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American Air Filter (AAF) Flanders Reaches 100-year Milestone

June 04, 2021

A hundred years ago, as the world was recovering from the Spanish flu pandemic, Bill Reed developed and manufactured his original commercial air filter in Louisville, Ky. Today, Reed’s idea has grown into the world’s largest manufacturer of air filtration solutions. In April 2016, American Air Filter Co. Inc., (AAF International), acquired Flanders Corp., to form AAF Flanders. With production, warehousing and distribution facilities in 22 countries across four continents, AAF International, a subsidiary of Daikin Industries, has been influential in improving indoor air quality.
Celebrating 100 years in business, AAF continues its commitment to bringing clean air to life. From introducing the first high efficiency box-style filter to providing HEPA filters to the International Space Station, AAF continues to provide new solutions to remove and control airborne particulates and contaminants in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Its leadership enabled the company to supply air filters to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Apollo 11 mission to the moon and for the U.S. Air Force aircraft to aid Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AAF’s research conducted at its Clean Air Center in Jeffersonville, Ind., confirmed that MERV-rated air filters could reduce the presence of airborne virus-carrying particles. “Until the pandemic, most of us took clean air for granted,” said Nathanial Nance, vice-president of Global Research and Development. “We wouldn’t think about the air filtration systems in hospitals, medical offices, schools, and restaurants and how essential clean air is to our life. At AAF, our staff is particularly proud of our products and knowing our air filter design can contribute to reducing the risk of virus transmission during this current worldwide pandemic.”

As a global leader of air filtration solutions, AAF is proud of its 100-year history. Future plans include new innovative indoor air filtration solutions to bring clean air to commercial industries and residential homes. This year, AAF introduced the quiet, energy-efficient AstroPureTM unit, which increases air-circulation rates within a specific space, effectively cleaning the air every time it passes through the advanced two-stage filtration system. AAF creates products that help protect indoor environments that are essential for improving quality of life.