C-Vista is a company located in Central Florida that purchases bi-products of fruits called “oils”to create new chemical solutions. The solutions and powders they develop are then used in the development of new perfumes and fragrances, and occasionally in the artificial flavoring found in Tropicana drinks and/or the food coloring in cereals and breakfast snacks. Recently, the company has been developing Nootkatone, a solution derived from citrus fruits such as grapefruits and oranges. Nootkatone is one of the main ingredients in a new natural insect repellent. If not diluted, the raw form of Nookatone will burn the skin.
I was very fortunate to go behind the scenes and tour the C-Vista operations. One of the Project Managers whom I met described several of the design elements that went into building the company. One important cogitative decision he said was to keep all computer servers separate and in different buildings, especially those used for operating the cooking stills and reserve tanks. The computer servers used for Human Resources operations he said, such as for e-mail were located in other buildings. This decision he said was also deemed important so that the entire company would not rely on one server in case of system error.
I also learned that the building was constructed with tilt walls. At C-Vista, 68 foot concrete walls that now contain the tanks and stills were first poured on the ground. After being cured, the walls were lifted, or “titled” into position by a giant crane from hooks cemented into the wall, and then braced until the remaining walls were set. The walls surrounding the stills and other brewery type equipment are climate controlled.
In 2011, the CBS news program 60 minutes produced a segment about another company similar to C-Vista called Givauden, whose tag line is “Engaging the Senses.” The TV segment gave viewers new insights into the foods that we eat and why it is important for anyone who is interested in living more healthy to be informed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Wh3uq1yTc
