Aviation Supplier Helping Businesses Reopen After Pandemic Pivot

ST. CHARLES, IL — After nearly two decades of success in the commercial aviation industry, St. Charles’ Turbo Jet Partners launched a new venture last month.

ASafeReturn.com sells protective shields, panels, dividers and “cough boxes” to businesses, day care facilities and schools to help them safely reopen, said Chris Young, who is a partner at the company and a vice president with Turbo Jet Partners.

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These new products could also help restaurants survive the upcoming winter. Panels and shields could allow them to expand their indoor dining areas to serve more customers while still following public health mandates, Young said.

During the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, Turbo Jet leaders explored several ways to pivot their business and avoid mass layoffs. In the end, ASafeReturn.com was inspired by Turbo Jet’s hopes and struggles to bring its staff back to the office.

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Young and other senior officials at the company found few affordable solutions when searching for ways to safely welcome employees back.

Understanding they were far from alone in their struggles, Turbo Jet leaders committed to launching the new company to ease some of the stress and financial burdens brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Maybe we can come up with some solutions that are more affordable,” Young said of the motivation behind ASafeReturn.com.

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ASafeReturn.com converted Turbo Jet’s former office space at 882 Equity Dr. into its new showroom, which gives business owners the opportunity to see potential solutions for their offices that can be “hard to conceptualize,” Young said.

The showroom includes about two dozen paneling and Plexiglas applications that the company has created so far. Though ASafeReturn.com is not offering fully customized solutions, its showroom is the perfect place for business owners to see all of their options, Young said.

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Local diners may have already seen some of the company’s products, including its “booth backs.” These protective panels separate dining booths, allowing restaurants to open up more tables.

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Young believes “booth backs” could prove to be the difference for some restaurants this winter.

“I think a lot of (restaurant owners) are starting to realize that they need to figure something out” before the winter hits, Young said. “Anything they can do to capitalize on their indoor space could be huge.”

For more information, visit ASafeReturn.com, call 630-762-3756 or visit the company's showroom at 882 Equity Dr. in St. Charles.

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