BREATH O’ PINE TEAMS UP WITH PRIORITY LOGISTIC SERVICES (PLS) TO HELP FLORIDA HURRICANE VICTIMS CLEAN UP
PLS Delivers 1,800-Bottle Donation of Surface Cleaner/Disinfectant to UMCOR EffortTuckahoe, NY – September 10, 2004: Brondow, Inc. today announced that it has partnered with Priority Logistic Services – a total logistics management company – to deliver 1,800 bottles of its cleaning products to the victims of Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Frances. The First United Methodist Church in Brandenton, FL will accept the donation as part of the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s (UMCOR) disaster response effort. UMCOR will immediately begin distributing the products – 900 bottles of Breath O’ Pine multi-purpose pine cleaner/disinfectant and 900 bottles of Clean and Fresh multi-purpose cleaner – to the residents in the areas devastated by one of the worst double hurricane strikes on Florida in more than 100 years.
On September 5th, Hurricane Frances made landfall on Florida’s Atlantic Coast with winds of 105 mph and then slowly crawled across the state, inundating regions already devastated by Hurricane Charley with up to 15 inches of rain. On August 13th, Charley cut a path of destruction through Central and Southern Florida, destroying countless homes, flooding others; and according to the Insurance Information Institute, causing an estimated $7.4 billion in damages to insured property alone.
“Our hearts go out to the victims of these terrible disasters,” said Tim Kelley, President of Brondow, Inc. “As a 61-year-old family run company, we have a large number of customers who grew up with Breath O’ Pine in the Northeast and have since relocated to Florida. Many of those loyal customers were in the direct path and personally affected by these storms. Recognizing this, we are committed to helping those customers – who we consider part of our extended family – as well as their neighbors to clean up in the aftermath of these storms.”
“Priority Logistic Services has generously agreed to support our effort by donating its logistics management expertise to coordinate and cover delivery costs of shipping the product to Florida,” said Kelley. “While we can’t erase the damage and destruction, we hope our products will make it easier for Floridians to get their homes and lives back together.”
“We are in dire need of cleaning and disinfectant products,” said Reverend Richard Nussel, Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, and Sarasota District Disaster Response Coordinator. “The Myakka City area has experiencing significant flooding and damage. To date, we have distributed over 4,000 five gallon flood buckets with basic cleaning supplies and bleach. This donation by the folks at Breath O’ Pine is very much appreciated and will greatly help our effort to assist residents in the massive cleanup after Charley and Frances; and Ivan should the storm affect Florida. We’ll continue to be involved with rebuilding from hurricane and flood damage as long as it takes in all of our Florida communities.”
About UMCOR
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the not-for-profit humanitarian agency of The United Methodist Church. Since 1940 UMCOR’s mission – providing relief in disaster areas, aiding refugees and confronting the challenge of world hunger and poverty – has helped to heal the hurts of humanity in nearly 100 countries. UMCOR maintains a corps of trained disaster response specialists for quick reinforcement of national efforts and keeps a supply of relief materials in warehouses for dispatch when and where required. UMCOR is currently responding in Florida as well as in Cuba and other US coastal regions affected by the violence of the storms.Individuals or organizations interested in coordinating a group to assist with Hurricane Charley and Frances relief and recovery efforts can call UMCOR's toll-free volunteer hotline at 1-800-918-3100. Volunteers may also contact the Florida Storm Recovery Center at 1-800-282-8011, extension 149. The Florida Conference recovery team now has an email address: StormRecovery@flumc.org.
1920s Cleaning Innovation
Invented in the 1920s, Breath O’ Pine has been sold in grocery, hardware and other retail outlets since the 1940s, and is one of the industry leaders based on pine oil concentration. More than 75 million bottles have been sold in stores throughout the East Coast since the product first became commercially available.In addition to having one of the highest concentrations of pine oil among the leading, nationally marketed pine cleaners, Breath O’ Pine is the oldest family-owned pine-oil based cleaning brand in the industry.
The product that became the basis of Brondow’s Breath O’ Pine product was first developed by chemist Edward J. Kelley in the family’s Mt. Vernon, NY home during the mid-1920s. Made from a combination of high concentration pine oil, soaps and other ingredients, the product was highly effective in dissolving grease, dirt and other heavy stains.
During the late 1920s, Kelley’s product, which was marketed under the brand name No Grit, was sold in Bronx-area gas stations as a surface cleaner. No Grit was recognized for its superior ability to remove heavy automotive stains and grease from a variety of hard surfaces. As consumers increasingly became aware of the product’s cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing performance – and its natural insect repellent qualities – No Grit quickly became a hit, attracting the attention of local retailers.
No Grit was renamed Breath O’ Pine in 1943. Breath O’ Pine has since grown into a widely recognized household name, joining the ranks of such other well-known 60-year-old brands as Krispy Kreme (1997), Jeep (2001) and Coach (2001). But unlike these companies, Breath O’ Pine is one of the few remaining family-owned brands in America.
Available in the 15 and 28-oz bottles, Breath O’ Pine is among the top 10 selling pine cleaners in the New York Market. According to ACNeilsen, Americans spent more than $3 billion in household cleaning products in 2002. Liquid, all-purpose cleaners including pine and multi-purpose cleaners led the category last year with nearly $800 million in sales.
Why Pine Oil?
Pine oil, which is derived synthetically and from a distillation process of the wood and needles of pine trees, is commonly found in numerous household products. Most commonly recognized for its cleaning properties, pine oil is effective in removing heavy grease and surface stains. The fragrant oil also has natural insect repellent properties and is a limited disinfectant against gram-negative household germs such as those that commonly cause food poisoning. Breath O’ Pine contains one of the highest concentrations of pine oil among the leading, nationally marketed pine cleaners.Going Beyond Breath O’ Pine
Over the past several years, Brondow has built a strong franchise of household, hard surface cleaners in addition to Breath O’ Pine. This line includes such value-brand pine-based cleaners as Clean Pine as well as a complete line of value brand multipurpose cleaners marketed and distributed under the name Clean and Fresh.Brondow has retail distribution throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic and is the private label pine cleaner manufacturer for such leading retailers as Stop & Shop, ShopRite and other major supermarkets. The Company develops and markets innovative household cleaners and disinfectant products.
About Priority Logistic Services
Priority Logistic Services is a privately held company established in 1996 specializing in quality logistical services to the advertising industry. Headquartered in Spring Hill, TN, Priority Logistic Services incorporates transportation expertise, a strong commitment to service, access to more than 10,000 freight companies nationwide; and proprietary state-of-the-art computer tracking software to properly plan and move freight at the most affordable cost.Additional information about Brondow, Breath O’ Pine or the locations of the many retailers carrying the products is available by calling 914-961-9026, or on the internet at www.breathopine.com. More information about Priority Logistic Services is available by calling 800-880-1958 or online at www.prioritylogistic.com.
* Breath O’ Pine is a limited disinfectant against gram-negative intestinal bacteria, including
those that commonly cause food poisoning.