Vitalis Extraction Technologies celebrated its 100th hire with a celebration event in Kelowna today.
The company has expanded quickly since it was founded in 2016 and now has four facilities in the Okanagan to help provide local and global businesses with their extraction technology needs.
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CO2 extraction systems — the main product constructed by the company — are often used by businesses to help create a multitude of end products from organic matter, including cannabis products.
Human resource manager Treena Harley said the event on Tuesday has been a while in the making.
“We actually have 105 employees, but we haven’t been able to get all the owners together at this location until today. We’re putting on some speeches, a video, a food truck, some drinks and some floor hockey for the celebration.”
Harley highlighted the increased headcount will also make it easier for the company to recruit more people and to convert more regional and global sales quicker.
Co-Founder Pete Patterson said there are multiple steps that go on in the extraction process from their systems.
“(The system) can be used on any biomass that can go into the extraction vessel. We used the pressurized and heated C02 to wash over the biomass which strips off everything such as oil, turpines, fats, waxes and antioxidants.”
“After it collects the biomass downstream in another vessel, we evaporate the C02 off and you’re left with a leftover organic biomass.”
The company constructs all of the components to their machines regionally — which include fabrication, assembly, sales and marketing and research development facilities across Kelowna.
The company officially reached the 100th employee milestone on September 16th.