Givaudan finds Room to Breathe

You think your job stinks? Chances are, the 200+ employees at the state-of-the-art product testing center at Givaudan Fragrance and Flavor’s new East Hanover headquarters have got you beat. It’s the job of the scientists who work in and around the multiple airtight glass-walled rooms of this facility to verify the claims of scented products ranging from air fresheners and to laundry detergent. If that Glade Plug-In really does last 30-60 days, these guys will be among the first to know.

Formerly located in Teaneck, Givaudan’s Consumer Products Fragrance Creative Division relocated last month to the new 150,000 square foot facility to allow their team, quite literally, room to breathe. “There are many noses here,” said project manager Steve Andersen, of Montroy Andersen and DeMarco, the lead architectural firm behind the $28 million renovation. “Noses that know chemistry.”

The renovation began more than a year ago, and involved gutting the two existing buildings, then installing new electrical, plumbing and—significantly–HVAC systems engineered to meet the strict requirements necessary for the numerous impermeable odor booths used for the scent research. “The HVAC systems can’t contaminate each other,” said Andersen.

The bank of airtight glass-walled rooms allow the researchers to inhale a pure fragrance without outside odor contamination. The evaluator can waft the fragrance directly in the room or through a special porthole outside the room. A push of a button sucks out the odor and, after about 10 minutes, the room is ready for its next concoction, Lewis said.

In addition to the Ridgedale Avenue site, Givaudan has two other locations in Morris County: Merry Lane in East Hanover and 300 Waterloo Valley Road in Mount Olive.