To all employees, suppliers and customers of Harkness Screens,

I personally would like to update you on the situation here at Harkness as the Covid-19 crisis unfolds.

Screen manufacturing is a relatively small part of the industry we all love, we are most probably the largest by revenues and have the widest geographic footprint with 5 factories.

Since mid-December we have instigated a series of actions to protect the safety of our staff and to keep our supply chain strong. Our factory in China re-opened last week.

This week our manufacturing in France was halted after the government guidelines talked to proximity of workers on the factory floor. Screens made are awaiting collection.

So today 4 of our 5 factories are open and able to support cinemas.

We have people working from home and we are monitoring the factory loading; where we witness reduced loading we will attempt to protect our staff but this may vary by location.

We want to stand in solidarity with the industry, be supportive of our suppliers, be there for our customers and ensure the safety of all our staff.

Predicting the length of such an unprecedented event is impossible and has the potential to place massive stress on everyone. This can be emotional, financial and sadly see us lose loved ones. I am working to mitigate all 3 areas and welcome any thoughts from colleagues, suppliers and customers how we can support each other.

In an industry driven by creativity, we have commenced R&D projects to see how our manufacturing technology can support healthcare workers and how screens can be used to ensure auditoriums can be regularly sanitised during or after Covid-19. In addition we will make contributions to vulnerable people in society.

Appreciate your time and be safe.

Mark Ashcroft
CEO at Harkness Screens