Meet Alumni Brittany Doster, One of Our Best!
Doster's employer Lane Keen and Dana Keen-Phillips knew they had the equipment to...help stop [COVID-19's] spread and help out local businesses.
One of Our Best!
Augusta Technical College Design and Media Production Technology graduate and SkillsUSA State Medalist Brittany Doster was employed before she had even graduated. Brittany’s employer Mr. Lane Keen serves on the Augusta Technical College Design and 
Media Production Technology program’s Advisory Board. Keen Signs & Graphics is an Augusta, Georgia, staple in the downtown area. Brittany and her fellow employees had no idea they were hero’s working without capes.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Doster’s employer Lane Keen and Dana Keen Phillips knew they had the equipment to do two big things during the crisis: Help stop its spread and help out local businesses. That is why they shifted its operations to producing sneeze guards.
“It’s something people need right now. Everyone is doing their best to stop the spread of this, keep your germs to yourself,” said Phillips, the company’s vice president of sales. “Times have been really difficult for small businesses right now, so we are just trying to innovate.”
They had the equipment on the floor, they had the material on the floor, they had the employees on the floor. It was a no brainer! “I can see firsthand what it means to support a local business. We have 10 employees here, so the money stays directly here in Augusta,” she said. “The people we employ, they live here, they shop here, they dine here, so it’s very important to support your local businesses. In general, local businesses are not going to have tons of cash on stockpile to get them through this period.”
The goal in the end is to continue to serve businesses in need, Phillips said. “It’s not our normal day-to-day business here, but we are staying on top of things,” she said. “We are all in this together trying to help each other. We will all come out stronger after.” Keen Signs and Graphics are also producing signs to help businesses in their day-to-day challenges with their shutdowns and startups.
All the while, Brittany keeps on chugging along, programing and operating a huge computerized cutter. In one end goes a large sheet of acrylic and from the other end comes a shield that may help save someone’s life and send them safely home to their family at the end of their workday. Brittany keeps that cape safely tucked away from her equipment, so she too can return home safely.
If you are interested in finding out more, you can reach out to Brittany and the crew at keensigns.com.