Boveda (company)

History

The technology behind Humidipak was co-engineered by Albert Saari, PhD, formulations chemist, and by Robert Esse, a high-level packaging expert in 1996. Saari and Esse both came from General Mills Corporation. The company was then founded in July 1, 1997. In December 1998, they were granted their first patent for 2-way humidity control. All of the 31-claims submitted to the U.S. Patent Office were accepted in the original patent. Since then, many international patents have also been awarded. In addition to the original patent, Humidipak has been awarded (or has submitted) several other patents relating to 2-way humidity control for packaging, including multi-purpose Humidipaks that manage moisture, absorb oxygen and control mold all in one pack.

In 2008, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars started to manufacture a custom-printed Humidipak humidity control packet in order to make the cigars properly humidified. Between 2010 and 2014, Ashton Distributors Inc., was the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Humidipak and Boveda brands for the premium cigar market. Boveda now self-distributes.

Humidipak Inc. was re-branded as Boveda Inc. in the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) 2012 convention.

Marketing and distribution

Numerous companies use the Boveda technology in their product packaging to maintain a precise relative humidity throughout the supply chain. Some companies that use Boveda technology for 2-way humidity control are Arturo Fuente, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Oliva, Padron, Swisher International, Altadis, CAO, Drew Estate, Toraño, Crux Cigars, EPC Cigar Co, Matilde Cigars, CLE Cigars, Nat Sherman and La Flor Dominicana. As of 2015, Boveda self-distributes their products for the premium cigar market in the United States. Internationally, Boveda has numerous distributors in Canada, South America, Southeast Asia & East Asia, Europe and South Africa. D'Addario distributes Boveda's line of Humidipak humidity control products for the music industry.

Market applications

The initial market application for Humidipak was engineered for premium cigars and came at a time when the cigar industry was in its glory years. In less than two years, Humidipak's technology was sold in over 1,000 tobacconists across the world and many of the world's top premium cigar brands adopted the technology as standard inclusion inside of every box and package shipped from the factory. As of 2014, Boveda is carried in over 2,500 stores globally.

Because 2-way humidity control is engineered to maintain a very specific, predetermined level of relative humidity (+/- 2% RH), the technology is being used to solve moisture related packaging problems for many different industries and applications.

Some of these new applications are herbal medicine and medical cannabis, wooden instruments, pet food, and electronics.

Boveda products are available in relative humidity (RH) levels ranging from 11% to 95% RH. Commercial formulas are currently available in the following RH levels: 11, 20, 32, 49, 50, 59, 62, 65, 67, 69, 72, 75, 78, 84, and 95%.

Patents

Boveda Inc. applied numerous US patents for their products and all have foreign equivalent patents on Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Humidity Control System for Wood Products

US Patent number US 8748723 , A humidity control device for use in maintaining the desired humidity for wood musical instrument, art objects and museum artifacts, the device including a water vapor permeable pouch and a saturated aqueous solution having a suitable humidity control point for use with these objects.

Humidity Control Device

US Patent number US 5936178 , is a humidity control device used for maintaining a desired humidity. The device includes a protective case, a water vapor permeable pouch and a thickened saturated solution, with the solution having a suitable humidity control point.

Humidity Control Device for Gun Cases

US Patent number US 6244432 , is a gun case humidity control device used for maintaining a desired humidity in the gun case. The device includes a protective case, a water vapor permeable pouch and a thickened saturated solution, with the solution having a suitable humidity control point.

Preservation of Intermediate Moisture Foods

US Patent number US 6921026 , is a humidity control device used for maintaining a desired humidity in packages of food. The device includes a protective case, a water vapor permeable pouch and a thickened saturated solution, the solution having a suitable humidity control point for use within a food container. The device further employs a combination of an oxygen scavenger system to stop mold growth with anaerobic conditions and/or a mold inhibitor in the filling of the pouch or preferentially printed on the outside of the pouch.