# What Happens When You Build a Water Membranes Factory Just to Prove a Point?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/don-t-waste-water-water-tech-to-solve-the-world-429684/what-happens-when-you-build-a-water-membranes-factory-just-to-prove-a-point
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/don-t-waste-water-water-tech-to-solve-the-world-429684/what-happens-when-you-build-a-water-membranes-factory-just-to-prove-a-point.md
Podcast: [(don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World](https://stenobird.com/podcast/don-t-waste-water-water-tech-to-solve-the-world-429684)
Published: 2025-11-20T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.ausha.co/dont-waste-water/s13e14-what-happens-when-you-build-a-factory-just-to-prove-a-point
Audio file: https://audio.ausha.co/yAzY1CZrr4lO.mp3?t=1763594282
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/don-t-waste-water-water-tech-to-solve-the-world-429684/episodes/what-happens-when-you-build-a-water-membranes-factory-just-to-prove-a-point
Duration seconds: 1705

## Resource

How Is Aqua Membranes Scaling 3D-Printed Water Membranes Spacers from Garage Startup to 200,000 Square Foot Manufacturing Facility? Let's find out! 🤫 Tired of stitching together Crunchbase, overpriced reports, and "a guy who knows a guy"? I built the fix. 50 Founder Seats. Join the waitlist: leviathandata.io 🙌 Supporters 🙌 A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab ⬇️ IN THIS VIDEO ⬇️ Aqua Membranes manufactures reverse osmosis membrane elements with 3D-printed spacers that reduce energy consumption and pressure drops in industrial water treatment across mining, semiconductor, and beverage sectors. Founded 15 years ago by Rodney Herrington in his garage, the water membranes company now operates from Albuquerque and a new 200,000-square-foot Knoxville facility led by CEO Craig Beckman and CTO CJ Kurth. 🌶️ KEY SPICES 🌶️ 🖨️ Proprietary 3D printing technology creates Fibonacci spiral-patterned spacers that optimize fluid flow and reduce fouling compared to traditional mesh spacers found in water membranes ⚡ Energy efficiency gains through reduced pressure drops enable customers to lower operating costs and extend cleaning cycles in reverse osmosis systems 🏭 Vertical integration strategy from material science through full element manufacturing de-risks technology adoption for major water membranes manufacturers 🎯 Strategic customer validation from Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, Micron Technology, and exclusive distribution partnership with Osmo Flow in Australia 📈 Scalable manufacturing platform with capacity for 25,000 elements annually in current configuration and 9x expansion potential in the Knoxville facility 🥜 IN A NUTSHELL 🥜 Why can't Aqua Membranes just license their spacer technology to major water tech manufacturers? The m…

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