Minnesota conference exhibit maker made COVID equipment to survive 2020 January 10, 2021 2:00pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Until last March, nParallel was in the business of making booths, kiosks, stages and other equipment that brings people together at trade shows and conferences.
To survive the COVID-19 outbreak and recession, the Fridley-based company resorted to building dividers, shields and other things to separate and protect people. By last March, we had trucks loaded with equipment turn around as conferences canceled, said Don Gonse, an engineer and co-founder of the 18-year-old company. By April, we were scared that we wouldn t be able to come out of this. We had expenses. We were just watching the burn rate of our cash and wondering when business would come back.