Dominick Dal Santo works as a Sales Manager and Dust Collection Expert at Baghouse.com
Over the years, Dominick has helped hundreds of facilities across North America troubleshoot dust collection problems, design new systems, train maintenance teams, and perform comprehensive system audits. Having worked in marketing, field service, installations, welding, system design, and now sales management, he brings a unique perspective that combines practical experience with engineering knowledge.
We recently sat down with Dominick to discuss his journey into the dust collection industry, the importance of education, and some of the exciting experiences he’s encountered while helping customers improve their systems.
— How did you get started in the dust collection industry?
Dominick: “Well… I was kind of forced into it,” he laughs.
“My father, Dave Dal Santo, founded the company more than forty years ago, so growing up, working at Baghouse during the summer was just how we earned a little spending money. I spent some time working in other industries first, but eventually came back in my early twenties. Ironically, I didn’t start on the engineering side—I actually started in marketing.”
“Today I work with customers from the very beginning of a project, helping determine the best solution for their application. Having spent years actually installing and troubleshooting systems gives you a different perspective when recommending equipment.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
— What do you enjoy most about your job?
Dominick: “Honestly, it’s educating customers. One thing we’ve noticed over the years is that dust collection seems to be one of those subjects that many facilities never receive proper training on.”
“When we visit a facility, I don’t just want to tell someone that they need to replace a filter or adjust a setting. I’d rather explain why something is happening. When people understand how their system actually works, they begin solving problems on their own.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
Any funny or interesting anecdotes from your first jobs?
Dominick: “There are quite a few. We were working for one of the largest pistachio producers in the world. Now, of all the foods I don’t particularly enjoy… pistachios are probably at the top of the list. So naturally, one of our biggest customers turns out to be a pistachio producer, and I’m literally spending my days climbing around mountains of pistachios.”
But not every memorable experience was humorous. “We were performing a dust collection audit at a woodworking facility. During the inspection, I noticed they had built a homemade after-filter assembly on a return-air duct. When I explained that it represented a serious combustible dust fire and explosion hazard, one of the maintenance managers looked at me and said…’Why would it be a fire hazard? It’s just wood dust.’ It wasn’t that they were ignoring safety. They genuinely didn’t know wood dust could explode.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
— What are the most common problems you see when you walk into a plant for the first time?
Dominick: “It’s interesting because after visiting so many facilities, you begin noticing the same patterns over and over again.”
If operators have incorrect readings it could result in damage to the system, increase emissions, or even fire and combustible dust hazards
“The very first question we ask is always, ‘What’s your differential pressure?'” Almost every plant has some kind of issue with its differential pressure monitoring. The gauge might be broken, full of water, or simply inaccurate because the pressure-sensing lines have never been cleaned. If you can’t trust your differential pressure reading, you really can’t make good maintenance decisions. When it’s accurate, it tells you an incredible amount about what’s happening inside your dust collector.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
— If you could give one piece of advice to plant managers, engineers, and maintenance teams, what would it be?
Dominick: “Invest the time to learn how your dust collection system actually works.”
One practice he cautions against is relying exclusively on what he jokingly calls “old man fiddle knowledge.” Institutional knowledge is incredibly valuable. Over the years, procedures have become simplified, advice gets passed from one generation to the next and sometimes details are forgotten. Sometimes practices that were considered acceptable twenty years ago simply aren’t the best approach anymore.
“When people understand why something works—not just how they’ve always done it—they make better decisions, troubleshoot problems faster, and they become much more confident maintaining the system.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
— Why do you recommend combining operator training with a system audit?
Dominick: “During the audit, we’ll identify physical issues. Maybe the collector is undersized. Maybe there’s damaged ductwork, poor airflow, plugged hoppers, or equipment that’s been modified over the years. But the majority of the problems we identify usually trace back to how the system is being operated or maintained.”
That’s where the second day becomes just as valuable.
“During the training sessions, we spend several hours with maintenance personnel, operators, engineers, and supervisors discussing how the system actually works. Management may tell us that a particular maintenance procedure is always followed. But once you’re sitting in the classroom talking with the technicians who work on the equipment every day, you sometimes discover that’s not actually what happens.”
“The final report doesn’t simply say, ‘Replace this valve,’ or ‘Repair this duct. It identifies physical improvements, maintenance improvements, operational improvements, and training opportunities. You’re solving both the mechanical issues and the knowledge gaps at the same time.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
— What makes Baghouse.com different from other dust collection providers?
Dominick: “We have experience with every stage of the process. We design complete systems, manufacture equipment, install it, inspect existing systems and train maintenance teams. Many equipment suppliers are manufacturer representatives who only sell one particular brand or product line. Naturally, they’re limited to the products they represent.”
“Our goal is to recommend the solution that makes the most sense for the customer’s application. We’re willing to talk ourselves out of selling equipment if that’s honestly the best answer.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
— Any final thoughts for someone considering Baghouse.com for their next dust collection project?
Dominick: “Take a look at our experience. Spend some time on our website. Look at the industries we’ve worked in, read through the case studies. And then talk to us.”
“When you call us, you’re not getting someone reading specifications out of a catalog. You’re talking with people who’ve spent years inside manufacturing plants solving these problems.”
“And we work with customers to develop a solution that fits their application, their budget, and their long-term goals. At the end of the day, long-term relationships are built on trust.”
▶ Watch his full answer below.
Learn From Decades of Experience
Throughout this interview, Dominick returns to one recurring theme: the majority of dust collection problems aren’t caused by equipment—they’re caused by a lack of understanding.
That’s why Baghouse.com approaches every project as more than an equipment sale. By combining engineering expertise, field experience, comprehensive system audits, operator training, and practical troubleshooting, the company helps customers improve reliability, reduce maintenance costs, and maximize the performance of their existing systems before recommending major capital investments.
As Dominick puts it, “We don’t sell products—we sell solutions.”
Dust Collection Expert, Technical Writer & Editor at Baghouse.com
Andy Biancotti believes that knowledge is one of the best investments any company can make. As Editor and Marketing Manager at Baghouse.com, he enjoys interviewing engineers, technicians, and customers to capture the real-world lessons behind successful dust collection projects and turn them into practical resources that others can learn from. With more than two decades of experience in industrial maintenance, operations, and technical communication, his goal is simple: help people better understand their systems so they can work safer, smarter, and more efficiently.
