It’s the story of 9-ounce bottles used to hold much-needed, greatly valued hand sanitizer. It’s also a terrific story of a local company filling a local need.
As the Coronavirus Pandemic began about a month ago, Carl LeBlanc of Acadiana Plastics answered a call just like this.
“’Hello, this is Carl.’ What bottles do you have that can hold hand sanitizer?’” That was the first time and I was like, ‘Well, we have a few.’ What do you have in stock? What caps do you have? We need ‘em now!’”
But as is one of our ongoing themes for “We’re Open”, everyone was caught unprepared. Even this successful manufacturer of plastics in New Iberia.
“And since then, everybody had a million-cap inquiry: ‘We need a million; we need two million’. It’s been very overwhelming,” adds LeBlanc.
Usually, Acadiana Plastics serves food-related industries; one example is the McIlhenny Company that produces a little something called ‘Tabasco’.
And with the food side of things slowing down, the company has ramped up the creation of bottles, caps and vials that help the true heroes of the Corona Era.
“We’re making something that is hopefully doing justice for our people in the front lines,” explains LeBlanc.
Some good news in this dire time is that not only is Acadiana Plastics open, LeBlanc says the company also is actively, and immediately…hiring.
“We’re willing to train. We have hours, we have work.”
Essential? A local plastics company that gives basically gives hand sanitizer a place to go? Oh yes.
“This hand sanitizer blossomed, and we’re making a product that is needed now during this pandemic,” adds LeBlanc.
