Apache Industrial’s bright idea: Zap the virus
Matt Roll, owner of the Homewood Suites in Kingwood, said he found a surefire way to build consumer confidence back up at his Houston hotel: the smell of burnt hair.
That’s how he described the odor left behind in a room that’s been sanitized at the cellular level with an ultraviolet light.
“I wouldn’t call it the most pleasant smell, but it’s something the most seasoned travelers have come to request or want,” he said. “It gives them a level of comfort that says this room’s been zapped, so it’s safe.”
That’s why, Roll said, he spent around $8,000 to purchase two standing UV lights from Apache Industrial Services. The devices can zap a room clean — both air and surfaces — in a minute or two.
The standing UV lamp is part of a new line developed by the Houston-based manufacturer and industrial services company to respond to the coronavirus. It also includes handheld UV lights, air filtering units and a mass temperature scanner. According to the company, it has drawn interest from a range of companies looking to more safely gather people together, from petrochemical companies to airlines and retail.
Product development began when one of the company’s energy industry clients needed an exposed control room decontaminated, said Mike Knigin, CEO of
Apache Industrial Services. Since then, the mission was to create products that empower people to safely return to life and work.
Apache developed a mass temperature scanner, which uses infrared technology to scan 5,000 people for fevers in less than 30 minutes and can be can be rented or purchased for about $30,000.
Its standing UV units cost $3,750, while a handheld version costs $1,099. A portable UV air filtration unit made by the company runs $1,850. All are manufactured locally.
Knigin said his company, founded in the 1990s, is largely focused on designing solutions to energy sector problems. So when the coronavirus hit big energy, it was time for the drawing board.
His team started first looking into buying UV tech to service their clients, but he said the equipment was expensive and on backorder.
“We decided to go ahead and take the initiative to try to disaggregate the supply chain,” Knigin said. “We’ve developed a line of products that fundamentally treats both surface and air, and is test effective at eradicating not only the coronavirus, but a whole host of pathogens.”
Apache has sold a few hundred units so far, he said. The company’s tech is used in churches, dentists’ offices and by governments.
Even bigger clients are waiting in the wings, he said, pointing to conversations he’s had this week with sports arenas, cruise lines and universities. “I think we’re going to continue to see an interest, a need and a desire,” he said. “I think these things become the sort of seatbelts and airbags of our new world.”
The company can produce a few hundred units a week, he said, but is preparing to grow along with demand.
“If needed we can certainly expand dramatically,” he said. “And we’re planning for that.”