Modesto’s Gallo making hand sanitizer; donates to Stanislaus County to fight COVID-19
Modesto’s E.&J. Gallo Winery is now making hand sanitizer, and has donated several boxes full to the county’s efforts to fight the coronavirus.
The world’s largest winery has switched one of its spirits production lines to make hand sanitizer for its employees to protect against COVID-19, said Gallo spokeswoman Natalie Henderson. This week the company donated several boxes of its self-made and self-branded bottles to the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Deputy Raj Singh said 45 cases of the sanitizer were delivered this week. That is on top of some 36 cases of hand sanitizer donated by the Modesto-based Enviro Tech Chemical Services, which makes industrial food, water and cleaning safety products.
Singh said the hand sanitizer is being stored by the OES for distribution with first priority going to the region’s healthcare providers and first responders. The county will also distribute to community groups and businesses depending on need.
In a written statement about the donation, Chief Marketing Officer at E.&J. Gallo Winery Stephanie Gallo said, “Given the shortage of sanitizer, our team members took the initiative to work together and quickly converted a hand bottling line in our Spirits plant and began producing and testing our hand sanitizer. We are honored to play a small role in helping our colleagues and community, during this time, by providing hand sanitizer to the Office of Emergency Services in Stanislaus County which will be distributing the sanitizer to those with the greatest need.”
Gallo has some some 6,500 employees worldwide with roughly half based at its Modesto headquarters. As an “essential” business, the company may continue producing despite the statewide stay at home order.
The labels on its newly produced 750-ml bottles of sanitizer read:
“Gallo is honored to play a small role in helping our community. To our colleagues working tirelessly on the production lines and in our distributors, along with our sales & operations teams keeping stores supplied and merchandised, we appreciate you! To everyone serving our community, our deepest thanks for your commitment.”
Along with Gallo, Enviro Tech donated a pallet of its hand sanitizer — some 36 cases or 144 gallons — to the City of Modesto. The company, which has been in business since 1991, has facilities in Modesto on Winmoore Way and another facility in Arkansas. Enviro Tech’s David Hlavac estimates the retail value of their donation to be about $5,400.
The company has ramped up hiring and production of its cleaning products, according to a Facebook post from the Modesto Police Department. They’ve already hired 26 new employees and plan to bring another up to 25 on board in the next 10 days. The company has about 160 employees currently.
This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 1:32 PM.
