Hospital hand gel delivery by boss of repurposed hair care factory

LYMINGTON hair care company Herb UK is helping the fight against coronavirus by delivering bottles of hand sanitiser it manufactured to the town’s hospital.

Managing director Raoul Perfitt donated nearly 100 of the 180ml bottles to nurses at the Ampress site on Monday afternoon.

“This is hugely emotional moment and one that gives me a very warm feeling inside,” Mr Perfitt told the A&T.

“The team here have pulled out all the stops to make this happen and I am extremely proud of all at Herb UK Ltd.

“We are now working on the next delivery to Lymington fire and rescue, as well as many other local shops and pharmacies.”

Herb UK has also delivered hand gel to Pennington Pharmacy, Brockenhurst Co-op and Beaulieu Organic Farm Shop, as well as individuals in need.

As reported in the A&T, the manufacturer helped save 25 factory jobs at its Ampress base by using its assets to switch production from hair products to hand sanitiser.

It has netted thousands of orders for the sanitiser and pledged to prioritise orders from pharmacies, local health and care services and police and fire.

Established in 1990, Herb UK was originally based in Christchurch before moving to Lymington in 2003 and has grown to become a leading national manufacturer of hair products.

It produced two brands: the salon-exclusive Organic Colour Systems and Tints of Nature, which supplies the retail market. They are exported to more than 40 countries worldwide.

But Mr Perfitt explained that after the coronavirus crisis hit it decided to use the alcohol in its products to make hand sanitiser.

It has secured enough supplies to make two phases of product – an initial 12,000 units of a hand sanitiser spray, followed by 20,000 units of sanitiser in larger bottles, the type which features in hospitals and care homes.

Herb UK will also be producing a new hand sanitising soap using tea tree oil and has secured supplies to enable it to make dispensers.