Manufacturing Month in Connecticut: CT Senator Highlights Partnership Between iCleanse and Chapco
Connecticut celebrates Manufacturing Month in October, and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) took the opportunity to highlight a partnership between two Connecticut-based businesses working together to design, engineer, and build innovative disinfection technology that we can all benefit from.
On Friday, Oct. 22, Murphy dropped by Chapco in Chester, Connecticut. Chapco manufactures the Swift UV, developed in Connecticut by iCleanse. During his visit, Murphy sat down with Chapco President Brian Weinstein, CBIA President and CEO Chris DiPentima, and iCleanse CEO Chris Allen to talk about how Connecticut can become a powerhouse of manufacturing and innovation. Due to the pandemic, many Connecticut-based manufacturers have faced labor shortages and challenges. The partnership between iCleanse and Chapco is proof that businesses can find success in Connecticut.
In July 2020, Chris Allen, a serial entrepreneur and Connecticut native with stakes in several companies in his home state, acquired iCleanse (previously ReadyDock™) with the intention of using in-state resources. Allen and his team of investors raised $7.5 million, using the funds to rebrand, bring new products to market, and push to the forefront of the disinfection industry.
“We saw an opportunity for innovation and ways to protect folks,” Allen said of his acquisition of iCleanse during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our partnership with Chapco is a roadmap of how state businesses can revitalize and rebuild in Connecticut.”
Murphy, also a Connecticut native, was amazed by the manufacturing and engineering accomplishments of both Chapco and iCleanse. After touring Chapco’s facilities, Murphy demoed the Swift UV and learned more about the benefits of UV-C technology.
“If we’re going to be buying at the VA [U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs], if we’re going to be buying disinfection technology at our airports, we should be prioritizing American companies,” Murphy said. “When it comes to the best in brand disinfection technology, it’s not just made in America; it’s made in Connecticut.”
There are plenty of amazing companies based in Connecticut and it’s important for these companies to invest in the state and each other. Partnerships like the one created between Chapco and iCleanse is a positive story that reinforces this ideal. Having government officials, such as Murphy and local representatives, champion for Connecticut manufacturing shows business leaders like Allen and Weinstein that there is hope for the future.
“I strongly believe in this state, its economy, and the business climate,” said Allen, who before acquiring iCleanse, was the CEO of Avon-based tech startup iDevices®, which he sold to Shelton-based Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE: HUBB). “Our goal is to make Connecticut the disinfection capital of the world.”
The Swift UV is a game-changer in how we view disinfection. In just 15 seconds, the Swift UV kills 99.99% of infectious pathogens living on your phone. Paired with PURELL® hand sanitizer, users can sanitize their hands while their phone is being disinfected, preventing virtually no cross-contamination.
iCleanse is proud to be designed, engineered, and manufactured right here in Connecticut.
Watch the News Channel 8 coverage of the event here.
Photo by Sam Moqadam on Unsplash