• Floratech

• CleanroomSystems

• WineGuardian

• OEMandCustomProducts

Summer 2006 • 20th Anniversary Edition

Air Innovations beginsyear-long celebration!

Agalareceptionforcompanyfriends,customersand suppliers,andafun-filledpicnicforemployees andtheirfamiliesonMonday,July31kicksoffayearofplannedeventstohonorAirInnovations’20thyearofoperation.ThecompanywasfoundedonJuly31,1986,asFloratechIndustriesbyJimKelly,JohnSimkoSr.andA.JamesEdgar.(Chairman)Larryand(President)MikeWetzelgainedacontrollinginterestinthecompanyin1996,andtotalownershipin1997.ThenamechangetoAirInnovationscameaboutinJuly2001. Theoriginalcompanyevolvedoverthepasttwodecadesbydesignandacquisitiontobecomealeaderinnichemarketenvironmentalcontrol.AirInnovationsdeliversextensivetemperature,pressure,humidificationandaircleaningexper-tisetoallitsdivisions.Theseinclude:Floratech,floraldis-playmerchandisingsystems;CleanroomSystems,cleanroomandmini-environmentairconditioningunits;WineGuard-ian,self-containedairconditioningproductsforwinecellars;IsolationAir,portableisolationunitsdesignedforincrementalorsurgecapacityapplications;and,theCustom/OEMline. Duringtheanniversaryyear,AirInnovationsanticipatesrollingoutits10,000thunitsincethefoundingofthecompa-ny.Inaddition,therewillbespecialemployeerecognitions,includinganewprogramofserviceawardshonoring5-year,10-year,15-yearand20-yeartenures.

Company’s first employeealso celebrates 20th anniversaryFloratech’sfirstofficialemployeeatthecompany’sinceptionin1986continuestoworkasanAirInnovationsengineer. “FounderJimKellyandIstartedFloratechonhisdiningroomtableandinmybasement,”recallsGaryCunningham.Hereminiscesaboutthechallengeandthesometimesday-to-dayexistenceoftheyoungcompany.Workinglateintothenighttomeetdeadlines,strugglingtodevelopnewcustom-ers,anddesigningnewproductsformedalastingfriendshipbetweenthetwomenandtheirfamilies. “Itwasthrillingandoftenscary,”commentsCunningham,“butIalwayskeptthefaithandherewearetoday.”Hepar-ticularlyremembersoneafternoonwhendeadlineshadbeenmetsoKellydecidedtoclosetheplantdownandtakealltheemployeesforaroundofgolf.“Itwaslikeasmallfamily,”hesaid,“weallhadtodowhatneededtobedone.”Gary Cunningham, AI’s first employee

July 31, 1986Floratech Industries, Inc. incorporated

February 16, 1996Larry and Mike Wetzel acquire controlling interest from Jim Kelly

May 1996Low profile modular design introduced with Boundary Layer Airflow

April 1997HEPAir cleanroom ac units introduced

July 1997Floratech wins $1.25 million contract for 200 modular refrigeration displays

Winter 1998Contract from New England Wine Cellars to manufacture wine cooling units

August 1990Floratech receives order for 500 Petal Protector floral coolers

Wine Guardianintroduces newproductThispastquarter,WineGuardiandevelopedahumidifierthatcanbemountedtoanyWineGuardianunitorcanbeusedasastand-alonefeaturewithinawinecellar.Thestand-aloneisidealforcellarsthatcurrentlyhaveHVACbutneedhumidification. Thestand-alonehumidifiercanbeusedwithanyair-conditioningsystemandcanbemountedthroughthewallorwithinthecellarusingthesuppliedmountingbracket.Thestand-alonekitincludesthemountingbracket,powersupply/transformerfor115voltopera-tion,adaptergrillanddividerplate.

Air Innovations provides AC to world’s harshest environmentsPictureasteelmillinahotthird-worldcountry,oramilitaryfacilityinthemiddleofaMiddleEasterndesert.Whatprovidesrelieffromtheelementsintheseconditions? AIhaslandedacontracttodevelopandmanufacture“SevereDuty”aircondi-tioners.Theseunitsmustwithstandwiderangesoftemperatures,from32to131degreesF,besandanddustproof,havelowmaintenancerequirements,andinsomecases,beexplosion-proof. Theunitsmostresemblelargewindowairconditioners,andtheycanbeorderedinthreeconfigurations:through-the-wall,splitandroof-mount.Theyarebuiltwithstainlesssteeltoresistcorrosion,andhaveanti-corrosionepoxycoat-ingonevaporatorsandcondensers.Thecontrolsare“old-fashioned”mechanicalversionsbydesign,toeliminatethevulnerabilityofthemoretemperamentalelectronicsnowinpopularuse.

The Wine Guardian stand-alone humidifier at the Brewster Inn, Cazenovia, New York

20 Years of Company Milestones

June 18, 1999Floratech purchases assets of Clestra Cleanroom, originally founded by Larry Wetzel in 1983 as Clean Room Technology

August 1999Manufacturing plant moves to Performance Drive

November 2000Syracuse Chamber of Commerce recognizes Floratech as one of the area’s Top 100 fastest-growing manufacturers

June 17, 2001Floratech changes name to Air Innovations, to reflect its business as a developer of niche market environmental control solutions

December 2002AI demonstrates its ability for diversification by developing and producing ac units for airport baggage bomb detection

August 2004AI wins award to develop portable isolation units (IsolationAir)

October 1, 2004Danish company, Klinge, becomes Floratech distributor in Europe

May 2005AI introduces wine cellar coolers under brand name Wine Guardian

February 2006NYSERDA grant awarded to develop environmental control units for asthma and allergy patients

Celebrating 20 Years

F Established 1986

Employee of year 2005 namedJohnnaCarney,MaterialsManager,hasbeenchosenastheEmployeeoftheYear.AccordingtoRichGozigian,DirectorofOperationsandhersupervisor,“Johnnagetsherjobdonenomatterwhatittakes.”Sheisinvolvedinallpartsofthesupplychain,fromtheinitialorderprocessingthroughorderreleasetojobclosingandshipping.“Shehastomaintaingoodrelationswitheverydepartment,”saysGozigian.“Sheisadedicatedworker,welllikedbyeveryone.”Congratula-tions,Johnna!

New Service Manager is 15-year employeeInJune,RussWarnerwaspromotedtoAirInnovationsSer-viceManager. WarneroriginallycametotheSyracuseareawhenthecompanyheworkedforinGrandRapids,Michiganwaspur-chasedbyClestraCleanrooms,andwhichAIsubsequentlyboughtin1999.Sincethen,hehasworkedinvariouscapaci-ties,mostrecentlyasmanufacturingLineLeader. “Iloveworkinghere,andIthinkwehaveagreatad-ministration,”hesaid.“Whenthere’saprobleminvolvingdifferentdepartments,everyoneworksonittogether.ThereisalotofcamaraderieamongAIpersonnel.Weallhelpeachotherfindtherightsolution.”

Johnna CarneyRuss Warner

Summer interns learn by doingJennyTirinatoandBethGreenearehands-oninternsatAirInnovationsthissummer.Theyhavebeenassignedprojectswithrealresponsibilities,andtheirsupervisorscommentonthelevelofenthusiasmandindependentthinkingthetwohavebroughttotheirrespectiveassignments. JennyTirinato,whowillbeawardedherbachelor’sdegreeinmarketingfromSUNYOswegowhenshecompletesherinternship,isworkingforCherylGressani,DirectorofBusi-nessDevelopment,inmarketing-relatedactivities.Inadditiontocreatingsalesliterature,editingwebsitesandplanningAI’s20thanniversarycelebration,sheisworkingwithMikeMiliti,SalesManagerforWineGuardianproducts,todevelopasurveyofhomebuildingcontractors.“IhadnoideahowdiverseAirInnovationswaswhenIcamehere,”shesaid. BethGreenewillbeaseniorinmechanicalengineeringatClarksonUniversitythisfall.DonnDixon,DirectorofEngi-neering,saysshehastakentoallofherdutiesexceptionallywell.“Herfirstweek,shemasteredSolidWorks,a3-Dimag-ingprogram.”Herschedulehasincludedworkingonthefactoryfloor.“Ilovedbeingontheproductionline,”shesaid.“Itreallytaughtmehoweverythingcomestogether.”SheshadowedServiceManagerRussWarner,andasanindepen-dentprojectistransferringdrawingsofanolderFloratechrefrigeratedunitfrom2-DAutoCadintoSolidWorksformat.

Jenny Tirinato and Beth Greene

20 Years of Company Milestones

Floratech® AdvancAir®

HEPAir® Wine Guardian® IsolationAir™

For more information on Air Innovations

or its divisions, please visit us online

or request a brochure at

www.AirInnovations.com

or call us at 1-800-825-3268

7000 Performance DriveNorth Syracuse, NY 13212

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDSYRACUSE NYPERMIT #999

Wall of Color features ultimate flexibilityTheever-popularWallofColorintroducedin2004isdedicatedtoprovidingOnDemand™flexibilityinthemosteffortlessfashion.Its“flip-top”shelfanddrop-downmaintenancepanelaretwoexamplesof“easy”features. The“flip-top”shelfself-storesbehindarowofscallopedvaseholes,andeasilyslidesuptocoverthemwhencustomersneedspaceforarrangementsinsteadofbouquets. Thedrop-downmaintenancepanelprovidesconvenientaccesstotherefrigerationunit,encouragingtherecommendedroutinecleaning.Coupledwiththeslanted,maintenance-freegrill,thisfeatureputsWallofColorinthe“easyupkeep”forefrontofanycoolerinthemarket. OnDemandflexibilityalsomeansavarietyofcontemporarylookscanbecreated.Forinstance,storepersonnelcaneasilyconvertsectionsthroughoutthecoolerfromshortstemtolongstemvases,adjustshelfheightandshelftiltanglestoshowcaseflowerheads,orshrinkflowerloadsbyupto50%andstillmakethecoolerlookfull—allwithinminutes!Seemoredetailsonlineatwww.floratech.net.

Wall of Color On Demand features include signage channels to promote sales messaging and a grower bucket option

President Mike Wetzel

and Chairman Larry Wetzel

celebrate their successful

family business