ExxonMobil announced Friday it has reconfigured its manufacturing operations in Louisiana to produce medical-grade hand sanitizer for donation to COVID-19 response efforts in Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
ExxonMobil will distribute its initial production of 160,000 gallons of medical grade sanitizer – enough to fill nearly 5 million 4-ounce bottles – to medical providers and first responders, the company said in a release.
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“The ingenuity and dedication of our employees to develop a consumer-ready product in record time demonstrates ExxonMobil’s commitment to help those in need during the global pandemic,” said Darren Woods, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation. “We’re focused on keeping our people and communities safe while supporting frontline responders and meeting customer needs.”
The company ramped up its monthly production of isopropyl alcohol, a key ingredient in hand sanitizer, by about 3,000 tonnes at a chemical manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The company had to modify equipment at both its Baton Rogue facility and at its lubricants plant in nearby Port Allen, Louisiana, in order to to produce and package the sanitizer, the company said in a release.
“To stand up an entirely new process and supply chain in a matter of weeks, while maintaining ExxonMobil’s high standards for safety and quality and in compliance with FDA requirements is truly remarkable,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company.