The Unseen COVID-19 Heros: Performance Tech Motorsports’ Stephen Dawes

Performance Tech Motorsports engineer and driver Stephen Dawes has shifted his workforce to battle COVID-19 by way of hand sanitizer.

Dawes is the owner of A.I.G. Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of personal care, cosmetic, OTC (over-the-counter) and pharmaceutical topical drug products. As the COVID-19 curve spiked upwards the need for sanitization products such as hand sanitizer climbed with it.

Dawes saw the demands of both consumers and employees inspiring him to adapt A.I.G. Technologies day-to-day operation to meet the public’s demands.

“Our clients and my staff motivated us to switch our workforce to manufacturing hand sanitizers,” Dawes said. “Many of our clients asked for the production of hand sanitizers. We developed the Benzalkonium Chloride 0.13 (0.13% BKZ) formula for one of our largest clients who were looking for something different that could be safely distributed.

“Also, we wanted to keep our staff working. So, making hand sanitizers will certainly do that. We are trying to make as many pieces of both sanitizer formulation as we can. There is a need to get these products into the market to help smooth the curve.”

One of Dawes' primary goals was to maintain his full workforce throughout the pandemic. Not only has he managed to preserve their hours, but he has also been able to increase them. Dawes and his team have developed safe and cutting-edge formulas with production rates more than double what A.I.G. Technologies is used to producing. The critical demand for these products in the health field and day-to-day public activities have Dawes and his entire camp spending long hours to ensure they’re doing everything within in their wheelhouse to help flatten the curve.

“Since March 15 most of my team and I have worked every day,” Dawes said. “We’re working at full capacity and are actually at the point of turning projects away. Our compounders, the individuals who fill the bottle all have extended hours. Everyone is volunteering to work the long hours though. Everyone is pitching in. One of my compounders has even stepped up to help me with lab development making lab batches so we can get new samples out to our clients.”

With all hands-on deck at A.I.G. Technologies, thousands of gallons can be output each day.

“Our normal routine is making two batches, between 50 gallons and 750 gallons each day, five days a week,” Dawes said. “Now we are making two or three batches a day, one of which is 1,500 gallons of 0.13% BKZ hand sanitizer. The other two batches are current client projects with two or three batches of Hydroalcoholic hand sanitizer mixed in three times a week.

“Our three filling lines are being used every day. Normally, only one or two lines would be used. We are filling more than 12,000 17oz bottles of BKZ Hand Sanitizer every day. The other two lines are filling other cosmetic and OTC drug products.”

Dawes currently has a duo of hand sanitizer formulas he is providing to clients. All of A.I.G. Technologies products are FDA approved allowing them to develop and produce formulas with the safest and most effective active ingredients. When searching for the ideal mix of ingredients to meet the sanitization needs Dawes found his solution in an innovative foaming sanitizer he was already producing.

“Two of the hand sanitizer formulas that we’re making we’ve made for years now,” Dawes said. “For our normal hydroalcoholic customers, we make three to four batches a year. This month alone we’ve made seven to eight batches. Our 0.13% BKZ formula was originally developed for the tattoo industry. When getting a tattoo, it was a foaming sanitizer with numbing properties in it to be used on the fresh tattoo. We’ve now changed that product to fit the mass market during the pandemic. It now comes in a gel form without numbing properties and we are producing 1,500 gallons a day. Once it hits the stores it will be known as Healthvana.”

“Both the hand sanitizers are part of the FDA antimicrobial OTC Drug monograph. The monograph is a ruling issued by the FDA to allow registered manufacturers to develop products with specific active ingredients to make specific drug claims. Common monographed OTC drugs are anti-acne preparations, analgesics such as Biofreeze, and sunscreens. Our first is 0.13% BKZ as I mentioned earlier. We have the active ingredients blended in a moisturizing gel formulation. Our second is the common 60+% Ethanol in a gel formulation, similar to Purell.”

Dawes’ employees can rest easy knowing that their jobs are secure, and they are helping make a difference. With the first round of orders shipped out to clients, Dawes sees no end to his production in sight as the pandemic progresses. Even beyond flattening of the curve, Americans have adopted a new form of cleanliness that is likely to expand far beyond this global crisis.

“Our current BKZ business will take us through mid-May,” Dawes said. “Most likely our clients will increase the order once the product hits the store shelves and airways. We just took orders for Hydroalcoholic Hand Sanitizers that will keep us busy for at least four weeks as long as we can get the raw materials. However, I think the need for these products will go through the fall. We will get through this. Everyone has to do their part to keep everyone safe and healthy. Social distancing seems to be working. The key thing is to frequently wash your hands.”

When searching for hand sanitizers look for FDA approved products, like Healthvana. Compare your products to the ingredients below to ensure you are getting the highest level of sanitation possible.

Performance Tech Motorsports cannot speculate when the regularly scheduled season will resume. The situation is being closely monitored by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. The team will relay updates as they are released. Currently, Performance Tech and IMSA look forward to regrouping the 2020 race season at Watkins Glen International in June.