As high demand and hoarding dried up the supply of hand sanitizer, Spectrum Health struggled to secure enough for its hospitals and clinics amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
And then help arrived from a neighbor: Amway.
The Ada, Michigan-based company rushed production of a hand sanitizer and provided it at no cost to Spectrum Health.
“I was humbled. I was speechless,” said Kurt Knoth, vice president of the system supply chain for Spectrum Health. “I can’t believe how fortunate we are to have a community partner like Amway that is willing to step up and help out.
“They are a hometown hero.”
Amway is also providing hand sanitizer to its community partner, Kids’ Food Basket.
Amway’s quick and ready response—products will arrive at Spectrum Health less than a week after a request—could make a life-saving difference to patients and health care providers, Knoth said.
The idea to seek help from Amway came up only a week ago, when Knoth and other Spectrum Health officials discussed the dire shortage of hand sanitizer.
“We don’t have a stockpile. We are hand to mouth. We are barely keeping up with what we need,” Knoth said. “We are getting rationed from our national suppliers.”
Typically, Spectrum Health uses about 2,000 8-ounce bottles of hand sanitizers a month at its 300 locations. But that’s in normal times.
The spread of COVID-19 has vastly increased demand for hand sanitizer. Washing hands—and using sanitizer—are crucial in preventing transmission of the virus.
“It’s critical to keep our patients safe, and it’s critical for our staff,” Knoth said.
At the same time, consumer purchases—and in some cases, hoarding—helped drain the national supply.
Spectrum Health officials looked for new ways to meet the need for hand sanitizer.
Tina Freese-Decker, the president and chief executive officer of Spectrum Health, contacted senior leaders at Amway.
Although the company did not make hand sanitizer, Amway quickly embraced the idea.
On Thursday morning, March 12, the company created Project Light Speed to respond to the request. Within 24 hours, a cross-functional team of 40 Ada employees had a plan in place, said Troy Finnestad, manager of national accounts for Amway.
They drew on a formula they used when Amway produced a hand sanitizer for China in the early 2000s during the SARS epidemic.
Because natural ethanol is used in existing Amway products, the team was able to repurpose 9,000 gallons of ethanol they had on hand for the sanitizer. The team ordered another 8,000 gallons.
“All four of our manufacturing plants stepped up,” Finnestad said. “We had employees coming out saying, ‘How can we help? We want to be a part of this.’”
When he learned how eager Amway employees were to help produce the hand sanitizer, Knoth felt overwhelmed with gratitude.
“It almost made me cry,” he said. “They are volunteering to work 24/7 because they know how important this is.”
The plastics plant created the 400-milliliter pump bottles. The paper products plant printed a label custom-designed by Amway’s creative services team.
The personal care plant transferred equipment to the cosmetics plant, which mixed the hand gel and filled the bottles.
“In my 13 years at Amway, I have never seen something like Project Light Speed,” Finnestad said.
Employees came together and produced the first products in just three business days.
“It’s a great feeling from everyone involved—the energy, the excitement and the enthusiasm,” Finnestad said. “It really does reflect our people, our culture and our values here.”
Amway produced and shipped 14,000 bottles of hand sanitizer this week. It has ordered supplies to produce another 28,000 bottles and has contacted other local companies for help.
“Right now, the materials needed to make hand sanitizer are scarce,” Finnestad said.
Kids’ Food Basket will use its delivery of hand sanitizer as it prepares food bags for kids during the school shutdown, said Chief Executive Officer Bridget Clark Whitney.
The nonprofit organization, which provides meals to 9,000 children a day, relies on volunteers and staff to assembles the bags. Amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19, it took steps to to ensure the health and safety of its staff, volunteers and children they serve, such as limiting the number of people in the building.
“When this crisis began, we didn’t have stockpiles of hand sanitizer,” Whitney said. “We are very fortunate that Amway is giving us a strong supply of hand sanitizer so we can make sure the building stays as germ-free as possible.
“We are very excited about this and really grateful for this extraordinary gesture.”
I can not thank you enough Amway ♥️My daughter is a nurse with type 1 diabetes.
Thinking of you and you daughter, Melissa, and all our other health care providers. I’m so grateful for what they do — and I’m praying they all stay safe.
They are incredible, I’m honored to partner with Amway
Amway, thank YOU…. God has blessed you. In turn you’ve blessed humanity over and over .
Truly the most amazing company! Amway thinks about community, people, families and homes. Such a blessing to have them as a partner!
How wonderful! If they can do this locally, why not do it globally? If the world is in need perhaps they could continue production to fill it. They could work with their distributors and allow them to only charge a fair market price.
Thanks, Denise, they tapped their entire supply of certain ingredients for sanitizer to fulfill this request, but they are working with area manufacturers and others to try to get more ingredients that go into sanitizer.
Even Amway only has so many supplies! #hatsoffto amway
This Just speaks to the character and integrity of the founding fathers Rich Devos and Jay Van Andel. You can say what you want about Amway, but you can’t say that they are money hungry nor have they desensitized themselves from the troubles of the needs of humanity.
Great partner Amway so proud to be an IBO guys are the best
Amazing story. Amway stepping up in a huge way. Not for profit or publicity, because it’s what’s right. Shows incredible Leadership and Integrity.
These are unprecedented times and it’s so great to see people stepping up and doing incredible things! Thank you!
What about Mercy Health & Metro Hospitals? Is Amway providing sanitizer to them as well?
This batch of sanitizer came to Spectrum Health and Kids Food Basket. I can’t speak for the other hospitals or Amway, but if I will keep an eye out in case there are further developments.
Why? Do you know someone else so generous and selfless that can help out also? They’re a company not a bottomless pit. We need to step
Up and help where we can also.
God bless you Amway!!! Thank you!
FYI
To every worker Thank You for the team work as we all go threw harms way. May we stay as a team to protect each and every person. In keeping everyone safe and healthy. I work for a local company and will keep running production. I am proud to say, I work for Keebler/Kelloggs as we are all in a crisis at this times . God Bless each everyone!
Thank you, Virginia! We are all #InThisTogeter and we so appreciate the work you’re doing to still produce the food that people need to make it through these unprecedented times. Thank you and stay well.
Maybe Spectrum should consider ordering regularly from Amway when are the craziness is over!
Amway is the best at everything they do…its people are an organization of character and commitment. Thank you for making a difference!!!!
Quelle bénédiction d’avoir eu AMWAY pour venir en aide en cette circonstance si spéciale.
Bravo AMWAY.
Will these be available for IBO’s to buy????
Thank you Amway Team – what great thing you have done for our community- makes me proud to live next to you!
So blessed to be partnered with a tremendous company like Amway!
I worked for 30 years for Amway before I retired. This does not surprise me at all. This is a local company were every body is part of the community. We are west Michigan!
Thank you Amway for taking care of the people who take care of our community!
So proud to be associated with such an honorable company!
I am very thankful with Amway
Gracias familia Amway
Excelente por el trabajo de 3 dias, para ayudar lo mas pronto posible. Poder prevenir gracias familia Dios los Bendiga , para Seguin llevando el nombre Amway en alto, ser
reconocido mundialmente
Will IBO’s be able to market this hand sanitizer to their customer base as well during this pandemic?
Proud to be with Amway for 40 years they make great things happen.
Gracias amway
Love this story and love Amway as a company who stands on morals and values. Always putting others ahead of themselves and being the first to hold their hand out.
It’s a great decision taken by AMWAY officials,
Hats off to AMWAY CORPN. For this type of work.
Thank you friends for your endless and unselfish support of Spectrum Health and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. We could not do what we do all day without you.
AMAZING !!! Thank you.
What a wonderful story to read. With all of the selfishness we are seeing in the grocery stores and other stores. This is uplifting to know we have so many people out there that are helping not hoarding. Thank you Amway for such a strong community ethic!!
Thank you so much Amway! Thank you for always taking care of your neighbors and the community! God Bless you all!
This story humbles me and brings tears to my eyes! what great people we have in this community! Thank you Amway and thank you to each person that made this phenomenal donation possible!
Hero’s Indeed, Thank you Amway!
Amway,thanks for the helping hand,may God bless you.
Thanks, God and Anway, for being caring about what going on around the world and working hard.
muchas gracias amway