Meet Your 2022 GAWDA Board of Directors

LEADERSHIP

MEET YOUR 2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Following a year where our country and our association returned to some semblance of normalcy, GAWDA looks to continue that momentum into 2022. This year, we returned to in-person events, while the push to digital networking that was accelerated by the pandemic drove GAWDA to introducing more webinars. As we’ve been able to fuse those two mediums, GAWDA finds itself stronger than ever!

Now, it is incumbent on the association to continue to grow and evolve. And that begins at the Board of Directors level. Our volunteer leaders are on the front lines of the industry and can take the issues facing our industry and help to craft an effective strategy for the association. Members of the Board of Directors are here to serve the membership. The next few pages provide an opportunity for members to get to know the member-based leadership team, as we take a forward look at 2022. We thank the 2021-2022 GAWDA Board for their help in putting this together and for their service on the Board.

THE QUESTION

We asked the 2021-22 GAWDA Board of Directors two questions. One fun, get to know you question, and one question that is on the minds of everybody in our industry. 1. What was your first job? 2. How has your company dealt with supply chain issues this year? How have you communicated these challenges to your customers?

These were their answers.

PRESIDENT BOB EWING

Red Ball Oxygen Company Inc.

1. My first job was selling cokes at the county fair and rodeo. It was a commissioned sales job, and I got a dime for each coke that I sold. If you spilled one, you had to buy it yourself! To this day, whenever I see someone working the stands selling concessions, I always buy something from them! 2. We’re fortunate in that we have some great supplier-partners who kept us well informed, and we were careful to calibrate expectations with our customers. For the most part, customers were very understanding, as long as they weren’t surprised. We certainly adjusted order points to account for the longer lead-times and brought in more inventory. In many cases, in order to cushion our customers from the impacts, we had to buy ahead of price increases and stock up. We also developed some new supplier relationships in our search for substitutes when product wasn’t available. So, in a sense, we’ll emerge from this with a stronger supply chain. It’s times like these that we further validate our position in the channel, as we were able to keep our customers running smoothly.

PRESIDENT ELECT ROBERT ANDERS

Holston Gases, Inc.

1. My first real job with a paycheck was working at Sonny’s Full-Service Car Wash. It was 1976 and I was making $2.30 per hour. Ironically, the song Car Wash by Rose Royce came out that same year. 2. I think, at times, we get into our own little bubble in this industry thinking that our customers only focus on the products we supply them. They are dealing with supply chain/shortages in almost every aspect of their businesses and understand that a paradigm shift has occurred — hopefully a temporary one. What they need from us is timely updates - even if the news is bad — to run their businesses. We are the conduit between the manufacturers and the end user, and our job is to facilitate communication up and down the supply chain — that’s really what we have been and continue to focus on as we work our way through this mess. FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Gary Halter

Indiana Oxygen Company

1. I had two jobs when I first began my working career – detasseling corn and repairing cafeteria tables. For what it’s worth, shortly after these jobs were completed I worked at the Finish Line selling shoes and apparel. 2. Dealing with the supply chain issues has not been easy. Our sales team did an outstanding job of getting in front of this difficult situation by being transparent with our customer base by sending out letters, emails, texts, face-to-face meetings, and through phone calls. Even though it has been tough, and it is far from over, our customers, for the most part, have been understanding. Our purchasing department has also stayed on top of this situation by constantly communicating with our supply partners, increasing our inventory on critical items that our customers must have for their applications, and communicating internally with our branches and sales team of extended lead times, price increases and alternatives to keep the customers in production.

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT ERIC WOOD

O.E. Meyer Company

1. My first job was washing dishes at Ponderosa. 2. We have increased the amount of inventory stocked in our branches and warehouses and loosened our inventory turns to account for the lead time challenges we are presented today. Our customers are seeing these long lead times for everything they are buying; therefore, they were aware and our need to notify them hasn’t been an issue or our responsibility.

FIRST PAST PRESIDENT ABYDEE BUTLER MOORE

Butler Gas Products

1. I wrote my dad a letter when I was 10 asking for a job at Butler Gas. He paid me $5 per hour and my summer projects included organizing the office

closet, creating a Hall of Fame in our reception area, stuffing invoices, cleaning offices, helping with our company newsletter, and cylinder issues. Outside Butler Gas, my first job was babysitting and coaching summer camp basketball. 2. As if a pandemic, labor shortages, and supply chain meltdowns were not disruptive enough, we chose to go live on a new ERP this year. Needless to say, painful. Our strategy for combatting the supply chain issues is to lean on more strategic gas partners. We rely on reciprocal supply relationships where mutually advantageous, as this utilizes both the arrival and departure trip for trucking. We are thankful for our 73-years of gas asset investments, strive to be as open and honest as possible in setting expectations with customers, and do our best to harness the silver linings — “never let a good crisis go to waste!”

SECOND PAST PRESIDENT Brad Peterson

Mississippi Welders Supply Company

1. My first paying job was mowing the lawn at a business adjoining the Mississippi Welders Supply property. 2. We’ve tried to order ahead, we’ve worked with our vendors, and we’ve let our customers know by phone/in-person/email that the challenges continue. No one is immune to this, so customers are more understanding than they would be if it was an isolated issue or us alone. communication with both the supplier and the customer has helped to ease concerns. Providing as many details as possible to our customers about why an item is unavailable, its current status, and an estimated delivery date has been a successful strategy to alleviate tensions.

VICE PRESIDENT Rafael Arvelo

Equigas, Inc.

1. Good question and great memories until winter came. In my first job, I was 13 years old, and I delivered the afternoon newspaper in Findlay, OH. I enjoyed it very much. Every afternoon I got home from school, wrapped each newspaper with a rubber band or a plastic bag depending on the weather, jumped on my BMX bike, and delivered 80 to 100 papers a day. Since then, I learned to establish a strong relationship with the customers. Back in the 80s, good service plus strong relationships equaled great tips on Christmas! 2. This is the $64,000 question. First thing we did, we had to be open minded to quickly adapt to changes. We established a stronger and more frequent communication with our vendors, added a couple more months in inventory and sought alternative brands in order to keep our customers operations running. Even though we have maintained a proactive communication with our customers, we have struggled, in some cases, to fulfill our orders on time.

VICE PRESIDENT Brad Armstrong

General Air Service & Supply Co.

1. My first job was as a golf caddy. 2. The pandemic has created several issues for businesses across industries. Supply chain delays have been particularly impactful to us. In February of 2021 we tried to prepare for the coming storm as much as possible by increasing our inventory and bolstering our purchasing department. These efforts early on allowed us to maintain a robust inventory for the majority of our product offerings.

Even with comprehensive planning, delays have been inevitable throughout the past year. When possible, we have sought alternate resources, but, often, we find that increasing VICE PRESIDENT Allie Earlbeck

Earlbeck Gases & Technologies

1. I worked as a cashier at a dry cleaner. 2. We’ve started to place orders well in advance to factor in the longer than usual lead times. Most importantly, we’ve started to coach our sales reps on suitable alternatives if an item isn’t available. Many times, the SKU they’re specifically requesting may not be available, but there is still something that would work in its place. Taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper and find a substitute allows us to keep our customers from the frustration of calling around to find what they’re looking for.

VICE PRESIDENT Joshua Haun

Haun Welding Supply, Inc.

1. My first job was working at Haun Welding Supply in the Service Department. I sandblasted and painted torches and regulators. My first non-Haun job was working as a ski instructor during high

school. 2. It has certainly been a challenge navigating the supply issues along with the constant price increases. We have tried to communicate specifics to our sales team and customers, but it has been tough to keep up with. If a customer delays their decision on a purchase, it is subject to longer lead times and higher prices. We increased our stock on certain items to combat this, but there is always a new issue popping up. Customers have been fairly understanding of the situation, as this is not novel to our industry and it’s all over the news. Hopefully, short term, we can mitigate some of these issues, and long term we can bring back more domestic production.

VICE PRESIDENT Colleen Kohler

Noble Gas Solutions, Inc.

1. I got my first job when I was 13 working at the local ice cream parlor serving ice cream. 2. We work overtime to do whatever it takes to source product from various suppliers. We started running a second shift and we do whatever is in our power to get product to our customers.

VICE PRESIDENT Will Roberts

Roberts Oxygen Company, Inc.

1. My first job was working in the IT department at Roberts Oxygen for a few weeks one summer in high school. I was physically cleaning and upgrading old computers. The next summer I worked as a Software Engineer intern for Raytheon Solipsys and continued doing that until I graduated from college, at which point I joined Solipsys full time.

2. Roberts Oxygen has always maintained a high level of inventory. When customers walk into our stores, we want them to walk out with the product they need. When COVID began in 2020, we increased our stocking levels to help prepare for a short-term disruption. As the disruptions continued, our Purchasing team worked to shift inventory from locations where it wasn’t selling to locations where it was in demand.

Most customers are aware of the supply chain disruptions, and we work to set realistic expectations for when product will be available. For fast moving items tied to a customer PO, we may buy ahead knowing that if the customer changes their mind we’ll still be able to sell the inventory quickly.

VICE PRESIDENT Stephen Rosenthal

Economy Welding and Industrial Supply

1. I worked in a video store around the corner from my parents’ home in Philadelphia. It was a lot of fun and got me hooked on wanting to be my own boss and having my own small business. 2. Frustration abounds, both with our customers and vendors. This is a full assault on the way we and everyone else does business. I don’t see it getting much better until 2023/24. We have tried to be proactive with our customers and urge them to make larger purchases of items that we feel will be out of stock longer or see large price increases. With our vendors, it is hard to get good answers as to when items will arrive and when they will start getting items out the door in a timely manner.

VICE PRESIDENT Linda Smith

Chemweld, Inc.

1. My first job was as salesclerk at JC Penney’s in the Junior’s department. They found out I could sew, so they moved me to the fabric department. Not a cool department for a 16-year-old! 2. We have installed tank monitors on many of our bulk installations, so we would have a better handle on supply levels. We raised critical alert levels in areas experiencing delays to allow extra time for deliveries.

Committee Corner

As part of its continued push to help GAWDA members get the most out of their membership dues in the association and stay on the front lines of emerging industry trends and hot-button issues, GAWDA has several volunteer committees devoted to specific areas of the industry. The volunteer committees include: Government Affairs, Human

Resources, Industry Partnering, Insurance Trustees, Leadership Development, Member Services, Safety, Women of Gases and Welding, and

Young Professionals.

This new feature in Welding & Gases Today will update readers on the latest news and events from each committee. We thank all the committee chairs for their help and input as well as their service to the association and its members.

If you are interested in enhancing your GAWDA experience and joining a committee, visit gawda.org/about/ committees to fill out a GAWDA volunteer form today.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Co-Chair Chuck Beal, American Welding & Gas Co-Chair Rick Schweitzer, GAWDA Legal Counsel

The GAWDA Government Affairs Committee met at the 2021 GAWDA Annual Convention in Colorado Springs. The Committee continues to work on seven priorities: 1. Work with CGA to encourage the

FDA to adopt separate and reasonable regulations for medical gases as soon as possible. a. FDA has indicated its willingness to issue new regulations on medical gases; CGA and GAWDA worked together to provide a draft set of regulations to the agency in 2018 and have responded to additional requests for information from the agency. The timing of publishing the new regulations is still unknown. 2. Preserve the DOT driver hours of service revisions that went into effect in 2020. a. DOT’s final rule to revise the driver hours of service regula-

tions became effective September 27, 2020. The final rule: expanded the short haul exemption from 12 to 14 hours and from 100 air miles to 150 air miles for all CDL drivers; extended the on-duty limitation from 14 hours to 16 hours when a driver encounters adverse driving conditions; revised the mandatory 30-minute break to occur after 8 hours of driving and to allow the driver to perform non-driving work during the break. House Democrats want to revisit and perhaps withdraw these revisions. b. The effective date of DOT’s final rule on entry-level driver training was extended to February 7, 2022. Drivers seeking a new CDL, or to upgrade from Class B to Class A, or seeking a hazmat endorsement, must complete training in an accredited course

before taking the skills test. Once operational, the FMCSA Training Provider Registry will retain a record of which CDL applicants have completed the new training and certification process. 3. Preserve the DOT’s preemption of state law meal and rest break requirements for drivers of vehicles carrying placarded amounts of hazardous materials. 4. Support enactment of a pilot program to allow 18-20 year-old individuals to drive commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce after completing a strict training and apprenticeship program. 5. Support a DOT rulemaking to allow use of electronic shipping papers for hazardous materials transportation by highway mode. 6. Work with NAW and other business groups to defeat passage of PRO

Act in the Senate. a. The House of Representatives has passed the PRO Act, which would adopt a strict three-part test for classifying workers as independent contractors. It also would impose new limitations on management interference with union organizing activity and create additional unfair labor practices. Passage in the Senate is uncertain. 7. Continue to provide current information to member companies on changes in federal and state laws and court decisions, including protection of workers from COVID-19, use of marijuana in the workplace, and COVID vaccine requirements. a. President Biden directed OSHA to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard requiring all companies with 100 or more employees to mandate all employees are vaccinated for COVID-19. This mandate is currently being challenged in court.

INDUSTRY PARTNERING COMMITTEE

Co-Chair Justin Johnson, Keen Compressed Gas

Co-Chair Terry Scanlan, Messer

The Industry Partnering Committee held its quarterly meeting at the GAWDA Annual Convention. The meeting began by reviewing the notes from the SMC meeting and reviewing the action items which included: reporting on the success of the AWS Excellence in Welding Nominations; Developing an Exhibitor Best Practice Checklist; Implementing a ½ pass program to local distributors at the SMC and the success of the program; Reintroducing the two-way scorecard; and more.

The conversation at Convention included revisiting the concept of the ½ pass program to discuss if it is a program that continues to make sense going forward. The committee also reviewed the Badge Scanning results from the Contact Booth Program to discuss areas where participation could be improved.

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The committee continues to be heavily involved in the AWS Excellence in Welding Awards Program and continues to explore ways to increase GAWDA distributor participation in the program including by streamlining the submission and voting process.

Finally, the committee discussed other ways to keep attendees engaged including the reintroduction of the Prize Program at the Contact Booth Program and other incentives that can be offered during the Convention to facilitate participation and networking.

INSURANCE TRUSTEES COMMITTEE

Co-Chair Jimmy Walker, Jr., SafTCart

Co-Chair Brian McLaughlin, GAWDA Group Life Insurance Consultant

The Insurance Trustees Committee met at GAWDA’s 2021 Annual Convention in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The committee continues to recruit new members to join the committee, with a list of prospective committee members being actively developed. If you are interested in joining this committee, visit gawda.org/about/committees to fill out the GAWDA volunteer form.

The committee is working with Met Life to enhance its marketing materials. The Group Life Insurance page on GAWDA.org was recently revamped and an article on the Life Insurance Program was featured in the 3rd Quarter Issue of Welding & Gases Today.

All audits have been completed and tax liabilities have been satisfied. The committee continues to brainstorm on how best to compete with standard issue insurance programs and on better ways to sell our program. If you are interested in joining this committee, visit gawda.org/about/ committees to fill out the GAWDA volunteer form.

MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE

Co-Chair Rick Young, Cryostar USA

Co-Chair Dana Sorensen, Minneapolis Oxygen Company

The Member Services Committee continues to focus on member involvement from new to established members, including those “at risk” who may not understand the value of GAWDA. Two subcommittees have been established to focus on the initiatives and prioritize activities: the “Engagement” subcommittee, chaired by John Tapley, and the “Growing Membership” subcommittee chaired by Jason Reigner. Both are working closely with Rick Young and Dana Sorensen, who co-chair the MSC. The goals for the MSC and the two subcommittees continue to be more proactive towards overall member engagement and member growth. Other initiatives include a strong alignment with other GAWDA committees and ensuring the New Comers Event (formerly known as 3-TWO-1) is a positive experience for new members and an effective tool to help new members network and feel welcome.

The MSC identified prospects from other like-minded organizations like the AIWD, IWDC, and Messer Distributors Group, who would be good fits for GAWDA but are not members of the association. The MSC is reaching out to these prospects with emails, participating in their annual conventions and using the Test Drive video to recruit. If members take advantage of all the programs discussed in the Test Drive, it could result in savings of $11,000-$15,000 per year.

Another area discussed at the annual meeting was recruiting new members to the MSC to help balance the committee (distributors vs. suppliers) and bring on new ideas and energy to help drive the new initiatives. Rick is focused on getting all members of the MSC active and involved in one of the committee’s focus areas. There is too much talent on the MSC to sit on the sidelines. If anyone is interested in joining the MSC, please visit GAWDA.org/about/committees/ member-services.

continued on page 40

SAFETY COMMITTEE

Co-Chair Jim Herring, SafTCart

Co-Chair Bill Woods, American Welding & Gas

The GAWDA Safety Committee meets monthly via the Go-To-Meeting platform. The committee met at the 2021 GAWDA Annual Convention in conjunction with the Government Affairs Committee. The committee is comprised of 22 members from all aspects of the welding industry from distributors to manufacturers to insurance experts including four GAWDA consultants, one CGA representative, and two GAWDA board members. We consistently tackle the safety issues that plague the GAWDA membership. We do this by breaking our committee into four subcommittees that have revolving chairmen and assign existing sample safety practices for a dustup to keep it relevant and a new topic based on input from the membership. The entire process evolves over five to six months until we agree to publish the results of the subcommittee. Our method of development allows each Safety Committee member to have a voice in the documents we produce. We divide our group twice a year and generally publish eight different safety practices which can be found on the GAWDA website under members only documents.

The safety practices we are currently republishing are as follows: • Transport of Pressurized Containers on Elevators • Flood Emergency Preparedness • Regulatory Agency Visit Guidelines • Ergonomics in the Workplace

The new topics are: • Walking-Working Surfaces • OSHA Recordkeeping • Fall Protection • Proper Lifting and Movement

For more information about our committee or if you are interested in joining, please visit the GAWDA website.

WOMEN OF GASES AND WELDING COMMITTEE

Co-Chair Judy Miller, WESCO Gas & Welding Supply

Co-Chair Sue Reiter, Air Products & Chemicals

The Women of Gases and Welding (WGW), GAWDA’s newest committee, continues to work toward our mission objectives through personal and professional development as well as educational and networking opportunities.

Several meetings have occurred throughout the year in an effort to add- ress our busy agenda focusing on rejuvenating our strategic committee goals and objectives, planning, and coordinating efforts for the upcoming WGW event, and developing the new WGW Educational Grant Program. The committee had a very productive meeting at the 2021 Annual Convention in Colorado Springs.

WGW Event at the Annual Conference

The Women of Gases & Welding Committee held their event on Thursday, October 7, hiking the majestic waterfalls of Seven Falls. The event was sold out, as more than 80 GAWDA members and guests came together to partake in the challenging hike. Throughout the hike, the group banded together to encourage each other to keep going to reach the top. Thank you to all who participated.

Educational Grant Program

WGW Committee has also been working on establishing a new Educational Grant to provide opportunities for GAWDA female members through educational advancement. The GAWDA Women of Gases and Welding Educational Grant will be awarded to employees of active GAWDA member companies. All applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements.

Our WGW Educational Grant Proposal includes the following:

Women of Gases & Welding (WGW) Educational Grant Program Guidelines Mission Statement

The Women of Gases & Welding (WGW) Educational Grant Program will provide financial support to a GAWDA female member to attend the University of Innovative Distribution in March 2023 & March 2024.

Grant Recipient Selection Process

All applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements.

• Applicant must be a GAWDA member or employee of a GAWDA member. • Applicant must be a female. • Applicant must provide a letter of reference from their employer. • Applicant must include an essay explaining how they will use this education in their professional life.

Conflict of interest Statement

• GAWDA members may advertise that they support “the WGW Grant program” but may not connect its support with any specific fund-raising effort. • No one on the “selection committee” can be a principal or have control of the approved educational program.

Distribution of funds

The Grant Program will be set up as a Board designated Grant Program. Funds will remain separate from other GAWDA funds. The amount available varies from year to year depending on the available amount in the grant account. WGW may want to add additional educational offerings to the approved list in the future. Any changes will need to be approved by the GAWDA Board.

The WGW Grant funds will only be distributed to the educational institution to be used towards the registration fee for the University of Innovative Distribution. The funds are to be used for the program within the stated year, any unused funds must be returned to GAWDA. This award is intended to be in addition to any other financial assistance for which the awardee might be eligible, and not as an offset or reduction from such other assistance. If the recipient should choose to not attend the program, then any remaining balance of funds should be returned to GAWDA.

Timeline

• Annual Meeting 2021 - SMC 2022:

Promote WGW Educational Grant • May 1 – June 30, 2022: Application

Open • July - August 2022: Review applications/Select recipient • August 2022: Notify recipient • September 2022 Annual Meeting:

Announce Recipient • October 2022: University of Innovative Distribution Registration

Opens • March 2023: Recipient attends UID

Selection Committee

• Selection Committee will be comprised of 2 members on the WGW committee and one member of the

GAWDA EC board. • There will be a term limit of 2 years. • No one on the selection committee can be a principal or have control of the approved educational program selected.

The one pending topic still being resolved is how travel expenses will be covered, if any. An update on that will be provided once determined.

Other Current Projects:

• 2021 Marketing for WGW

Committee

Committee member, Melissa Heard, has been working with both Andrea Levy with GAWDA and Steve Guglielmo at GAWDA Media to promote the committee initiatives and events. This effort will continue. Committee co-chair Sue Reiter participated in the January 1 Episode of GAWDA TV promoting the committee and scholarship.

WGW Committee Interest

It has been brought to our attention that there are several GAWDA members who would like to either join our committee or become involved more in some fashion. In our next couple meetings, we will discuss how to we can broaden our committee team and/ or establish a platform for members to get more involved within WGW.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COMMITTEE

Co-Chair Liz Standley, ILMO Products

Co-Chair Cody Patrick, Gas Equipment Company

While the Young Professionals Committee did not formally meet at the GAWDA Annual Convention, it did host its networking event on Friday, October 8, at Ivywild, a former elementary school converted into a place where visitors can mix and mingle over local cuisine and craft beverages. Attendees played games like Jenga and Corn Hole and were treated to a “Lesson in Brew” during the tour of the brewery. The event was sold out and was enjoyed by all members who attended.

The committee has begun to put together its agenda for 2022 and continues to recruit new members to the committee. For more information or to join, visit GAWDA.org.

S.J. Smith: The Service You Expect and Deserve

BY STEVE GUGLIELMO

When S.J. Smith was first established in 1950, Sylvester “S.J.” and Helen Smith, and their employees, used this WWII-era International KB truck to make deliveries.

SJ. Smith Company was founded in 1950 by Sylvester “S.J.” Smith. Smith was working as an outside sales rep for Airco at the time and was approached by the company to become an Airco distributor. Smith took the opportunity and began working as a distributor when Airco had a shift in strategy and decided that they no longer wanted to run vendor-owned distributorships anymore. Smith was faced with a choice: Return to Airco or venture out on his own as an independent distributor.

While Smith was on the fence about the choice, his wife, Helen Smith, encouraged Smith to take the leap and S.J. Smith Company was born in Davenport, Iowa.

“At the time, there was very minimal staffing,” says S.J. Smith President and CEO Richelle Smith-Brecht, Sylvester’s granddaughter. “The company had a driver and my grandma did the books. It did not start out with aspirations of becoming a multi-branch regional company.”

In 1969, Richard Smith, Helen and Sylvester’s son, joined the company fresh out of college in his early 20s. Shortly after joining the company, Sylvester retired due to a health condition and Richard was named president of the company.

“My father was named president at a very young age,” says Smith-Brecht. “And it was really under his leadership in the ‘70s and ‘80s that the company began to resemble the company that it is today. He had a lot of motivation for acquisition and additions.”

COMPANY GROWTH

From modest beginnings, Richard helped guide the company beyond its Davenport, Iowa, location. Today, S.J. Smith has 12 locations in three different states with more than 130 employees.

“We have done a number of acquisitions throughout the years and a number of scratch starts as well,” Smith-Brecht notes. “It’s been a combination.”

In addition to its 12 locations across Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, the company is a turn-key provider of gas, welding and safety solutions. And while the company bears little resemblance to the plucky startup from 1950, it still operates on the same core tenets and culture that Helen and S.J. put into place more than 70 years ago.

A FAMILY BUSINESS

The company prides itself on being a family-owned and operated business. Today, Richard’s three children, Richelle, Christopher, and Eric are all executives within S.J. Smith. And while all three of them have high-level positions today, all had to work their way to their current positions, and each took a unique route to where they are today.

“We all joined the company at different times and in different ways,” Richelle says.

Christopher Smith, Assistant Pricing Manager/Expeditor working in the company’s purchasing department, began his career at S.J. Smith directly out of high school in the company’s repair shop, learning the company from that side of the business before moving into customer service and eventually outside sales. Eric Smith, Director of Operations, worked outside of the company after receiving a degree in finance before joining S.J. Smith. Likewise, Richelle Smith-Brecht, also worked outside of the business after graduating college, before joining S.J. Smith.

“When I first joined the business, I think a lot of people had this idea that this was where I was destined to end up my whole life,” Smith-Brecht says. “I actually had no intention of working at S.J. Smith. When my father initially broached the idea, I was living in Madison, Wisconsin. And my initial thought was, ‘What would I even do?’”

Like Christopher and Eric, Richelle worked her way up through the company, learning every aspect of the business before becoming president and, eventually, CEO.

“I worked in outside sales for two years, I worked the front counter, I answered the phone, and did admin work, I worked in one of our branches for about

L to R: Eric Smith, Vice President of Operations; Richelle Smith-Brecht, President and Chief Executive Officer; Christopher Smith, Assistant Purchasing Manager/Expediter. In photos, L to R, Richard Smith, CEO, 1969-2017; Company Founder Sylvester “S.J.” and Helen Smith. Taken at S.J. Smith Company, Inc., Davenport, Iowa.

L to R: Eric Smith, Vice President of Operations; Richelle Smith-Brecht, President and Chief Executive Officer; Christopher Smith, Assistant Purchasing Manager/Expediter, at S.J. Smith Company, Inc., Davenport, Iowa.

Delivery truck from S.J. Smith, Clinton, Iowa.

nine months and I worked in our Davenport warehouse for a year,” Smith-Brecht says. “At the time, young and inexperienced, I couldn’t understand why I was being asked to work in all these areas. But, looking back on it, I’m so happy that I did. It was so valuable. To this day, I remember lessons I learned there and experiences I had there. I learned so much about the business, and what traits make people a good fit for all our positions.”

Richelle was named President of S.J. Smith in 2011 and CEO in 2017.

“Growing up, there was never any pressure that someday we were going to take over the company or somehow be respon-

Oxygen installation.

sible for continuing Dad’s legacy,” Smith-Brecht says. “This company was his baby. He built it. But he never pushed us to continue it. He let us all come to that decision on our own and to learn and build our own careers within the company. I’m really grateful for that.”

Cumulatively, the third generation of the Smith family has more than 64 years’ experience combined and are dedicated to keeping the company family-owned and operated, built on the same tenets that Sylvester and Helen started and Richard continued.

CULTURE

Since S.J. Smith was founded, the company has been laser-focused on providing individualized service to each of its customers. Even with all the growth and expansion, the company has never lost sight of its mission of “making customers successful through cutting-edge solutions and quality products.”

“Probably the most prevalent thing in our culture is our service to the customer,” says Smith-Brecht. “I’m blown away by stories I hear about our people, sometimes. The steps they take to make sure that the customer is getting what they need are amazing. They are just so dedicated to the customer.”

Culture is something that is emphasized heavily at S.J. Smith. It’s a priority in hiring and something that is valued first and foremost in evaluating talent within the company.

“Not everybody fits that culture,” Smith-Brecht admits. “I tell our HR staff this all the time, but culture fit and the willingness to learn are the two most important things I look for. We can train anyone that fits that description. If you’re willing to learn and you’re going to show up every day and you fit our culture, we’ll teach you what you need to know. The ‘skills gap’ is not a big concern of mine. What we do is so specialized, that it’s very rare that you’ll walk down the street and find a salesperson that has experience in welding supplies and industrial gas. So, it’s more about finding people that believe in our mission and are willing to work hard and learn. It’s honestly that simple.”

Beyond the willingness to learn, the most important part of being a culture-fit for S.J. Smith is working with honesty and integrity. The company’s philosophy is to treat its customers and vendors with professionalism, responsiveness, and honesty.

“Of course, we’re a for profit organization, but we insist on doing it with honesty and fairness,” Smith-Brecht emphasizes. “I run my life that way and I try to lead in that way. We always ask the question, ‘What is the right thing to do? Does it fit our values? Is it honest? Are we doing it with integrity? Is it safe? Are we looking out for our customers?’ If you build your foundation on that, you’re bound to keep moving forward.”

VENDOR RELATIONS

And that philosophy applies to its vendors as well as its customers. S.J. Smith has had some of its vendor relationships span more than 50 years.

“The vendor relationship is just as important as the customer relationship,” Smith-Brecht says. “Especially now when it’s very difficult to get product. You have to have open lines of communication.”

She continues, “We demand open communication, especially with our largest vendors. We ask for quarterly updates, communications on new products, and constant employee training. We want to keep everybody up-to-date on what is going on with our vendors. It’s a two-way street. I always tell our vendors that we’re an extension of them. Tell us what we can be doing better. Come out, let’s visit customers together and show off your latest product. It has to be a balance. It’s a team effort. We’re an extension of the vendor and, of course, they want us to properly sell their products.”

PROBLEM-SOLVERS

That culture and those relationships with the greatest vendors in the industry are part of why S.J. Smith has thrived for three-quarters of a century. But another huge reason for the company’s success is that the company is not a simple order taker. They are a dynamic problem-solving organization that uses the latest technology to help serve its customers.

“Customers today are very savvy and very educated due to the internet,” Smith-Brecht says “Oftentimes, they’re telling us what they want and we have to feel comfortable enough to tell them, ‘That might not be the best solution.’ We’re not there to tell them they’re wrong, but we are there to educate them on what might work best.”

The company’s decades of experience make it comfortable drawing on that expertise to creatively solve customer problems in the most efficient way possible, even when it requires outside-of-the-box thinking. “Our customers value the service and knowledge of our sales team, and our employees. It’s part of the relationship we have, and work to build.”

GOING FORWARD

S.J. Smith has always been a very goal-oriented company. The company sets annual, five-year, and even ten-year goals. “Several of our goals going forward are centered around technology,” says Smith-Brecht.

The company continues to strive toward becoming completely paperless.

“Any time we can integrate outside systems with our ERP system to make it easier for our customers to do business, we will strive to take those steps,” says Smith-Brecht. “We also want to expand our B2B platform and our portal. Anything we can do to make life easier for our customers. We shouldn’t be the frustration point for them. We need to be the solution, not the problem.”

S.J. Smith has grown exponentially from the small Airco distributor that began in 1950. And as it grows and builds on the bedrock of culture that the company has in place, it will continue to evolve as we move into the future.