Carolina Cat Teams with Charlotte Brewery to Distribute Hand Sanitizer

The team at the Carolina Cat Rental Store in Charlotte, N.C., donated a water truck that allowed The Unknown Brewery to increase production and efficiency.

Tue May 26, 2020
Carolina Cat

Due to the viral nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hand sanitizer, masks, safety glasses/goggles and gloves, have seen a dramatic increase in need and often are all but impossible to find.

When the spread of the virus came to Charlotte, N.C., and created a shortage of hand sanitizer, two well-respected businesses in town teamed up to provide a solution.

The Unknown Brewery, a popular local craft beer taproom in the Queen City's historic South End, decided to use its resources to distill an approved cleansing liquid. Charlotte breweries cannot sell hand sanitizer via retail, but by scaling the operation to distilleries, it has been able to generate revenue and allow employees to return to work to produce the sanitizer.

Producing the product was only one part of the equation, according to Brad Shell, owner of The Unknown Brewery. Distributing the hand sanitizer ingredients to other distilleries was where his operation needed help.

Up stepped the efforts of the team at the Carolina Cat Rental Store in Charlotte, which was critical in providing a solution by donating a water truck that allowed Shell's people to increase production and efficiency.

"The introduction of the water truck into the operation was the lynchpin that was missing," he said. "We were able to increase our production from one still to five. The Carolina Cat Rental team has been awesome to work with."

When the coronavirus first began to impact Charlotte, nurses from the nearby hospital system came by The Unknown Brewery and loaded up on all available hand sanitizer being offered by the establishment.

"They started telling us how they were already out of supplies at the hospitals – no gloves, no masks – and it really was just the beginning of this whole situation," Shell remembered. "We knew we had to help, so starting those next few days we prepared and started running hand sanitizer production 24 hours a day."

As it happens, beer and hand sanitizer share a common ingredient that The Unknown Brewery has in abundance – distilled alcohol. The hand sanitizer product, aptly named "Good Hands," utilizes an 80 gallon still to produce 160-proof ethanol alcohol. Hydrogen peroxide, aloe, glycerin and some essential oils are then added to create the final product.

The hand sanitizer is bought by numerous healthcare providers across the region, including Novant and Atrium health systems, as well as sold to customers of the brewery and donated to various local nonprofits.

"Carolina Cat is proud to support the communities in which we live and operate," said Neil Carbaugh, vice president of rental at the dealership. "We were honored to be able to support this worthwhile project during this unprecedented challenge."

Charlotte breweries cannot sell hand sanitizer via retail, but by scaling the operation to distilleries, it has been able to generate revenue and allow employees to return to work to produce the sanitizer.

M.H. Eby Welcomes New Dealer in North Carolina →

M.H. Eby announced that Trailers of the East Coast in Mocksville, N.C., is now an authorized dealer of Eby equipment trailers, livestock trailers and truck bodies.

Valew Quality Truck Bodies Achieves Baffling System Patent →

Valew Quality Truck Bodies, the long-time manufacturer of Valew Water Trucks, recently was awarded a patent for its new baffling system and the production on the new system was introduced this year on both its 2,000-gal.

Arizona DOT Lends Helping Hand to Trucking Industry →

Faced with the delicate balance of keeping people safe and the economy going during the pandemic, Gov.

Hills Machinery Helps Bring New Levels of Success to Terex Trucks →

Every year, Terex Trucks ships a significant proportion of its articulated haulers — the TA300 and TA400 — from its Motherwell facility in Scotland to customers across North America.

NTEA Provides Work Truck Week 2021 Update →

NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry announced it will not be possible to produce Work Truck Week in its traditional in-person format next year.

Curry Supply Adds North Carolina-Based Regional Sales Manager →

Curry Supply Co. announced the addition of Will Buddin to the team as a regional sales manager. Buddin will oversee customers positioned in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Volvo Trucks' Virtual Walk-Arounds Enable Customers to Review Truck Models Live, in High Definition →

The Volvo Trucks Customer Center in Dublin, Va., is conducting live virtual presentations of new Volvo Trucks models via video conference due to physical distancing and travel restrictions currently in place due to COVID-19.

New York City Department of Sanitation Braves Unknowns to Keep City Safe, Clean During the Coronavirus Pandemic →

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), like the city it serves, truly is a department that never sleeps, as evidenced by the extreme circumstances it has had to manage during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mack Trucks, NASCAR Thank Truckers, Frontline Hospital Workers with Mack Anthem Hauler Parade →

Mack Trucks, the "Official Hauler of NASCAR," recently hosted several of NASCAR's Mack Anthem haulers at its world headquarters in Greensboro, N.C., as part of its #thankatrucker campaign to recognize truckers for their hard work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mack Trucks, ATA Team Up with American Logistics Aid Network to Deliver Vital Goods During Coronavirus Pandemic →

To assist those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Mack Trucks and the American Trucking Associations (ATA) are partnering with the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) to deliver vital supplies, such as food and personal-care items, to nonprofit organizations who distribute these goods locally.