GOJO®, that is skin health and sanitising in tradition! Yet many customers are completely unaware that our roots actually lie in combating heavy soiling in the manufacturing industry. In fact, the very first product GOJO® developed in 1946 was a heavy-duty hand cleaner. Well, who would have known? Time for a little digression into our history of origins.
Life rafts, rubber and strained hands
Behind our beginnings is an interesting story that started in Ohio, USA, with husband and wife Goldie and Jerry Lippman. During the Second World War, Goldie Lippman was a forewoman in a rubber factory that produced life rafts and rubber products for the war effort. In the process, she and her colleagues increasingly noticed how difficult it was to clean their hands thoroughly after an intense day's work. The men who had worked in rubber factories before the war removed graphite and soot by dipping their hands in chemicals such as paraffin and benzene at the end of their shift. However, this aggressive way of cleaning put too much strain on the workers' hands and was thus not an attractive solution for the now mostly female workforce. So Goldie and her husband Jerry set out to find a better and more skin-friendly alternative.
Innovative spirit with a lasting effect
The spirit of innovation that was sparked back then still accompanies us and leads, in the past as well as today, to the development of products that meet the specific skin needs of a wide variety of consumers. But not only our product portfolio is versatile, our customer structure is and remains colourful. We supply companies of all sizes around the world, from large national health organisations to hospitals and social institutions, to small independent workshops or event spaces. Wherever many people and bacteria meet, we are there. Or rather, our products are properly placed.
Investing in the future
The heavy-duty industry continues to be an area in which we invest heavily. For example, we are currently nearing completion of a new state-of-the-art plant in Croissy Beaubourg, France, specifically designed to meet the needs of this industry. This new factory will help us increase our production capacity so that we can serve our heavy-duty customers even more efficiently.
Building on the $400 million invested in expanding global production capacity by 2021, the €4.3 million investment in this new building will enable us to offer innovative products at excellent prices. The fully automated equipment will be able to produce all formats from 500 ml bottles to 5-litre refills, enabling a whole new way of production.
Effective sustainability
The new production facility was built with sustainability in mind, in line with our values. The facility was designed to reduce the carbon footprint during the manufacturing process and minimise product losses as well as water and energy consumption. Customised "cleaning-in-place" systems increase efficiency while guaranteeing the highest level of hygiene.
For more than 75 years, workers in the heavy-duty industry have relied on GOJO® to clean and care for their hands safely and effectively. Despite our many years of experience, we are always striving to develop solutions that are safe, effective and beneficial to both people and the environment.
To find out how we can make your business safer and more sustainable, please contact us at info@purell.eu or via our contact form.
