I grew up in a sheet metal family. I'm a third-generation sheet metal worker in a family that has been building industrial air filtration systems since the 1950s. My earliest memories of working are hanging around sheet metal workers as they laid out round gored elbows and fittings at the layout tables. This was back in the ’80s—long before the invention of CNC plasma cutters or lasers.
I grew up in a family business and spent many summers in the office helping my mom and grandmother open mail, type envelopes, or file papers. Whenever I could, I’d work my way out into the shop to help the guys in any way possible. As soon as I was old enough, I took on small jobs like slagging parts or operating the hand brake. I’ve been working with or around sheet metal and industrial ventilation for over 40 years. I guess you could say it’s in my blood.
When I started an air filtration company in 2001, it was just me, a welder, and a set of Wysong rolls. I rented space from a buddy in an old produce factory and started a small sheet metal shop to support my work as a dust collection sales rep. I’d work 8 to 10 hours a day selling equipment, then “clock out,” put on my work boots, and weld pipe and fittings well into the night. Eventually, I reached the point where I could hire my first employee. We sold equipment, designed jobs, built the duct and fittings, and, in most cases, installed the projects ourselves. That was the beginning—our Origin story.
Although we never completely stopped building duct, the air filtration company eventually grew into one of the largest in the United States. With that growth came a shift in focus, and we began subcontracting more and more ductwork so we could prioritize innovation in dust collection equipment and filtration. While subcontracting helped us grow, we never found a company that built ductwork to our standards—especially when it came to designs specific to dust collection systems.
The problem with companies that only make ductwork—without designing, installing, or troubleshooting systems—is that they often lack a true understanding of industrial airflow and dust collection. Their products reflect this. It’s common to see undersized gauges or HVAC-grade gore-locked, short-radius elbows used where fully welded, long-radius elbows would perform far better. You can’t really blame them—they’re not the ones designing or troubleshooting systems in the field.
After years of encountering challenges with duct vendors who weren’t always familiar with the nuances of dust collection systems, we saw an opportunity to bring our expertise to the forefront by launching a new division.
That’s how Origin Ductworks was born.
Origin Ductworks is the first duct and fittings company that specializes in clamp-together and flange-together duct systems, designed with installers and end users in mind. With over 25 years of duct-building experience in our DNA, we engineer and build systems that meet or exceed the expectations of both our customers and our installation teams. We're proudly made in the USA and owned by a U.S.-based company.
