Meet Our Application Engineers

Neal Raker

Neal started his tenure at EXAIR in 1997. For 17 years he worked as an Application Engineer serving our international customers and overseas distributors. In 2014 he was promoted to International Sales Manager, and in 2023, Neal was tapped to manage our domestic Application Engineering department as well. Neal graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology. Neal's passion for manufacturing started when he began working at a custom plastic injection molding shop to put himself through school. Neal is the proud father of two daughters. He enjoys all things music, but especially playing guitar in a "dad band" and with his family at church. Neal looks forward to spending more time travelling with his wife and kids as well as doing home improvement projects.

Brian Farno

Brian has been an Application Engineer with EXAIR since 2010. Prior to EXAIR he worked in the CNC Machine Tool industry for five years. That was his first job after graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. Outside of work, Brian is a father to three amazing daughters and enjoys raising them with his wife. Brian is an outdoor fanatic whether it be on a motorcycle, camping, rucking, or hiking. There is no question he always seems to have a lot of DIY projects going on and Brian has tackled some significant home improvement projects.

Russ Bowman

At the age of 18, Russ joined the Navy in 1985 and served in submarines. Russ is quick to comment that the Navy used compressed air to get submarines back to the surface, so he knows a lot about it because his life once depended on it. Since then, Russ spent time in the pump industry and is an expert in fluid flow & heat transfer, so being an EXAIR Application Engineer since 2011 is a position he’s been preparing for his whole life. Russ married his middle school crush in 1996 with whom he has raised two fine young men & recently released them into the wild. Russ is also a piano player and will perform for his wife, their dog, the cat, and anyone else within earshot.

Jordan Shouse

Jordan has been at EXAIR since 2017. Prior to joining the EXAIR team his background was in metrology. He has worked with many sectors of manufacturing including automotive, aerospace and pharma where he examined quality processes, designed and implemented strategies to improve quality, reduce scrap and achieve better ship rates to customers. Working as an Application Engineer is really my bread and butter, as I enjoy digging into the hardest cases and providing a solution. He enjoys anything from camping and hiking to just exploring new areas. I’m also an active salt water aquarium hobbyist, and currently have a 100 Gallon tank that has been set up for about 3 years.

John Ball

John Ball is an International Application Engineer for EXAIR Corporation since 2014. He has been in the pneumatic industry for over 20 years with the majority of his experience in compressed air filtration, refrigerated air dryers, and FRLs (or filters, regulators, and lubricators). Some of his past positions were R&D, manufacturing, design, sales, and training. This helps John to draw from a wide range of experiences to help solve problems and think outside the box. John has two wonderful grandchildren and enjoys golf, darts, and volleyball.

Tyler Daniel

I’ve been working at EXAIR since 2010. While completing my degree at the University of Cincinnati, I spent time working in Production in both Assembly and Quality Control. In 2017, I transitioned into the International Application Engineer role here at EXAIR. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time in the kitchen cooking, as well as working off my love of food by powerlifting in the gym.

Al Wooffitt

Al joined EXAIR’s team of Application Engineers in 2023. With a degree in Mathematics and a background in sales, Al loves to problem solve in order to find the best solution for his customer. Originally from the U.K., Al now lives in Cincinnati, OH. Outside of work Al enjoys spending time with family, travelling, and hiking with his wife and their two dogs. More recently he has been building a model train layout so he can create a piece of the English Countryside here in the U.S.

Jason Kirby

Jason is the newest member of the Exair Application Engineering team. With a degree in Communications from Ohio University and a background in industrial manufacturing, Jason brings a mix of first-class customer service with high level technical support. Outside of work Jason enjoys spending time with his wife and young son, which usually consists of any and all outdoor activities and live music events.