Abtech Industries Increases Production Capacity Through Strategic Partnership with Arizona MEP’s Supplier Scouting Program
Abtech Industries, a Phoenix-based environmental technology company specializing in water filtration media, is expanding production capacity to meet growing demand through connections made via the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Arizona MEP) Supplier Scouting program. Founded in 1997, Abtech initially focused on stormwater treatment and has since evolved to address complex industrial water challenges, including mining applications and PFAS remediation.
Abtech produces a proprietary filtration media using sustainable materials, including byproducts from deforestation and agricultural waste. These raw feedstocks are converted into active treatment ingredients and bonded to polymer substrates, creating filters that are more precise and environmentally secure than traditional loose media, which can degrade and pose contamination risks.
“Our goal is to revolutionize water treatment through science and sustainability,” said Narghis Sarwari, Chief Scientist at Abtech. “We take a problem like agricultural waste and turn it into a solution that extends the life of water.”
The Challenge
As Abtech’s industrial filtration business grew, demand for its proprietary media increased significantly. Producing larger volumes of filtration media required more capacity than the company had available. Abtech needed a highly specialized supplier capable of scaling production while maintaining strict quality control standards.
Arizona MEP’s Role
Through a referral that began with the Small Business Administration’s Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program, Sarwari connected with Arizona MEP and submitted a Supplier Scouting request. Within one week, Jim Harrison, Arizona MEP Director of Supply Chain Optimization, identified a supplier whose capabilities closely aligned with Abtech’s technical and quality requirements.
Over the next six months, Abtech collaborated with the supplier to audit quality processes and train the team on Abtech’s testing protocols before fully integrating the supplier into its quality assurance system.
The result was an approximately eight- to tenfold increase in production capacity, enabling Abtech to scale operations, serve more industrial customers, and expand market share without compromising quality.
“The process isn’t simple. It involves a multi-step curing and metal coating process,” said Sarwari. “This supplier was incredibly rare in that they already had the equipment, knowledge, and quality mindset to make it work. We gave them our recipe, and they were up and running quickly. This relationship gives us both flexibility and scalability. Thanks to Arizona MEP, we’re ready to grow without compromising on quality or sustainability.”