​Peter Hardy, owner of Michigan Clear Ice, has turned off the ice-making equipment and fired up the CNC machines he had around the shop. He's now manufacturing protective face shields.

"I have a background in machining and had received a shipment of plastic for a different project I was working on," Hardy says.

"I was able to come up with a design that the hospitals wanted. It was a pretty easy decision to make."

In a post to the company’s Facebook page, Hardy solicited local suppliers of .020” PETG sheet. The post has since been shared more than 2,000 times.

Customers responded, connecting Hardy with a supplier that had enough plastic to keep him busy for at least the next two to three weeks.

Hardy estimates that the has enough material to make 5,000 face masks.

​Ice might be the most overlooked ingredient of any cocktail recipe. It keeps a drink cold, ensures that it isn’t too stiff, and even alters taste perception.