Posted by Anne Decker
Procter & Gamble's Lima facilities succeed during COVID.
P&G met the COVID crisis last March with a four tiered response, and as the number of cases escalated and and came closer to the plant, so did cleaning, entry and distancing protocols. "We went to masks, we went to social distancing, we closed off all visitors, we closed off all non-critical meetings, we cleaned every square inch every four hours non-stop," says HR Director Bob Hartman. To keep employees from going out to lunch, the plant provided lunch every day at a cost of $200,000 per month. Bob told us they purchased the meals from twelve local restaurants, giving them a big boost during a critical time. P&G also provided expedited COVID tests for their employees.
 
Carly Rhine, area leader for heavy duty liquids, told us that P&G also retooled so it could produce much needed hand sanitizer. They received the formula for the sanitizer on March 15 and four days later they produced the first batch and shipped it four days after that. Over a period of five months, the Lima P&G plant produced more than 350,000 pounds of hand sanitizer. They didn't sell it, they partnered with the United Way of Greater Lima which packaged and distributed it to those who needed it across the eastern half of the US, such as police, firefighters, hospitals, nursing home and schools. “I feel really proud of P&G honestly. It definitely has been tough times being essential workers. We were asked to do a lot, and I feel like we’ve been able to provide for the community and keep everyone safe inside the plant.”