Moulton on pandemic: 'Next few months are going to be very difficult'

Hand in hand on Monday, Congressman Seth Moulton and his 22-month-old daughter Emmy walked the warehouse of Gloucester Bio, a company that has shifted production in order to meet a need during the pandemic.

Beginning as a supplier of yeast to alcohol distillers to help them produce ethanol, the company at 11 Dory Road shifted gears after the novel coronavirus pandemic made its way over the bridge and began to effect local businesses and community members.

The work that companies such as Gloucester Bio are doing to keep their communities healthy is paramount, as Moulton admitted that he doesn't expect this autumn to be any easier than the past five months. 

"My personal view is that the next few months are going to be very difficult," Moulton said. "I don't think that Massachusetts is going to be able to remain an island in the midst of this pandemic swirling all around us as a country."

He said he believes it is going to be hard for schools to reopen and a lot of businesses are either going to shut down or make big cuts in staff.

"I don't know if the economy is going to be able to survive on this paper-thin basis," Moulton said. "In challenge, there is always opportunity and this," he pointed to Gloucester Bio's founder and chief executive officer Jeffrey Beeny and his staff, "is an example of a company that has seen an opportunity to do good but also do well by doing good."

"But bottom line is that this is going to be a difficult fall for Massachusetts and for America and everyone has got to be prepared for that."

The two Moulton family members met with Beeny on Monday to discuss the company's decision to create the new product line of ethanol-based antimicrobial hand sanitizer.

"It is a great story right here in Gloucester," Moulton said. "You are going to make a difference in a lot of lives with the work that you are doing."

One of Massachusetts' approved vendors for hand sanitizer, Gloucester Bio has sold its brand in liquid, gel and foam to a variety of consumers including local hospitals.

To meet the demands of its new product, the 2015 startup company has installed a new 10,000 gallon storage tank that will enable Gloucester Bio to produce up to 14,000 gallons of hand sanitizer a day. 

"We are looking forward to helping keep Massachusetts healthy and safe," Beeny said.

Beeny said the company is currently applying for a state grant to acquire some equipment so it can bottle up to 15,000 containers of hand sanitizer a day.

"Massachusetts is a state known for innovation," Moulton said while standing next to the biotech company's new storage tank. "A lot of that innovation happens right here on the North Shore."