For almost 60 years, Plexi-Craft Quality Products in the Bronx has been turning out chic, mod-looking coffee tables, chairs and even tissue boxes, made with crystal-clear acrylic resin. But when the coronavirus struck in March, its factory, the city’s last surviving acrylic furniture maker, temporarily closed.

But something unexpected happened around May. Doctors, banks, hotels, downtown office buildings and restaurants started contacting the company with requests for shields to keep their workers and customers safe. Now Plexi-Craft is busier than ever, shaping its acrylic resin (also known under brand names like Lucite and Plexiglas) into transparent barriers that allow the businesses of New York to do what they do.

“Traditionally, they’re seen as inexpensive things — something temporary,” said Hans Kretschman, a former investment and commercial banker who bought Plexi-Craft from the founder’s sons four years ago, of the barriers. “But Covid-related regulations for businesses aren’t going away soon,” which is driving several businesses in the city to invest in well-made shields, he continued.