Airmo Inc. Pressure Technologies Celebrates 80 Years

Serving Companies Around the Globe through Three Generations of Excellence

MINNEAPOLIS, May 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Airmo Inc. Pressure Technologies, an industry leader in high-pressure technologies manufacturing, is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026. Since 1946, Airmo® has expanded far beyond its humble beginnings in hydraulic equipment for plastic tubes. Today, the company supplies high-pressure systems, tools and components for hydrostatic testing, end forming, tube expansion and other applications. Airmo's technology serves a wide range of industries, including Aerospace, Defense, Energy, HVAC, Oil & Gas, Refrigeration, Subsea and more.

George A. Smida and business partner John Rodgers founded the company in 1946 with a plan to design and build prototype hydraulic equipment to power hand chucks used to expand plastic tubes. Smida purchased the pump, valve and tools portion of the business in 1959 to continue supporting existing customers. Within a decade, his son, George R. Smida, assumed leadership and moved the company from an 800-square-foot machine shop in the garage of the family home to a 3,600-square-foot facility in Blaine to accommodate rapid growth and expanded capabilities.

In 2003, Chuck Smida became President of Airmo®, marking the third generation of the Smida family to lead the company and continue advancing its ability to meet evolving industry needs. Under his leadership, Airmo grew its customer base - especially in the aerospace field - and settled into the 14,000-square-foot facility in Coon Rapids that was built by George R. Smida in 1988 to accommodate the expansion of the company.

2025 proved to be the company's most successful year, ending with record sales and a growth trajectory going into 2026 that the company had never experienced. Today, Airmo Inc. serves 12 of the top 20 space exploration companies in the world and was instrumental in supplying testing tools to the top five companies involved in the Artemis II launch. It is also experiencing continued growth in HVAC manufacturing as well as subsea oil & gas. 

"Reaching our 80th year as a third-generation, family-led company is a testament to the values and craftsmanship that have guided Airmo since 1946," said Chuck Smida. "Honoring our legacy while delivering the strongest revenue in our history shows that our commitment to innovation, customer partnership and long-term thinking continues to drive meaningful results for our customers and our team. 80 years is just the beginning."

About Airmo Pressure Technologies, Inc.

Airmo Inc., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a leading manufacturer of patented high-pressure technology equipment. Our technology serves customers around the world in a wide variety of industries, including Aerospace, Energy, HVAC, Refrigeration and more that use tubes and pipes to manufacture their products. For more information, visit: www.airmo.com.

Airmo is a registered trademark of Airmo, Inc. in the United States, Europe and other jurisdictions. Airmo, Inc. has other registered and unregistered trademarks and service marks in the United States and other jurisdictions. See airmo.com for details.

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SOURCE Airmo Inc.