A Laois businessman is centrally involved in bringing new cleaning products to the European market that will help in the fight against Covid-19.
Martin Crowley, who lives in Emo and has just recently finished his term as president of the Laois Chamber of Commerce, has teamed up with an American company to bring ‘microSURE’ to Europe.
This is a cleaning and disinfectant product that can give up to three months surface protection from a virus and up to eight hours protection on your hands. A new laundry product that will give long-lasting protection to garments is also set to be launched to the European market.
Mr Crowley initially had a meat distribution business Wilbay Ltd which he sold to Mallon Meats in 2016 after building it up to having an annual turnover of over €30 million.
Originally from West Cork he set up that business in 1999 from his home in Portlaoise and later moved it to Emo.
He has an Irish-based partner for the microSURE products and it’s understood they have agreements in place with pharmacy and hotel groups in Europe.
The Irish arm of the business – which is based from Mr Crowley’s home in Morette in Emo – is bringing in the vital raw ingredient from the USA and have an agreement in place with a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Ireland to produce and distribute it to the European market.
“microSURE Europe Ltd, a county Laois-based company has entered into a partnership agreement with US based firms Strategia and SKN Biophama to produce products for the European market that will provide protection for hands, skin, hard and soft surfaces in our homes and work places against harmful pathogens including Covid 19 for up to several months depending on touch frequency,” said a statement released today.
“Even more exciting is that microSURE also have a product range that are chemical free which also offer the same long lasting protection. All microSURE products have been tested and assessed as non-toxic, non-irritant, non-corrosive and food safe anti microbials.
“This partnership with the US companies has allowed microSURE Europe Ltd to manufacture the product for the European market in Ireland while at the same time being able to draw on the expertise of the US professionals that have developed such an exciting product.”
“The product itself was developed in America in 2008 for implants – steel fittings going into bodies,” explained Mr Crowley to LaoisToday.
“They coated it to prevent infections and then they further developed it in 2014 for various viruses with the Sars and they got up to 90 days protection on that against all common funguses and bacteria etc.
“Sars thankfully didn’t last. It kind of died down. So they never did anything until recently with Covid. In May or June I was made aware of the product and started to work with the Americans on it.”
“Microsure Surface products provide protection against harmful pathogens including Sars CoV 2, the virus strain in Covid 19 by creating a covalent bond on a surface once dry,” adds the statement.
“This covalent bond continues to protect surfaces depending on touch frequency for weeks and months ahead against harmful pathogen. It can be applied to both hard and soft surface.
“It can be applied to walls, doors and items like gym equipment, computer keyboards, credit card terminals to name but a few. It’s also works outdoor surfaces, in all types of weather which will provide protection for frequent used items like ATMs, petrol pumps dispensers and stadiums etc.
“Microsure Hand & Skin alcohol free products provide protection for up to eight hours, which is normally when skin begins to shed itself. This product has also the added benefit because of its bonding capabilities of reducing moisture lost from your skin.
“Microsure hand products will provide protection for example to our school going children, once applied in the morning, for the full school day with just one application and with the bonus of being chemical free and harmless to our environment.
“Microsure’s laundry product will give the hospitality sector the added reassurances for its customers that items such as bed linen, towels etc. are treated and protected.
“Tests results on the laundry product have demonstrated that the product is still providing protection to treated items in excess of 75 industrial washes.”
Mr Crowley accepted that if the product takes off “it could explode”. And he also said that for him personally it was more exciting than the initial days setting up Wilbay Ltd.
“The exciting point about this would be if we could have a role in bringing the country back to normality I’d be delighted with it.
“But I’d be very level headed. There’s always challenges in developing any business or any hiccups that come along.
“It’s probably more exciting (than Wilbay) to be truthful with you because it’s the potential of what it can do rather than the potential of what it can earn.”
For more information on their products, you can check out their products on www.microsure.eu.
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