Great Lakes Filters a division of Acme Mills, a leading North American manufacturer and converter of high-performance textiles and filtration products, has formed a strategic partnership with Ahlstrom – the global leader in combining fibers for innovative and sustainable specialty material. Acme Mills will serve as a distributor of Optipad, leveraging its decades of filtration and textile converting expertise to bring this high-value product to market with efficiency and scale.

Optipad is a groundbreaking pre-impregnated filter pad designed to simplify the frying oil filtration process while significantly extending oil life—by up to 50%. Combining advanced fiber-based filtration material, Optipad removes impurities more effectively, improves oil quality, and reduces waste and operating costs for foodservice operations.

Optipad™ also maintains lower TPM-% (Total Polar Materials) levels for longer durations than conventional methods, ensuring higher oil quality and better-tasting food.

“We’re excited to partner with Ahlstrom to bring Optipad™ to customers across North America,” said Jim Colman, CEO of Acme Mills LLC. “This product perfectly aligns with our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and delivering smarter filtration solutions to our customers. The ability to extend oil life, reduce consumption, and improve operational efficiency is a true game changer for the foodservice industry.”

Acme Mills offers a full range of converting services, including cut and sew, slitting, sheeting, rewinding, die cutting, and custom packaging. These capabilities enable Acme to deliver highly tailored textile and filtration solutions, providing customers with both performance and convenience.