TRADE ASSOCIATE MEMBER UPDATE

CATALYTIC GENERATORS, INC. HONES THE ART OF RIPENING

When the use of ethylene became popular to accelerate ripening of fruit, it had a few drawbacks. One of those was safety and another convenience.

FFVA Trade Associate Member Catalytic Generators, Inc. began to address those problems in 1973, when the company invented a new system that would allow the use of ethylene in ripening rooms without the bother and the risk.

"Before that, ethylene was only available in a cylinder," says Greg Akins, Catalytic Generators' current president and CEO. "You couldn't make it as you needed it, and that's what our product allows you to do, instead of having to store so much ethylene on site." Akins says the new systems are much safer, since ethylene is explosive and storing quantities on site can be risky.

Catalytic Generators' flagship system is called the Easy-Ripe Generator.

Today, the company provides tomato, banana and citrus producers, along with others like avocado and other tropical fruit companies, products that allow them to ripen their fruit to the degree specified by the buyer without the old risks.

The systems are also convenient and becoming more so as time goes by. The flagship system is called the Easy-Ripe Generator. You buy it, plug it in and pour in a quart or two of the company's Ethy-Gen II ripening concentrate. Adjust the ethylene output depending on room size, and let it go to work.

Carrying the concept further is the Centralized Ripening System, or CRS. This system allows ethylene to be disbursed to a number of rooms. It's convenient too, since the producer doesn't have to fill individual units for each room. "We actually install the CRS," says Akins. "It transports the liquid through a system of tubes to individual generators. So when you need to ripen, you simply turn a machine on," he said. This system has been successful with many of the company's customers since 1997.

But the latest development is the Smart-Ripe Generator. "We've talked to some of our Florida tomato producer customers about this, and they're pretty excited," Akins says. The Smart-Ripe is an extension of the CRS with computer networking capabilities. It contains a microprocessor that communicates with the company via the Internet.

The Smart-Ripe generator contains a microprocessor that communicates with the company via the Internet.

"All they have to do is plug it in. The machine will grab an Internet connection and report back to us every five minutes with the operating status of the generator, as well as the temperature and the humidity of the ripening room," said Akins. If a generator malfunctions, or if a room's temperature or humidity levels exceed parameters, Catalytic Generators receives an email. They call the customer and take the necessary measures to correct the situation. The system is expected to debut around January 1, 2006. "We're doing some trials right now and it seems to be going well," Akins said.

Other new developments for Catalytic Generators include a secure customer section of their informative and well-designed website, www.catalyticgenerators.com. Once the Smart-Ripe Generator is available, it will allow customers who have purchased it to log in and look at the status of their generators online. "That's something else that contributes to the customer's peace of mind," said Akins.

Akins has been with Catalytic Generators since 1994. He says they have about 20 employees at their Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. They also have distributorships in several foreign countries.

For more information about the company's products, log on to their website or use the contact information below.