Altitude Water adds COO and CFO as expansion accelerates

Altitude Water named Branden Riley chief operations officer and Robbye Rapp chief financial officer as the Lauderdale Lakes company expands in South Florida and prepares to open a 10,400-square-foot facility. The hires come as Altitude Water pushes into Puerto Rico, grows its atmospheric water business and readies for more global demand.

Why it matters: - Altitude Water is adding senior leadership while scaling manufacturing, international work and disaster-response capabilities. - The hires are meant to support growth tied to new factory capacity, Caribbean expansion and broader demand for water-generation systems.

What happened: - Lauderdale Lakes-based Altitude Water named Branden Riley chief operations officer and Robbye Rapp chief financial officer. - The company announced the leadership additions after rapid factory expansion across South Florida and media appearances on NBC Miami and CBS New York. - A new 10,400-square-foot Altitude Water facility is set to open soon.

The details: - Riley brings engineering and operations experience across water, infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture and sustainability. - Riley previously worked on the EPA’s drinking water data systems and at U.S. Steel. - Riley’s background also includes hydroponics, vertical farming, controlled-environment agriculture and regenerative farming operations. - As COO, Riley will focus on scalable systems, efficiency, resilience and long-term operations. - Rapp is a Louisiana-based fractional CFO and Certified Public Accountant. - Rapp has worked with small and medium businesses in HVAC, food distribution, manufacturing and professional services. - Rapp will help build budget plans and financial strategy for Altitude Water’s growth. - Altitude Water develops atmospheric water generators, disaster relief trailers and ozone purification systems. - The company’s systems are intended to support communities facing water scarcity and disaster conditions. - CEO Jeff Szur said the new hires will help form the next stage of company growth. - Szur said Altitude Water wants to create jobs at home and support communities abroad.

Between the lines: - The leadership expansion signals a shift from startup-style growth to a more complex operating model. - Altitude Water is pairing executive hiring with manufacturing capacity, which suggests the company expects more production, more deployment and more financial oversight. - The Puerto Rico push shows Altitude Water is leaning into both humanitarian and commercial growth in the Caribbean. - Szur plans to oversee AWG installations in high-need Puerto Rico municipalities, train and hire local technicians and conduct disaster-readiness assessments ahead of peak hurricane season. - Szur will also join the Sept. 15 Global Symposium on Microplastics hosted by Torrent Laboratory Inc. - The event will focus on the microplastic crisis and how technology can support vulnerable communities.

What's next: - Altitude Water expects the new facility and new executives to accelerate the company’s next phase of expansion. - Szur’s Puerto Rico trip will advance installation work and local workforce development. - The company is also positioning itself for more visibility around water security and microplastics through upcoming public appearances.

The bottom line: - Altitude Water is building the management bench to match a broader growth plan spanning manufacturing, disaster relief and international water access.