Irish company expects to make 3m hand sanitisers over next 10 weeks as coronavirus continues to spread
An Irish cosmetics company which has started manufacturing hand sanitiser as a response to the outbreak of the coronavirus anticipates making at least three million units of the product over the next 10 weeks.
Cosmetic Creations which has facilities in Cork and Mayo, is a manufacturer of fake tan and food supplements.
However, in response to the Covid 19 crisis the company has worked around the clock to create their own brand of hand sanitiser called 'Airmedica'. It will be available to healthcare providers and the general public later this week.
Company spokeswoman, Breffney O'Dowing Keane, told the Opinion Line on Cork's 96FM that they hope to deliver tens of thousands of units of hand sanitiser a week: "We have pulled in all of the troops. Our process team has been working around the clock to see how we can get extra shifts in.
"Our R& D team is working creating different ranges of hand sanitisers and other anti-bacterial products. The whole team is pulling together to get out as much hand sanitiser as we can."
She explained the complexity of sourcing all the components: "A lot of ingredients would have originally come from Asia but because timing is of the essence here we would be working to get all of our componentry from Europe.
"A lot of it would be coming in from the UK. This is the most difficult part for us because over the next 10 weeks we will make at least three million units of hand sanitiser."
We are working with the frontline health care providers like the hospitals to provide them with a range from 50 ml right up to 5 litre bottles. They have to be a minimum of 60% alcohol so we will be producing between 60-70% alcohol.
Orders have already been confirmed for 40% of the potential units. Ms O'Dowling Keane says they are not in the market for a "quick buck" but instead are aiming to make the product as cost effective as is possible: "We are creating the best value products for the market. We are in this to try and help Ireland."
Aiden Corcoran, owner and CEO of Cosmetic Creations, says they are responding to huge demand: “We have been contacted by both the public and private sectors, to deliver a high volume of hand sanitisers with a short turnaround time.
"Following recent investment in our Cork campus, we have expanded our capacity, and are working to meet this immediate need.”
Cosmetic Creations, which to date has been a contract manufacturer of skincare and cosmetics products, has been expanding into the national pharmaceutical market.
In recent months, the company has invested in advanced formulation and manufacturing technologies, significantly expanding their output capacity.
In November of last year Cosmetic Creations announced that 90 jobs were to be created between its operations in Cork and Mayo, following an investment of €7.5million into the company.
