Wild Side, LLC. is not a well known company in the area, but they are responsible for some very intricate work.
The company specializes in creating custom motor homes and trailers, but their latest project involved creating protective helmets for Fannin County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
The project kick-started when county Commissioner Chairman Stan Helton called Wild Side, LLC. Owner Dale Evanson.
Helton explained to Evanson that the EMA were in need of protective shields, but none were available.
“I told him, ‘I really didn’t know how I would make them,’” Evanson said.
Teaming up with his son-in-law Justin Nicholson, a physicians assistant, the two brainstormed ideas and made a list of materials.
A prototype was then created from the clear plastic of a cheap picture frame, Evanson said.
“You couldn’t buy the shield,” he recalled. “The Plexiglas part, nobody had them. You couldn’t order them, everybody’s out.”
After showing Helton the prototype, he asked if Evanson could make 50 more for county employees to use, which Evanson agreed to do.
Later on, Evanson was able to find a single piece of Plexiglas and called the company to see about ordering more. The representative informed that they would be able to send some, but the company was backed up a month.
“I said, ‘Ma’am, you don’t understand the severity of this,” Evanson said. “They have nothing right now to protect them. These are friends of mine and possibly family members ... We’re in a small town here in Blue Ridge, and we can’t buy nothing.’”
As it turns out, the representative’s parents are from Blue Ridge, and she managed to send the materials out in just a few days, Evanson said.
The gear is made from a hard hat, with a shield of Plexiglas bolted on.
The hard hats can be used to prevent contracting COVID-19, Evanson said.
They can be cleaned and sanitized then used again over and over.
The shield offers a barrier from others, thus adding protection from exposure to the virus, and by building them with hard hats, an extra layer of security is added.
EMA placed the hard hats on every truck and distributed them around, Evanson said.
City of Blue Ridge Mayor Donna Whitener later heard of Evanson’s project and asked if he could create some helmets for the city as well, and Evanson agreed.
“I don’t mind,” Evanson said. “I’ve been making a few every evening.”
He has also made some for family members.
“I thought it was a cool project,” Evanson added. “You know, I felt good about doing it.”
Wild Side, LLC. is currently in the process of manufacturing mobile doctor’s offices.
“A line of those will be made right here in Fannin County,” he said.
“We can make mobile doctor’s offices, testing centers. I like to tell ‘em, ‘If they can dream it, we can do it.’”