Carson CBD manufacturer shifts operations to produce hand sanitizer

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Centuria Foods, a manufacturer of dietary supplements and cannabidiol based in Carson City, has repurposed its facility on Arrowhead Drive and its equipment to produce hand sanitizer in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

Next week, the company is slated to provide 100 gallons of its new product to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center, said Dr. Jason Hastings, the company's senior director of science and manufacturing.

The production of hand sanitizer provides Centuria, which also uses the name Nevada Labs for its dietary supplement production, an opportunity to help the community in the fight against the pandemic and to keep the local company's staff gainfully employed, Hastings said in an April 20 interview.

Some customers already had delayed production of their CBD oils, and the company's board of directors sought to keep its workforce on board, with some physically on location at the 55,000-square-foot facility on Arrowhead and its non-essential employees working from home.

The company filed with the Food and Drug Administration and received the necessary guidelines to begin sanitizer production.

“We're adapting to this COVID situation in a way that helps our employees so they're not sitting at home and … we're producing something to help with a critical need throughout the nation,” Hastings said.

With its equipment and infrastructure in place, Hastings said the facility could make up to 1,000 gallons of sanitizer in a day if necessary.

For now, it will provide 100 gallons to the Carson hospital, though Hastings added his staff has reached out to Carson City, the city of Reno and Washoe County to gauge further potential interest.

The sanitizer was created with an FDA-approved formula that consists of the proper concentrations of ethanol, glycerol, hydrogen peroxide and sterile distilled water to eliminate possible viruses it comes into contact with, Hastings said.

Centuria also has hydrometers in its facilities for batch testing purposes.

“It's just a matter of every little bit helps and being prepared is all that matters at this point,” he said. “We're trying to get this valuable resource out there to those who truly need it and want to be safe and protected.

“We hope it has a good impact, and all I can say is I hope it helps give people peace of mind going forward and some protection.”

Centuria Foods was founded in 2014 by CEO Michael Brubeck.

Hastings is a native of Carson City and attended Carson High School and the University of Nevada, Reno. He worked as a chief operating officer and a director in microbiological and chemical testing positions in the San Francisco Bay Area and Fremont, Calif., for companies including AEMTEK, Inc., before returning to Northern Nevada recently and starting with Centuria Foods.

His wife and family also came from the area and have enjoyed the growth, and Hastings said Centuria was an opportunity to return from the Bay Area.

“It's a great city and it's nice being with family,” Hastings said. “This venture is maintaining our people and getting them work to do. It's nice for people to still be able to come and have work and still get paid.”