Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O. X I M AY 1 8 , 2 0 2 0 20 S M A L L B U S I N E S S Production chain Other distilleries and breweries are partnering on production. "We got on the phone with the University of Maine," says Jordan Milne, founder of gin-maker Hardshore Distilling Co. in Portland. "ey said, 'We need 400 gallons of sanitizer per day. We stopped short and said, 'at is way more than we can produce on our own. We'll have to get some help.'" e first step was to source large amounts of alco- hol. Milne contacted breweries that had ramped up keg production for events that never materialized. "ey were sitting on a bunch of inventory that was going to be poured down the drain," he says. "We reached out and said, 'Can we have that to dis- till?' ey said, 'Absolutely.'" Baxter Brewing Co. in Lewiston was one of the breweries. Kegged beer is best consumed within a cer- tain period after production, explains Baxter's president, Jenn Lever. Much of it would be dumped. Instead, Baxter trucked 6,000 gallons to Sebago Lake Distillery, a small rum-maker in Gardiner, which performed an initial distillation. For beer that is 5% to 9% alcohol by volume, the initial distillation increases alcohol content to 30% to 40%, says Sebago Lake's co-founder, Dan Davis. Sebago Lake and other intermediary distill- ers send the results onward to Hardshore and others that have the right kind of still to attain 96% alcohol, required to make hospital-grade sanitizer. Hardshore delivers about 200 gallons of 96% alcohol per week to UMaine's Process Development Center, which developed the mixing process, sourced glycerin and peroxide, coordinates the breweries and distilleries, and performs the final mixing, packing and distribu- tion. So far, it's produced 2,800 gallons. Says Milne, "We're talking about thousands upon thousands of gallons of Maine beer that's turned into hand sanitizer." Staying relevant e projects have allowed companies to stay viable through the pandemic. Normally employing four, Hardshore hired two additional employees to help with sanitizer produc- tion. Like other companies, Hardshore is balancing regular production, too. "Production of gin went down because we made room for hand sanitizer production," Milne says. "We almost missed a shipment of gin because we've been making sanitizer and that's our first priority. But my team said, 'If we distill all night tonight, we should be able to make gin tomorrow for that order.'" Allen put all of his regular jobs on the back burner. "ere are lots of companies out there that have put their primary products aside and put their profits aside, as we have, and said, 'I'm going to do what's right for the country, regardless of impact on my company,'" he says. "at said, I haven't heard any protests from my regular customers. ey've said, 'Yes, I understand. Let us know when you get back to regular production and we'll start sending you orders again.'" L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t l s c h r e i b e r @ m a i n e b i z . b i z » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E UMaine innovation team I n March, the University of Maine System convened a team to work with hospitals and manufacturers on the shortage of personal protective equipment for health care workers. Operating under the Maine Emergency Manage- ment Agency, the team includes UMaine, Maine Department of Economic and Community Develop- ment, Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MaineHealth, St. Joseph Hospital, Northern Light Health, Manufacturers Association of Maine and Maine Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Intially focusing on hospital-grade hand sanitizer, UMaine's Process Development Center and chemi- cal and biomedical engineering faculty used existing supplies and FDA guidelines to produce 25 gallons. Partnering with distilleries and breweries, the team as of late April produced 2,800 gallons, distributed to 51 hospitals and other health-related facilities and first responders. OTHER INITIATIVES: Face masks (non-medical): Working with over three dozen manufacturers, ranging from one- person shops to L.L. Bean. Intubation boxes: Developed prototype, work- ing with manufacturers on capacity; production in the hundreds. Face shields: Production in the hundreds of thousands. P H O T O / U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A I N E In In University of Maine's University of Maine's Process Development Process Development Center, Nick Hill Center, Nick Hill and and Nayereh Dadoo Nayereh Dadoo mix a mix a batch of hand sanitizer, batch of hand sanitizer, using alcohol sourced using alcohol sourced through a production through a production chain of breweries and chain of breweries and distilleries. distilleries. F O C U S We're talking about thousands upon thousands of gallons of Maine beer that's turned into hand sanitizer.' — Jordan Milne Hardshore Distilling Co.

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