Ottawa County company creates adaptable sanitizer units to promote hygiene amid COVID-19
OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — GP Reeves, a manufacturer of hand sanitizer dispensers based in Ottawa County, has created a new line of dispensers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Wade Halma, general manager of GP Reeves, said the Defense Dispense line was designed to operate as a standalone system within a school or other public space.
"We added this product line to help out," Halma said. "What it also did, which we were pleased with, is employ more people in our community."
Halma said GP Reeves was providing the new dispensers to a number of schools and facilities across the United States. He highlighted five ways the dispensers improved on other lines:
- All dispensers are touchless to prevent the spread of COVID-19
- Dispensers are height-accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- A circuit board on the inside of the unit provides user feedback
- Any bag of sanitizer can be used with the system
- Units can be powered with batteries or by plugging into a wall outlet, car auxiliary port, or car wiring harness, with a solar-powered unit also in development
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Additionally, the company had been using the product line's mascot, Sammy Sanitizer, to teach children about the importance of hygiene.
"We saw quite a few schools and universities buying these units, and we looked at, 'How do we not only just help with the product, but provide an additional educational benefit?'" Halma said.
The company posts photos on Instagram from the mascot as he travels.
Halma said the company was offering a 30% discount on its systems to help spread the word and increase the number of hand sanitizer units in public spaces.
