GOJO Industries: 75 Years of Ingenuity and Innovation

The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

From its founding in 1946, ingenuity and innovation have been at the heart of GOJO Industries. At the time, tire and rubber manufacturers in Akron were cleaning their hands with harsh chemicals. So founders Goldie and Jerry Lippman created a one-step, rinse-off hand cleaner as a solution. Purell Hand Sanitizer would follow in 1988. Now in its 75th year, GOJO Industries is the Akron area\'s largest private employer with more than 2,500 people in the city and in outlying facilities.\r\n\r\nGOJO is no stranger to viral surges, but when the COVID pandemic hit in early 2020, scientists and epidemiologists raced to understand the novel virus. Demand for cleaning and sanitizing products surged and GOJO was thrust into the national spotlight. In response, GOJO invested more than $400M in capacity expansion and vertical integration, and more than doubled the number of its locations in Northeast Ohio to meet the unprecedented demand for its products. They prioritized first responders and the healthcare community--all to help to save lives.\r\n\r\nCarey Jaros began her relationship with GOJO as a Board Director in 2014. Then in 2016, Carey joined GOJO full-time to lead Innovation, Marketing, and Enterprise Strategy, and shortly thereafter was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, before being named President and CEO in January 2020.\r\n\r\nJoin us in-person at the City Club to hear from Carey Jaros on how she successfully led GOJO Industries during the early days of COVID-19 pandemic, staying flexible today, and what\'s next after 75 years of innovation.