Returning to the office — with help from our friends at Austin Air

Eighteen months after sending our associates home, The Martin Group is officially welcoming everyone back to the office. Safely. With a little help from our friends at Austin Air Systems.

Austin Air, headquartered in Buffalo, is the premier manufacturer of advanced, medical-grade HEPA air purifiers. They’re also an impactful client that has been making their mark by helping businesses and schools protect against the airborne threat of COVID-19.

This summer, Austin Air delivered 16 premium HealthMate® units to support our transition to hybrid work. Those units were installed in our Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany offices in time to reintroduce in-person collaborations in mid-September.

The Martin Group is in good company. Austin Air has shipped countless air purifiers to help organizations reopen amid the pandemic. And they’ve provided more than 100,000 units to schools in the United States and Canada. (The Toronto District School Board alone has more than 15,000 of Austin Air purifiers in its classrooms.)

“We’re excited to be back among our colleagues. This is one of the enhancements that’s made it possible,” said Lisa Bellacicco (formerly Strock), Chief Operating Officer of The Martin Group. “Austin Air’s purifiers have allowed our firm to be flexible — while following health officials’ guidance to the letter — as we move into this hybrid environment.”

HEPA technology plays a key role in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Several public health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have called for organizations to consider HEPA units indoors — and have explicitly stated that HEPA filtration is effective in removing potentially infectious particles.   

“I’m sure that our associates appreciate the extra peace of mind that a CDC-recommended, scientifically sound air purifier brings to our office environments,” Bellacicco said.

“Indoor air quality is a very serious issue, and the need for clean air, free from contaminants and potential viruses has never been more important,” said Austin Air Systems President Lauren McMillan.

Here’s how it works: The medical-grade HEPA technology within each Austin Air purifier is proven to remove up to 99.7% of all airborne contaminants as small as 0.3 microns and 95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns. This filtration includes certain viruses, bacteria, dust, dander, allergens, chemicals, and gases. (The SARS-CoV-2 virus is typically trapped within larger respiratory droplets, which makes HEPA filters efficient at trapping those virus-containing particles, according to the CDC.) Austin Air also uses a 360-degree intake system, drawing air into all sides of the filter and ensuring maximum cleaning capacity. It even protects against the potentially harmful particles and gases found in wildfire smoke that unfortunately impacted many Americans this summer.

Our appreciation goes out to our friends at Austin Air. Give them a follow on Facebook and Twitter, and make sure to check out Austin Air’s product lineup here.