Honeywell has announced that the company will temporarily shift manufacturing operations at two chemical manufacturing facilities to produce and donate hand sanitizer to government agencies in response to shortages created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Honeywell reported on Wednesday.
“When called upon to help, our team rushed to transform production lines to produce hand sanitizer for areas where it is most urgently needed. I am proud to work with such innovative and dedicated employees who not only care enough to make a difference but have the spirit to make it happen,” said Rajeev Gautam, president and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies.
Honeywell’s sanitation operations will occur at its sites in Muskegon, Michigan, and Seelze, Germany, and will produce hand sanitizer over the next two months for government agencies. The company will then distribute the product to institutions in need. Both sites are part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT) business group.
The Muskegon plant has manufactured high-purity solvents and blends with more than 1,500 products used in high-end applications such as DNA and RNA synthesis, environmental analysis, precision cleaning, pharmaceutical testing and various other laboratory applications. The plant has begun production of hand sanitizer that it will donate to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The Seelze plant has produced more than 500 products, including high-purity solutions for laboratory research and testing applications, inorganic fine chemicals for agriculture and automotive industries, electronic chemicals used in semiconductors.
The plant has also developed microchips and authentication technologies used in high security and brand protection applications, including personal protection equipment authentication. The plant has already fulfilled and delivered an emergency donation of industrial hand sanitizer to the Saxony Ministry of Health, Social Affairs and Equality.
The Seelze plant has projected to expedite production to enable Honeywell to donate additional hand sanitizer. The Saxony Ministry of Health, Social Affairs and Equality announced its intent to distribute this product to local hospitals and factories.
In addition to Honeywell’s sanitizer production, the company has continued to develop responses to combat COVID-19. Most recently, Honeywell announced manufacturing investments that will enable the production of more than 20 million N95 disposable masks monthly. The company announced its additional manufacturing capabilities in Phoenix to produce N95 face masks in support of the U.S. government’s response to COVID-19 in March 2020.
“We have moved quickly to expand our production capacity for N95 masks globally and are pleased to announce our second new U.S. manufacturing line to supply the Strategic National Stockpile,” said Darius Adamczyk, Honeywell chairman and chief executive officer.
Honeywell has projected that the new mask production line in Phoenix will create more than 500 new jobs in Arizona. The company has already begun recruiting, hiring and training manufacturing workers on the site. The announcement has brought the total number of U.S. jobs created by Honeywell’s new mask manufacturing capabilities to more than 1,000.
The N95 face masks will be delivered to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to contribute to support health, safety and emergency response workers. The Phoenix facility will prioritize fulfilling the U.S. government’s procurement, but it will also have the capacity to produce face masks for U.S. states and American healthcare and emergency response organizations.
Honeywell’s production expansion will also support additional American businesses, including industrial equipment providers and raw materials suppliers. The company has collaborated with state and local officials to ramp up production efforts and support hiring and training.
“As global citizens, we are honored to be able to answer the call for help in hopes of minimizing the spread of this pandemic,” added Gautam.
About Honeywell
Honeywell is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.
