Although Haviland specializes in manufacturing chemicals for the pool, spa and industrial plating industries, it has converted part of its Kalamazoo, Michigan, operations to manufacture a gel-style hand sanitizer for critical care organizations, including hospice, medical facilities, shelters and day care centers. Haviland’s team has produced up to 500 gallons per week of a sanitizer packaged in five-gallon bulk containers.
“The local demand is over 1,000 gallons per week,” says Meg Post, vice president of Haviland Enterprises. “We are identifying the organizations for donation in West Michigan that don’t have access to the federal stockpile or national procurement organizations. We are so pleased to be able to help community organizations with the most critical need.”
The first 500-gallon batch of hand-sanitizer was delivered Friday, March 27, to several community organizations including Wedgewood Christian Services in Grand Rapids, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and care to at-risk youth and families, which has 70 clients and with 200 essential staff members.
In addition to providing these weekly batches of hand sanitizer, Haviland is also sourcing, packaging and distributing raw materials that local distilleries can use to convert locally produced ethanol into hand sanitizer. “We learned about the efforts of local distilleries that have been doing their part to produce hand sanitizer to those in need and decided to use our industry connections to help them source the materials required to continue with their amazing efforts,” says John Bereza, marketing manager for Haviland. “This is an incredible team effort to help those in our community that are in the most need and we are very pleased to be a part of it all.”
