Maker City KC
We’re all in this together - American Shaman steps up to fight against Covid-19, makes thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer
Amidst the noise and clamoring of a re-tooled CBD oil manufacturing and distribution plant, American Shaman founder Vince Sanders spent time with virtual visitors, explaining that as it turns out, converting a production line from CBD oil to hand sanitizer is less an about face in engineering, but rather a creative approach to chemistry, procurement and corporate good will.
From a mechanical perspective, change was required, but Sanders downplays that facet. “We had to readjust everything; we do have an engineer here. We 3-D printed pieces to fit the larger bottles. All that was the easy part,” he says. “We had some ingredients,” but emphasizes that finding other fundamental bits of their hand sanitizer has been challenging.
He doesn’t recall the exact moment the inspiration hit him or his staff to shift their product from hemp-based to acid-based. An initial contribution of 3,000 bottles of hand sanitizer captured national media attention and production has ballooned. “There is no limit to demand. We’ve had schools call us; hospitals call us; the U.S. Coast Guard called. They wants thousands of gallons of Hypochlorous acid to wash down their ships.”
He says his manufacturing facility has the capacity to produce up to 10,000 bottles of Hypochlorous acid, the key sanitizing ingredient in the company’s recipe, per day. From that concentrate 100,000 gallons of hand sanitizer could be produced daily.
His exploration of the manufacturing and chemistry is interrupted by a loud cheer and outburst somewhere off camera. “Sounds like we just got our ethanol delivery.” Meantime, he is also waiting for final EPA certification to produce the Hypochlorous acid in his Kansas City facility.
While manufactured hemp oil shares ingredients in hand sanitizer -- xantham gum, aloe vera, glycerin -- they are two significantly different products.
American Shaman’s CBD hemp oil is “derived from industrial hemp, a type of cannabis plant. Unlike marijuana which is bred for its THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content — the element which gets one “high” — hemp oil has no psychoactive effects and has many health benefits,” its website reads.
Like other notable and anonymous businesses that have shifted to fighting the Coronavirus, American Shaman has withstood the financial and human toll it’s taking. So far. “Hardest hit has been our franchise system,” Sanders says. “March was a strong month, until the last week. Sales were off dramatically, probably off as much as 60 percent. Things have picked up online, but not nearly enough to offset the losses through the stores.”
That same franchise system and it’s interconnectedness have influenced and guided the distribution of American Shaman’s new products. “If you’re a hospital, you go to the top of the list. First responders, top of the list. Cities: we’re running bottles for the city of Washington, D.C. of all places. We have hundreds of franchisees out there. It’s amazing how many are out there who knows somebody who knows somebody.”
The fabric of charity weaves throughout American Shaman, with franchisees in other parts of the country delivering community aid in their own respective local markets. And the company, as Sanders explains it, was founded on this idea of helping those in need. “I found that those who need the most can afford it the least. That literally came out day one. I’d rather do something for society that is much more important than me.”
American Shaman’s Compassionate Care program was launched with Sanders’ personal experiences at its core. Specifically it targets those who are low-income, and veterans.
The company touts that its ultra-concentrated terpene-rich CBD oil products offer a natural and safe way to alleviate occasional stress and mild discomfort, and that it can help support feelings of calm. “We don’t want money to get in the way of you receiving the relief you need... We believe everyone should have access to the health supporting properties of CBD oil products,” the Compassionate Care web page explains.
Beyond contributing to an all-hands-on -deck effort, the nearly 200 employees of Kansas City’s operations have not been impacted on the job front, but he says if the company continues to operate at its current pace it will be looking at “grossly restructuring. If you knew that in 90 days everything’s back to normal, you can plan for it. But it’s the unknown.”
That’s not deterring him or American Shaman. “It’s time for everybody to throw in and do whatever they can for the greater good,” he says. “Obviously you can’t go broke doing it or you can’t help anybody. It’s your responsibility as a citizen, or a human being to do as much as you can.”
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