Authentic Seacoast Distilling Co. provides hand sanitizer to NSHA

Authentic Seacoast Distilling Co. provides hand sanitizer to NSHA

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When Authentic Seacoast began operations on the historic Guysborough waterfront 15 years ago, they never imagined that providing hand sanitizer to health facilities operated by Nova Scotia Health Authority would become part of their operations.

“Never in a million years did I think we would be making hand sanitizer,” said Glynn Williams, owner of Authentic Seacoast. “But recognizing the crisis, we quickly mobilized to fight COVID-19.”

In the early days of the pandemic, it became apparent that hand sanitizer was one of the key items needed to effectively respond to public safety, and availability was quickly diminishing. Recognizing the urgency and a need for a reliable, local source that could offer support and assistance, Williams mobilized his Authentic Seacoast Distillery team to rise to the challenge.

With the infrastructure in place to produce hand sanitizer at scale, he selected the recommended formula of World Health Organization (WHO), which contains 80 per cent ethanol, the active ingredient in fighting germs and bacteria, and began production.

“We are proud to be able to make this product at our distillery in Guysborough and do our part to support our health care providers during this global pandemic,” said Williams. “It took some effort to make sure that we had all of the elements needed to meet the high standards required in health care settings; but it shows how we can rapidly build capacity within Nova Scotia in a state of emergency.”

One of the first health care facilities to receive the hand sanitizer from Authentic Seacoast is right in the distillery’s backyard, Guysborough Memorial Hospital (GMH).

“It is great to see a local company such as Authentic Seacoast adjust its operations to support healthcare during these times,” said Leona Purcell, Manager of GMH and Eastern Memorial Hospital (EMH). “I was quite impressed with the company’s operations during a tour of the distillery.”

Through a supply contract with NSHA, Authentic Seacoast’s hand sanitizer will be used in health care facilities across the province.