INDUSTRY NEWS The facility has three employees who joined Noble Gas from the former Taylor Welding Company and have more than 100 years of experience and knowledge combined. Along with one salesperson based out of the South Glens Falls location, these employees look forward to assisting clients in the North Country. J. David Mahoney, president of Noble Gas Solutions, said that opening this location “is a transformative step forward for the future of the company as it moves its footprint to the North Country. We’re proud to be part of such a dedicated community like South Glens Falls.” The newly expanded store and warehouse offer the same products that the existing Noble Gas locations provide and will be an extension of the company into the North Country of New York state. Opening a facility further north will help immensely by providing top-notch service in the region.
Holston Gases Opens New Branch Locations in Birmingham, AL and Muscle Shoals, AL Holston Gases announced that they opened new stores in Birmingham, Alabama, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Holston Gases President Robert Anders said, “We are very excited about this latest expansion. These new locations will allow us to provide products and services throughout middle and northern Alabama as well as adjacent markets in Mississippi.”
Hypertherm Awards 2021 Educational Grants to 12 North American Schools Hypertherm is excited to announce recipients of its 2021 Spark Something Great educational grant. The grant program, now in its seventh year, is designed to place the latest plasma technology into schools so the next generation of metalworkers can train on the equipment found in workplaces. This year’s winning schools were selected from a pool of 231 applicants representing high schools, vocational schools, and colleges from throughout the United States and Canada. Each of the 12 schools will receive a Hypertherm Powermax45 XP plasma system and in-person training from a Hypertherm industrial cutting expert. This year’s recipients are: • Bluestone High School – Skipwith, VA • Clark County Area Technology Center – Winchester, KY • Felicity-Franklin High School – Felicity, OH • George Stevens Academy - Blue Hill, ME • Iron Eagle Welding Academy – Stockton, MO • Morrilton High School – Morrilton, AR • North American Trade School – Baltimore, MD • South Carolina School of Welding, LLC - Beech Island, SC • Spotswood High School - Penn Laird, VA continued on next page
IN MEMORIAM AL STARK GAWDA extends its condolences to the friends and family of Al Stark, who passed away on May 11, 2021. Al was born on April 5, 1950, in La Porte, Indiana. He attended Indiana University and married his high school sweetheart, Linda. Al began his career at Air Products 50 years ago, in 1971. Ten years later, Al began his cylinder career at Marison Cylinder in South Bend, Indiana, where he worked for 10 years. Al began his long, storied career at Norris Cylinder on
April 4, 1991, as Midwest Territory Manager. He recently celebrated his 30th year with the company. In addition to his 30+ years of dedicated service to Norris and 50 years in the industry, Al will be remembered for the many lives and decades-long friends he made along the way. He is described by those who knew him best as: passionate, brash, honest, bold, opinionated, charming, loud, funny, a gentleman, an industry icon, a mentor, a friend. He made an impression on all who knew him, and he will be greatly missed Al leaves behind his loving wife, Linda, and his devoted children, Jen and Alex, and his grandchildren. Though he is gone, his soul lives on in the minds and hearts of many. Summer 2021 • 121
