We're starting to see the impact of the coronavirus shutdown on some companies, including material suppliers, who are seeing drops in demand and falling share prices.
On the flip side, publicly traded The Clorox Co. saw its quarterly sales grow 15 percent year over year for the January-March time period, with sales in its cleaning division — covering bleach, wipes and other household cleaning products — rising 32 percent.
"Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We're privileged to be in a position to serve the public health during this time," said Chairman and CEO Benno Dorer in a news release announcing the company's third-quarter results on May 1.
Clorox, based in Oakland, Calif., has some in-house production of bottles for its cleaning products and also is a big user of low density polyethylene for storage and trash bags.
The company expects organic sales growth of up to 8 percent for its 2019-20 fiscal year, up from earlier estimates from late 2019 of up to 2 percent organic growth.
Clorox officials added that it is making "temporary investments to support employees who are on the front lines involved in product manufacturing and shipping, including increased wages and benefits as well as enhanced operational safety measures."