The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian hand sanitiser manufacturer yesterday said it can barely keep up with COVID-19 related demand even at “full steam production” of 4,000 bottles per day.

Pepin Argamasilla, John Watlings Distillery’s managing partner, told Tribune Business: “A lot has been going on with our hand sanitiser. Basically we started bottling last week, and we are on full steam production. As much as we produce goes out of the door.”

John Watling’s produces about 4,000 eight-ounce bottles per day, and Mr Argamasilla added: “We are following the World Health Organisation formula. The person who is putting it together for us is Bryan Russell, who is a former master blender at Bacardi down on Carmichael Road.

“We have the capacity to make up to 4,000 bottles a day, and there is a huge demand now. We’re in the liquor business and we know bars, restaurants, etc, etc and we decided to partner with Bahamas Medical & Surgical Supplies to get it out to the pharmacies and to the people who are in the business of selling hand sanitiser.”

Mr Argamasilla continued: “What we are doing is using existing John Watlings boxes, and we’re putting 40 per box. There is a need in the country and let’s get it out. The repackaging can come later. There is no name yet, because right now there was a need to get it out on the market.

“So what we have done is gone ahead and found a bottle. Right now, there is a three-month wait on all of the plastic bottles coming from the US because of the production basically being shut down in China and shutdown in the US. So, right now, we source the bottle locally from Arm Ltd.

“The plan is that within the next two to three months, if not sooner, we will repackage the product, give the product a proper branding, do a proper label,” added Mr Argamasilla.

“All of this was basically put together within two to three weeks. What we’re doing right now, because everyone was screaming for it from the hospitals, to the people and the pharmacies, is get it out first and we will go ahead and repackage.”