By Tehani Manochio
April 29, 2020

 

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., April 29, 2020 -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced that it is temporarily shifting 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.

The company’s sites in Muskegon, Michigan, and Seelze, Germany, will produce hand sanitizer over the next two months for government agencies, which 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 manufactures 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 produces 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, and microchips and authentication technologies used in high security and brand protection applications. This also includes 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 plant plans to ramp up production to enable Honeywell to donate additional hand sanitizer. The Saxony Ministry of Health, Social Affairs and Equality intends to distribute this product to local hospitals and factories.

“As global citizens, we are honored to be able to answer the call for help in hopes of minimizing the spread of this pandemic,” said Rajeev Gautam, president and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. “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.”

Honeywell is proud to support the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, Honeywell announced manufacturing investments that will enable the production of more than 20 million N95 disposable masks monthly from new production lines in Smithfield, R.I., and Phoenix, Ariz.

In addition, Honeywell PMT is supporting response efforts in multiple ways, including prioritizing resources in the following areas:

  • Providing industrial facilities around the world with advanced remote operations capabilities to support maintenance of critical operations – like manufacturing, and facilitating life sciences-focused commercial production of medical therapies -- while keeping workers safe throughout the pandemic;
  • Supporting scientists around the world in their research, development and production of COVID-19 test kits, therapies and vaccines by prioritizing and ramping up production of high-quality analytical products, including reagents, solvents and analytical chemicals that meet their application needs.
  • Offering expedited support services to our pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical customers to help facilitate faster healthcare packaging decisions for COVID-19 oral solid medicine.
     

About Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT)

PMT develops process technologies, automation solutions, advanced materials and industrial software that are transforming industries around the world. PMT’s Advanced Materials businesses manufacture a wide variety of high-performance products including environmentally preferable materials used for the production of refrigerants, blowing agents, aerosols and solvents, pharmaceutical packaging, fine chemicals, additives and high strength-fiber for military, law enforcement and industrial use. Technologies developed by Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com), a leading provider in the oil and gas sector, form the foundation for most of the world’s refiners, efficiently producing gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals and renewable fuels. Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com) is a pioneering provider of automation control, safety systems, field instrumentation, fuel delivery and burners, connected plant offerings, cybersecurity, tissue and packaging materials control systems, connected utility and metering solutions, and services for a wide range of industries.
 

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. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.