Clorox, Caltech Together Help Combat HAIs

The Clorox Company announced in January 2010 it acquired Midland, Mich.- based Caltech Industries, a national leader in healthcare disinfecting products, including its core brand, DISPATCH® Hospital Cleaner Disinfectant with Bleach. Through the acquisition, the newly formed healthcare business has become a leading provider of bleach disinfectants in more than 2,500 acute care facilities across the nation.

"With Clorox and Caltech joining forces, acute care facilities now have a one-stop shop for the widest variety of efficacious, ready-to-use germicidal bleach products to meet the unique needs of hospital professionals," said Craig Stevenson, vice president and general manager, Clorox Away From Home Division. "This acquisition has not only strengthened our product offering but also expanded upon our industry expertise, R&D and sales capability, enabling us to provide an even greater focus on customer needs. Importantly, both companies share the mission of fighting the spread of healthcare-associated infections."

New Combination Continues to Help Fight Spread of Healthcare-Associated Infections

Together, Clorox and Caltech will continue to help combat the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. With a combined track record of more than 100 years in providing germicidal products and infection prevention solutions, Clorox will be able to arm healthcare professionals with the education, training and knowledge to meet their healthcare needs. The new healthcare business, will allow more innovative healthcare solutions with unbeatable efficacy, to be brought to market faster by leveraging both organizations combined healthcare research and development expertise.

"In devising comprehensive solutions to help fight the spread of HAIs, Clorox and Caltech conduct thorough market research with those on the front lines, including infection preventionists and environmental services, to gain deep insights into their needs and challenges," continued Stevenson. "As a result, were able to provide hospital professionals with a suite of effective surface disinfection tools to help reduce the spread of HAIs in their facilities." The powerful combination of Clorox and Caltech enables healthcare professionals to benefit from a strong, comprehensive solutions-oriented approach to infection prevention that includes best-in-class education, unbeatable product efficacy and innovation, and easy-to-use Implementation tools.

The Clorox® and DISPATCH® portfolio offering includes wipes for convenient one-step cleaning and disinfecting of clinical surfaces, multipurpose and terminal cleaning occasions, as well as liquid products for efficient broad surface coverage. Clorox® and DISPATCH® products are designed specifically for the healthcare setting by a research and development team of Ph.D. chemists. The ready-to-use disinfecting products are registered with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in all 50 states and contain a 1:10 sodium hypochlorite dilution the same dilution ratio that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for surface disinfection in the healthcare setting.

"Im delighted about this partnership with Clorox, a company with a strong brand name and a global reach," said Cathy Anders, general manager and managing director of Caltech. "The powerful combination of these two companies will foster accelerated growth and product innovation."