Guardair
Originally founded in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1942, Guardair Manufacturing Corporation developed the very first "safety air gun" incorporating a safety air shield to protect the operator from "chip fly-back." This feature was patented, as were further technical innovations which followed. Incorporating these advancements into its products, Guardair Manufacturing thrived throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1959, the assets of Guardair Manufacturing were purchased by Union Engineering, Inc. of South Hadley, Massachusetts. Several additional patents were awarded to the company as sales continued to expand.
Responding to the growing concern over safety in the manufacturing workplace, in 1970, Congress authorized the US Department of Labor to create the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One workplace hazard targeted by OSHA was the use of compressed air for cleaning purposes. In the early days of OSHA, Union Engineering worked closely with OSHA officials to craft the standards and consequently was in a unique position to introduce the first safety air gun designed to meet these newly minted regulations.
Since then, Guardair has grown significantly. To keep pace with our growing market presence and customer requirements, Guardair moved to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Augmenting organic growth, Guardair expanded its product line by purchasing the assets of Allpax Gasket Cutter Systems (1999), Nortech Vacuum Products (2005), and Air-Spade (2008).
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