Wilbur Curtis Supports UC DAVIS Coffee Center
MONTEBELLO, Calif. – Wilbur Curtis Co., an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of coffee and tea brewing equipment, has pledged $250,000 to the University of California, Davis to support the university’s expanding Coffee Center. The donation is the first by Wilbur Curtis to a major academic institution.
The UC Coffee Center will be the first multidisciplinary university research center in the world devoted to post-harvest research of coffee. By applying a rigorous academic framework to research and education in coffee science the center is slated to elevate the entire coffee industry.
“With over 75 years of coffee knowledge under our belts, we know that, with the help of UC Davis, the next 75 years will bring us an enhanced understanding of coffee that will continue to revolutionize the industry and benefit our customers,” said Patrick Curtis, the company’s business development manager. “We are excited to partner with the UC Davis Coffee Center to help advance our knowledge of the most popular beverage on the planet.”
The gift will contribute to the renovation of a 6,000-square-foot building for the new Coffee Center, which will include a pilot roastery, an experimental green bean storage facility, a sensory analysis laboratory, advanced analytical labs, as well as classroom and office space. An outdoor patio event space, intended to host coffee tastings and coffee-industry events, will be named in Curtis’ honor.
A leader in the foodservice industry for over 75 years, the Wilbur Curtis Company is a premier manufacturer of state-of-the-art coffee and tea brewing equipment, including the world-renowned Gemini® and ThermoPro® G4 Brewing Systems, and the Curtis Gold Cup™ single cup coffee brewer.
Photo: Students in UC Davis’ “Design of Coffee” class. The popular class uses coffee roasting and brewing to teach basic principles of chemical engineering. It is part of the recently established UC Davis Coffee Center, which aims to expand research and teaching on post-harvest coffee. Photo credit: Gregory Urquiaga, UC Davis.