FAMCO’s Make Up Air Kit
How a Discontinued Product Sparked a New Era of Contractor-Driven Innovation
When a product that contractors relied on disappeared from the market nearly four years ago, it left a noticeable void, especially for professionals working on ventilation and make-up air systems in colder climates. With no suitable replacement, the “skuttle” became a high-demand item. That’s where FAMCO stepped in.
FAMCO was made aware of the need for this unique Make-Up Air kit and took it to the engineering team for the resurrection of the Skuttle.
Gabe Sutherland, one of our engineers in FAMCO’s Research and Development department, was the leader of the project. Gabe saw a unique opportunity to turn a customer’s pain point into a breakthrough solution. As a result, FAMCO launched the Make Up Air Kit, a reimagined version of a product the industry missed and one that no one else was willing to bring back.
According to Gabe, it all started with customers asking for a product that didn’t exist anymore. “There was a gap in the market, one that a previous product was fulfilling, but was no longer being made,” he explains. “We were initially steering customers to existing FAMCO products, but it quickly became clear those weren’t a good fit.”
The first step in the engineering process was to spend some time studying the previous product, and reverse engineering it. “We needed to understand what we could already do, and what we needed to do differently to make it work,” Gabe said. One of the most complex challenges was replicating the way the original product held the damper rod. Using in-house additive manufacturing and 3D printing, the team was able to prototype and refine this critical detail.
The new kit went through three iterations where Gabe adjusted the damper design, material thickness, and even the geometry of the tube and flange. Every step was guided by the principle that this product had to be familiar, functional, and cost-effective for contractors.
After prototyping, they brought the product to key customers for feedback. The response was exactly what they hoped for: “Positive and excited,” says Gabe. “Contractors were thrilled to see it back. They liked it, used it, and were happy about it. It’s a third of the cost of a sensor-driven solution and, once you understand it, it’s incredibly efficient.”
This project was championed by Keith Juhola, FAMCO’s VP of Sales and Marketing, after polling the company’s sales reps and confirming a consistent demand across the board. In particular, distributors and contractors in the Upper Midwest were applying pressure for a solution. The market had spoken. FAMCO listened.
“Contractor-driven innovation helps us solve the problem without making assumptions,” Keith says. “We know exactly what’s needed because we’re hearing it firsthand.”
This wasn’t a vanity project or a half-hearted imitation. It was a carefully reimagined solution, blending the legacy of the original design with the manufacturing capabilities and flexibility that define FAMCO. Other manufacturers had either over-engineered their products or couldn’t customize without ballooning costs. FAMCO proved it could do both. Delivering exactly what was needed, without overcomplicating the solution.
“No one else was willing to take it on,” Keith points out. “We saw it as an opportunity to do what we do best, stay flexible and focused on real-world solutions.”
For Gabe, the experience was more than just a product revival. It was a window into what makes innovation possible: curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to be taught.
“There’s a saying I latched onto during this project, ‘from ideas, comes ideas,’” he says. “When we explore new products or processes, it opens the door for even more creative solutions.”
And with future ideas like automating collar manufacturing and forming wall vents with minimal hits already on his mind, it’s clear this won’t be Gabe’s last contribution to FAMCO’s growing legacy of customer-inspired engineering.
The new Make-Up Air Kit isn’t just a product, it’s a statement. FAMCO isn’t in the business of telling contractors what they should need. Instead, they’re in the business of listening, adapting, and delivering exactly what the job demands.
And in an industry where one-size-fits-all rarely works, that mindset makes all the difference.
