Protecting the Systems that Protect People

Space Age Electronics is headquartered in the heart of New England, 60 miles west of downtown Boston. Boston is a city known for its passionate sports fans and some of the most talented professional sports organizations in the country. You'll find Space Age Electronics products at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, TD Garden, and in many other sports arenas, stadiums, and commercial buildings across the country.

This 60-year-old company is a member of NEMA's Committee for Small Businesses, providing life safety systems and system accessories such as smoke control panels, voltage surge suppression devices, terminal cabinets, and a host of other critical components bringing it all together in a code compliant manner. Whether it's a 70,000-seat venue, a hotel next door, or the office building across the street, Space Age Electronics forms a critical part of the universal built environment.

To kick off our series spotlighting small and medium manufacturers, NEMA spoke with Kyle Jarvenpaa, Vice President of Business Development and Michael Ventola, Industry Relations Director with Space Age Electronics, to learn more about this third-generation, U.S. based manufacturer.

"Our work is essential to the energy transition and the transition NEMA and members like us are driving," said Mr. Ventola. "The boost we've received from our membership with NEMA because of their business intelligence, Committee for Small Businesses, and advocacy support has been a benefit to our work and our success."

The life safety industry is benefiting from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Both pieces of legislation are the catalyst to advancing high-performance buildings through code adoption, building retrofits and upgrades, equipment rebate programs and more. NEMA is helping Space Age Electronics identify those project opportunities through its Funding Portal, an online database available to help members track federal dollars available to the U.S. electroindustry organized by federal department, city, state, and project type.

"With the trillions of dollars available for energy transition and electrification through the IIJA, IRA and ARA," said Mr. Ventola, "we are perfectly situated to play a vital role in modernizing the safety and efficiency in our built environment through the innovation of new technologies that don't yet exist but will be needed to complete the scope of work mandated by law."

Other fire and life safety products, like emergency two-way communication systems, smoke control and annunciation panels, and many system accessories which help integrators achieve code compliance on their projects, are manufactured in Space Age's three Massachusetts facilities. These items are quietly performing their important functions behind closed doors and inside the walls of many buildings and facilities you walk through every day. The schools your children attend, and off the field, deep within stadiums, ensuring the safety of attendees and modernizing the safety elements of our built environment.

With the speed of electrification in the built environment, Mr. Ventola updated stakeholders during a session at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference in Orlando in June. The talk focused on the national codes and standards driving emergency two-way communication within buildings and the next evolution of building safety. During this season's sporting events, enjoy your day at the ballpark and sleep well at the hotel you're lodging at knowing you are protected by Space Age Electronics' innovative products.