Premalux, a creator, manufacturer and supplier of high-performance aqueous (water-based) cleaning products, was awarded a $500,000 grant from the state of Ohio in order to provide personal protective equipment (PPE). The funds will allow Premalux to blend and bottle gel hand sanitizer for sale in Ohio and beyond. Currently the company sells hand sanitizer blended by an outside manufacturer.
Known as The Ohio PPE Retooling and Reshoring Grant Program, the grant aims to fund:
Existing or new manufacturers that either has retooled or is planning to retool its facility or otherwise modify its manufacturing operation to produce at least one type of PPE (including hand sanitizer).
Premalux President, Ann Fisher-Yan, learned the company was awarded the grant in August. Since then plans have been finalized, and improvements are being made to allow the blending, bottling and marketing for a gel hand sanitizer. "The purpose for the grant is for businesses in Ohio previously not manufacturing PPE - masks, goggles, hand sanitizer, disinfectant, etc. - to expand or add processes to supply the market. This encourages Ohio businesses to provide much needed PPE for Ohio first responders and others, as well as, provide/maintain jobs and taxes within the state," Fisher-Yan said. "And it allows us to mix and bottle thicker chemistry for other products as well."
"We are grateful for the grant for allowing us to provide quality hand sanitizer now, and other products in the future," Fisher-Yan said.
New bottling equipment, mixing tank line enhancements, lab equipment, and a new label-maker are ordered with plans to be up and running within the first quarter of 2021. As the Covid-19 pandemic diminishes, Premalux will still be able to continue to use the equipment upgrades. "Being a cleaning products company, the concept and procedures being applied here can be used in the future. We are happy to provide hand sanitizer and disinfectant as needed, but we also have hard surface cleaner, rug cleaner, HVAC coil cleaner, airline cleaner and more sold under the name Surge," Fisher-Yan said.