Heating Up

Need a hot cup of joe to get your caffeine fix, but donn't have a coffeemaker or mocrowave handy? Tempra Technologies in southern Manatee County is working to solve that problem for you. Tempra holds 36 patents worldwide for self-heating and self-cooling technology. Tempra expects it's first product to hit the retail market by late spring 2006. The technology heats packages in three to four minutes. "We've invented a way to warm up and chill down cups and package, so in places where you don't have access to a microwave, or refrigerator, this technology will open up a whole new market," says Barney Guarino, Tempra's president and CEO.

Nestlé launched a similar product several years ago in Europe, but despite brisk sales, the effort quickly failed because it took more than eight minutes for the packages to become only lukewarm. Tempra also envisions medical, therapeutic, sports medicine veterinary and military uses for the technology. Conversations with the U.S. Department of Defense are underway.

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