Our partner in the USA: Hayden

Strong partnerships are built on people who share a passion for what they do. Austin Prather, Vice President of Sales at Hayden and Company, has been driving innovative fire protection solutions across the U.S. for more than 20 years.
In the interview, Austin reflects on the advantages of using FireDos proportioners over bladder tanks, the evolving foam chemistry landscape, and the present challenges in fire protection. 

Austin, great to have you here — please introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Austin Prather, and I’m the Vice President of Sales and Southern Region Manager at Hayden and Company.
Before joining Hayden over 20 years ago, I worked for Koch Industries, specifically for Flint Hills Resources, at a refining complex in Corpus Christi, Texas. After eight years there, I was ready for a new challenge. I’ve always enjoyed doing new things and staying on the cutting edge. When the opportunity at Hayden came up, it was a perfect fit. Even though it meant a pay cut at the time, the potential for growth and the chance to work more closely with customers made it an easy decision. It’s been a great journey ever since.

For those who don’t know Hayden yet, what makes your company special?

Hayden was founded in 1947, originally offering general industrial services and equipment. In the 1980s, the company spotted an untapped opportunity in fire protection sector for the oil & gas and industrial markets, and that’s when fire protection really became our focus.

We’re a small, privately owned company with around 20 employees, and that’s one of our biggest strengths. We’re not part of a large conglomerate, which allows us to stay flexible and hire some of the best technical sales engineers in the business.

Every member of our sales team has either a degree in fire protection or an engineering degree with a fire protection focus. This gives us a strong technical foundation to truly understand customer challenges and provide reliable, customized solutions rather than just selling products. In practice, we don’t offer just one solution. We provide a set of viable options based on our experience. Each solution has different features and price points, so customers can pick what fits their priorities.

Who are your typical customers?

We mainly serve oil & gas refineries, pipeline and terminal facilities, power plants, steel mills, and pharmaceutical companies. All of them require robust fire protection, from hydrants and deluge valves to foam systems and customized extinguishing equipment.
We like to say we supply everything “from the underground tap to the end-of-line device,” and that includes even protective clothing.

Let’s talk about your cooperation with FireDos. How did it all begin?

Our cooperation started back in 2007 when we designed and fabricated foam skids for an oil refinery’s truck rack protection system. We installed FireDos proportioners, an FD6000 and an FD8000, replacing an outdated, non-functional bladder tank system.
Those FireDos units are still in service today. Apart from standard maintenance, they’ve never had major issues. That’s a huge difference compared to bladder tanks, which require more upkeep and are prone to operational errors.

How has the cooperation with FireDos developed since the US subsidiary was founded in 2019?

It’s been excellent. Actually, we have been an official FireDos partner since 2019.
Having FireDos US in place has made communication and support much smoother. We now have faster access to technical information and benefit from joint sales activities.
FireDos US, led by Jörg, does a great job generating leads and creating awareness. We then take these inquiries and turn them into full fire protection projects, complete systems engineered and built to the customer’s specifications. It’s a great example of how we complement each other perfectly.

What do you appreciate most about FireDos technology?

The FireDos proportioning system is robust and reliable, without the major issues we often see with other foam systems, like bladder tanks that require extensive maintenance and experienced personnel to refill and operate them. The FireDos system is much more intuitive, especially for people in the oil & gas and processing industries who are used to opening and closing valves.
With bladder tanks, incorrect handling can easily lead to contamination or waste of foam concentrate. The FireDos system eliminates that risk.
It’s also very flexible compared to bladder tanks. Because it is a dosing unit, the dosing automatically adjusts to changing flow rates without any mechanical changes.
All in all, that translates into lower ownership costs over the life of the equipment and a longer life cycle.

What about firefighting monitors?

The U.S. market for fire monitors is quite competitive. There are several domestic manufacturers with strong local positions, which makes it difficult for European products to compete, especially with tariffs and transportation costs.
That said, I see a lot of potential in early fire detection combined with automated extinguishing systems. This is an exciting field where 'smart' monitors like FireDos fire monitors could play a major role in the future, especially in applications like energy storage or industrial automation.

From your perspective, how has fire protection technology evolved over the past 20 years?

The biggest changes have come from the foam concentrates themselves. They’ve become more environmentally friendly, but also more viscous, creating new challenges for proportioning systems.
FireDos has handled that transition very well. The systems adapt to these new fluorine-free foam concentrates without major design changes, which is a big advantage for our customers.

What has remained essential despite all these developments?

The basic principles of fire protection haven’t changed much. What’s evolving is the chemistry behind the foams, and that’s where innovation continues to happen.

Where do you see the biggest challenges and opportunities in the coming years?

Without question: energy storage, especially large-scale battery installations. It’s a relatively new field, and traditional fire protection methods often don’t work. There’s still a lot to learn about how to detect, contain, and extinguish fires in these systems safely.

Another issue we’re facing is the reluctance of some operators to test foam systems because of environmental concerns related to PFAS. FireDos offers a smart alternative here, with systems that allow full functional testing without using foam concentrate. That’s a major benefit for responsible operators who still want assurance that their systems will perform when needed.

You’ve been in fire protection for over 20 years. What do you enjoy most about your work?

Every day brings a new challenge. Customers come to us with problems that need creative solutions, and I enjoy developing those. The more unique the problem, the more interesting it is. It pushes me to stay on the leading edge of technology and find new ways to protect people and assets.

And when you’re not solving fire protection challenges?

I live in the country, so my free time usually involves maintaining my property, mowing, tree trimming, and fixing things. It keeps me grounded.
I used to follow college football more closely, though I’m not a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan. Nowadays, I prefer spending time outdoors and working on projects around the house with my sons.

I have a quick ‘fire round’ for you. I’ll give you two options, and you choose one without thinking too long.

Coffee 😐 or Tea 😊

Summer 😐 or Winter 😊

Beach vacation 😊 or City trip 😐

Big truck 😊 or Sports car 😐

Early bird 😐 or Night owl 😊

Finally, if you had to describe FireDos in three words, what would they be?

Robust, reliable, and accurate.

Those three words perfectly summarize our experience with FireDos products and reflect the company itself. You can only make a robust and accurate product if the organization behind it operates with the same values.

 

FireDos, to me, is robust, reliable, and accurate — in every sense.

 

Thanks, Austin, for a fun, engaging, and insightful chat. Keep sparking ideas—and stay fired up! 😉