, ▁as ▁designed ▁by ▁the ▁b acter i ologist ▁and ▁chem ist ▁August e ▁de ▁Bav ay . ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Belg ium , ▁De ▁Bav ay ▁had ▁worked ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁bre wer ies ▁( including ▁F ost ers , ▁Sw an , ▁Cas cade , ▁Carl ton ▁and ▁United ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁min ing ▁industry , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁paper ▁industry . ▁He ▁had ▁designed ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁ore - ext raction ▁technique ▁of ▁the ▁" sk in " ▁or ▁" film " ▁fl ot ation ▁process , ▁pat ented ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁" the ▁Sul ph ide ▁Problem ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁de ▁Bav ay ▁was ▁asked ▁by ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Def ence ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁ac et one ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁cord ite ▁manufact ure , ▁and ▁in ▁two ▁weeks ▁he ▁had ▁developed ▁a ▁process ▁to ▁fer ment ▁and ▁dist il ▁mol ass es . ▁He ▁was ▁later ▁asked ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁Col ms lie ▁factory , ▁which ▁had ▁a ▁well - equ ipped ▁chemical ▁and ▁b acter i ological ▁labor atory . ▁His ▁son , ▁Francis ▁X avier ▁de ▁Bav ay , ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁factory . ▁ ▁The ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁factory ▁was ▁about ▁. ▁Production ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁with ▁ 3 0 ▁employees , ▁and ▁continued ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁ended , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁lay ▁up ▁reserve ▁supplies . ▁When