Sales & Marketing in Filtration
September 30, 2025, Tuesday
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM ET, USA
$USD 350
$USD 175 (Member Only )
Course Objective
The objective of this course is to provide detailed guidance on best practices for sales & marketing personnel specifically in the filtration industry. The course includes detailed and proven strategies for managing issues and opportunities faced daily by filtration sales personnel while conducting needs analysis and value-added selling. Also included is a detailed look at various pricing strategies and their impact on profit margins. A section on marketing covers market research, competitor analysis, routes to market, and promotion of products or services. Also included is a unique look at best practices for hiring sales personnel, with a focus on matching personality to the specific product and market being sold to. The course is designed for all sales and marketing personnel, from entry-level to executive level, and would also be beneficial for others in the organization.
The panel will discuss how AI is transforming market research, marketing, and sales in filtration, emerging treands and answer live qeustions.
Course Outline
Sales definition
Filtration industry overview
How sales fit into a business organization, mission statement, strategic plans
Sales fundamentals – needs analysis, value selling, closing, objections
Customer relationship management, prospects, customer segmentation
Selling price, profit margins, growth rate, financial results
Sales personnel hiring and compensation plans
Best practices for market research and marketing plan
Legal matters
Pane discussion and Q&A
How AI Is Transforming Market Research, Marketing, and Sales in Filtration
New Developments, Opportunities, and Trends
Panel discussion and Live Q&A
Instructor Biography
Mr. Mark Willingham
Instructor
Mr. Mark Willingham, AFS Fellow, President of Filtrate Solutions, is a High Point, NC - based industrial filtration consultant. He was formerly Vice President of Sales for Purolator Advanced Filtration in Greensboro, NC. There, he led a global team in sales/marketing of industrial filtration products, primarily to Fortune 500 companies in the chemical processing, pharmaceutical, power generation, and oil and gas market segments. He served in various sales management roles at Purolator for 20+ years.Willingham’s career began in the porous metal filter cleaning industry where he was responsible for new business development and developing new cleaning formulas with a focus on cleaning efficicncy, lowest environmental impact, and the safety of cleaning technicians.He is a past Chairman of the American Filtration & Separations Society (2013-2014). Willingham has extensive experience in all areas of sales and marketing management, with a particular focus on new product research and product launches, developing/training/motivating sales teams, value add - based pricing, and incentive compensation plans.
Mr. Nick Agopian
Pannelist
Mr. Nick Agopian is President of Reviveaire, USA. With 30+ years of Filtration, HVAC & energy-recovery experience, Nick focuses on Indoor Air Quality and improving the human condition indoors. Nick’s has held executive positions of VP for various businesses like Circul-Aire, Dectron Internationale, President and General Manager at SEMCO, a Fläkt Woods company, and Vice President at RenewAire. Nick is highly involved with ASHRAE,where he sits on numerous technical committees, such as ASHRAE 62.1 & 62.2, ASHRAE Position Document - Human Health and Wellness in the Built Environment, TC 2.3, SPC 145P, TRG4.IAQP, TG 9, etc. He’s also served on a special board for filtration part of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Innovation Center’s Life Sciences Business Incubator, Board of the local Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of the Board for the Home Ventilating Institute.
A committed lifelong learner, Agopian’s undergrad was in Mechanical Systems Engineering from Vanier, Quebec, Canada, and an International M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Mr. Matt Cox
Panelist
Mr. Matt Cox, CFSS, is a regional manager for Superior Felt & Filtration, serving the medical and industrial markets in air and liquid applications as an ISO 13485-certified contract manufacturer and raw material supplier. He began his career in nonwovens in 1996, working across a range of manufacturing and converting processes, including needle punch, pressed felt, spun bond, melt blown, and membranes. His work focuses on delivering value-added solutions to the filtration market, leveraging traditional materials in new markets and integrating emerging technologies. With business and cultural experience across North America and 27 countries in various markets, Mr. Cox has developed a deep passion for advancing best practices in business, nonwovens, and filtration. His participation in the CFSS program broadened his expertise in filtration media and supporting technologies while connecting him to a global network of industry experts. He received WFI CFSS 2024 Outstanding Graduate Awards.
Mr. Cox holds a BA in political science from Berea College and an MBA from the University of South Carolina. He has also served on the Spartanburg Small Business Development Council.
Panelists
Mr. Philippe Wijns is a Certified Expert in Sustainable Finance, Climate Finance, and Renewable Energy from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. He began his professional journey with global leaders in the nonwovens industry before transitioning to the filtration sector, where he specialized in filtration technologies across a wide range of applications and markets—including industrial and automotive systems, HVAC, household appliances, medical and life sciences, as well as power storage solutions such as fuel cells, hydrogen systems, and battery separators. Over the years, he has established himself as a recognized expert in filtration media.
Building on a successful career with global market leaders in these fields, Philippe recently founded CleverSustainability, a consultancy dedicated to sustainable business development. Through this platform, he helps companies develop and implement sustainability strategies, ensure compliance with the EU legal reporting requirements, and enhance their sustainable business growth, product portfolio and development, and market positioning. Philippe holds a bachelor's degree in medicine and chemistry from the Catholic University of Leuven, an MBA in Strategic Marketing from the Maastricht School of Management, and a postgraduate degree in International Business and Finance. Born in Brussels and now based in Frankfurt, he considers the city his home.
Mr. Richard Lydon, Secretary General of The Filtration Society (UK), is a leading expert in the global filtration industry. He has led and held a number leadership positions at public and private businesses in a career spanning 35 years. Having both a business and technology background, he has helped companies grow and develop on global platform basis through SEED Funding, M&A, VC and PE. Businesses Richard has helped lead & grow include Molymem(UK), Veco/ Muon Group (The Netherlands, now part of IDEX Corp), Filtration Group (USA), Clear Edge Filtration (Globally), Madison Filter (UK) Scapa Group plc (UK) and Porvair plc (UK). Richard has also held a number of institutional roles including Visiting Professor roles at Loughborough & Leeds University. He is External Advisory Board Chair (Materials) at University of Manchester and IEO, TU Dublin. He is Advisory Board Member of WFI and co-chair of the WFI annual conference for the past 5 years.
Ms. Kirsten Kulik is the CEO of FAST Innovations, LLC, where she leads the development and deployment of advanced water recovery technologies designed to drive sustainability across industrial sectors. With a career rooted in innovation and environmental stewardship, Kirsten specializes in creating practical, cost-effective solutions for water reuse, particularly in manufacturing and surface finishing industries. Her leadership has helped FAST Innovations become a recognized name in industrial water sustainability, and her expertise spans technology development, systems integration, and strategic partnerships. A former chair of the American Filtration and Separation Society (AFS) and past board member of the Electrocoat Association, Kirsten brings both technical insight and industry perspective to every project she leads.