Reacting to the global COVID-19 pandemic, local beverage company CassarCamilleri Ltd – producers of Fontana water, Coolee squashes and a selection of local wine and liqueurs – has turned its attention to producing and donating 6,700 bottles of hand sanitiser to Government for distribution to local hospitals.
“We tried to come up with a solution to help maintain employment,” explains CassarCamilleri CEO Jeremy Cassar, revealing that while business has certainly been hit by the pandemic, the company’s approach to the ongoing health crisis has helped retain a level of continuity both for the manufacturer’s operations as well as for its staff complement.
Commending the team effort involved, the CEO explains that the first step was creating a formulation for the product, which they had hitherto never produced. “We are fortunate to have a number of experienced chemists which have been with us for some time, as well as two laboratories and all the raw materials in hand,” Mr Cassar affirms, adding that the team was able to create the formulation in a relatively short amount of time.
“After receiving authorisation from the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, we put it together and created the first run, and decided to help out by donating it,” he says, at a time when it is desperately needed by staff at local hospitals.
The sanitiser is being produced in addition to their other products in the CassarCamilleri plant in San Gwann, where the company produces Fontana, Coolee and Just.
Applauding the response from staff across different departments, Mr Cassar explains that it was all hands on deck to produce the sanitiser, with several employees taking on new roles to aid in the process, from packaging down to the marketing department, which designed the labels in-house. “It is about being dynamic in this difficult time,” he affirms, sharing his concerns for the future of the sector, particularly in relation to local wines.
“The local wine sector will certainly be affected. We have a percentage of sales that go to tourists, and that is gone. We’re going to suffer as a consequence, and are already feeling the pinch,” Mr Cassar laments, but remains focused on the current production. “I am thankful for the staff’s efforts and team spirit in making something good out of a negative situation.
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