Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered “non-essential” businesses to close down amid the mushrooming new coronavirus outbreak, but cleared Procter & Gamble’s largest factory in the U.S. to continue churning out paper products 24/7.
Located in Mehoopany, Pa., the plant manufactures Charmin toilet paper, Bounty paper towels and Pampers and Luvs diapers. Wolf exempted factories producing “life-sustaining” products from his business ban announced Monday.
Maintaining production will come as a relief to American consumers: shortages of paper products, notably toilet paper and paper towels quickly occurred as consumers’ concerns about the pandemic grew.
P&G has 2,200 workers at the Pennsylvania factory.
California has given P&G a similar pass to keep churning out products at another plant in the Golden State.
Demand for paper goods has been so intense P&G has fired up previously idled factory equipment in Georgia in a record two-weeks time, a process that normally would take months.
P&G operates six paper products plants across the U.S., the other five are in: Albany, Georgia; Box Elder, Utah; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Oxnard, California.
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“During these extraordinary times, we are equally committed to serving those that depend on these products to meet critical needs,” said spokesman Damon Jones, adding the company is “taking the extraordinary measures” to keep workers safe as they make essential products.
Last week, P&G asked all its office employees to work from home to prevent spreading the coronavirus.
But factory workers don’t get to phone in production. P&G has 24 plants in 18 U.S. states and 85 more in 37 countries.
P&G has developed safety and health procedures working with federal, state and local health officials.
Currently, P&G is checking workers’ temperatures and encouraging social distancing at plants and distribution centers. The company has eliminated in-person meetings and other large gatherings. It is also sanitizing constantly.
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