MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida factory is ready to roll, as it steps up production on a highly coveted commodity during the coronavirus pandemic.
As cases of COVID-19 began to be reported in the United States, toilet paper flew off the shelves. The ensuing shortage has turned into an internet sensation.
“Toilet paper has definitely gone viral. We never thought we’d see so many memes in social media,” said Juan Corzo of South Florida Tissue Paper Company in Miami Gardens. “Everybody is talking about it.”
The bathroom tissue craze has made people wonder about the motive behind it.
Corzo said he believes he knows the answer. In a word: comfort.
“People want to quarantine. They want to stay safe at home. Toilet paper is something you definitely want to have,” he said,
But how much is needed? Corzo said it’s way less than most people think.
“A 500-sheet roll is going to last you anywhere from two to three weeks, depending on the person,” he said.
Normally, employees at South Florida Tissue Paper make 120,000 rolls of toilet paper a day. Since the start of the pandemic, that number has shot up another 100,000.
That’s a whole lot of toilet paper, and Corzo said it’s been hard to keep up with the demand that’s given his business its biggest boost ever.
“Before coronavirus, we were receiving anywhere from three to four truckloads per day in orders. Right now we’re receiving anywhere from 30 to 40 truckloads,” he said. “This is nonstop. We keep working and working and working.”
But not all of these purchases have been for sanitary use. Hoarders and price gougers have made it harder for everyday people to buy their pack.
“I think that everybody should be fair, on how much they consume, on how much they sell the product for, so everybody can have a fair share,” said Corzo.
South Florida Tissue Paper Company is a family-run toilet paper factory. They’ve been in business since 1997.
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