The Business of Chemistry:  Essential to New Jersey’s Economy and Recovery

TRENTON – (March 26, 2020) – The Chemistry Council of New Jersey and its more than 100 member companies are grateful to the Murphy Administration, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for identifying  the U.S. chemical industry and its workers as Essential Critical Infrastructure, an industry sector critical to public health and safety, economic and national security.  Even before this designation, our member companies have been working around the clock to help the State of New Jersey in its COVID-19 preparedness response and mitigation efforts.

The role of chemistry is particularly important today. Chemicals enable countless products that are needed to support life-saving medical care, including personal protective gear for front line health workers; chemical biocides and disinfectants that are the active ingredients in cleaning products that eliminate bacteria and viruses on a personal, household and industrial scale: and plastic products and packaging that help prevent contamination of food, medicine, personal care and medical products while helping prevent person-to-person transmission of disease-causing microorganisms.

With Governor Murphy rightly pointing out that New Jersey is in the epicenter area of the outbreak, our members are ramping up production to meet demand as New Jersey manufacturing companies are key to fighting the epidemic.  New Jersey is home to the North American supply of Lysol® spray.  Our companies produce and have access to the largest supply of isopropyl alcohol to make hand and other sanitizers, and they are rapidly responding to requests from companies seeking to switch their manufacturing process to make hand sanitizer.  The 3M company has increased production of N95 masks to 40 million per month for North America.  While they do not make these masks in New Jersey, they have been working closely with Governor Murphy’s team in identifying supplies and delivery schedules. Their New Jersey facility is the sole supplier of device reprocessing components.  These are devices used in all hospital central sterilization departments and are critical to maintaining the operations and flow of sterile hardware within a hospital or other healthcare facilities.  CCNJ companies are also producing the reagent chemicals for the COVID-19 testing kits.

Through all this uncertainty, the Chemistry Council of New Jersey continues to support our membership through daily updates and regular conference calls. We provide timely information to help member companies remain in compliance with all executive and administrative orders, so that they can remain focused on producing the products that will help us get through this crisis.

Our members’ essential employees are adhering to CDC guidelines and implementing social distancing measures to ensure their safety and that they can continue operations to safely produce essential products. For example, LANXESS is producing essential products like polyester polyols, manufactured in Perth Amboy, used to produce cellular polyurethane foam for respirator and surgical masks.  Thermo Fisher is developing synthetic RNA, non-infectious control to help labs validate and monitor COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests. Pfizer is establishing new R&D partnerships to expedite the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. From manufacturing antimicrobials and other compounds used to produce high grade disinfectants to industrial gas to petroleum chemical to chemicals used to keep our water supply safe and drinkable, our member companies realize we are all in this together and must do our part to ensure a full recovery.

In addition, we have been able to put our member companies in touch with both state and local officials who are seeking PPE, medical supplies and access to COVID-19 rapid test kits. In some cases, we have been able to make connections with member companies willing to share their expertise and knowledge to make certain PPE with companies that are taking advantage of the Defense Production Act and repurposing their manufacturing process to produce products that are in desperate need.

Our member companies are not only ramping up their production to meet demand for essential products, but they are contributing much needed supplies and chemicals to help with the COVID-19 response.  From medical supplies to PPE to even chemical ingredients for distilleries retooling production to manufacture hand sanitizer for first responders and law enforcement, our industry is sharing their products and technology to help us through this crisis.

The Chemistry Council of New Jersey a member focused organization, is focused on helping our members and our industry help New Jersey.

In order to assist chemical companies not a part of the Council, we have made our daily updates available online at https://tinyurl.com/CCNJCOVID-19Updates.

Access online version of this press release at https://tinyurl.com/CCNJCOVID-19March26

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The Chemistry Council of New Jersey (CCNJ), founded in 1955, is the trade and advocacy organization representing the interests of more than 50 New Jersey manufacturers and 45 firms in the business of chemistry. Our membership consists of large and small companies that are part of New Jersey’s chemical, pharmaceutical, consumer packaged goods, petroleum, flavor & fragrances and precious metals industries. The CCNJ is committed to a better quality of life through science.