed, and some we permit to travel into the workshop as they either cycle, have a car or motorbike. We have been quite strict about any commute and do not allow our employees to come into work if they have to rely on public transport. We are classed as manufacturing so technically all staff could work from the workshop, but we need to beat this crisis as quickly as possible.

We have had to put stringent measures in place as we are a small team working in a relatively small enclosed space.

PPE is readily available at the Shoreditch workshop and on a daily basis we sanitise surfaces and clean the communal areas as much as feasibly possible in a manufacturing environment.

So, what is a normal working day like at Capital Models during lockdown? Well our business hours differ slightly, and we are now operating from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. We remain flexible with home working and fitting around employees’ childcare and any other family commitments.

wood model making

Our weekly management meetings still take place although they now tend to be online. We monitor incoming/outgoing projects each day and plan the workshop floor situation accordingly. The practical flow now depends on who is working from home and who can safely travel in.

Relationships with our clients is still our main priority and we continue to deliver as best we can, looking after them and keeping projects going. If we ever incur a problem with a project we never walk away, always try to fix it and be upfront and honest with our clients.

If customers need to brief us, we meet them at the door by prior arrangement, masked up of course.  For any collections or parcel deliveries we do the same.

Following Brexit, supplies of materials have been challenging at times especially with certain wood imports. Fortunately, the supply of materials like Perspex has not been affected that much as they are made in the UK. Except that is, for clear and certain tints due to their demand as protective screens, but our supplier where possible, has honoured our long-standing relationship.

CNC cutting london workshop

At the moment our projects involve lots of CNC cutting jobs and under the current pandemic situation there is a particular demand for bespoke acrylic desk screens. We’ve put a lot of effort into this side of the business as we feel like it’s helping others and we’re doing our bit!

Requests for architectural marketing models have sadly reduced but once the economy begins to get back on its feet, we expect this to change. Word on the grapevine is that the property development industry will revive itself in April/May.

So despite lockdown, Capital Models is still in full flow with creativity, hard work and problem solving still at our core.  In these difficult times we are trying to keep things moving as efficiently as possible, retaining our employees and delivering projects for our clients.

Shoreditch
Photo by Paul King

The great community atmosphere with all the businesses at Perseverance Way has been affected to a certain degree during lockdown. But once things begin to open up again, I’m certain we’ll all be sharing stories and news with our neighbours over courtyard coffees.

#LaserCuttingLondon #ModelMakersLondon #LondonCNC #Shoreditch #LoveWhatWeDo

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