I started working in air purification in 2011.  My first project for LakeAir was an outside contractor photographing the products and updating the company website. From there, I was asked to head up the customer service branch of the company. This assignment started me down the path to understanding the LakeAir customers’ wants and needs.  My growth in air purification knowledge really began when I took ownership of the LakeAir brand in 2016. The task of improving the LakAir brand became my full-time job. 

I’ve spent the last decade preserving that legacy while modernizing the engineering behind every unit we make. I don’t outsource the design work — I’m the one who sketches the parts, tests the prototypes, studies the airflow curves, and solves the problems that customers bring me every day.I have re-engineered most of the legacy products. My engineering focus has been on energy efficiency, increased airflow, and noise reduction.

When Covid-19 struck, I was contacted by representatives from Homeland Security who asked me to develop a hybrid air-purification system for a U.S. Naval veterans facility. They needed a unit that combined True HEPA filtration with UVC germicidal technology — something durable, effective, and built in America. I designed the system myself, and LakeAir supplied more than fifty units to the Navy for that project.

That assignment pushed me deeper into the engineering side of air purification. I began studying airflow mechanics, filter pressure resistance, particulate behavior, and sterilization methods with a seriousness I hadn’t needed before. I attended ASHRAE-sponsored training and events, and I continued learning about the technical standards and real-world performance requirements that shape modern indoor air quality. That period marked the beginning of my transition from simply building products to truly engineering them.

Customers expressed a need for more odor and VOC control. In response to the consumer demand, I designed no less than 17 new odor-absorbing filters. These included different levels of odor control, odor specificity, and sizes.  As the country started to embrace the use of cannabis I found a product that was particularly good at adsorbing cannabis odor. From there, we developed our own specialized odor-absorbing media, enabling us to solve better the problems like smoke odor, cannabis terpenes, formaldehyde, benzene, and a host of others that businesses face in VOC Extraction. 

As of the fall of 2025, I have created 6 new smoke-eater/air-purification models. Consumer needs and industry trends have driven each new model. LakeAir is the first manufacturer to add Bluetooth and Wifi connectivity. The search to find a platform that could be used universally across the globe was no simple task.  This connectivity allows more precise control of airflow and noise mitigation. The connectivity also allows the air purification equipment to respond at a higher level to common monitors such as VOC and 2.5 monitors.  

Over the past two years alone, I’ve helped more than a hundred cigar lounges, hookah establishments, casinos, and hospitality venues across the country develop code-compliant ventilation plans. Some of these projects were small; others were large enough to require coordination with building inspectors, engineers, township boards, or casino facilities departments. Whether the job involved a single lounge or a multi-million-dollar resort, the goal was the same: clean air that protects workers and creates a better experience for everyone.