Business as Usual
ment Corporate at L’Oréal USA, where she
partnered with brand teams to spearhead
innovation projects across formats.
AST also welcomed Nehal Patel as the
VP of Operations just a few months before
the pandemic hit. He has over 16 years of
leadership experience in the Pharmaceutical/
OTC Drug manufacturing industry where he
specialized in solid dosage, powder and liquid
manufacturing and packaging processes.
Patel holds a Master’s in Mechanical &
Aerospace Engineering with a Specialization in
Design & Manufacturing from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
It’s all about Innovation
R&D didn’t slow down in 2020, as contract filler Aerosol Service
Sp. z o.o., Ustka, Poland, launched Lesso—a dose applicator
16 Spray March 2021
designed especially for
compressed and bag-on-valve
(BOV) aerosols. Its main
purpose is to teach the consumer
how to use the product
consciously, wherein
one dose is “enough.” By
pressing one of its sides, a
specially-designed applicator
twists and temporarily
opens the valve and doses
the product. The concept
of compressed aerosols assumes
that smaller products
contain the same quantity
of active materials and last
for the same amount of time
as larger-volume products.
Lesso complements compressed
aerosols and makes them more sustainable, according to
the company.
Lesso also works with products that utilize BOV technology,
such as compressed deodorants/ antiperspirants and air fresheners.
The use of different inserts allows for the appropriate spray
pattern parameters. Moreover, Lesso can also be adapted to products
with higher viscosities, such as gel, spray or foam.
The new Boiler Gecko completes Cortec’s full line of water
treatment “animals”
for dry layup of boilers
ranging from less than
100 gallons to more than
10,000 gallons. Boiler
Gecko fills the gap at the
small end of the spectrum
for boilers that are not large enough
to warrant the use of Cortec’s Boiler Lizard
but still need corrosion protection. As with
Cortec’s other dry layup solutions, Boiler
Gecko presents an enhanced alternative
to traditional layup methods such as
quick lime, desiccants, dry air systems and
nitrogen purge. It provides multi-metal
corrosion protection on a variety of ferrous
metals, such as aluminum and copper alloys.
It contains no heavy metals, halogens
or solvents, doesn’t form a solid residue
and is also low odor, pH neutral and nonflammable.
The product comes in EcoAir BOV spray cans and can
be sprayed in any direction for easier application in tight quarters.
Pandemic challenges
How did aerosol filling facilities cope at the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic?
“We were shut down for a couple of weeks in April of last year
to safeguard the health and safety of our team,” explained Angelique
Williams of AST.
“During the shut-down, new standard operating procedures and
physical measures were quickly put in place to safely resume operations.
Despite this significant disruption, the whole team remained
employed and fully paid throughout the temporary closure, so that
no one had to worry about the pandemic putting undue financial
stress on their families while they remained focused on health and
safety. As a result, when we reopened, the whole team banded
together, often working overtime, to service our customers’ needs
so we could get back on track as soon as possible.”
From a commercial perspective, the company saw a decline in
some markets and product categories such as professional hair
care, while, on the other hand, other product categories such as
Root Touchups and Therapeutics actually did better, said Williams.
“Thankfully, the majority of AST’s products saw minimal
changes and remained active throughout the year,” she explained.
“Despite the difficult circumstances, the company continued to
introduce more innovations to the marketplace.”
According to Ricardo Strickland, Managing Director of Mc-
Bride Caribbean Limited in Christ Church, Barbados, the filler
plans to double its capacity, as well as install a new filling line, in
2021.
Aerofil Technology, Inc., Sullivan, MO, gained temporary approval from the U.S. Food &
Drug Administration (FDA) to use its liquid filling line to produce hand sanitizer, which was
donated to health care personnel and first responders and sold to consumers. It is based on
the World Health Organization’s specified formula. Pictured: Joe Sonderman, Senior VP of Operations,
and Russell Coons, Director of Logistics, donate the first truckload to Sullivan, MO’s
first responders, government officials and hospital workers.
Patel