Specialty HVAC-R design/Build Firm Is a “Fast Track” 2009 Winner
Air Innovations was named the ninth fastest growing small business in Central New York during “Fast Track” 2009 awards presentation in Syracuse, NY. The Central New York Business Journal’s annual Fast Track competition, sponsored by the accounting firm of Fust Charles Chambers LLP CPAs and HSBC Bank USA, N.A., was based on corporate revenues and employment levels for the past three fiscal years. Sponsors credited the 21 winners being “the collective engine that is leading the region to economic prosperity.” They included manufacturers, high-tech companies, banks, retail and professional services firms, representing the diverse economy found in the 16-county Central New York region that extends from the Canadian border to Binghamton.
Air Innovations President and CEO Michael Wetzel, P.E. attributed the company’s growth and success to AI’s “diverse customer base, a committed management team driving divisional and departmental momentum, cross-trained factory workers and partnerships with vendors that help the company source components that solve our clients’ needs.”
Wetzel also credited Air Innovations’ accomplishments to “our specialized product expertise in building environmental control systems for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and facility enhancements that gave us more flexibility in accommodating higher production volumes,” Wetzel added. “We also identified and applied for grants that underwrote continued technology development on two product lines that have significant market share potential.” Additional investment in intellectual property protection for these new products ensures they are well positioned for strategic growth, he said.
The company’s focus is on the design, test and manufacture of products that require precise control of temperature, humidity, pressure, and air filtration. “We don’t provide “commercial-off-the-shelf” products; instead, we take a value-added approach to client engagements, developing and producing engineering content that meets our clients’ individualized and demanding specifications, such as explosion proofing, filtration that achieves parts-per-million levels, temperature control to 0.01°C, and humidity control to 0.5% stability,” Wetzel explained. “We are experts at environmental control systems that need to work under a variety of challenging conditions, from +40°C and full sunlight to
-40°C and utter darkness, for manufacturers of satellite dishes, solar panels, medical devices, and unmanned guided vehicles, among others. Oftentimes, our technology has to conform to small dimensions, from about the size of microwave, but we also have built systems that are as large as two-car garage. These HVAC-R packages must be able to tolerate stringent reliability and compatibility standards, as well.”
Air Innovations President and CEO Mike Wetzel receives Fast Track 2009 award on behalf of the company, which was named 9th fastest growing small business in the 16-county Central New York region by the CNY Business Journal.
Air Innovations President and CEO Mike Wetzel tours the company’s 40,000 sq. ft. facility. AI’s products are designed and built to withstand environmental conditions that range from -40° to +40°C, and many of them operate in blizzards, sandstorms or driving rain. System feature cooling capacities from fractional tonnage to 25+ tons as well as customized heating, filtration, humidification and pressurization.