Downtown business owners try to keep smiling amid pandemic - 1736 Magazine, Summer 2020

Firearms merchant M. Steven Fishman, president of Sidney’s Department Store & Uniforms on Broad Street, says business has been good during the
coronavirus lockdown.
FACES OF DOWNTOWN
Eric Parker
When protective face masks were
in short supply, Eric Parker and
the Clubhou.se set out to find a
solution.
“We had doctors reaching out to us
wanting us to help fix this and willing to
give us all the feedback about what works
and what doesn’t work,” said Parker, who
co-founded the business incubator in 2012.
“To me this is the best demonstration
of how entrepreneurship is supposed to
work.”
The 3D-printed plastic mask that Parker’s
group produced in their offices at the
Georgia Cyber Center began with an opensource
design conceived by physicians in
Montana.
After six iterations, the Clubhou.se
produced an N95 mask that was lighter and
had better elastic straps. Grips were added
to make unscrewing the disposable filter
easier.
Health care workers and first responders
can use the Augusta mask under an emergency
use authorization the Food and Drug
Administration issued in April.
“The initial feedback was the Montana
Mask didn’t have enough airflow, and they
liked the original design we had of this
Eric Parker,
co-founder and
president of the
Clubhou.se, holds
one of the 3D printed
masks designed
at the business
incubator and
accelerator in April.
[FILE/THE AUGUSTA
CHRONICLE]
but it was too heavy,” he said. “...We’ve
worn these for a full day and not had any
problems.”
The Clubhou.se is partnering with Valor
Station, a nonprofit for recovering first
responders, and 10% of the mask proceeds
go to them. What was going to be called the
Augusta Mask will now be called the Valor
Mask in their honor, Parker said.
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