A.R. Allan, Jr. in Riverhead, New York started Flanders Filters in 1950. From 1950 to 1958, most of the filters sold by the Company were manufactured for use in the ventilating systems of atomic power reactors and nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities. The filters were used primarily as safety devices to remove small-irradiated particles (particles carrying radiation), which might be released into the atmosphere. The filters are a key part of the process called “radioactive containment.”
During the 1960s, research by film developers determined that using HEPA filters and lower-efficiency filters (now sold as ASHRAE-grade filters) in their facilities could greatly increase the efficiency of their film manufacturing process. To accommodate this market requirement, the Company expanded its filtration product line to include lower-efficiency filters, A-2 and B-2 holding frames which enable filters to be stacked in banks, C-3 side-load housings for holding filters placed in air ducts, and Econocell filters which can be used as pre-filters to extend the life of HEPA filters. Many other industries are currently using these products as part of their standard manufacturing processes, and this market for ASHRAE-grade filters is one of the largest domestic markets serviced by the Company.
One of our strategic advantages is the internal production of the high-efficiency paper media used in its filter products. This media consist of a non-woven matrix of glass micro fibers formed on a unique papermaking process developed by Flanders~Precisionaire. While our competitors still rely upon outside sources for these critical components, we have produced our own media since the mid 1960’s.
Flanders Filters moved its entire plant and office from New York to a 65-acre site in Washington, North Carolina, during 1968 and 1969. The move enabled the Company to increase production to accommodate further growth, since its New York facility had reached capacity. The plant in North Carolina was expanded in 1978, and again in 1984, to accommodate increased growth in the filter business, as well as a second paper mill, additional warehouse space, and a new sheet metal work area. We currently own four large manufacturing plants and offices in the state of North Carolina.
During the past ten years, our customer base has expanded to include high-technology companies in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries. Air filtration systems are a key component of a semiconductor fabrication facility, and most of the advances in air filtration technology in recent years have been driven by the demand from semiconductor manufacturers to have increasingly efficient and dependable filters for their manufacturing facilities. The Company has also made significant strides into the retail markets with a variety of consumer-oriented air filtration products for use with home and office heating and air conditioning systems.
Since its relocation to Washington, North Carolina, Flanders Corporation has continued to expand and has acquired many critical operating companies to accommodate its exponential growth in the industrial and retail markets. The Company has acquired interest in and operates such other industry leaders as Precisionaire, Inc., Eco-Air Products, Inc., and Airseal Filter Housings, Inc. The Company currently has operations in 11 states, 2 foreign countries, and is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.
