‘Whatever it takes’: Little River company aids hospitals across the country amid coronavirus
A Little River manufacturer specializing in healthcare technology has shifted its business model in recent weeks to mass producing a disinfectant for hospitals across the nation as the coronavirus continues to spread.
With the company unable to install hospital equipment due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Paradigm Convergence Technologies Corporation CEO Gary Grieco said they are now focused on producing and providing a sanitary solution called Hydrolyte, a hypochlorous acid-based product made at the Little River warehouse, to hospitals, healthcare facilities and distributors in need.
Greico said the temporary adjustment allows the company to help hospitals and those impacted individuals while also growing as a business with up to 10,000 gallons of Hydrolyte produced and shipped per day.
“We’re supporting hospitals in the New York area and other states with our disinfectant solutions,” Chief Financial Officer Marion Sofield said. “Each of our totes can hold either 275 gallons or 330 gallons of Hydrolyte.”
Sofield said the growing demand in sanitation solutions has seen production spike by about 5,000 percent, and she expects it to increase. Prior to the outbreak, the company would produce a few hundred gallons of Hydrolyte per day to accompany equipment installation in the hospitals they serve.
The surge in sales has required the company to hire more people to accommodate the demand. The company previously had nine full-time employees on staff but have since added seven temporary, part-time workers. Sofield said those hired were recently laid off due to business closures in the area.
Mikayla Logue and Cindi Schoeber, laid off from T-Bonz Gill and Grill restaurant in Myrtle Beach, have now been employed by Paradigm Convergence Technologies to package the disinfectant.
“When we went to pick our last paycheck up, a friend of ours saw this online and we called and they asked if we could get here by 3,” Schoeber said. “We got here by 3 and they hired us, and we would love to stay if they’ll keep us.”
Sofield said when the coronavirus started spreading throughout the country, the company was fearful of what the future might hold. But as people and hospitals began to suffer, they hustled to find a way to offer a medically approved product that could aid in accommodating hospital sanitation.
While Paradigm Convergence Technologies is seeing growing success, Sofield said that while the company takes pride in benefiting those in need, it’d be better for everyone if there wasn’t a health crisis claiming the lives of thousands and prompting a desperate need for medical supplies.
“We were a small company building our business strategically and methodically, then all of the sudden the pandemic and the people and we just decided we were going to do whatever it takes to get them what they need,” Sofield said. “But if we had to do it over again, we wish there was no pandemic to have created this need and we’d just be busy steadily growing our business.”
Paradigm Convergence Technologies is currently offering free quarts of Hydrolyte to healthcare workers, first responders and truck drivers. The warehouse is located at 4235 Commerce St. in Little River. For more information, call 843-390-7900.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
