NYC Schools Wipe Order

I am proud to share this story of a high quantity, high stakes order of surface sanitizing wipes with the hope that it may inspire others to not give up in this hard time, but to make yourself essential and roll with the punches.

The past 7 months have presented many curveballs; enduring a pandemic, production shortages, high demand, and the halt of essentially all promotional product purchasing. Our customers could no longer attend tradeshows, provide giveaways, or market at their normal capacity. As a promotional product salesperson, I was unable to earn a living in this industry.

I am fortunate to work for HALO Branded Solutions, a company that is agile enough to provide for customer’s needs, whatever those may be. 7 months ago, we entered the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) industry, providing gloves, masks, gowns, sanitizing wipes, and a number other products used to combat COVID-19.

Through a series of networking connections, I began working with Calvary Industries and Gary Raihl a few months ago, building a strong relationship to take on any opportunities that came our way. This was quite the chance to prove my worth as a partner.

We also had the opportunity to work with the New York City school system to provide desperately needed PPE. Through a series of connections, we were tasked with providing 240,000 canisters of alcohol-based surface sanitizing wipes. The New York schools start date was delayed by Mayor Bill de Blasio as part of an agreement with the United Federation of Teachers union due to safety protocols (PPE shortage, building codes, ventilation systems, etc.). This happened twice while we were producing and shipping wipes for the start of their school year, and the stakes could not have been higher. We were personally responsible for providing a portion of their needs to get school up and running for the kiddos.

Our supplier entered these wipes into their production line a few months ago, really kicking their operation into high gear with this large order. Now, they have quadrupled production, with the capability to produce 1 million canisters a month, domestically.

With that being said, we dealt with multiple disruptions during production, including a typhoon overseas delaying shipments of empty canisters. We also endured storms with winds high enough to overturn a truck (none of ours thankfully), and illness with drivers.

The logistical side was a feat in and of itself, demanding 250 drop ship locations (individual schools) in Brooklyn, where many received pallet loads of wipes and required lift gate services. Despite the logistics industry being under unprecedented demand, we had great success partnering with R+L Carriers to get the job done.

I had never sold PPE prior to this but leveraged the resources available to me by HALO Branded Solutions and my partners to successfully pull off the order. In todays logistical, manufacturing, and economic climate, that order was nothing short of a miracle. I could not be happier with my partners in this undertaking and am thrilled to have played a part in keeping the children, teachers, and staff of Brooklyn safe and healthy amid this pandemic. Although these are trying times, I look forward to the opportunities to help fill a need and solve problems.