From Thinking Putty to Hand Sanitizer: How Crazy Aaron's is Helping Amid COVID-19 Crisis

March 25, 2020 | Crazy Aaron’s, the creator of Thinking Putty, has shifted its business operations in response to the COVID-19 crisis from toy to hand sanitizer production. The production of these hand sanitizers will help benefit the company's local Norristown and Philadelphia communities of municipal workers, healthcare facilities, public utilities, and first responders.

“Chemistry and formulas are what we do at Crazy Aaron’s. We have the ability to hop on science projects quickly here at Crazy Aaron’s, and we’re looking at this effort to create an FDA-approved hand sanitizer formula as the ultimate science project,” said Aaron Muderick, founder and executive chairman of Crazy Aaron’s. “It’s an honor to help in any way we can during this uncertain time.”

Following the Pennsylvania government’s order to close all non-life-sustaining businesses throughout the state last week, Crazy Aaron’s engineering team quickly pivoted and in just 72 hours changed over its production line to produce hand sanitizer, obtained the necessary government approvals. The company has already donated the first 100 gallons produced to local first responders.

With the capacity to make 1,500 gallons of hand sanitizer per day, the company already had the materials on hand to develop this critical resource. Crazy Aaron’s is also working with its Norristown neighbor Five Saints Distilling to secure additional supplies so that production can increase. Currently, the company is seeking additional organizations in need of hand sanitizer and will continue to ramp up daily production quantities.

“Once again Aaron Muderick has demonstrated his entrepreneurial drive and leadership, while his company and the people of Crazy Aaron’s exemplify the very best of the toy and play community," said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. "Crazy Aaron's is a perfect example of how so many Toy Association member companies are stepping up beyond the gift of play and reaching out to help and be of service during this critical time of need.”

Government, medical, institutional, or commercial organizations looking to purchase quantities of hand sanitizer can do so by reaching out to sanitizer@puttyworld.com for more information. Members of the toy community are also encouraged to bookmark The Toy Association’s COVID-19 resource page and check out additional resources for those in the design community for more information on how the coronavirus is impacting communities across the country and ways to assist, respectively.

What's your company doing during this time of uncertainty? If you have a story to share, email jlynch@toyassociation.org.