Guardair Corporation Receives Industry Award for Innovative New Product
This story begins and ends, with a thank you!
Back in 2021, Chicopee, MA based Guardair Corporation, a leader in compressed air-powered tools and accessories for industrial cleaning, had a new product concept. After hearing about grants available to Massachusetts companies to fund product development through the Massachusetts Manufacturers Accelerate Program (MMAP), Guardair reached out to MassMEP.
MMAP invests in small to medium size manufacturers (up to 100 people) to help prepare the supply chain for increasing demand and to drive new opportunities for growth.
Guardair President, Tom Tremblay, contacted MassMEP Grant Manager, Lisa Oden, to learn more. With Lisa’s help, Guardair submitted an MMAP Grant Application outlining a plan to utilize the grant to purchase capital equipment to help commercialize this new product idea.
In 2022, Guardair was selected as one of 12 companies, out of a field of 60 companies statewide, to receive an MMAP Grant. With the $145,200 grant, Guardair acquired molds, tooling, fixtures, and equipment, and began production of their new product — a multi-stage pneumatic vacuum, now named the PowerQUAD™, and formally launched the line in 2024.
Thank You!
In January 2026, MassMEP received the following email from Tremblay.
“We would like to share the following exciting news with you.”
“Guardair Corporation is a long-time member of the Industrial Supply Association (ISA), a trade group consisting of US industrial tools/product manufacturers such as Milwaukee Tool, Stanley Black & Decker, Norton, and 3M, as well as US industrial distributors including Grainger, Fastenal, MSC, and McMaster-Carr.”
“Each year at the ISA Annual Meeting, the membership votes to select a new product to receive the prestigious ISA Innovation Impact Award. The award recognizes products or services that demonstrate excellence in innovation, customer impact, and contribution to advancement in their industry channel. We are very pleased to announce that Guardair Corporation’s PowerQUAD™ Vacuum Line was the winner of the ISA 2025 Innovation Impact Award.”
“As you know, development of the PowerQUAD™ Vacuum Line was enabled and accelerated through our MassMEP grant. Thank you MassMEP for your help in making the PowerQUAD™ a commercial success!”
More About the PowerQUAD Vacuum Line
“Air compressors are in use in virtually all manufacturing facilities,” says Tremblay. Compressed air is particularly useful for industrial cleaning by blowing away chips and debris, or to power a vacuum by utilizing the “venturi principal,” a technology that features no electric motor or rotating parts. No motor means there is nothing to wear out, or to generate sparks, or require electric cords — all features especially advantageous where combustible dust is present, in wet locations, or within certain hazardous environments.
During the design phase, the Guardair Engineering Team’s goals were to create a compressed air powered vacuum that would outperform existing vacuums on the market, use less compressed air (be less costly to run), and operate quieter.
Impressive Performance
PowerQUAD™ delivers up to 35% higher vacuum head — the capacity to lift materials; produces 67% more vacuum flow — the capacity to carry materials; consumes up to 71% less compressed air — saving on expensive compressed air; and is up to 15 dB quieter than conventional vacuums — contributing to a quieter, safer workplace.
“In short, we achieved all our design goals”, shared Tremblay. “Consequently, PowerQUAD™ is the most significant advancement in pneumatic vacuum technology in 75 years!”
Thank you, Mr. Tremblay, for recognizing MassMEP’s role in Guardair’s PowerQUAD™ success! Congratulations to you and the Guardair team for utilizing MMAP funds to create a revolutionary new product in your industry, and for advancing manufacturing in Massachusetts. Read about Guardair Corporation’s 2025 ISA Impact Award here.