Plants sitting idle and then resuming full capacity, increased labour shortage, scarcity and fluctuation in the price of raw materials… The year 2021 was one of adaptation for most people!

Rather than recap the obstacles encountered, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the successes and accomplishments on your side of things. Halfway between a look behind the scenes and what 2022 has in store for us, check out our annual review. After all, our story is also about your successes!

Our Year 2021 in Four Phases

1. Building on Solidarity to Navigate Through the Fog

Like many manufacturers, we had to be agile in order to find our bearings again. For example, with a price increase of up to 50% for steel and, at times, galvanized steel being unavailable in the market, we had to be creative!

In that context, our door remained open for multiple organizations that found themselves facing closed doors elsewhere. Our goal? To stand together in the face of uncertainty and weather the storm.

2. Being Prepared to Respond to Urgent Calls

After an up-and-down start to the new year, spring was notable for the sharp recovery of many industries. Markets reopened; production needs were pressing; and major delivery deadlines were present. For many, the projects put on hold with the arrival of the pandemic in 2020 then resumed in earnest.

In order to respond quickly to critical situations, we had to accommodate our clients with temporary solutions without compromising on the quality and effectiveness of our air management systems. Since most sectors were weakened by the crisis, we were well aware of how important it was for our clients to resume their operations as soon as possible.

3. Increasing efficiency to better meet demand

As we told you this summer, the challenges of the economic recovery are affecting such things as the start-up of new projects because of the lengthening production and delivery times everywhere. Instead of sitting on our hands, we went through our products and our facilities with a fine-tooth comb to identify where we could optimize.

As for our products, we are gradually adopting a new standard: manufacturing units that are bolted and made from galvanized steel. This assembly method is actually faster, and galvanized metal has the advantage of not needing to be painted, as well as having greater corrosion resistance.

For example, after our cartridge dust collectors, our air shower is now manufactured to this standard. The latter product evolved at top speed. In order to fine-tune its design and improve the efficiency of our model, we developed three successive iterations in one year: a real manufacturing hat trick!

Outcome: time savings and productivity gains by eliminating things like paint-related issues, as discussed in our article on plant air-conditioning!

4. Continuing to Innovate and Looking to the Future

In 2021, we made the leap to Industry 4.0: upgrading the computer system, investing in automation and new smart equipment, interconnecting machines through cloud computing and the Internet of Things. Our quality control procedures and the training of our teams have also been fine-tuned to track these improvements.

With sustainable and environmentally responsible development becoming more important, innovation was also part of this for Airex Energy, our sister company. Specializing in the production of biochar and biocarbon – solutions for tangibly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to carbon neutrality – it is currently building the world’s largest biochar production plant. We are proud to see homegrown solutions gaining popularity on the local and international stages!

Goodbye 2021, Hello New Challenges!

The year that is coming to a close has seen many ups and downs, and these never-before-seen circumstances have compelled people and companies to push themselves in order to keep moving forward. We are ready to support you in your projects and take on new challenges along with you. After all, this past year has taught us the importance of being well supported!

Don’t hesitate to come to us with your questions involving your ventilation, dust control, and air management projects: we are always here for you!