Henkel handwashing message sinks in

STAMFORD — Thursday marks Global Handwashing Day. Officials at consumer goods giant Henkel say they extol the importance of personal hygiene on that day — and year-round.

Amid the coronavirus crisis — and public health officials’ ensuing pleas for everyone to frequently wash their hands to help contain the spread — growing demand has prompted Henkel to ramp up production of its Dial-branded soap, whose sales and marketing are overseen at the company’s North American consumer goods headquarters in downtown Stamford.

“It’s our role to continue to support our consumers who need home and personal hygiene products during this challenging time,” said Randi Melton, Henkel’s vice president of body care. “We’re continuing to build these lifelong healthy habits for our customers, and we continue to focus on public awareness and education.”

Henkel does not disclose sales figures specifically for Dial, but its products ranks among the highestselling hand washes in the U.S. Several Dial products also place among the top 50 sellers in that category on Amazon.

“Consumer behavior has shifted, and there has been a significant increase in the frequency of people washing their hands throughout the day,” Melton said.

To increase production needed to meet the growing demand for Dial products, Henkel last month announced a $17.3 million investment in new equipment and technology at its facility in Geneva, N.Y., an expansion that will generate 180 new jobs. For the same purpose, the company is putting $2.5 million into its plant in West Hazleton, Pa., and allocating $3 million for additional equipment at both sites.

“This will lather up a major economic boost in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region by harnessing our skilled workforce to manufacture the sanitizers and soaps needed in our homes and workplaces during the pandemic,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. “I applaud Henkel for doubling down on its Geneva workforce and committing to grow this facility now and into the future.”

Dial comes in liquid soap, bar soap and body wash versions. It is also available as hand sanitizer for commercial and institutional users.

Henkel officials said that growing public awareness in recent months about handwashing creates a large enough market for Dial to co-exist with other companies’ brands such as Purell.

“We anticipate that the pandemic will alter handwashing and hygiene habits of consumers for the long term,” Melton said. “And we want to continue to stress the importance of healthy handwashing habits.”