TULSA, Okla. — AAON Inc. officially opened the Norman Asbjornson Innovation Center (NAIC) Research and Development Laboratory. The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, Matt Pinnell, the President and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Mike Neal, and other local dignitaries attended the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The 65-foot tall 134,000 square foot facility features ten test chambers that continue to solidify AAON as the technological leader in high performance HVAC equipment. The NAIC is the only laboratory in the world able to measure supply, return, and ambient sound under actual load conditions, for an air conditioning system up 300 tons and a chiller system up to 540 tons. Environmental application testing capabilities include -20° to 140°F testing conditions, up to 8 inches per hour rain testing, up to 2 inches per hour snow testing, and up to 50 mph wind testing.

“We are very excited to have this facility up-and-running. It is the result of many years of designing, planning and implementation by our employees,” said Norm Asbjornson, CEO of AAON. “I believe the technology built into this state-of-the-art laboratory will establish the company for many years to come.”

“The NAIC is a major reason I decided to come and lead the AAON team,” said Gary Fields, president of AAON. ”The value this facility brings to the company is enormous; we are able to show our customers firsthand why AAON is the leader in the HVAC industry. Its capabilities have already resulted in multiple large AAON equipment orders, where the customer required testing that was not possible anywhere else.”

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