OUR JOURNEY
Here is a Quck Look at how we got here.
– The Origin: 2002 –
We'd have preferred a simple story. The startup dream story of instant success where our products were launched, understood and became the industry standard overnight.
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​That is not our story. Ours has speedbumps, twists and turns. But it’s our story and this is how we got here,
​The line of Air Purification solutions you see on this site today were first developed back in 1999. At the time, members of our team worked at NOAH Systems where they had created an innovative imaging machine to photograph printed circuit boards (PCB). PCBs are sensitive to electrostatic discharge and can fail if not properly handled or protected.
At the time, clean rooms were not available. Whenever dust (and other particles) would settle on to a PCB, the board would be damaged and the image would be poor….the ultimate lose-lose situation.
In an effort to prevent this scenario from unfolding, NOAH Systems developed a portable clean room concept that could be used with the imaging machine. This air filter solution was developed in a 4.5 ft tall cylinder.
Unfortunately, PCB companies were not among the early adopters and NOAH Systems needed to blaze a new trail.
And with that, our journey into air purification truly began...
After striking out with PCB companies, we discovered in our research a host of personal and professional applications for air purification solutions. We had started creating a shorter unit in early 2003 to complement the taller unit we had previously developed.
We weren’t sure exactly what industries to start with but 2 big things happened in 2003 that changed our plans and perspective:
1. The SARS Outbreak in the Spring of 2003: This global outbreak affected 24 countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) was a viral respiratory illness that was caused by a coronavirus, called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). While it was contained later that year, it shut down travel in some countries, limited travel in other countries and got people talking about airborne pathogens and masks.
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2. Devastating wildfires in CA: In the fall of 2003, thousands of homes in Southern CA were destroyed. Those fortunate enough to still have a home standing were not able to return home due to the terrible air quality in the area. Some of these folks starting reaching out to us to see if we could help clean the air in their home so they could continue to live their rather than being relocated or moving into temporary housing.
We felt our portable clean room concept could help so we called them Air-Aid. Given these new applications and industries, we changed their classification from portable clean rooms to air purifiers and air sanitizers.
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Units with HEPA and charcoal filters were called air purifiers as they took care of smells and particles. Units that also included germicidal UV bulb were called air sanitizers as they could assist with select pathogens and viral threats. These units had casters, which allowed them to be positioned strategically and offer 360 degree protection.
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By the Fall of 2003, a Press Release was issued and sales and marketing efforts began. We began receiving inquiries as the wildfires hit Southern California and were featured in our local newspaper at the time.
From there, we started learning of air quality related issues. This included everything from sick buildings to individuals with allergies and asthma to environmental / industrial issues. We assisted some families who were struggling with the fallout from the wildfires.
We also started receiving inquiries from customers who were dealing with environmental allergens and workplace air quality issues. This included OSHA related safety and compliance issues and helping employers who had staff getting sick from exposure to mold, dust (from papers, currency) and other airborne threats.
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​From 2003 to 2008, we were assisting with everything from casinos [link to story] to pet stores [link to story] to medical offices to schools and post disaster environments [link to story]. As we solved customer pain points and problems, new doors opened up.
This fueled new innovative two new product ideas.
A wearable device was designed in 2005. The concept was an air protection device that could protect the air around you on a plane flight from LA to New York. We called it the Zoen Personal Air Purifier. At the time, air protection for flights and in crowded spaces was deemed a futuristic and crazy idea.
A breakthrough came two years later as we worked on integrating the Zoen into Victorinox (AKA Swiss Army) clothing as they were exploring multi-functional apparel. A first of its kind Air Purifier jacket was built with a hose sewn into the jacket that delivered clean air to the face. This awesome concept turned into a reality but sadly the world was not ready to embrace it. It did get the attention of Wired Magazine in 2009 at the time though the idea was ridiculed by some.
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2. A wall mounted unit was designed in 2006 that could hide behind a picture frame. This unit would deliver clean air while taking up no floor space. Originally the idea was for museums, living rooms and doctors officers. It was simple, straightforward and provided air purification in a discreet fashion. We were ready to enter the production phase but...
It became clear that lots of education was needed for people to understand airborne threats as they are invisible and hard to understand. We had made modifications to the design of the original floor units and offered only one unit. This new hybrid unit was a medium size (relative to the other two) and was much easier to ship and service. This new flat (as opposed to circular design) was less susceptible to damages in shipping and allowed customers to replace filters easily in the field. The Zoen unit was intriguing but people wanted a better hose / mask solution. We were slowly but surely racking up new and exciting use cases and success stories but a separate company we started at the same time was growing 30% a year...and continued to do so for the next 10 years. This other company focused on life-saving Public Safety lighting solutions. This other company did extensive work with public safety departments in integrating lighting solutions into life-saving applications. More and more time and resources were shifting away from NOAH Systems to assist these lighting efforts.
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NOAH Systems decreased sales and marketing efforts but continued with Engineering and R&D. We continued to fill and service orders as they came in. We did assist agencies across the country in infectious disease control solutions and discussed those along with some of the wavelength-specific solutions from our other company. ​New air purifications solutions were created and we thought...."one day we will launch them".
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--AND HERE WE ARE--
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And with that, 2020 rolled around. The original Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that helped fuel us with air purification solutions now had morphed into a more dangerous variant COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). We had literally come full circle and people had seen some of the old purifiers online and began reaching out asking if we had solutions available.
We were excited to help given the HUGE need and tremendous awareness in the marketplace. We thought we were back in business but EPA regulations had changed tremendously since the time we started producing solutions.
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​Rather than ignoring the rules and producing solutions right away, we’re doing things the right way and following guidelines. This has meant lots of paperwork and steps to follow but it is what is needed to do it the right way. We are here for the long haul and committed to doing what it takes to offer customers a safe and effective product. Is it frustrating sitting by and waiting? Yes. That said, we have worked tirelessly to be in a position to offer new solutions.
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​We now have a full line-up of premium solutions and have changed our name and strategy to better assist. We even produced two new wall units...the one mentioned above and a more compact model.
Our mission is simple...design the most effective air purification solutions for personal and professional markets because lives and jobs are on the line. We are here to help and to serve so please let us know how we can assist. We are also committed to making these units here in the USA. This means faster turnaround times and US based customer support.
​We hope you have a better understanding of where we've been and where we're going. Thanks for reading about our journey and we are here to help and serve. Please reach out to a team member today and they'll gladly assist and recommend items based upon your specific needs and situation.