Rita Floyd-Vester, husband Csaba Vester along with their children each holding the Flatbox lunchboxes they invented

By: Sharon Aron Baron

Coral Springs resident Rita Floyd-Vester knows a lot about germs. Being a mother of three and a teacher at Lighthouse Christian School, she maintains a hygienic classroom and home in order to provide an environment that is “germ-free” for her students and family.

Unfortunately, her students were still getting sick from the common cold, flus, and viruses. This concerned teacher started doing some research and found that one of the germiest place in a school is the lunch room cafeteria tables, the very spot kids put their lunch on when they ate.

Floyd Vester was determined to do something about this problem. That is when her ingenuity and steadfast determination went to work and the FlatBox-LunchBox….as well as an entrepreneur was born.

The Flatbox converts into a placemat, providing a clean surface to eat on.

The students in her class participated in the creation of the lunchbox which folds out to be a placemat to shield food from the bacteria and germs that lurk on the surfaces of cafeteria tables. They helped choose the designs and eagerly starred in video clips demonstrating the product.

“There were many lessons taught during the process of taking my idea and making it into a reality. The students learned about patents, trade-shows, and most of all, that determination and hard work pay off,” said Floyd-Vester.

In March this year, Floyd-Vester brought the Flatbox to the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago and was the winner in the tabletop category for innovative products. Her students were so thrilled to see their teacher on local news stations speaking about the FlatBox. They even saw her when WPLG Local 10 came to visit her in their classroom.

School is just around the corner. Currently the FlatBox-Lunchbox is available on at www.Solvetta.com and will also be at several retail stores worldwide for next school season. Floyd-Vester says that If you’d like to buy this innovative lunchbox and support local residents, then go there now.

“Your kids will have a very unique and germ-free lunch experience.”