Oneida Air Systems (OAS), a leading U.S manufacturer of dust collection systems used by contractors and do-it-yourself homeowners for safer, faster and hassle-free renovation and restoration projects, today releases the official video clip of its debut on the national television program “Operation Build.”  The program’s focus was “declaring war on dust,” and during its segment, OAS demonstrated three of its product offerings that provide consumers a dust-free renovation experience.  All three products are being used on site as part of the renovation of the historic Shoemaker mansion in the upstate village of Minoa, NY. 

Oneida Air Systems partnered with the team at Operation Build to demonstrate its patented cyclonic dust collection equipment as part of the historic mansion’s dust-free renovation.  The mansion, unoccupied in recent years, had fallen into a state of disrepair and is currently undergoing a major renovation by its new owner, Camillus, NY resident Robert Kelsey.  OAS General Manager, Jeffrey Hill, commented, “The process of renovating any home can be a daunting one, particularly if you’re living in it at the time. The dust associated with installing dry wall, sanding floors, or removing textured ceilings and peeling paint can be a health and safety hazard.  We chose the Shoemaker mansion over other potential locations for our Operation Build segment not only because the large scale of the renovation offered many ways to show how our equipment can provide a better renovation experience, but beyond that, our team was really impressed by Mr. Kelsey’s vision for the mansion.  We knew that together with his vision, our products, and the support of the village of Minoa, we could make a real difference in our local community by restoring this property.  We believe we’ve got an outstanding community story in the making, and we’re very proud to be a part of that.” 

Originally built in 1869 as a wood-framed family home by the late industrialist and NY assemblyman, Conrad Shoemaker, the mansion was destroyed by a fire in 1874 and subsequently rebuilt by Shoemaker over a period of nearly four years.  The rebuild was a brick mansion that was completed in 1878 and still stands today in the heart of Minoa, NY.  The mansion was widely known in recent years to the local community as the former Masonic Temple, having been owned by the Masons from the 1920s to the early 2000s, when another community group purchased it, owning it only briefly prior to the economic crash.  The mansion had been vacant in recent years and had begun to fall into a state of disrepair that included damaged drywall, exposed peeling paint, plaster debris, and worn and damaged hardwood floors. 

Robert Kelsey purchased the vacant mansion in 2013 and has since begun work to restore it to its original grandeur, while consulting with Minoa’s village historian to include design features from the original home in his restoration.  His ultimate goal is to reopen it as a site with a commercial presence so that the community will be welcome inside for events and/or artistic retail.  Mr. Kelsey commented, “My wife had grown up near the village of Minoa, and my family had ties to this area, too.  When we saw the mansion was for sale, we knew its restoration was something we wanted to undertake.  We have the utmost respect for this beautiful and historic property as well its place in the early history of Minoa, and it is an exciting opportunity to restore it and make it a place that the community can enjoy.”  In regard to his desire for the renovation to be as dust-free as possible, Mr. Kelsey further commented, “The mansion is over 9,000 square feet in size, so the scope of the project is quite large, and potentially quite expensive.  Because of this, I have been diligent in researching the best methods and equipment to help accomplish our goals while keeping costs in check.  I am very appreciative of the team at Oneida Air Systems for the use of their products and their expertise in keeping dust—and ultimately renovation costs—to a minimum.”

Operation Build is a national program that focuses on sharing home improvement concepts in renovations, remodels, and do-it-yourself projects.  Within its segment, OAS team members demonstrated the Vortex® DCS for dust-free floor sanding, the Dust Deputy® dust separator that works to eliminate clogged filters and suction loss when used with a wet/dry vacuum during dry wall sanding or routine clean up, and its Viper scraper® hand scraping tool that attaches to a wet/dry vacuum to eliminate clean up after paint scraping.  The Operation Build segment aired on A&E Network on Sept. 17, 2016 and on the FYI network on Sept. 24, 2016.  The official video clip is available for viewing on www.oneida-air.com/operationbuild.