We’re living in a time where energy costs are climbing, supply chain delays are stretching longer, and our customers are under more pressure than ever to do more with less. And for manufacturers in Georgia and Florida, the ones I’ve been working with for 30 years, that’s not just a headline. That’s reality. That’s the fourth utility: compressed air.
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with my friend Jason Moss on the Manufacturing News Network podcast hosted by the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. We talked shop. Everything from my 30-year journey with Pye-Barker to why compressed air efficiency is now mission-critical for plant performance.
“Size Matters” - But We’re Talking About Your Energy Bill
Jason and I joked about the title of the podcast, Size Matters, but the reality is serious: the size of your utility bill is often tied directly to how efficiently you’re using compressed air.
Most folks don’t realize that over a 10-year period, electricity makes up 70–80% of the total cost of owning and operating a compressed air system. Not the equipment. Not even the maintenance. It’s your power bill that hits the hardest .
And here’s the kicker: a lot of that cost is totally avoidable.
One thing Ron Wright, our compressed air specialist, and I talked about during the podcast is a mindset we see all the time in the field:
“If the compressor is running, we’re good.”
But that kind of thinking ignores the total cost of ownership. If your system is oversized, leaking, poorly piped, or running inefficiently, you’re burning cash, even when everything “seems fine.”
Ron spent years in plant maintenance before joining our team, so he’s seen both sides of the table. He made a great point on the podcast: “If you don’t design it right the first time, you’ll be paying for it for the next ten years.”
That’s why we’re big on audits. Data logging. Flow studies. Because you can’t fix what you don’t measure and manufacturers are often shocked at how much compressed air waste they’ve been living with.
Traditionally, Georgia had some of the lowest electricity costs in the Southeast. But things are shifting. As Ron pointed out, we’re now paying more per kWh on average than Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Only Florida tops us .
That change is hitting bottom lines and fast. With inflation and market volatility, every penny saved on power adds up.
If you’re running outdated air systems or equipment that doesn’t match your demand profile, now’s the time to act. Efficiency isn’t a “nice to have” anymore. It’s survival.
Look, we’re not here to sell you a compressor. We’re here to help you reduce your total cost of ownership.
Here’s how we do it at Pye-Barker:
Because the truth is, every plant is different. We don’t believe in cookie-cutter solutions. We believe in partnerships.
That’s something I told Jason during the podcast, and it’s something I’ve seen firsthand for 30 years: even the most experienced plant teams often don’t realize how much compressed air inefficiency is costing them until we dig in and show them.
The good news? Once you know, it’s fixable. Whether it’s right-sizing your compressor, upgrading controls, or finding that one leak bleeding air into your bottom line, there are ways to save. Real dollars. Real quick.
Let’s start there.
Check out the full podcast episode here for more insights into our conversation.
Let’s take a walk through your plant.
We’ll show you where your compressed air system is costing you more than it should and how to fix it.
📞 Call us at 404-363-6000
📧 Email sales@pyebarker.com
🌐 Visit www.pyebarker.com
No pressure. Just practical answers.
