How We Got Started

Daniel McDonald, a commercial temperature control contractor whom owned a heating and cooling business in Detroit Michigan, realized the need for a product that would help deter the vandalism on thermostats in public facilities. McDonald’s team felt that the very thermostats they were installing were being vandalized as fast as they installed the thermostats. In school systems the students were knocking them off the wall for pure fun. In prisons, the inmates were hitting them off the walls. And, in other public forums the employees were changing the temperature without permission from the management.

In the mid-1970’s McDonald had an idea to develop a product that could withstand blows from baseball bats, hockey sticks, and other elements while allowing the flow of air to keep the temperature controlled environment. Daniel McDonald researched materials for his visionary guard. He found a man made material called LEXAN, which is a polycarbonate material that could be clear or tinted and is 200 times stronger than glass. Today’s competitors often use Acrylic, which is only 8 times stronger than glass, not as durable, is less expensive, and certainly doesn’t hold up to the rigor like LEXAN. After development and testing of the product, Daniel McDonald introduced UNI-GARD, INC. made of LEXAN to the schools. This guard came in 3 sizes plus, in Clear, Almond, and Smoked to fit any situations in schools. The product was expanded to Prisons, Hospitals and all commercial buildings worldwide.

Today, 39-years later, UNI-GARD, INC. is known as truly the most tamper proof, vandal proof guard on the market. Don’t be fooled by the competitors products made of a more fragile material, UNI-GARD, INC. products are with made of LEXAN in the USA.

Today, we proudly sell our original Uni-Gard, Inc. products and are an official distributor of Safety Technologies International, Inc. (STI) products.