THE THREAT of violent G8 protests is cranking up business for a local company that gives display windows the strength of steel.

"There's definitely been a marked increase in sales, "said Harry Kater, vice-president of ACE/Security Laminates™, a local company that specializes in clear plastic films that make glass impervious to everything from baseball bats to bomb blasts and bullets.

"We've had a number of last-minute calls about it from merchants in a panic who recognize there is a threat from the year before," he said.
ACE had three teams working to install the clear film yesterday and has been doing a brisk business all week, he added.

Invisible barrier
Although the film won't stop the glass from breaking when it gets hit, it will keep the glass intact, making it extremely difficult for intruders to break in and loot a store and keeping merchandise and employees safe from flying shards.

"It makes us feel a little more at ease knowing we have that protection should there be any errant protesters," said Nigel Bryan, mentor manager at Bucklands Fine Clothing in the Glebe.

For Richard Robinson, a local fashion designer who operates a clothing store on Sussex Dr., the film is a compromise, an invisible barrier that is more about safety than security.

"We put the film up when we heard the American embassy was going in across the street," he said.

Although he plans to close his store and put paper on the inside of the windows, he said he doesn't want protesters to think it's an invitation to do damage.

"If we put boards up, maybe it's like we're saying we expect it," said Robinson. The last time protesters invaded the downtown core to demonstrate against the G20, Robinson's store only suffered graffiti. But he said he worries about what could happen this time.

"Insurance won't pay for it, because they consider it like a war."
sean.mckibbon@ott.sunpub.com

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