Air Relief

Air Relief was founded in Mayfield in 1985 and was purchased by Gardner Denver in 1999. The company started by servicing Ingersoll Rand Centac centrifugal compressors but has since branched out to repair multiple brands, including Cameron, Cooper, Joy, Atlas Copco, FS-Elliott, Clark Isopac and Worthington.

Air Relief’s operations have grown alongside its service business. The company designs and manufactures its own control systems (TurboLogix.com), intercoolers and provides its own compressor lubricant CenLube 32. Air Relief’s customer base spans much of the globe.

Reaching Customers

Enhancing Air Relief’s reach in the industry has been one of Raetz’s primary focuses since joining the company a year-and-a-half ago. In January 2014, Air Relief launched a new website, inbound marketing and use of social media blogging on its Facebook and LinkedIn pages. The inbound marketing effort has seen enough of a spike in business to offset its cost.

The company’s twice-annual training seminars, held at the Mayfield facility, have also been reformatted into “customer appreciation days,” as Raetz calls them. At events taking place over three days, clients receive extensive training on air compressors, such as techniques to prevent unscheduled shutdowns and mechanical assembly and disassembly. “We’ve established ourselves in the compressed air community as an expert compressor service and repair organization,” Raetz says.

High-End Capabilities

Most of the centrifugal compressors Air Relief’s technicians work on are between 500 and 5,000 horsepower, according to Raetz – equipment large enough provide air to large manufacturing and aerospace testing facilities. To keep pace with the technological demands of customers, Air Relief recently invested $300,000 to purchase a coordinate-measuring machine from German manufacturer Zeiss used to better inspect machined components for centrifugal compressors. Gardner Denver also supplied a 30-ton-capable hoist that allows workers to easily lift heavy equipment and repair it at the Air Relief facility.

This equipment has opened up new opportunities for the company, such as the recent performance test it ran on a 2,500-horsepower compressor for a major American manufacturer. Air Relief provides service to approximately 2,500 companies. Raetz describes it as a low-volume, high-mix service and repair industry because many clients may go years before needing an air compressor repaired.

Maintaining Quality

But that low volume speaks well of Air Relief’s work in keeping centrifugal compressors maintained properly. Everything the company ships carries an 18-month warranty, though some equipment can last as long as 12 years, according to Raetz. Most technicians hired are certified by the original equipment manufacturer and all technicians are OSHA certified, ensuring quality service & repair of every item, to every customer, every time. This attentiveness is further reflected in Air Relief’s response time. The company prides itself on being available when the customer’s need arises, with technicians flying or driving to client’s sites even on short notice. The quick turnaround can ensure equipment is running again within 24 to 48 hours.

Remote monitoring technologies are allowing Air Relief to take that speedy response time to another level. “The Internet provides our engineers the ability to monitor, diagnose issues and tune TurboLogix systems from anywhere in the world,” says Joel Fisher, manager of engineering and quality.

If one of those monitored levels is trending in the wrong direction, an email can be automatically be sent to the client warning them of the possible malfunction, even in the middle of the night. Back at Air Relief, employees reviewing the data can communicate with the compressor and make adjustments to its operation if necessary. ”Utilizing our in-house expertise remotely provides our customers with a maintenance advantage unmatched in the industry. We like to call our remote access capability ‘boots in the air,’” Fisher says.

Those in the manufacturing industry know that dependable air is vital to their operation. To ensure that need is met, Air Relief goes beyond the typical extended warranty through the company’s “Air For Life” service. The program is akin to an insurance policy for an air compressor. If the machine breaks down, Air Relief will service and repair the equipment, or possibly even replace it. “We’re going to commit to providing you air for the life of your compressed air needs,” Raetz says.

. “We’re known as the No. 1 service and repair supplier in our industry,” says Murray Raetz, general manager of sales and operations.

Now celebrating 30 years in business, Air Relief’s equipment investment and expertise enable the company to test and service air compressors capable of 5,000 horsepower, enough to power a community of 5,000 people.