Donaldson Torit
“We're the standard. Downflo is everywhere. Purchasing already has a number.”
Installed base is their moat, not always their media. Plants live with high ΔP, short filter life, and a parts habit. HemiPleat / OmniPleat is how you walk in without a forklift.
They win when
Approved corporate spec, fastest 'safe' PO, some packaged welding cells.
We win when
Energy and pulse-clean on fine or heavy dust, Gold Series III service access, Camtain containment, honest combustible packages, filter life that shows up in TCO.
Do not
- Never attack the maintenance crew who has kept a Torit alive for 15 years.
- Do not claim 'we beat Torit everywhere.' You don't. Pick the dust.
- If they only want a bag of filters tomorrow, sell OmniPleat — then earn the box.
Ask
- What is actual filter life versus what was promised at startup?
- Where is ΔP two hours after a pulse?
- Has EHS or the insurer asked about NFPA 660 on this housing?
Close. Offer a side-by-side media trial on one housing. Win the hopper. Quote the collector after the ΔP graph exists.
Nederman
“We do the whole extraction chain — arms, fans, collectors, source capture.”
Strong on fume arms and source capture culture. Weaker when the job becomes a serious combustible or containment collector.
They win when
Welding fume arms, vehicle exhaust, plants that want one vendor for arms + collector.
We win when
Heavy process dust, pharma containment, high-vacuum bin vents, filter physics, explosion-protection as a designed package.
Do not
- Don't get dragged into an arms-only bid unless you have a partner story.
- If capture at the tool is the real problem, a better collector will not save a bad hood.
Ask
- Is the complaint capture at the arc, or the collector itself?
- Are we competing on a system or on a box?
Close. If capture is broken, say so. Then own the collector and media where Nederman is a catalog.
Parker / DustHog
“Good enough, cheaper, already in the crib.”
Often a maintenance purchase, not an engineered system. Fine until the dust or the code gets serious.
They win when
Small mist and smoke units, price-led MRO.
We win when
Anything with Kst > 0, potent dust, multi-module Gold Series, documented TCO.
Do not
- Don't over-specify a $12k smoke eater replacement into a $140k project they will not fund.
Ask
- Is this an MRO buy or a capital project with EHS on the invite?
Close. Match the altitude of the problem. Mini / mist when it's a cell. Gold Series III when it's a plant.
Local baghouse fabricator
“We'll weld you a bigger box for less, and we're 40 minutes away.”
They sell steel and proximity. Media, pulse design, and NFPA packages are often afterthoughts. Service is a guy with a truck — until he isn't.
They win when
Wood, grain transfer, plants that specify 'baghouse' as a commodity, emergency replacements.
We win when
Fine fume, toxic or potent dust, energy, cartridge changeout labor, documented protection, multi-site standards.
Do not
- Never mock the local shop. The plant manager golfs with them.
- If they need a true high-loading wood baghouse, don't force cartridges.
Ask
- Who stamps the explosion protection and isolation?
- What is the guaranteed outlet loading?
- Who shows up at 2 a.m. when the bags blind on a Sunday?
Close. Make the AHJ, insurer, and EHS the audience. Fabricators lose when the document trail matters.
Do nothing
“We'll run it until the next shutdown. Filters are a next-year problem.”
The most common competitor. OSHA's combustible-dust NEP, insurers, and a new laser line are the only clocks some plants respect.
They win when
No budget cycle, weak EHS, dust that 'we've always had.'
We win when
Citations, near-misses, failed bags, corporate standards, a new cell that cannot ship dirty.
Do not
- Fear-only selling burns trust. Pair risk with a numbered TCO and a staged path (filters now, collector at shutdown).
Ask
- What happens if this housing is down for a week?
- When is the next insurance survey or DHA refresh?
- What did the last filter change actually cost in labor and lost production?
Close. Give them a two-step: OmniPleat or a filter program now, capital at the planned outage. Stay on the calendar.