Our history

In 1986, Vern Wieberdink, a diesel and automotive mechanic and college instructor by trade, had already been on a volunteer fire department for 21 years. Vern was getting increasingly frustrated with the equipment they were using in the fire service, particularly when it came to SCBAs. Very few SCBAs of the mid 80s supplied enough air for a hardworking firefighter and the quality and reliability of them was remarkably poor. Vern went out in search of a better SCBA. After thoroughly examining all of the products available at the time, Vern concluded that one company stood head and shoulders above the rest, so he traveled to Pittsburgh to learn more about Dräger. They forged a long lasting relationship and a new company, called Alex Air Apparatus, Inc. was born.

Vern was determined to show his new Dräger SCBA to everybody that he could, and it was very well received. By offering a quality product and following up with unmatched service expertise, a loyal customer base began to form and Alex Air Apparatus began to grow. While on the road, Vern had many requests for Alex Air Apparatus to broaden their equipment offerings, specifically in the areas of PPE, extrication and breathing air compressors. It wasn't long before Vern realized that he needed help, so he set his sights on one of the best field service technicians he knew, his son Kyle. Eventually, Vern would retire (sort-of) and Kyle would take his place, turning Alex Air Apparatus into a 2nd generation, family owned business.

In 2023 Kyle thought it was time to retire and enjoy doing more traveling and spending time with his family. Kyle sold the business to long time employee, Mark Skindelien. Mark has been with the company since 2010 and was Vice President at the time. Mark has a passion for the fire service, following his grandfather and father as volunteer firefighters, he knew at a young age he wanted to be part of the fire service. To this day he has served 19 years on the New London Fire Department and is currently the Fire Chief. In his free time Mark enjoys fishing, hunting, and spending time with his family. Mark's plan with the business is to continue focusing on strong customer service and offering superior product lines. His favorite saying about the company is "We are big enough to handle all of your fire, rescue and safety supply needs, but yet small enough to care". Mark looks to continue growing the company and hopefully passing it along to the next generation.