GE Current Partners To Produce Hand Sanitizer

The lighting and controls company has partnered with biofuel company Green Plains, Inc. to manufacture hand sanitizer at its Cleveland, OH plant.

GE Current, a Daintree company and Green Plains Inc. have partnered to produce hand sanitizer for use in retail and manufacturing locations across the United States. In response to the COVID-19 situation, Current and Green Plains are teaming up and coordinating their resources to produce high-quality, FDA-recommended hand sanitizer to assist with the reopening of the economy.

Green Plains, one of the largest biofuel producers in the U.S., is supplying some of its FDA-approved, FCC-Grade alcohol for usage in hand sanitizer manufacturing. The company’s facility in York, NE, originally a beverage grade facility, manufactures FDA-approved, FCC-Grade alcohol that is distilled specifically to produce cleaning products and disinfectant.

hand sanitizer
Photo: Getty Images

In mid-April, Current, a lighting and intelligent controls company, was challenged to obtain hand sanitizer supplies for its own manufacturing facilities, and decided to repurpose its Specialty Chemical and Materials (SCM) plant in Cleveland, OH, to produce a small batch. There was a parallel encouragement from customers and communities to explore additional volume. While Current and Green Plains had never done business together, both companies collaborated to develop a rapid response plan to convert the SCM facility to a high-volume hand sanitizer manufacturing facility.

Given the urgency of large-dispenser sanitizer requirements from Current’s customers, suppliers, and channel partners, the SCM production and maintenance personnel immediately started the process of converting the manufacturing lines for alternative usage. Green Plains responded by establishing dedicated supply chain logistics, which allowed the facility to start its first line within two weeks of the initial discussion.

The SCM facility is currently supplying 16,000 gallons/week to retail and manufacturing establishments across the U.S., with a plan to double the capacity in another four weeks. It is also working on introducing a gel formula for customers.

“We always strive to be a good partner for our suppliers and customers, and that is more important now than ever,” said Manish Bhandari, CEO of GE Current, a Daintree company. “I am immensely proud of our teams for coming together to provide a small but much needed contribution in this crisis.”

“Green Plains is pleased to be able to partner with Current to help fulfill their supply chain needs,” said Todd Becker, President and CEO of Green Plains Inc. “Our employees are proud to provide a high-quality product, which will help meet the unique demands of the current environment.”