BREATHING CLEAN AIR
SMALL business RYAN DAHLGAARD, OWNER, THE FILTER SHOP
Keeping the Faith
THE FILTER SHOP EXPANDS AT STEADY PACE Ryan Dahlgaard, sole owner and president of The Filter Shop, knows what it’s like to work hard. With a solid background in the corporate world, he loved being part of that culture and enjoyed being in a fastpaced, demanding environment. But, after a while, he realized he needed to make a life change, and soon the idea for The Filter Shop was born.
The Cornerstone The Filter Shop started more than 17 years ago in the summer of 2004. Dahlgaard said leaving a corporate job and becoming a business owner came out of the recognition that he needed to spend more time focusing on what was important. “It is a very personal story,” he said. “I was learning that the success and money was not all that I was hoping it would be. My family was not my first priority, and I could see the cracks getting bigger.” So, he and his wife started to do some soul searching. It was during that time that he realized that something needed to change – not just professionally, but personally, too. Today, he is in a completely different spot than he was then. “At that time, we really didn’t go to church,” he explained. “I didn’t know what it was to have a personal relationship with God. All I knew
was I needed something else because working 70+ hours a week and canceling vacations so I could finish a project was not working anymore for me. That’s how God grabs you sometimes … He lets you go down your own path. Through all this, He was starting change my heart, and through several trials I made the decision to make a change. Enter The Filter Shop and an opportunity to start something brand new … from the ground up.” Today, Dahlgaard’s faith is central to how he runs his business. The Filter Shop serves as a master distributor of HVAC filters, UV lights, HEPA filters, water filters, filter housings, air scrubbers, and much more. The company generally focuses on the commercial and industrial markets, providing filters to the paint industry, oil and gas industry, and many more. The Filter Shop’s inventory is one of the largest in the Midwest, and it also provides different types of air filter installation services by National Air Filtration Association Certified Technicians.
The Beginning Versus Today When The Filter Shop first launched, it operated out of an 800-square-foot warehouse. “The original intention was not to have multiple locations or big
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