InkJet, Inc.

The Client

InkJet, Inc. is a Texas-based supplier of industrial printers and manufacturer of high quality printing inks and fluids for the packaging industry.

The Situation

The global COVID-19 pandemic impacted many businesses, and InkJet, Inc. was no exception. InkJet, Inc. had been in business for 30 years and had created not just a company but a family. The company’s owner worried that she would have difficulty retaining employees throughout the pandemic; she wanted every employee to keep their job. She understood that being classified as an essential business was key to Inkjet Inc.’s ability to stay open as states began to mandate the closure of non-essential businesses. 

The Challenge

InkJet Inc.’s owner had to quickly determine a path forward, pivoting her company’s focus from printing inks to manufacturing other products that would allow them to continue operations. And once they created a new product, they had to quickly determine how to sell it to the masses — both to businesses and consumers.

The Solution

InkJet Inc.’s owner and CEO met to discuss possible options for moving forward and realized that many of the chemicals they used in their industrial inks and fluids were the same chemicals found in hand sanitizer, with the addition of a few ingredients. Running tests in the lab over two days, they found they could produce liquid hand sanitizer — meaning that InkJet, Inc. would be considered an essential business and that the company could help in the fight against COVID. Within 72 hours, they were in full production of liquid hand sanitizer.

Working with technical partner Igility Solutions, the team made critical adjustments to the existing e-commerce site to support various hand sanitizer packaging configurations. Within a week, InkJet, Inc. quickly pivoted its operations and began selling hand sanitizer through the e-commerce channel.

Acquia Cloud made it easy for staff to manage the site, streamlining the process for keeping test environments up to date and allowing for continuous development with rapid code deployment from test to production.

The Results

InkJet, Inc. was able to quickly shift its operations so that it could be considered an essential business that was able to remain open during the pandemic. Not only did the company successfully deliver an incredibly valuable product to individuals and businesses during one of the most trying times in recent history, but every employee kept their job. Additionally, InkJet, Inc. hired 20-25 new part-time/temporary employees to keep up with demand. 

While printer and ink sales dropped during the height of the pandemic, online sales of hand sanitizer pushed the company’s revenue higher than what was initially forecasted. InkJet, Inc. made a profit during the pandemic — something that would not have been possible without a flexible e-commerce solution that was quickly adapted to a new product line. 

Specific hand sanitizer donations and sales include:

Hand sanitizer donations (approximate):

• 160 gallons donated to the Navajo Nation hospital
• 80 gallons donated to local fire departments, police departments and hospitals
• 80 gallons donated to local school districts

 

Hand sanitizer sales:

 

• 1,325 units sold online in various sizes from 2 ounces to 55 gallons
• Tens of thousands of gallons sold, includes high profile sales to the FDA and other government agencies
• $163,000 in e-commerce sales
• Additional $250,000 in offline sales