The recent Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in a partnership between Kiwi disinfectant and sanitation specialist AWS Group and Pharmaco (NZ) Limited.
AWS signed an exclusive sales, marketing and distribution agreement with specialist healthcare company Pharmaco after forging a partnership over video calls in lockdown. A virtual introduction from a mutual contact during Level 4 lockdown led to the agreement when Level 2 started.
AWS produces a range of unique antimicrobial and cleaning chemistry with an emphasis on sustainable, alcohol free disinfectants and cleaning products. The New Zealand based partnership aims to change people’s reliance on alcohol and traditional chemical based sanitation products, in a market estimated to grow by around 30 percent globally by 2023.
Chandra Selvadurai (pictured above), Pharmaco’s managing director, says innovation is nothing new to Pharmaco and AWS, but building a relationship during a pandemic over video calls was entirely different. “We built the relationship online after we realised that working together could give Kiwis more access to an eco-friendly and sustainable way to disinfect and sanitise, at a time when there is a growing need.
“There is an assumption that sanitation has to be alcohol or bleach based to be effective and we are going to challenge this. The AWS product suite will allow us to promote a clear point of difference in the market. Having these products developed and tested in NZ promotes absolute confidence.
“There is huge potential for AWS’s products, so we are also considering entering Australia and exporting beyond the trans-Tasman region.”
For some time now, ANK Neutral Anolyte has been a flagship product for AWS as an eco-alternative to products using bleach, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite. ANK Neutral Anolyte belongs to a new class of products based on electrochemistry, which has been known about for a long time but only understood by a few specialists.
Protected intellectual property lies behind the production of the ANK Neutral Anolyte provided by AWS, which delivers a further point of difference.
AWS has a comprehensive range of products that have been AsureQuality assessed and have multiple MPI approvals in New Zealand.
Richard Hanna (below), group general manager of AWS, says this partnership has truly been a positive outcome during what has been a challenging time for New Zealanders and many businesses:
“We pride ourselves on presenting better hygiene solutions to the industries we serve and must give credit to our client base for adopting our new eco-friendly technology. These alternatives have been independently validated and establish us as a leader in our field, with a growing portfolio of customers.
“With a significant increase in demand for high performing sanitation products in all areas of life, coupled with the desire for eco-friendly products, there was an opportunity to extend our business into other sectors.
“AWS has the manufacturing and technical know-how and Pharmaco provides the channel and expertise to customers in healthcare, emergency services, pharmacy, education facilities and Government.”
Dr Ian Calhaem, Scientific Advisor to AWS says the technology is set to play an important role in the widespread control of pathogens in a newly hyper-sensitive world:
“ANK Neutral Anolyte and other electrochemical products provide a simple, effective and environmental solution to the need we all have for constant hygiene. Over many years electrochemical products have been shown to be exempt from the growing bacterial resistance shown by many traditional chemical products.
“This technology has been available and used in niche markets for many years, but it’s taken recent events to highlight the immense potential of electrochemistry,” he says.
One example of the benefit of ANK Neutral Anolyte is the significant reduction in downtime when fogging buildings or facilities. While traditional fogging chemistry requires people to be out of the area for significant periods of time (and cost), using a dry mist of ANK Neutral Anolyte kills airborne pathogens and sanitises hard surfaces quickly, allowing people to return safely in minutes.
The AWS product range includes ANK Neutral Anolyte, Elite Sanitiser, and Q-Bond and MicroClear Plus antimicrobial paints to name a few. These will be distributed through all Pharmaco sales channels.
