AIR INNOVATIONS DESIGNS AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR DELUXE AUTOMATED CONVENIENCE STORE

Syracuse, NY, December 17, 2008--Air Innovations has designed and manufactured one of the largest automated convenience stores in the world on behalf of an international vending business franchise.  These deluxe units, called Shop 24 and popular abroad, are now installed at a community college in upstate New York, a shopping center in Ohio and an airport in Texas.  Each provides 24-hour automated service for about 200 items that appeal to students, quick-stop shoppers and travelers, and can include fresh foods, packaged foods, toiletries, phone cards, baby supplies and books. The machine accepts cash, credit cards or student IDs.  The Shop 24 data system provides real-time tracking of sales and cash transactions from a remote location, providing information on stock levels to the local food distribution vendor.  “This ability to pay with a credit card and provide better software for suppliers to manage inventory is now driving Shop 24’s domestic popularity,” explained Michael Wetzel, P.E., president and CEO of Air Innovations. “The front of the units is entirely glass, so customers see exactly what products they are purchasing, an interactive screen facilitates ordering, and the items are delivered within 20 seconds of payment.” 

The units, which are about 13 feet wide by 9 feet high by 10 feet deep, are the largest units-to-date produced by Air Innovations, Wetzel said.  “Air Innovations was able to match the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) requirements by pushing the envelope on an array of environmental control technology,” he explained.  “We also are proud of the fact that the contract reverses offshore manufacturing trends, as the unit was originally designed and built in Belgium, and is now made principally in New York State. Our next step is to source the majority of the unit’s components through vendors stateside, further value-adding to Air Innovations’ capabilities portfolio,” Wetzel said.

Air Innovations creates specialty HVAC and environmental control solutions for OEMs around the world.  The company’s focus is on the design, test and manufacture of products that require precise control of temperature, humidity, pressure, and air filtration.  These are used in military, homeland security, R&D, healthcare, electronics, industrial, and retail applications. Air Innovations’ technical expertise includes:

• Temperature control tolerances on its most sophisticated products as precise as +/- 0.008°F
• Humidity control tolerances to +/- 0.5%
• DX, chilled water or thermoelectric capabilities
• Broad filtration capabilities (HEPA, ULPA, molecular)
• Pressure control
• Enclosure designs from bench top- to room-sized

Air Innovations, headquartered in Syracuse, NY since 1986, provides its clients with concept development, prototyping and testing, made-in-the-USA manufacturing from small runs to mass produced products, regulatory submissions, international distribution, and 24/7 service and warranty support.