Cushwa draws on family talent to keep schools safe

HUDSON

If there is any place that is able to produce a product to protect schools and other organizations it is right here in Northeast Ohio.

That's what Bill Cushwa, whose family has deep roots in Youngstown industrial history, believes. He is founder of National School Control Systems LLC, which created Bearacade Door Control System.

“We have a deep family background in the Mahoning Valley in steel and aluminium,” Cushwa said. “I believe manufacturing a device is in my DNA.”

About a year ago, when Cushwa was on a school-safety board in Hudson as a parent and was a member of the Seton Catholic School board, he came up with the product as an effective way to blockade an office or classroom door.

“I developed the invention, and my business partner and I filed for the patent work,” Cushwa said.

The Bearacade is the device he came up with; it takes eight seconds to put in place and withstands about 5,000 pounds of direct force.

Read more about the device in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.