Our Heritage
Seventy-nine years of quiet conviction.
Founded in 1947, PEMS has spent three quarters of a century solving one of humanity's oldest and least-discussed problems.
FLAVIUS AEROCOLIUS VENTRICUS · FOUNDER & CHIEF ENGINEER · EST. 1947
The man who refused to suffer in silence.
In a Toledo garage in 1947, engineer Flavius Aerocolius Ventricus built the first Personal Exhaust Management Device on his own workbench. His colleagues laughed. His neighbors complained. His wife left, briefly. Today, the company he founded operates in 41 markets worldwide.
— "Humanity deserves better."
1947
A company is born.
Flavius A. Ventricus founds PEMS and hand-builds the Original Buttfler. The Toledo garage is later designated a national landmark (pending).
1958
The first patent.
U.S. Patent granted for the Personal Exhaust Management Device. Fig. 1 still hangs in the lobby.
1969
The space program.
PEMS engineers are consulted on cabin air management. Details remain classified.
1977
PEMS goes public.
Listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PEMS. The opening bell is described by attendees as "muffled."
1984
The Great Recall.
The Buttfler Maxx is voluntarily recalled. The company emerges stronger, quieter, and considerably more careful.
1991
Tactical Solutions founded.
PEMS expands into the defense sector. "Freedom isn't free. Neither is filtration."
2003
Congressional hearings.
PEMS cooperated fully. No further comment was deemed necessary.
2012
The comeback.
The SmartButtfler line ushers in the connected era. Containment rates reach an all-time high.
2026
The modern era.
The Buttfler Pro Max launches to record demand. The mission continues.
PHOTO WITHHELD
PENDING DECLASSIFICATION
PENDING DECLASSIFICATION
FOUNDER VENTRICUS MEETS THE ADMINISTRATION · WASHINGTON, 1954 · IMAGE CLASSIFIED UNDER PROTOCOL 7-B