A family-run Michigan manufacturer has been caught off guard by a sudden surge in demand for a specialized component it has produced for decades.
Armstrong International, founded in 1900 and still operated by the same family five generations later, manufactures equipment for steam and compressed-air systems. The company says its guiding principles are “God, family, and business—in that order.”
Andrew Witteck, Armstrong’s North American sales director, was stunned when the company’s Three Rivers plant began receiving unusually large orders for a 50-year-old air vent. The purchases came from an unidentified buyer operating across several undisclosed locations.
The air vent was designed well before personal computers became commonplace and had generally been sold in quantities of roughly a dozen, Witteck told the Wall Street Journal. Earlier this year, however, Armstrong began receiving orders totaling 1,000 units or more.
The identity of the bulk buyer initially remained a mystery, prompting Witteck to investigate.
He eventually contacted an engineer who had purchased one of the vents through a contractor.
“We got tipped off. It was [going] to a data center. That’s how data centers work. They don’t want anyone to know where they’re going, what they’re doing, how they’re doing it,” Witteck told the Journal.
His inquiries revealed that the semiconductor chips powering data centers require specialized liquid-cooling systems to keep them from overheating.
Andrew Witteck, Armstrong International’s North American sales director, was pictured with his wife after being surprised by the unexplained orders. Source: Facebook/Andrew Witteck
The decades-old air vent had generally been sold in batches of about a dozen until demand suddenly surged. Source: Facebook/ Armstrong International
Witteck discovered that data-center semiconductor chips rely on specialized liquid-cooling systems to control their operating temperatures.
“That was the biggest ‘Holy moly, this is insane!’ moment,” Witteck said. “It’s not like everyone and their brother makes an air vent.”
According to the Mechanical Engineering and Plumbing academy: “Instead of relying solely on air to remove heat from processors, liquid is brought much closer to the heat source. The liquid absorbs heat directly from CPUs, GPUs, and other high-power components.”
Those liquid-cooling systems release excess air through vents like the ones Armstrong manufactures, helping explain why demand for the company’s niche product has skyrocketed.
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Chris Teddy, a data-center director at JE Dunn Construction, described the challenge to the outlet as “trying to put 10 pounds of stuff in a five-pound bag.”
Witteck said he believes many of the bulk orders are ultimately destined for South Carolina.
“People do a soft wink: ‘They’re going to South Carolina.’ You can easily go Google data-center projects in South Carolina towns…. You’re pretty much left to deduce with 98% positivity that it’s going there.”
As artificial-intelligence data centers expand and frequently revise their designs, smaller suppliers and contractors are struggling to handle the sharp increase in demand.
To meet the unexpected demand, Armstrong’s Three Rivers factory added a second shift to boost output. Source: Facebook/ Armstrong International
Kyle Higginbotham, Armstrong’s director of North American sales and marketing, said the lack of clarity about who is purchasing the parts and where they are headed has created an additional challenge.
That uncertainty has made it harder for Armstrong International to identify potential customers, customize its products and plan factory maintenance, he said.
“Orders of this magnitude, you would think people are working on them for months. All of a sudden it’s like, ‘Nope, we got it. Let’s ship it,’” Higginbotham told the outlet.
To increase production, the Three Rivers plant has added a second shift. Source: Facebook/ Armstrong International
The outlet reported that demand for the air vents is up 80% compared with last year and is expected to climb even higher.
Charlie Reynolds, a retired Armstrong engineer, designed the vent in 1972. He chose stainless steel over cast iron to help prevent erosion.
Reynolds said he remains open to future developments at the factory, but added that when it comes to AI data centers, “everybody around here doesn’t want them.”
Our News Outlet contacted Witteck for comment.
