As well as the sterling work of many Hastings residents on the ‘front line’, others are working hard behind the scenes as local companies play their part in the local and national response to Covid-19.

Interface Manufacturing, based at Churchfields industrial estate, is a manufacturer of scientific equipment and test kits for Coronavirus, in addition to healthcare equipment and supplies used in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak.

It has supplied electron beam microscope and mass spectrometers at short notice; these pieces of equipment are at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19.

A subsidiary, Interface Precision Engineering, is also working with a range of customers in the ‘nano imagery’ sector, the components manufactured are key parts of the imaging machines used in the search for a Covid-19 vaccine. The company has also been busy manufacturing ventilator critical components on a fast turnaround.

BD Foods, based at Castleham Business Estate, normally provide aeroplane meals, but has seen a huge drop in revenues as airlines around the world have grounded their fleets because of the coronavirus. BD is now providing a stock of soups and sauces to local organisations and is supporting the work of the Hastings Community Hub as well as Dom’s Food Mission. 

BD Foods is also manufacturing and supplying regional wholesalers with pasta sauces and soup concentrates that go into care packs for the most vulnerable. These are distributed by local councils around the country to those who cannot get access to food.

Technoturn, based at Churchfields industrial estate has been manufacturing critically needed precision components for ventilators. 96,000 vital ventilator components have been manufactured on a fully automated machine running 24 hours a day, seven days a week to deliver parts within days.

Marshall-Tufflex, based at Castleham industrial estate, has been supplying the NHS with its antimicrobial cable trunking for the new emergency NHS Nightingale Hospitals.

Six new Nightingale hospitals have been supplied with Marshall-Tufflex’s trunking systems The manufacturing process for these antimicrobial trunking systems ensures that 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria – including MRSA – will not survive on the surface. Even if these become scratched or damaged, the active ingredients will continue to help prevent the spread of healthcare associated infections, making it ideal for use in the hospital environment where control of infection is critical.

The manufacturing plant has been working around the clock to deliver the Nightingale orders.

Hastings Borough Council leader Kim Forward said today: “We rightly applaud our many front line and key workers who are battling Covid-19 and those supporting the community and we are proud too of those carrying on other vital work in the fight against the coronavirus.

“It is really heartening that so much is being done by so many local people in other ways such as providing the food for the most vulnerable across the country, supplying vital ventilator components, trunking for the Nightingale hospitals and high tech equipment being used to search for a Covid-19 vaccine.

“Three of these four local businesses work from premises owned and managed by Hastings Borough Council and I am pleased that we are able to play our own small part in this massive operation.”