1996 AFS Chair - Allen Holcomb

Dr. Allen G. Holcomb was AFS Chair in 1996. He received his BA from St. Olaf College in 1966 and his Ph.D in Chemistry from Northwestern University in 1970. He chose an industrial research career which he started at DuPont(1970-1974) before joining 3M Company(1974-2005). While at 3M he was involved in the development of respiratory protection and filtration products. The latter led him to his involvement in the American Filtration Society. He was a Board member for several years, chaired conferences on a variety of topics including Cabin Air Filtration.

Why did you join the AFS and filtration industry?

Clean air and water are vital for our personal as well as environmental well being. While there is a a lot of high quality technical work being done at universities and in industry, users often do not have the knowledge to make the right product and systems choices based on performance factors. It is imperative that the filtration industry and their academic partners help educate endusers so that they choose the correct products for their needs. AFS is an excellent vehicle for academia and suppliers to partner to do this.

What changes (technology, economic, governmental, environmental etc) have had the most impact on the filtration industry?

Industry and people in general are becoming much more aware of the importance of the cleanliness of air, water, and industrial process streams. All of these are interdependent and need to be dealt with. While there is much work to be done, industry is definitely starting to understand the appeal and importance of "green" solutions to the continuing health of our way of life.

Where do you see the filtration industry in 5-10 years?

I foresee continued growth in the use of filtration to assure purity of products. Consumers and industrial users alike want product purity and will pay extra for it.

I also see an increase in the processing of industrial waste streams. An appropriately clean waste stream can either be released to the environment without harm or it can be recycled to conserve scarce water resources. AFS can continue to play a key role in providing the right information to manufacturers and users see that the right products are developed and used appropriately.