Although Haviland specializes in manufacturing chemicals for specialty industries, it has converted part of its operations in Kalamazoo, Mich., to manufacture a gel-style hand sanitizer for critical care organizations. Haviland’s team has used its creativity to produce 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 including local EMS, fire, hospice, retirement centers, day cares, shelters and similar organizations.”
Ms. Post has volunteered to personally be the point person for all hand sanitizer requests.
“We are so pleased to be able to help community organizations with the most critical need,” she says. “Unfortunately, since this is not our primary business, we are not able to sell or give away any product to customers because of the urgent need in our community.”
The first 500-gallon batch of hand sanitizer was delivered on Friday, March 27 to several community organizations in critical need. Among these recipients was Wedgwood Christian Services of Grand Rapids, a nonprofit organization that provides services to at-risk youth and families providing housing and care.
“I am sitting here tearing up as Haviland is delivering these large containers of hand sanitizer, so our staff can fill their empty hand sanitizer bottles,” says a spokesperson from Wedgwood Christian Services. “We could not be happier or feel more blessed. This is one of those little-big miracles that we can’t really ever know the magnitude of its reach. We now have 70 clients and 200 essential staff members that are more safe.”
In addition to providing these weekly batches of hand sanitizer, Haviland is also sourcing, packaging and distributing raw materials that can be used by local distilleries 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 at 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.”
For hand sanitizer requests, please reach out to Ms. Post at [email protected].
