Lighting Company With Laguna Ties Donates Face Shields to Hospitals

A light fixture manufacturer owned by a trio with deep roots in Laguna Beach made 8,000 face shields as of Monday that will be donated to hospitals in the MemorialCare Health System and Mammoth Hospital.

Cerno designed and presented the prototype face shield to physicians at a local hospital to get input on and ultimately validate the design’s efficacy. A group of Cerno employees volunteered their time to make the first 900 face shields.

“Everyone has something they can contribute to this fight,” said Daniel Wacholder, a Cerno co-founder and Laguna Beach High alumnus. “We saw a need to make something, and that is what we do. How could we pass on an opportunity to protect someone on the front lines with less than a dollar in material and 30 seconds of labor?”

Wacholder added that the grassroots effort to manufacture personal protective equipment for first responders and health care workers is a great argument for supporting domestic manufacturers.

Cerno co-founders Nick Sheridan and Bret Englander attended Top of the World Elementary, Thurston Middle School, and Laguna Beach High. Sheridan said the Cerno’s effort to manufacture face shield components was inspiring.

“For our team to volunteer their time over the weekend to make the face shields was impressive,” Sheridan said. “I am proud of our team, and it was rewarding to be part of this effort, knowing we are helping to protect the real heroes on the front lines.”

Cerno’s plastic supplier, Professional Plastics, gave the manufacturer a discount on the raw materials after learning how they would be used, according to a press release. The company has supplies to manufacture at least 2,000 additional face shields.