 MEMPHIS, Tenn. AP Vanguard Soap was founded in 1943 at the height of World War II and was immediately part of the national wartime infrastructure. For only the second time in the companys history, its being called on to maintain production, both as a critical piece of the defense industry because it makes components used in ammunition by the U.S. Army, and by the Department of Homeland Security. An entire nation washing its collective hands for 20 seconds each, numerous times a day, burns through a lot of soap. Vanguard shareholder Ken Roberts looks at the new output levels from the plant at Brooks Road and South Third and shakes his head. Stores all over the country are out of product: Costco, Target, Walgreens and grocery chains, he said. Theyre seeing anywhere from a 50 to 200 increase in sales. We were on target to do around 70 million bars this year before this came up, he continued. Who knows now. We have to hope our raw material supply chain doesnt get disrupted. Its not there yet, but 45 days ago, there was no sign about every college student in the country getting sent home. Were managing through a lot of unknowns right now. Vanguard manufactures soaps for private labels sold in every big-name pharmacy, grocery and big-box chain in the nation. Besides those names, which it doesnt reveal, it produces Costcos signature Kirkland soaps and millions of units of liquid soaps, also for private labels. As a critical industry, Vanguard is required to maintain normal production in the midst of a virus surge now threatening every industry in the nation. In anticipation of its own shortfall, on Friday March 27, the U.S. government set up the framework for how civil service workers will apply for... 