Vanaire

What Vanaire does

Vanaire designs, manufactures, and installs custom air pollution control and ventilation systems for industrial facilities, operating from its Louisville, Kentucky headquarters since 1972. The company is a vertically integrated specialty OEM with two fabrication facilities — a Thermoplastics Shop and a Fiberglass Shop — recently expanded by 18,000 square feet in September 2025. Core products include wet/fume scrubbers (sized up to 60,000 CFM in PVC, FRP, and dual laminate), mist eliminators, AMCA-certified centrifugal fans (up to 70,000 CFM), corrosion-resistant ductwork (including Factory Mutual-approved systems), fume hoods, industrial air strippers, atmospheric evaporators, process tanks, control panels, and containment systems. The underlying technology stack is built around thermoplastic fabrication (hot-gas, extrusion, butt welding, CNC) and proprietary filament winding for FRP components up to 12 feet in diameter.

Vanaire makes money through a combination of one-time custom equipment sales, recurring preventative maintenance contracts, equipment leasing (including lease-to-own), and lifecycle services (design and engineering, fabrication, installation, demolition, inspection, repair, refurbish/rebuild, start-up assistance). Pricing is quote-based, with multi-year contract structures on both equipment and maintenance agreements. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise field sales with assigned project managers and nationwide installation crews, supplemented by a leasing channel that opens the addressable market to mid-market customers. Marketing relies on the company website, educational blog content, and downloadable technical literature, with phone and quote-request forms as the primary conversion mechanism.

Vanaire is a privately held, family-owned business founded by Colombian immigrant Guillermo "Bill" Vanegas, with leadership transitioned to second-generation co-owners Michael and Gary Vanegas in December 2013 and a third generation now entering the industry. The founder held 11 patents including the industry-standard True Union Ball Valve, and the company holds Certified Minority Business status and was recognized among the 100 largest Hispanic-owned firms in the US in 1992. Customers span 14 industrial verticals — surface and metal finishing (primary), steel pickling, chemical manufacturing, semiconductor, municipal wastewater, municipal drinking water, automotive, food processing, pharmaceutical, energy production, aerospace, pulp and paper, and textile — with no external investors, parent company, or public listing disclosed.

Name

Vanaire

Legal name

Vanaire

Website

https://vanaire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vanaire is a family-owned Louisville, Kentucky manufacturer of custom air pollution control and ventilation systems — including fume scrubbers, mist eliminators, AMCA-certified centrifugal fans, and corrosion-resistant ductwork — serving 14 industrial verticals since 1972.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Air Pollution Control Equipment

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Quality & Filtration Equipment (IAQ) (IMAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ventilation, Ducting & Air Distribution Equipment (IMAHAKAG), Dampers, Louvers & Ventilation Controls (IMADANAD)

Keywords

• Air pollution control equipment
• Fume scrubber manufacturing
• Industrial ventilation systems
• Mist elimination products
• Corrosion resistant ductwork

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Custom-designed and manufactured air pollution control equipment including wet scrubbers, mist eliminators, centrifugal fans, ductwork, fume hoods, process tanks, control panels, containment systems, air strippers, and atmospheric evaporators
2. Fabrication Services: Custom fabrication of corrosion-resistant components using PVC, CPVC, PVDF, Polypropylene, FRP, and Dual Laminate materials
3. Installation and Demolition Services: Installation and demolition services for air scrubbing systems, ventilation solutions, and mist eliminators with teams traveling nationwide
4. Preventative Maintenance Services: Ongoing maintenance programs offered monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually including air surveys, airflow testing and balancing, sample collection, and contaminant analysis
5. Equipment Leasing: Lease-to-own program for fume scrubbers, mist eliminators, and centrifugal fans with flexible terms for businesses needing equipment
6. Inspection and Repair Services: Inspection, repair, and refurbishment services for existing air pollution control equipment including ductwork, air scrubbers, fans, and ventilation lines

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vanaire designs, manufactures, and installs custom air pollution control and ventilation equipment — including wet/fume scrubbers, mist eliminators, centrifugal fans, ductwork, fume hoods, air strippers, atmospheric evaporators, process tanks, control panels, and containment systems — built from corrosion-resistant materials (PVC, CPVC, PVDF, FRP, Polypropylene, Dual Laminates). The company provides full lifecycle services from design and engineering through fabrication, installation, inspection and repair, preventative maintenance, refurbishment, and equipment leasing for industrial facilities handling hazardous chemicals, fumes, and airborne contaminants.

Product overview

Vanaire is a manufacturer of customized air pollution control and ventilation equipment, operating as a single-portfolio industrial equipment company rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The product portfolio centers on a comprehensive suite of complementary air scrubbing and ventilation products: Wet Scrubbers/Fume Scrubbers (including PVC, FRP, packed bed, crossflow, acid, and NOx variants) as the core capture technology; Mist Eliminators (PVC, FRP, chrome, oil mist, demisters) for particle removal; Centrifugal Fans & Blowers (fiberglass, PVC, dual laminate) for air movement; Fume Hoods for containment; Ductwork Systems (PVC, FRP, polypropylene, Factory Mutual-approved) for air distribution; and ancillary products including Industrial Air Strippers, Atmospheric Evaporators, Process Tanks, Control Panels, and Containment Systems. These products are complemented by full lifecycle services including Design & Engineering (AutoCAD/SOLIDWORKS), Fabrication (PVC, CPVC, PVDF, polypropylene, dual laminate, FRP), Installation/Demolition, Inspection & Repair, Preventative Maintenance, Refurbish/Rebuild, Start-up Assistance, and Equipment Leasing. The products share a common thread of corrosion-resistant construction (PVC, FRP, dual laminates) and are designed to work as integrated systems for capturing contaminants and ensuring compliant air emissions across diverse industrial environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fume Scrubbers / Wet Scrubbers Corrosion-resistant wet scrubbers available in crossflow or counter-current configurations (including PVC, FRP, packed bed, acid, and NOx variants), sized up to 60,000 CFM, made from PVC, FRP, and dual laminates for capturing hazardous gases and fumes from industrial process tanks. Designed for industrial facilities handling corrosive chemical fumes that need regulatory compliance with environmental discharge standards.
• Mist Eliminators Mist elimination equipment with up to 99.99% efficiency capturing particles as small as 0.25 microns using composite mesh pad technology. Product line includes PVC, FRP, Chrome, Oil Mist Eliminators/Collectors, Demisters, and Entrainment Separators for industrial facilities with airborne mist and droplet contamination.
• Centrifugal Fans & Blowers AMCA Certified centrifugal fans and blowers in PVC, Fiberglass, and Dual Laminate materials with sizes up to 70,000 CFM, featuring corrosion-resistant wheels and smooth quiet operation for air movement in industrial ventilation systems.
• Fume Hoods Custom-configured fume hoods with internal splitting vanes for airflow equalization, made from corrosion-resistant materials including PVC, CPVC, polypropylene, solid fiberglass, and FRP. Designed for industrial containment and capture of corrosive fumes at the source.
• Ductwork / Duct Systems Corrosion-resistant ductwork systems manufactured from PVC, solid fiberglass, CPVC, polypropylene, and dual laminates (including PVC, FRP, polypropylene, Factory Mutual-approved, and duct fitting variants) for distribution of corrosive fumes in industrial ventilation systems. Standard sizes 6-24 inches with custom fabrication available.
• Industrial Air Strippers Industrial air strippers (Degasifiers) designed to remove dissolved hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, VOCs, and THMs from water, achieving 99.99% removal efficiency for municipal drinking water facilities and industrial process water treatment.
• Atmospheric Evaporators High-capacity atmospheric evaporators for industrial and municipal water treatment when water reuse or discharge is not feasible, fabricated from corrosion-resistant materials.
• Process Tanks Corrosion-resistant filament-wound process tanks for industrial, sanitary, food, beverage, and pharmaceutical applications, available up to 12-foot diameters using Vanaire's proprietary filament winding technology.
• Control Panels Advanced moisture-proof control panels for air pollution control systems with pH control monitoring, NEMA enclosures, and full PLC controls with graphic read-out and alarms.
• Containment Systems Fiberglass containment sumps designed to contain chemical processing tanks without breaking concrete or forming curbs, with optional stairs and railing for secondary containment in chemical processing facilities.
• Design and Engineering Services Air pollution engineering and design services using Project Management Software with AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS, providing clients individual login credentials to track project design components. Includes consultation, AutoCAD renderings, and system optimization bundled with custom equipment sales.
• Fabrication Services Custom fabrication services for PVC, CPVC, PVDF/Kynar, Polypropylene, Dual Laminate, and Fiberglass (FRP) materials using thermoplastic fabrication techniques including hot-gas welding, extrusion, butt welding, bending, and CNC processes.
• Installation and Demolition Services Installation and demolition services for air scrubbing systems, ventilation solutions, and mist eliminators including rooftop, indoor, and outdoor installations, with specialized capability to install in locations where traditional crane installation is impossible. Teams travel nationwide.
• Inspection and Repair Services Inspection and repair services for cracked or broken ductwork, faulty air scrubbers, weak fans, and dirty ventilation lines in existing air pollution control equipment.
• Preventative Maintenance Services Recurring preventative maintenance programs offered on monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual schedules including air surveys, airflow testing and balancing, sample collection, and contaminant analysis. Custom contracts prepared to match customer requirements and budget.
• Refurbish and Rebuild Services Cost-effective refurbishment and rebuilding services for existing air pollution control and ventilation systems offered as an alternative to new system purchases.
• Start-up Assistance Services Start-up assistance program with on-site assessment, system preparation, and checklist-based installation support for new air scrubbing systems at customer facilities.
• Equipment Leasing Lease-to-own leasing program for fume scrubbers, mist eliminators, and centrifugal fans with flexible terms, allowing businesses to use equipment during the lease term and own it after payments are completed.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mist Eliminators achieve 99.99% efficiency on 2-micron particles and 99% efficiency on 1-micron particles
• +6 more outcomes

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Babcock & Wilcox: Diversified industrial manufacturer with significant air pollution control portfolio including scrubbers, fabric filters, and emissions systems. Much broader product set than Vanaire but overlaps in industrial wet scrubbing.
• Dürr AG: Global engineering group with environmental technology division offering scrubbers, oxidizers, and air pollution control systems. Significantly larger than Vanaire with global reach, competing on large industrial EPC projects.

Direct peers

• Anguil Environmental Systems: Manufactures industrial air pollution control equipment including wet scrubbers, thermal oxidizers, and fume exhaust systems. Most directly comparable to Vanaire in custom wet scrubbers and corrosion-resistant fabrication for industrial applications.
• Tri-Mer Corporation: Specializes in wet scrubbers, mist eliminators, and centrifugal fans fabricated from corrosion-resistant thermoplastics and FRP — essentially the same product portfolio as Vanaire across overlapping vertical markets.
• Kimre: Specializes in fiber-bed mist eliminators, coalescers, and air pollution control equipment for industrial applications. Comparable technology platform and overlapping customer base in chemical and metal finishing.
• Heil Process Equipment: Manufactures FRP and thermoplastic process equipment including scrubbers, fans, ductwork, and tanks for corrosive service. Closely mirrors Vanaire's corrosion-resistant equipment portfolio and vertical market focus.
• Beltran Technologies: Manufacturer of industrial mist eliminators, fiber-bed filters, and air pollution control equipment. Direct overlap with Vanaire's mist eliminator line and composite mesh pad technology.
• Bionomic Industries: Designs and builds wet scrubbers, particulate scrubbers, and air pollution control systems using FRP, PVC, and alloy construction. Direct head-to-head competitor with Vanaire in metal finishing and chemical processing verticals.
• Croll Reynolds: Long-established manufacturer of wet scrubbers, fume scrubbers, and centrifugal fans for chemical, metallurgical, and industrial process applications. Closely comparable custom engineering and material expertise to Vanaire.

Emerging players

• Smith Engineering & Industrial: Smaller specialty firm designing custom air pollution control and process ventilation systems. Competes with Vanaire in the same niche custom-engineering space but at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vanaire-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vanaire