EGAN, Minn. -- Dave Bobert, a pioneer of the coin-operated tire inflation business, has announced his retirement. Bobert formed AIR-vend Inc. in 1981 and developed the AIR-vend, AIR-serv and VAC-serv brands.
He grew AIR-vend to nearly 5,000 locations, $20 million in annual sales, and sold all those assets to Prometheus Partners LLP in 1998.
In 2009, Bobert made the determination that the industry was in need of new technology, and machine upgrades, so he got back into the coin-operated tire inflation business. Bobert reactivated his company ARV Inc. “When I got back into this business in 2009, I was surprised to find that the technology had not changed much in the 12 years since I had been in the business,” said Bobert.
Bobert went on, “I discovered that the air and air/vac equipment that was being manufactured was lacking innovation, so I made the decision to re-engineer the machines and build my own”.
In March 2015, Bobert sold the assets of ARV Inc., to a group of entrepreneurs and investors based in Eagan, Minn. This buyer group also owns and runs VerticalXchange LLC. The new company was named Certus Manufacturing.
Bobert will be serving as a consultant to Certus.
Chris Frost, an 11-year veteran with VerticalXchange, has been named president of Certus Manufacturing.
“Working with an innovator like Dave Bobert has truly been an honor. Following Dave’s vision of consistently using innovative technology as a differentiator will continue to be the philosophy of Certus moving forward” said Frost.
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