IT’S like a career change, or a sea change for staff at Chief’s Son Distillery, Somerville.
While they usually produce single malt whisky, a shortage of hand sanitiser has opened a new product line that is benefiting the business and the community.
“We significantly retooled so that we could help the local community in the battle against COVID-19 and continue to employ our staff,” the distillery’s Naomi McIntosh said.
“Our primary aim is to provide medical grade hand sanitiser to front line medical and emergency services workers, to the vulnerable in the community, to businesses so that they can keep their workers safe and remain open, and to households on the Mornington Peninsula.
“We have supplied sanitiser to the Somerville Basket Initiative from which all profits of the first 20 baskets will be going to the nurses at Frankston Hospital.”
Ms McIntosh said mainstream producers of hand sanitiser would soon be able to supply supermarkets on the peninsula in a “top-down approach”.
“We have been able to supply hand sanitiser from the bottom up meaning we are able to quickly and effectively support the local community and local business,” she said.
“We have been able to ensure that medical grade sanitiser is available in the community, and able to keep our staff on during these uncertain times.”
First published in the Mornington News – 21 April 2020
