Edward C. Gregor

Chairman 1990 & 2004

Edward C. Gregor is Managing Director of Edward C. Gregor & Associates, LLC, a consulting company specializing in new business development and the creation of growth for companies having breakthrough or under-exploited technologies, patents or manufacturing capabilities in the filtration, specialty polymer and textile fibers industries. 

Prior to forming his own company, Ed was Division Manager at Sefar America, Inc., Vice President and General Manager of Gelman Sciences Technology, Inc. and Marketing Manager at Haartz Mason, Inc.

Ed Gregor is co-founder of the American Filtration & Separations Society in 1987.  Over the years, he initiated many of the programs and activities currently in practice by the AFS.  He was presented the title of Filtration Fellow in 2002. 

Mr. Gregor is the chairman of Filtration News magazine technical advisory board and on the textile advisory board of the Journal of Industrial Textiles and Coated Fabrics.  He is the co-founder and Editorial Consultant of the new magazine Technical Textile Technology (T³) for the North American market.

Why did you join the AFS and the Filtration Industry?

It all began when I was employed at Gelman Sciences Inc., a major membrane filter manufacturing company at the time.  After reading an article in Filtration News in late 1984, I wrote Wells Shoemaker complementing him on his article.  Two months later Wells and Harry Sandstedt visited Gelman Sciences and “co-oped” me. 

For those who know Wells, it’s hard to say you’re too busy.  Following this initial meeting were activities and meetings over the next 3 years, which culminated in the formation of the AFS in 1987.  I recognized from the beginning that AFS participation was an opportunity to give something back to the industry that provided my income and what was to become a career. 

What changes (technology, economic, government, environmental, etc.) have had the greatest impact on the filtration industry?

In my view there have been two Mega-Developments since the 1950’s (1) membranes (MF, UF, RO etc.) and (2) nonwovens fabrics.  Commercialization of these vastly different media have permitted an enormous expansion of filtration technologies notwithstanding the tens of billions of dollars of filters and filtration systems sales for companies supplying products from these materials. 

There will be other developments and a potential third Mega-Development in the years ahead, including a technology which will meaningfully improve filtration efficiency, now in development. Government has had an impact, including legislation requiring purer air and water, such as the Clean Air Act of 1990, which has spawned, in addition to other products, diesel exhaust filters beginning in 2007 preventing pollution at its source.  Awareness of our environmental needs for filtration, where there has been lip-service in the past, will further accelerate the growth of the filtration industry.

Where do you see the filtration industry in 5 to 10 years

The industry will certainly out-pace the economy, whether it’s either up or down.  Everyone recognizes the need for filtration and separations for quality control in the manufacture of a product, to prevent pollution and many other requirements.  Filtration will become more global with both technology know-how and filter products crossing borders more rapidly than in the past.  Government and industry regulations will continue to expand as consumers demand environmental protection and we all become more conscious of the need. 

I see large corporations continuing to make acquisitions within the filtration industry as a way to support their internal view for sustainability and corporate responsibility, in addition to maintaining holdings, which provide profitable growth.   We are all fortunate to be a member of the filtration fraternity and part of this industry as we watch events unfold and accelerate in the years ahead.