Welding & Gases Today | Q3 2022 by Welding & Gases Today

During a tough time, GAWDA members continue to persevere and celebrate important milestones in 2022. The Official Publication of the Gases and Welding Distributors Association SMC AttendanceRECAP Sets a New Record MEMBER PROFILE Bemidji Welders Supply Celebrates 75 Years ASK YOUR StrategyMarketingBOARDAC forBuildingPREVIEWaBridgeFutureLeaders Third Quarter 2022 ANNIVERSARIES CELEBRATING

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DEPARTMENTS 06 PRESIDENT’S VIEW For Lack of Talent, the Company Perishes! BY BOB EWING 08 DIRECTOR’S DESK A New Twist on Networking at the Annual Convention BY JOHN OSPINA 10 EDITOR’S NOTE The Only Way Out is Through BY STEVE GUGLIELMO 54 GAWDA and GAWDA Media Visit Long-Time GAWDA Members 56 2022 GAWDA Regional Meeting Recaps 58 ASK YOUR BOARD Marketing Strategies GAWDA CONSULTANTS 12 Emerging Trends from the First Half of 2022 BY STEVE GUGLIELMO, TOM BADSTUBNER, MARILYN DEMPSEY, MICHAEL DODD AND RICK SCHWEITZER 20 Heat Related Hazards and Illnesses BY MARILYN DEMPSEY 24 LPG Filling and Storage BY MICHAEL DODD 26 FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Sets Out Agency Agenda, Priorities BY RICK SCHWEITZER 32 Award Winners Share Insights, Experiences BY RICH GOTTWALD 112 ITR OUTLOOK Deceleration Trepidation BY BRIAN BEAULIEU COVER STORIES contents Third Quarter • Summer 2022 • Volume 22, No. 3 PAGE 66 GAWDA Member Anniversaries BY STEVE GUGLIELMO PAGE 108 50 Years in the Gases and Welding Business: A Digital Journey BY ART WASKEY MEMBER PROFILE PAGE 62 Bemidji Welders Supply Celebrates 75 Years BY STEVE GUGLIELMO ANNIVERSARIES CELEBRATING 2 • Summer 2022

EXECUTIVE EDITOR John jospina@gawda.orgOspina PUBLISHER Bill billb@gawdamedia.comBrod EDITOR IN CHIEF Steve steveg@gawdamedia.comGuglielmo CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Natasha alevy@gawda.orgAndreanalexis@gawda.orgAlexisLevy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Robin robinb@gawdamedia.comBarnes VICE PRESIDENT, SALES Tim timh@gawdamedia.comHudson RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS Hannah leslim@gawdamedia.comLeslihannahg@gawdamedia.comGrayMitchell THE TEAM contents Third Quarter • Summer 2022 • Volume 22, No. 3 NEWS ROUNDUP 111 2022 Schedule 123 Industry News 129 Mergers & Acquisitions 131 New Members 132 New Offerings 135 Advertisers Index 136 The Last Word FEATURES Welding & Gases Today (USPS 22-975) is published quarterly: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, with additional publications in Spring and Summer. • Non-member subscription rate is $195 per year. • GAWDA members (key contacts and branch locations) receive the magazine as part of their dues. • GAWDA members can order additional yearly subscriptions (4 is sues) for $40. • Welding & Gases Today is published by Data Key Holdings, LLC. on behalf of the Gases and Welding Distributors Association. • Periodicals postage paid at Ft. Lauder dale, FL, and at additional mailing offices (ISSN 1558-5344). • Editorial correspondence should be sent to Editors c/o editorial@gawdamedia.com • Advertising correspondence and materials should be sent to William Brod, Data Key Holdings, LLC., 9 Albany St., Suite 2E, Cazenovia, NY 13035; telephone (315) 445-2347, fax (315) 422-1721. • Postmaster: Send address changes to Welding & Gases Today, Gases and Welding Distributors Association, One Oakwood Blvd, Suite 195, Hollywood, FL 33020 • Welding & Gases Today is the official journal of the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) and carries news and announcements concerning GAWDA. • It is not responsible for contents or opinions other than association activities. • Contents are copyright ©2022 Data Key Holdings, LLC. • All rights reserved. • Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. • Questions and comments can be sent via e-mail to Editors, c/o editorial@gawdamedia.com. • Data Key Holdings, LLC. reserves the right to print portions of all or any correspondence mailed to the editors without liability on its part and no such correspondence will be returned. • Visit Welding & Gases Today Online at www.gawdamedia.com. STAY CONNECTED GAWDAMEDIA.COM 22 HEAT STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE 48 THE HOT-BUTTONBIGGEST ISSUES TO EMERGE FROM THE 2022 SMC What GAWDA members were discussing as they left Indianapolis BY KEN THOMPSON 52 2022 CONVENTIONANNUAL PREVIEW Building a Bridge for Future Leaders 98 GET SCRAPPY Modern marketing on a budget BY THOMAS J. ARMITAGE MANAGINGSALESPEOPLE IN THE NEW NORMAL A case for micro-coaching BY JAY SPIELVOGEL SEARCH ENGINE TRENDS FOR THE GASES & 3INDUSTRYWELDINGSTRATEGIESFORDISTRIBUTORSTOWEATHERTHESUPPLYCHAINCRUNCH BY MIKE MARKS 108 50 YEARS IN THE GASES AND WELDING BUSINESS: A DIGITAL JOURNEY BY ART WASKEY 4 • Summer 2022

• Last year, 961,000 women joined the work force, compared to 666,000 men. It is undeniable and encouraging that women are participating in the workforce at historic levels, and consequently the pool of available workers is shifting. Is our industry well-positioned to take advan tage? According to the BLS, the proportion of women in wholesale trade is only 30%. Similar numbers apply to manufacturing. We don’t have reliable demographic data, but personal experience confirms that our industry is similar. The picture is even more stark when you look at executives, middle-management, and field sales. It is an unsettling reality that many talented women entering the workforce are not even considering gas and welding distribution as a career option. There are no quick fixes, but there are many encouraging signs that things are changing.

• Organizations like Women Who Weld are taking aggressive action to change the way women perceive welding careers and to provide concrete opportunities for them.

• Thanks to the forward-thinking generosity of our member company American Welding and Gas and GAWDA’s Women in Gases and Welding, some $60,000 in educational grants will be awarded to women to attend the UID at Purdue.

• Almost half our national workforce are women. If current trends pertain, women will soon achieve majority workforce status and keep it for the foreseeable future

• Groups like Ratermann Manufacturing’s Women’s Roundtable are offering vital networking and mentorship opportunities to women who aspire to provide critical leadership in our industry. Part of this is a marketing challenge. We need to do a better job of throwing the doors open to women to participate in every facet of our industry. But the most imperative thing is to encourage and support the women who are already here. We need to sponsor their careers, invest in them, and promote them! The greater the number of women in positions of leadership, the more women we will attract. Nothing speaks more powerfully than a role-model! The market is a ruthless sorter of talent and will reward the companies that are quickest to figure this out. Perishes!

Bob Ewing is GAWDA’s 2021-2022 president as well as president of Red Ball Oxygen. He can be reached at 318-4256313 as well as com.ewing@redballoxygen.bob.

A ll of us are on the hunt for talent. Once a week, I review our open positions with our amazing HR director, Krysta Cyr She ticks down the list: store manager, route driver, fill plant, inside sales, outside sales, warehouse…. Each open position takes longer and longer to fill. Every time we snag a new hire there are high fives and much jubilation. I’m sure many of you know the drill. Business leaders everywhere lament the difficulty in finding the talent needed to keep prospering. Of course, it starts with retention. Pay and benefits, healthy culture, competent and caring management, training and development, and effective on-boarding are all very important. But there is another potential solution staring us in the face, and our industry needs to talk more about it. Consider these facts:

BY BOB EWING PRESIDENT’S VIEW 6 • Summer 2022

• Women are more likely to pursue advanced training and education. 50.2% of college-ed ucated workers are women. From 1970-2019 the proportion of women who hold a college degree quadrupled, whereas the proportion of men little more than doubled over that time.

For Lack of Talent the Company

• In an industry with many multi-generational family businesses, we are seeing women take the reins of leadership in greater numbers than ever before.

The Partner You Need.

Now more than ever, in the midst of domestic and international supply chain shortages, you need a partner who can help you keep moving forward. At Lincoln Electric, we’ve expanded production and increased inventory of welding consumables and other welding products. You may face delays and challenges elsewhere, but we’re committed to being here. We’re committed to you.

I look forward to seeing many of you during this year’s event, and as always thank you for your continued support and participation.

The biggest challenge has always been that initial conversation. Everyone tends to gravitate to peo ple they already know. So, how do you facilitate that initial conversation between a distributor and supplier who don’t necessarily know a lot about each other? With this in mind, the Industry Partnering Committee, working with GAWDA staff and leadership, is introducing the Networking 360 program at this year’s Annual Convention.

The goal of the Networking 360 program is to get at least 48 distributor companies and 96 sup plier companies to participate. Two representatives from each member company can participate. This one-hour program will take place right before the Contact Booth program in the foyer just outside the ballroom. During the program, distributors will be assigned to a table and given appointments with 10 supplier companies they may not be doing business with. Each appointment lasts exactly five minutes. During this time, participants can learn a little about each other and see if this initial conversation leads to a more in-depth discussion during the Contact Booth program and beyond the scope of the Convention.

8 • Summer 2022

PARTICIPATION IS FREE Participation in the Networking 360 Program is free! When you register for the Annual Convention, you’ll be asked if you want to participate in the 360 program. Suppliers also have a field where they can name distributors they would like to John Ospina is GAWDA’s executive director. He can be reached at GAWDA Headquarters in Hollywood, FL, via telephone be paired with. Distributors on that list will get a separate call from GAWDA asking for their participation. Because of the number of partici pants, requested appointments are not guaranteed, but every effort will be made to pair you with a distributor on your list. On the day of the event, all participants will know who they have appointments with. So, if you signed up to participate, make sure you show up and show up on time. Don’t be a no-show. That’s never a good first impression. There will be a check-in process, group instructions and a grab-and-go breakfast for all participants.

DIRECTOR’S DESK

the Annual Convention BY

N etworking is one of the biggest benefits of our association. For GAWDA dis tributors, the ability to share common industry concerns, challenges, and best practices with fellow members is invalu able. And for our suppliers, the ability to build relationships with new distributors is essential.

jospina@gawda.org.or844-251-3219atviaemailat

Suppliers should come prepared with a five-minute presentation and distributors are asked to keep an open mind. This event is meant to be a fun way to get to know your fellow GAWDA members. So, I encourage everyone going to the Annual Convention to participate and make new contacts. You can read more about this program on our registration site under the tab labeled Networking 360 or scan the QR code below. After all, isn’t this one of the main reasons you come to this meeting?

A New Twist on Networking at JOHN OSPINA

Steve Guglielmo is GAWDA Editor-in-Chief.Media’sHe has more than a decade of experience working with industrial associations. He can be reached steveg@gawdamedia.com.at

I always enjoy working on the Anniversary issue of Welding & Gases Today. I think it’s so fascinating to learn about the history of our GAWDA members. In many cases, it’s a rich tapestry, spanning multiple generations over several decades (or even centuries!). This issue always makes me a little introspec tive, as well. It’s natural to read about a company growing and evolving and think about your own story or your own company. As I wrote in the introduction to the Anniversary story, which can be read in its entirety on page 66, “Reaching these incredible milestones is impressive at any time. But it’s especially impressive in today’s climate.”

It’s no secret that these past few years have been difficult. All throughout the height of the pandemic, we just kept repeating “when things go back to normal” like it was a mantra. But the pandemic (though still with us) has given way to its own set of challenges. Some related, some not. Today, we are still mindful of the impact of COVID, with the memories of lockdowns and quarantines fresh in our mind, but it has given way to new primary challenges. Inflation is at its highest rate in decades. Jobs are still difficult to fill. Supply chain challenges have made product increasingly difficult to find, and more expensive when you do. Wars are being fought across the globe. All of that, to say nothing of societal issues, like an increasingly divided population.

I said in my Q1 2022 editor’s note that cliches, while often tired and trite, become cliches for a reason. So, insert whatever your favorite cliché is here. Some of my favorites include, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do”; “There is not necessarily a solution for every problem; how ever, every problem can be managed positively”; “History teaches us that every problem has a life span. No problem is permanent”; and finally, “Pressure makes diamonds.”

But something that past GAWDA President Tom Biedermann said to me when we were discussing Airweld’s 105 th Anniversary really stuck with me. He said, “We are very proud that we’ve lasted this long and we’ve been able to get through all of the different events. All the wars and other things that have happened in the world since we’ve been in business. We’ve been able to assimilate as well as persevere through the good and the bad times and we will continue to do that.”

The Only Way Out is Through

10 • Summer 2022

BY STEVE GUGLIELMO

FROM THE EDITOR

GAWDA, as an association, has been around for more than 75 years. Many, if not most, of our members have been around even longer than that. We live in challenging times. But history shows us that those times won’t last forever. Sunny days will come again, and all that. And it’s important to remember that those days won’t last forever, either. All we can do is continue to learn, grow, and evolve. We didn’t get here by accident. During the hard times, it’s important to remember that the only way out is through.

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• Adverse Events - The FDA is proposing clarifications and new regulations about reporting adverse events with medical gases. Most of the responsibilities fall on the original manufacturer. However, cylinder fill plants will also report if they become aware of an adverse event.

12 • SummerCONSULTANTS2022 ROUNDTABLE

T he GAWDA Consultant Program is a GAWDA mem ber benefit that is included as part of your member dues to the association. It is consistently rated as one of the most valuable member benefits that GAWDA provides. Between the four of them, GAWDA’s consultants bring more than 100 years of industry-specific experience to the association. In the first two issues of 2022, we spoke with the consultants about a variety of topics that will impact your business in 2022. From recently passed or upcoming legislation, to the continued impact of COVID, to an increased frequency of inspections. In this issue, we followed up on those discussions to see if those expected trends have come to pass and discuss what is on the horizon as we move into the second half of the year.

•

Comment Period - The proposed new regulations will have a comment period until August 21, 2022. This will give us time to respond to specific items of concern.

• Likely effective in 2024 - The agency intends the final rule to become effective 18 months after it is published in the Federal Register. We should have ample time to understand and implement the final rule.

WELDING & GASES TODAY: Our first two issues of 2022 were more forward-looking, discussing things that we expected to happen over the course of the year. Now, as we’re halfway through 2022, what are you seeing?

• Labeling – Most of the existing industry practice will not change. However, the FDA is proposing an addi tional warning and graphic to avoid smoking or vaping around oxygen.

BY TOM BADSTUBNER, MARILYN DEMPSEY, MICHAEL DODD, RICK SCHWEITZER AND STEVE GUGLIELMO

• No Immediate Change – This is an important step forward. We appreciate the long-term, consistent lead ership from CGA and GAWDA to encourage the FDA to propose these new regulations. However, these are NOT final regulations. No change in operations, labels, procedures, or forms should be required until the shape of the final regulations becomes clear. We will keep you informed.

Emerging Trends from the First Half of 2022 GAWDA’s consultants discuss legislative updates and trends from the first half of the year.

• CGMP – The agency is proposing many of the safety and process suggestions which were requested by industry. There are a few exceptions we need to clarify.

TOM BADSTUBNER: The most significant action taken by the FDA in decades was announced on May 23, 2022. The long-awaited proposed new medical gas regulations have been published.

Thank you to Tom Badstubner , GAWDA’s FDA and Medical Gases Consultant, Marilyn Dempsey, DHS, EPA and OSHA Consultant, Mike Dodd, DOT Consultant, and Rick Schweitzer, Government Affairs and Human Resources Consultant, for lending their time and expertise to discuss these important topics. The following is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation.

CONSULTANT ROUNDTABLE

• NDA/NADA Requests - The “certification” regula tions for original manufacturers to receive New Drug Applications is being proposed. This is similar to the existing guidance.

TOM: No. In an earlier article, we talked about how to prepare for an FDA audit. If you have your people trained, your calibrations up to date, and your records clean and complete then you’ll be fine.

Summer 2022 • 13

WGT: Do you prepare for those any differently than you would a typical inspection?

RICK SCHWEITZER: There are a couple of trends that we’ve identified, as well. The first one is that we’re now moving away from COVID to decarbonization of the economy, or climate change issues. COVID is pretty much over, at this point. Both from a medical and a political/regulatory standpoint.

We’re also seeing some FDA audits starting up again. The FDA started resuming audits on February 4th, and we have witnessed some, though not a huge amount. But we are still seeing on-site visits. We’re also seeing training visits, where an experienced inspector brings in a less experienced inspector. These are typically more rigorous because they’re using it as a training experience. And those are multi-day experiences.

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WGT: Are they looking for anything specific or is there a particular point of emphasis in these visits so far?

TOM: Good question. Just before the pandemic, we saw the FDA looking into data integrity. And we’ve spent some time discussing data integrity in our monthly Safety Managers Safety Meeting. This Spring, we’re seeing a renewed emphasis on data integrity by the FDA. The FDA really started inspect ing our industry for data integrity in early 2020 and then was interrupted by the pandemic, but now it’s resuming again. So, I really think that data integrity is something that is here to stay for the FDA. And for most member plants, that’s not a big deal. Just make sure that your error corrections are done properly. If you have a gas chromatograph, it is a little more detailed, but, really, data integrity, for most of us, is not a big deal.

These steps can protect a company from being phished, spammed, or held for ransom. That doesn’t happen in our industry often, but if you don’t have practices and protocols

WGT: As far as best practices, is there anything that you recommend to members? MARILYN: Besides following the recommended security updates, I think everyone should have an IT policy defining the types of emails employees should respond to/not respond to, what activities are allowed on company equipment and to whom should an employee report suspicious activity.

WGT: On the topic of data integrity, it seems like more and more we’re hearing about the potential for cyber-attacks. Marilyn, is that something that you’re seeing, or is that just conjecture at this point?

14 • SummerCONSULTANTS2022 ROUNDTABLE

Everything now is on climate change and decarbonization. We’re seeing a proposed rule from EPA on engine emissions from heavy-duty trucks. And this is going to impact GAWDA members pretty significantly. The proposal would begin with the 2027 model year and would require a very significant reduction in nitrous oxide engine emissions. Over the last couple of decades, EPA rules have already taken out 98% of the engine emissions for NOX. This is going after that last 2%. It’s going to raise prices. And then there are further SEC rules on publicly traded companies that will require reporting of emissions for inves tors. So, a company that is involved in fossil-fuel production will have to report all of the emissions that come out of their investments, as well as those of their customers and their vendors. That’s a massive reporting goal.

MIKE DODD: I had one of our members send me that notice and he was trying to figure out, “Is this real?” And I put them in touch with Rick. But the piece of paper he got looked very official. And I’ve only gotten the one so far. And it said the member was “randomly selected to provide this information.”

The other thing on decarbonization that will impact our members is that there is $7.5 billion in the infrastructure law that was passed last year for electric vehicle charging stations. They are going to build a network of half a million EV charging stations on all of the interstates and federal-aid highways. That’s a tremendous infrastructure investment. But that also begs the question of where the electricity is going to come from? And that, we don’t know yet.

WGT: How much of this, even if it does pass before 2027, do you think will survive all the way until 2027? RICK: Well, that’s a very good question. The EPA is try ing to get a final rule out before the end of the year. Clearly, they’re trying to beat the elections, I think. Let’s game this out and say that the Republicans take over the House and the Senate. Well, one way that they can get rid of this is by doing a Congressional Review Act review of this and passing a res olution in the House and the Senate that would overturn the EPA Final Rule. But President Biden would probably veto it and you would need a 2/3 vote in the House and the Senate to overturn that veto. They aren’t going to get that, regardless of what happens in the elections. So, then you’d have to wait for the 2024 elections. Maybe there’s a new president in 2025. And let’s assume it’s a Republican. Then, it’s possible, that they could either delay or reconsider this. But, right now, it looks like if they come out with a final rule it would probably end up happening.

Tom and I have recently received emails from a GAWDA member after they received an email purporting to be from federal agencies. The email asked what they were shipping, what hazard classes and what ZIP codes they were shipping to. And it turned out to be part of PHMSA’s effort to enhance shipment security.

And, even if your company has protocols in place, employees should double-check the email addresses that the email came from. If it seems fishy, it likely is fishy! So, make a phone call to your IT department.

MARILYN DEMPSEY: I receive red alert updates from DHS as to the attacks and patches for various internet browsers, whether it’s Safari, Mozilla, or Chrome. This really is on a higher level, where they’re trying to close the pipeline when there has been an intrusion. So, the action is in the back-office, where they’re identifying threats and creating protection for the data. We, as consumers, receive notice(s) that the server may be vulnerable and what updates should be installed.

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WGT: You mentioned FMCSA. In this issue of the magazine, we’re talking about the FMCSA’s agenda and priorities (page 26) that were sent out earlier this year. How will that impact GAWDA members?

RICK: One other thing that has come up since that agen da was sent out is that they are going to go through with a rulemaking on speed limiting devices on commercial motor vehicles. They are going to do a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that will require all vehicles that have that capacity, which is basically every truck since about the 2003 model year, they are going to require you to set a speed limit on that vehicle. They haven’t come up with the actual number yet, but it will probably be somewhere in the 65-70 mph range. But that is something that they’ve indicated that they are going to go forward with. They’re going to have to come out with another proposed rule. There will be an opportunity for comments, and then they will come out with the final rule. So, this is over the next several years.

WGT: What would that mean for GAWDA members?

WHY AMERICA?BTIC Superior

Summer 2022 • 15 CONSULTANTS ROUNDTABLE

RICK: Not a whole lot, to be honest with you. Since they’re primarily in local distribution, they’re not out on the roads running hundreds of miles on the interstates. I think it’s going to affect long-haul truckers much more than local distribution operations. But it means your driver isn’t going to be able to speed as much on the local interstates. Which is a good thing.

RICK: The FMCSA is going to do a driver compensation study and try to connect the types of driver compensation to safety. The idea is that drivers who are paid by the mile or paid by the delivery are encouraged to speed or to make other unsafe decisions so that they can make more money. They believe it’s better to pay drivers by the hour so that all of the hours are compensated.

Minneapolis Oxygen sent me a very detailed timeline explaining the process that they went through and that everything went very smoothly, and that the driver was able to obtain a license and HAZMAT endorsement. So, they were quite pleased. And I expect that will be the case more and more.

WGT: You mentioned companies searching for drivers or even transitioning internal employees to become drivers. We keep hearing about the driver shortage. Is it abnormal for there to be this many less experienced drivers on the road and does that make companies more susceptible to DOT stops or audits?

16 • SummerCONSULTANTS2022 ROUNDTABLE

MIKE: I don’t know. I’ve always thought that if I was young again, a driver position would probably be a pretty good position. I enjoy driving on the road and traveling. And now they’re being paid a lot of money. I think, back when the pandemic hit, there were a lot of drivers laid off or weren’t driving because people weren’t buying things and I think they retired or found other work to do besides driving that lets them stay home. There are an awful lot of drivers that have to drive over the road. And that’s not a position that many people like. Our drivers in our distributorships, those are typically favored positions because you’re usually home every night. I haven’t spoken with a distributor yet who says, “I am flush with employees.” I’ve never heard that in the last several years. So, there’s a shortage all the way around, and drivers are just one of them.

MIKE: No. Remember, this is a program that has been in action to be put in place for 6-9 years now. They have wanted to do this for some time because they wanted to get a more qualified driver and a safer driver on the road. It’s all about driver safety. And so, the idea was put together, but it kept getting pushed back. We assumed it might get pushed back one more time due to this extreme shortage of drivers. This program does not help that shortage and, in fact, may make it harder to hire drivers. But they were determined that driver safety is important. So now it’s here and we’re dealing with it, and it seems to be working.

WGT: Mike, we had a chance to speak shortly after the February DOT changes went into place. Now that we’re a few months past that, are you seeing anything interesting?

WGT: You just alluded to it; truck drivers are clearly getting paid very well. Some companies are offering $100,000 or more. It’s clearly not a money issue, anymore. So why is the driver position so uniquely difficult to fill?

MIKE: The changes that went into place had to do with driver licensing. After that date, anytime a company had a driver that needed to get a new CDL or upgrade their CDL from a C to a B, or a B to an A, or get a HAZMAT endorsement for the first time, as of February 7th, they had to use one of the registered training providers. That has been cooking right along. I think it got off to a slow start because I don’t think many people believed it. And then, when some of them started going down to the license bureau, they finally woke up and found out that they had to do these new things. And that’s when I started getting some phone calls. A lot of them didn’t have to hire a driver yet at the time. Now that’s been on the road for a while, there are drivers that need to be hired or employees that they want to turn into driv ers. And so, they have been using the new process. We have found two or three companies that have a very reasonable price for the services. And I got my first feedback on the process.

The only problem that we’ve got at the moment is that we still have a severe shortage of drivers. As a matter of fact, it’s not just drivers, it’s employees in general. I haven’t spoken with a distributor yet who says, “I am flush with employees.” I’ve never heard that in the last several years. So, there’s a shortage all the way around, and drivers are just one of them. And we are tackling that. And the members who have got them and are keeping them will tell you, they’ve had to raise their wage rate. Most of them will tell you that probably the highest-paid person in their organization is their driver. And that’s the only way they’re able to get them and keep them. Because if they don’t pay them, there are so many jobs avail able that they’ll leave. I think everybody is figuring it out, but if you talk about inflation, this is one of the reasons. The labor rate is going up. The labor rate and the cost of having to pay for that labor, I think is going to be one of our biggest challenges in the coming period.

18 • SummerCONSULTANTS2022 ROUNDTABLE

That’s one of the things that we used to show as an advantage to somebody coming off the road is that you get to be home every night. And that’s one of the reasons why we don’t pay the same way over-the-road drivers get paid. But now, with the shortages, we are having to pay like an over-the-road position, or they leave and go to the road.

And the third, and I think this is the biggest reason, is that commercial truck driver as a job is seen as a position with no real future. You look at analyses in the labor force and people don’t see a driving job as a profession with a future because of automation. Autonomous vehicles are eventually going to take over this job. So, if you’re 20 years old and trying to think about what you’re going to do for the rest of your life, that’s probably not something that is going to be available for another 10-20 years. Sticking with labor issues, there is a House bill now that is targeting the overtime exemption for drivers. They want to get rid of the Fair Labors Standards Act exemption for anybody that is subject to the federal hours of service regulations. And then, the Department of Labor, right now, is looking at overtime

Second, is the Great Resignation. We have had people who, for the past two years, were paid to stay home. Fewer and fewer people want to work now. The labor force participation is lower than it has been in forever. And it’s difficult just to get people back into the workforce.

RICK: You asked why is this happening? I think there are three reasons.

TOM: We’re seeing helium, of course. And there are still some carbon dioxide shortages, but nothing like we saw during the pandemic.

First, commercial motor vehicle drivers are subject to drug testing. And as marijuana is more accepted in society and is now legal in 33 states, it’s harder to find people who are willing and able to submit to drug testing.

TOM: I’m not sure what the primary driver is but I do think it’s a contributor for sure. Also, other rare gases and fluorinated gases come out of that part of the world, and we’ve also seen their supply impacted.

WGT: We’re talking about shortages of employees. It’s also back in the news that we’re talking about product and gas shortages. Tom, is that something that you’re seeing?

WGT: The war in Ukraine has been discussed as a driver of the helium shortage. Is that the primary reason for it or just a contributing factor?

MIKE: Sulphur hexafluoride, for instance.

TOM: Yes, sulphur hexafluoride, neon, xenon. The sup plies are more limited.

MIKE: As far as the atmospherics go, argon, nitrogen, oxy gen, I haven’t heard any complaints about those. It’s definitely helium and it’s definitely carbon dioxide.

eligibility, not for drivers, but for administrative, executive, and professional positions. You’ll recall, the Obama administra tion tried to increase the salary threshold for persons who would be eligible for overtime. That was challenged in court. Then the election happened, and Trump took office, and the Trump labor department withdrew the rule. The Labor Department is now try ing to resurrect that rule. They’re going through a series of public hearings with the idea of coming out with a new proposed rule. And then, there is the idea of legislation, which has already passed the House, to make it much more difficult to use independent contractors and to try to get almost all workers as employees of various companies and have them subject to withholding and the benefits package. All of these regulatory issues are inflationary, as are the decarbonization trends that we’ve seen. I think these are adding to the inflation that we’re seeing now, which is the highest that we’ve seen in the last 40 years.

WGT: Anything else before we go today?

MARILYN: I have seen a slight increase in OSHA inspec tions, and I’ve heard of a couple of catastrophic events happen in our industry where OSHA was mandated to inspect. It’s very sad when people are seriously injured. And the main thing that I can say about handling these types of inspections is the need to have records. Whether it’s an injury or a catastrophic incident, the company needs to have proof that it’s working to create and maintain a safe workplace; ex: training records, safety manual and hazard communication program. And you need to train on hazard communication. It’s the first thing they’re going to look at. OSHA doesn’t typically come in. But, you know what? One incident is all it takes.

WGT: Mike, how about on DOT audits. Any trends you’ve seen emerging? MIKE: I have not seen the DOT audits go up. If anything, I think they might be less than they were previously, mainly because, as Rick said in one of our webinars, the number of new entries that hit. There are over 100,000 new motor carrier entries. And anytime you have a new motor carrier entry, it requires an audit from DOT, according to their own rules. So, I think they are absolutely overwhelmed with how they’re going to handle that. And that has taken away from normal audits to our facilities. Unless there is something bad that has happened like a fatality, or your roadside inspection shows extreme trouble. Now, I have seen the roadside inspections go up. People do send those to me and ask if how they handle them. I’ve seen those numbers go up. I don’t know if it’s because COVID has become less prevalent and now they’re interacting more on the side of the road. Or maybe it’s because of the warm weather, where they’re able to get out of their vehicles and do more inspections than they would have in the middle of winter. Either way, roadside inspections are definitely up.

WGT: Marilyn, what trends are you seeing?

Summer 2022 • 19 CONSULTANTS ROUNDTABLE

And at what point are you relieved from that obligation? It’s not something that I can tell anybody, “This is the absolute time when you’re not obligated.” But, generally, the buyer would have an argument if the seller were unable to perform that the seller has breached, and that the buyer can seek other suppliers. So, that’s something that we have run into both in the helium and CO2 markets.

MARILYN: I would just note that every single agency has a “Help Wanted” sign out. To me, that’s a clear indicator that they intend on being more active. Or they feel the need to have more people in order to be more active. We’ve talked about this before, going back to basics. Get your basic stuff done. Get your groundwork laid. And then you won’t have to worry about an inspection.

Currently, OSHA has the National Heat Emphasis Program, which requires all OSHA inspections to include heat illness prevention inspection. Also, inspectors are instructed that if they are driving and see a worksite that may possibly have a high heat environment, they are permitted stop at the worksite and conduct an inspection. So, I think the “stop and inspect” directive opens up a whole new kettle of fish. So, all GAWDA members should find out if they have a heat illness prevention program? And are employees trained on Heat Illness Prevention.

RICK: I have gotten a lot of calls from members on both of those shortages. More on the legal and contractual issues. In this industry, it’s very common for suppliers to have re quirements contracts for their customers. That means that the customer will agree to buy all of their requirements for a particular product or group of products from one vendor. And the vendor will agree to sell all of those requirements to the customer. Well, in these cases, the supply isn’t there. And if you’re obligated to buy from one seller, and the seller doesn’t have enough product, how do you get out of that obligation?

I was just on a call for OSHA’s injury prevention of heat illnesses, and the case OSHA highlighted was interesting: a healthy 35-year-old, working in Buffalo, New York, (not known for its high temperatures) died in 2020. He was work ing on a roof and died of heat stroke. My point is, if they’re using Buffalo, NY as their example, that puts the rest of the nation on notice.

MIKE: The flammable gases. That’s the issue, right? MARILYN: Correct. The flammable, extraction gases. CO2 is not a big deal. Members are asking if their customers need to have alarms in their grow room where CO2 is used, and I believe NFPA 1 covers the alarm requirements.

MARILYN: Another thing that we talked a lot about at SMC is the gases that are used for marijuana extraction. Those are still very prominent. I’m getting a lot of calls about EPA and OSHA PSM.

RICK: There are two things on OSHA Heat, the first is the actual regulatory proposal on the standards for heat illness and injuries. And then the second is this national emphasis program, which is basically doubling the number of heat enforcement actions or investigations that they take over the next three years. That’s a huge labor issue, particularly for companies in the southern U.S.

•

The following is an excerpt from the GAWDA Safety Organizer, a monthly bulletin sent to GAWDA members. For more information on the GAWDA Safety Organizer, or to read past issues, visit the GAWDA.org Members-Only Section.

for high-hazard industries. 2. Programmed

heat warning or

Program for 2022 BY MARILYN

local area. 3. On-site heat complaint investigations (em ployee and anonymous complaints). 4. On-site investigations for all employer-re

20 • SummerCONSULTANTS2022 SAFETY ALERT

Consultants, com.marilyn@safetydragons.940-999-8466LLC

hospitalizations related

shall

HIGH HAZARD INDUSTRIES INCLUDE… Most Gas and Welding Supply distributors: NAICS 325120 424690 424720 Weather Service inspections inspections occur any day that the NWS has announced a advisory for the ported to

Marilyn R. Dempsey Safety Dragons Workplace

Hazards and Illnesses National

O n April 8, 2022, OSHA announced a National Emphasis programOutdoor and Indoor Heat Related Hazards (Heat NEP). This program is an expansion of the September 2021 “Heat Initiative Memorandum.” The Heat NEP is focused on high-hazard industries with vulner able workers, identified through data from the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and is part of a broader Department of Labor response to President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.”

A complete list of affected NAICS codes may be found in Appendix A of the attached OSHA Heat NEP. HOW DOES THIS HEAT NEP AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS? According to the NEP instructions, high-haz ard companies must have a Heat illness Prevention Plan that includes: 1. Identify employee(s) responsible for: ` Administering the program, ` Monitoring employees ` Training employees 2. Training for new and returning employees on heat related illnesses. 3. Acclimatization plan for workers: new, returning to work and temporary employees 4. Provide cool water or cool/shaded areas for full sun areas. 5. Daily monitoring employees for signs of heat illness. 6. Monitor National

As with the General Duty Clause, the goal of Heat NEP is to identify and eliminate/reduce exposure to a hazard; in this case - HEAT. Each state must accept the OSHA Heat-NEP or create their own, so check your State OSHA website to determine if your state has additional require ments for the Heat NEP.

Heat Related Emphasis R. DEMPSEY,

for heat conditions, heat waves and implement cor responding responses. ENFORCEMENT METHODS 1. Planned/programmed

heat in juries/illnesses.

•

GAWDA DHS/EPA/OSHA CONSULTANT

Summer 2022 • 21 NOTE: PROCEDURESINSPECTIONSTATE: • A review of any potential heat-re lated hazards should be included in any programmed or unpro grammed inspection. • OSHA Area Offices shall instruct CSHOs to be vigilant, during their travels to job sites, to conduct compliance assistance or self-re ferral inspections of outdoor work environments in plain view. This means as they are driving around if they see someone working out side, they can “self-refer” an in spection. HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS Heat Stroke • Confusion • Slurred speech • Unconsciousness • Seizures • Heavy sweating or hot, dry skin • Very high body temperature • Rapid heart rate Heat Exhaustion • Fatigue • Irritability • Thirst • Nausea or vomiting • Dizziness or lightheadedness • Heavy sweating • Elevated body temperature or fast heart rate Heat Cramps • Muscle spasms or pain • Usually in legs, arms, or trunk Heat Syncope • Fainting • Dizziness Heat Rash • Clusters of red bumps on skin • Often appears on neck, upper chest, and skin folds (MuscleRhabdomyolysisBreakdown) • Muscle pain • Weakness • Dark urine or reduced urine output Phone: +1-330-874-4009 | Website : www.eleetcryogenics.com A TRUE PARTNER, HELPING DISTRIBUTORS GROW! FEATURED PRODUCTS: • Exclusive provider of TW Bulk and Micro-Bulk tanks (USA & Canada) • Rehabbed bulk tanks sales • “Scorpion” portable DOT units and Dura-Bulk high performance micro-bulk & bulk delivery • Durable, High Quality, Wide Gap Vaporizers in stock in OH/TX/CA • Industrial/medical manifolds • Extensive parts inventory Our products come standard with desirable features already built-in. Fleet of portable units available for monthly lease. WORLD-CLASS SERVICE: • Bulk tank rehab • Micro-Bulk refurbishment • Field service • Vaporizer qualification facilityState-of-the-ArtinConroe, TX to enhance our nationwide service to gas distributors. INNEW2022! CONTACT US TODAY! TM

Heat Stress in the Workplace

Heat cramp symptoms include painful cramps or spasms in the legs, arms, or abdomen. The worker will probably sweat very heavily. Spasms may occur during work or in the evening after work. Heat cramps are often caused by a tempo rary fluid and salt imbalance during hard physical work in hot environments. Heat exhaustion results from the reduction of body water content or blood volume. The condition occurs when the amount of water lost as sweat exceeds the volume of water drunk during the heat exposure. A worker may have some or all of the signs or symptoms, which include heavy sweating, clammy, flushed, or pale skin, weakness, dizziness, nausea, rapid and shallow breathing, headache, vomiting, or fainting.

There are several ways to prevent heat ex haustion from happening. One very common way is acclimation to the heat environment. Safety professionals will use a step process to help with acclimatization, which will include shorter periods of work in the environment for a couple days, then gradually adding more time until the worker is acclimated. Another way is to provide safety products that aid in the prevention of heat related illnesses. Here are some great safety tools a worker can use:

• Work Umbrella: this item can block the direct sun from the worker, keeping them much cooler, and many are even fire resistant for welding applications.

WORKPLACE SAFETY

It’s a hot topic

22 • Summer 2022

Heat stroke is a life-threatening, heat-related disorder associated with working under very hot and humid conditions. Heat stroke can result in coma or death. The early signs and symptoms of heat stroke include a high body temperature of 104½°F or higher, hot dry skin, absence of sweat, rapid heart rate, dizziness, shivering, nausea, severe headache, confusion, convulsions, and unconsciousness.

High temperatures, direct sunlight, heavy workloads, and high humidity all contribute to heat stress. Too much heat can also cause fatigue and irritation, thus increasing the chances of in cidents, as well. Employers and supervisors are learning to become aware of symptoms so they can deal with heat stress to prevent accidents and maintain good health and overall wellbeing of their workers. Here are some very common signs: Heat rash is an early signal of potential heat stress. It is commonly associated with hot, humid conditions in which skin and clothing remain damp due to unevaporated sweat. Heat rash may involve small areas of the skin or the entire torso. Heat syncope is characterized by dizziness or fainting while standing still in the heat for an extended period. The most serious aspect of heat syncope is that it may cause people to fall or injure themselves while operating machinery or even at heights.

BY PAUL BERNIER, ASP Paul Bernier, ASP, is the Safety Manager for Southern Colorado at General Air Service & Supply. He has worked in the safety industry since 1996. T here are real dangers of heat stress in the workplace, and it can happen quickly to anyone working in hot, humid con ditions. A worker may suffer cramps, dizzy or fainting spells, or even more serious issues such as heat stroke, or even death. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of about 45 workers die each year from heat stress in the U.S. Although there is not a specific federal stan dard addressing heat stress, employers are more aware than ever, looking to protect their workers from heat related illness while keeping them as productive as possible.

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On April 8, 2022, OSHA released a National Emphasis Program on Outdoor and Indoor Heat Hazards. This NEP is a targeted program to protect workers across the nation from the increasing threat of heat-related illness. To read the NEP in its entirety, visit default/files/heat-nep-factsheet-en.pdfhttps://www.osha.gov/sites/.

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• Shade Producing Accessories, such as hard hat attach ments that will shade a workers skin from direct sunlight.

10 REGO YEAR WARRANTY 100% TESTED REGO

Having these products available in your retail stores can be very profitable and certainly a good service to your customers. Like I’ve stated in other articles, “If they aren’t buying these safety items from you, who are they buying them from?” CGA

Summer 2022 • 23

• Cooling Towels: When soaked in water, these towels can keep cool for up to 4 hours and they work well on back of workers’ necks.

• Hydration: although it seems very obvious that water is always required, some manufacturers have taken it further by adding flavors and electrolytes which increase worker consumption over just plain water. Staying hydrated is so important.

• Cooling Workwear: such as vests, headbands, beanie caps, and cooling sleeves can help keep a worker cool and comfortable.

A very common mistake that I find is an employ ee putting a cylinder on the scale and then sliding the weight on the beam or adding weight to the electronic scale to add the weight of the product to the weight indicated on the scale. This doesn’t take into consideration any residual in the cylinder. If product or any foreign substance is inside the cylinder, the result is an overfilled cylinder. You should be taking every opportunity to check the weight of the cylinder prior to filling.

• Empties upside down on trucks and docks: The regulations require that the safety relief valve must be in contact with the gas vapor and not the liquid. Placing forklift style cylinders upside down on the truck or dock to denote they are “empties” is violating the regulations. If the safety would start to vent, you could be releasing liquid, which expands about 270 times from liquid to gas.

There are times that residual product will still be in the cylinder, but many times the cylinder is empty, and this lets you check the tare weight.

Some other storage issues to consider are:

• National Propane Gas Association; www.npga.org

KEY MISTAKES

BY MICHAEL DODD, GAWDA DOT CONSULTANT

There are many sources of information avail able on the proper procedures for filling and storage of LPG cylinders. Some of these sources are:

HOT SUMMER DAYS

Another common mistake I find is the em ployee not taking into consideration the weight of the filling valve and hose assembly. This results in under filling the cylinder. Not a safety issue but certainly a weights and measures issue and a customer satisfaction issue.

The extreme heat of the summer months will cause overfilled cylinders to begin venting product and this venting product can be liquid, which expands 270 times the volume when going from a liquid to a gas. Provide an ignition source and you have the equation for big trouble.

T his month’s bulletin is to remind people of the upcoming hot months of summer and the problems of overfilling LPG cylinders. This bulletin is not meant to provide all the details of proper filling and storage of LPG cylinders. See Filling and Storage later in this topic.

FILLING AND STORAGE

• NFPA 58, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code; www.nfpa.org

GAWDA DOT & Safety Consultant Michael Dodd is president of MLD Safety Associates in Poplar Bluff, MO. Members can reach him at 573-718-2887 and at com.MLDSafety@hotmail.

• Your supplier

LPG Filling and Storage

24 • SummerCONSULTANTS2022 SAFETY ALERT

TRAINING

Summer 2022 • 25 CONSULTANTS SAFETY ALERT Easy-Adjust® Cryogenic Regulators One Resource. Zero Headaches.® Your one resource for regulators, gauges, CO2 alarm systems, valves, cryo parts, and more! (Customers outside U.S. call +1-630-844-8800.) Both Easy-Adjust® models have a unique upgraded bonnet design and can replace standard pressure builder or combination regulators on most cryogenic vessels used today. Easy-to-read set points allow for accurate and user-friendly field adjustments of the tank’s pressure builder and/or economizing set points. (125-325CombinationEasy-Adjust®Regulatorpsig) PressureEasy-Adjust®BuildRegulator(15-60psig) INNOVATIVE Design! Perfect for unique markets such as CryoSauna & CryoBio! U.S.FREETOLL 888-429-5832 www.cyl-tec.com • Cylinders in racks at customers (not pin indexed): You should consider training your drivers and customers to place full or “empty” forklift cylinders into a storage rack with the safety relief valve pointed up. The index pins take care of this orientation while on the forklift, but many storage racks do not have the pins. • Too many together in one place: You should consider not storing too many flammable gas cylinders in one place or large groups. If you would ever have a prob lem, it would become a very big problem fast. Smaller groups and spread out between the groups will let you deal with smaller problems should you ever have a leaking/venting cylinders or a fire.

OSHA requires employees to be trained in the jobs they perform. DOT requires employees filling cylinders to be trained, tested and certified every three years. This falls under the “Function Specific” training requirements in 172.704.

There is an excellent LPG filling training program, “Dispensing Propane Safely,” available from the Propane Education & Research Council, that includes a test that along with an employer certification will satisfy the DOT requirements. It is available as a free download. ing-propane-safely-usb/propane.com/resource-catalog/resources/new-dispenshttps://

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tare Weight + Product Weight + Filling Assembly = Full Cylinder Scale Weight. Check the full cylinder weight prior to removing the filled cylinder from the scale.

One of the most important items is the correct filling limit.

Another important item is proper storage. Keep the required distances in mind and think about your cylinder storage. Think about the worst scenario and ask yourself if the way you are storing your cylinders would be a problem if you had a fire situation.Finally, are your employees properly trained on cylinder inspection, cylinder selection, filling procedures, proper marking and labeling, handling and storage, and what they should do in emergency situations?

In addition, some 831 large truck occupants were killed in crashes in 2020, and 43% of them were not wearing seat belts.

Van Steenburg noted that the number of new motor carrier entrants has risen dramatically over the last two years, from 45,000 in 2019 to 111,000 in 2021. By law, FMCSA is required to conduct a safety audit of each new entrant within 12 months of the carrier beginning operations. He said that new entrants in the first two years of operations are overrepresented in crash statistics.

at 202-223-3040 com.rpschweitzer@rpslegal.and

26 • Summer

He stated the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) enacted last year will bring much needed new funding for highway and bridge improve ments over the next five years. In addition, the Department of Transportation has established a number of priorities related to the BIL, including driver recruitment and retention, better pay for drivers, reducing detention time, and improved truck parking. FMCSA has been tasked with conducting studies on driver compensation and detention times at shippers’ and receivers’ facilities and plans to begin those later this year.

Although DOT currently has no authority to regulate driver pay, the study is intended to review whether payment by the mile or the delivery con tributes to speeding and other unsafe behaviors.

general Memberscounsel.canreach

Additionally, there are some 83,000 drivers who have drug or alcohol violations noted in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse but have not completed the Return to Duty process. These drivers are prohibited from operating a com Rick is president of Richard P. Schweitzer, PLLC in Washington, DC. also GAWDA’s him

J ack Van Steenburg, Chief Safety Officer for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, set out the agency’s agenda and priorities in a presentation at a recent trucking industry meeting. He started by noting that there were 38,824 highway fatal ities recorded in 2020, including 5,125 fatalities involving heavy trucks and buses. Both of these numbers are expected to increase when the 2021 numbers are final.

Van Steenburg said the out of service (OOS) rates were better for private carriers than for-hire carriers as well. For-hire carriers average 5.7% driver OOS and 20.1% vehicle OOS; private fleets average 4.9% driver OOS and 18.7% vehicle OOS.

He is

Schweitzer

The agency also plans to focus at roadside inspections on removing OOS carriers from the highways. Although these carriers have been declared out of service due to their unacceptable safety records, there are approximately 1,000 such carriers that continue to operate illegally.

CONSULTANTS2022

The conclusions could be used by Congress to consider driver pay issues, including whether to revoke or revise the overtime exemption for commercial vehicle drivers in the Fair Labor StandardsFMCSAAct.will be asking the States to do more roadside inspections and traffic enforcement, with emphasis on unsafe speeds, distracted driving, seatbelt usage and impaired driving. Van Steenburg noted the FMCSA is focused on interventions with the 3,700 “high-risk carriers” in the agency’s database; these carriers have a crash rate of 17 per million VMT.

FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Out Agency Agenda, Priorities RICHARD P. SCHWEITZER, ESQ.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & HUMAN RESOURCES

Sets

FMCSA now has 757,000 total motor carri ers in its records; this includes 485,000 for-hire carriers and 202,000 private fleets. The crash rate for private carriers (like most GAWDA members) is substantially lower than the rate for for-hire carriers—private fleets average 1.09 crashes per million vehicle miles travelled, and for-hire carriers have 3.37 crashes per million VMT.

GAWDA’s Government Affairs and Human Resources Legal Consultant

demandingtoday’smarketplace,battleforsuccesswithKAPLANIndustriesasyourwingman.

continued on next page 27 mercial motor vehicle (CMV). Unfortunately, in the final rule establishing the Clearinghouse, FMCSA failed to require State driver licensing agencies to revoke or suspend a driver’s CDL automatically when a violation is noted in the Clearinghouse database. FMCSA recently completed a follow up rule that mandates State cancellation of CDLs for drug or alcohol vi olations, but States have three years (until November 2024) to adopt these requirements.

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Further, Van Steenburg discussed ongoing problems with implementing the agency’s final rule requiring integration of the driver’s medical certificate into the CDL record. Although this rule was issued in 2015, implementation has now been delayed until 2025 due to problems connecting FMCSA data bases with State driver licensing agencies. He also noted that the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiner database had been breached, and that the search engine of that database was recently not functioning. These issues have exacerbated the delay in implementing the medical certificate integration.

The entry-level driver training rule went into effective February 7, 2022, and the Training Provider Registry now has 11,000 providers listed with 18,000 training locations.

Van Steenburg noted that although the providers self-certify they are complying with the FMCSA’s training requirements, oversight of training providers will rely on complaints from the public and FMCSA does have authority to remove a training entity from the Registry.

• A rulemaking (with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) to require automatic emergency braking on all new CMVs over 26,000 lbs. GVW;

28 • Summer

FMCSA is also preparing two related rulemakings—an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on revising the agency’s Safety Fitness Determination standards (the current Satisfactory, Conditional and Unsatisfactory standards), and a proposal to revise the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program for identifying noncompliant or unsafe motor carriers.

CONSULTANTS2022

The BIL also requires FMCSA to conduct several rulemak ings, including:

The FMCSA is also preparing an apprenticeship program to allow 18-20-year-old drivers to operate CMVs in interstate and international commerce (such as drayage around ports). This program will include up to 3,000 younger drivers who have a clean driving record and are accompanied by an older CDL driver with at least 5 years of experience. Participating carriers will need crash rates and driver and vehicle OOS rates below the national averages, and the vehicles used must have speed limiters set at 65 mph or below, outward facing cameras, automatic transmissions, and automatic emergency braking systems. FMCSA expects to publish a notice seeking driver and carrier volunteers next month.

• A rule setting uniform national standards for autonomous vehicle (a notice of proposed rulemaking is expected later this year); and

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & HUMAN RESOURCES

• A study on the effectiveness of Electronic Logging Devices in improving hours of service compliance and reducing fatigue-related crashes. This study and report to Congress could be the basis for revisions to the ELD rule.

In 2017, the National Academies of Sciences issued a report to FMCSA recommending the agency adopt an Item Response Theory methodology to replace the CSA metrics for identifying high risk carriers in need of enforcement actions or other regulatory interventions. This IRT methodology is largely incomprehensible and, despite testing, the FMCSA has not been able to develop a plan for using it in its carrier evaluation process.

Finally, the FMCSA is working with a third-party vendor to develop a Certified High Speed Electronic Inspection Program to allow collection of vehicle and driver data on the highway without the vehicle stopping. Through the use of transponders, the program would uniquely identify the vehicle and collect data on driver hours of service compliance, CDL and medical card validity, carrier registration and insurance, vehicle inspection records, and other metrics. Concerns have been raised that this program could amount to a nationwide speeding enforcement program as well.

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LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT EXIT STRATEGY? We are building an exceptional national packaged gas company by assembling a federation of great businesses Set up a 30 minute introductory call with Rob D’Alessandro to hear about all the different ways to partner with Meritus. THE MERITUS MODEL WHY PARTNER WITH US? OUR CURRENT PARTNERSINTERESTED IN PARTNERING? We support our portfolio partners with resources and expertise to grow and succeed Partners are o ered the opportunity to “roll over” a portion of their sale proceeds in exchange for equity in Meritus on tax e cient basis Address successionownershipchallenges and liquidity needs Partner with entrepreneurslike-minded Invest in a larger, more diversiﬁed business Continue to operate your business, taking advantage of: robdalessandro@meritusgas.com ATLAS GASES . WELDING . SAFETY Support from industry experts, “on call advisors” Access to capital to accelerate growth and for acquisitions Enjoy best practice sharing with other successful portfolio companies No “Corporate” demands or compulsory rules Retain your employees and facilities 1. 2. 3. THE MERITUS MODEL INTERESTED IN PARTNERING? 1) Partner with like-minded entrepreneurs while continuing to run your own business 2) Address ownership succession challenges and liquidity needs 3) Invest in a larger, more diversified business 4) Take advantage of: • Support from industry experts, “on call advisors” • Access to capital to accelerate growth and for acquisitions • Enjoy best practice sharing with other successful federation members • No “Corporate” demands or compulsory rules • Retain your employees and facilities WHY PARTNER WITH US? We are building an exceptional national packaged gas company by assembling a federation of great businesses lead by strong management teams We support our federation members with resources and expertise to accelerate growth and improve profitability Partners are offered the opportunity to "roll over" a portion of their sale proceeds in exchange for equity in Meritus on a tax efficient basis Setup a 30 minute introductory call with Rob D'Alessandro Call or Text: 973.886.7214 | Email: robdalessandro@meritusgas.com Coinvest and partner with us in building the industry’s only national independent gas distributor

Sears attributes the win to investments made in time and resources. That includes training new employees about potential hazards, as well as having and maintaining updated equipment—and ensuring workers know how to use that equip mentHisproperly.bestadvice for others, then, centers on awareness. “Make sure employees are fully aware of all of the things that could cause them to get

cganet.com.rgottwald@

BY RICH GOTTWALD, CGA PRESIDENT & CEO

Award Winners Share Insights, Experiences

G arry Sears , President of Eleet Cryogenics, Inc., won’t be displaying the company’s most recent Leonard Parker Pool Safety Award in the lobby. Rather, he says, it will go in the room where employees congregate for monthly safe ty meetings. That way, whenever they gather, “They get to look at the wall and see those awards that they’ve achieved,” he says. “This belongs to them.”

Jason Larimore speaks with the audience after accepting the Safe Facility Performance Award –Platinum Level on behalf of Linde Gas & Equipment’s Indianapolis, Indiana Fill Plant.

MEMBER BENEFIT 32 • Summer 2022

Eleet Cryogenics received the award in the category of those with 2 million or less employee exposure hours. American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc., received the award in the category of those with more than 2 million employee exposure hours. The honor is named in memory of Leonard Parker Pool, the founder and former chief exec utive of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and this year’s winners were announced in April at the Compressed Gas Association 2022 Annual Meeting in Florida.

Richard Gottwald is President and CEO of the Compressed Gas Association (CGA). He can be reached at 703-7882748 or

Eleet Cryogenics, based in Bolivar, OH, has earned the distinguished honor three times. Sponsored by Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., the awards are presented annually to the participat ing CGA member companies that have recorded the greatest improvement in safety performance during the previous two years, and are based upon the total recordable case incidence rates as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

His own company, he says, had an accident in the past related to a lack of employee awareness. It wasn’t cata strophic, but it was enough to blemish the record—and to inspire changes. “I’m really proud of this award,” he says. “And I’m proud that our employees take responsibility for their own safety, and for safety around them.”

MEMBER BENEFITSummer2022 • 33 hurt,” he says. “Make them aware, and then remove any obstacles. Make sure they’re trained. Give them the good equipment and resources to work with.”

Blenders Vacuum Jacketed Pipe & Flex Hose Vaporizers Final Line Manifold Assemblies HOW CAN WE HELP YOU HGROW OW CAN WE HELP YOU GROW YOUR YBUSINESS? OUR BUSINESS? Francesco Maione (left) of Air Products and Chemicals and CGA’s Rich Gottwald (right) present Vaughn Sears of Eleet Cryogenics with the Leonard Parker Pool Safety Award, Group II – 2 Million or Less Employee Exposure Hours.

Multi

The combined American Air Liquide team including Airgas and Air Liquide, meanwhile, earned the prestigious honor for the first time with Airgas as part of the Air Liquide family. It’s an achieve ment, says Richard Pawulski , Vice President, Industrial Direction – Large Industries, Air Liquide North America, and Chris Herbert, Vice President of Gas

Also announced at the annual meet ing: the CGA & GAWDA Distributor Safety Awards. These awards, sponsored by CGA and GAWDA, recognize partic ipating GAWDA distributor companies showing the greatest improvement in safety performance, and encourages a renewed focus on safe corporate cultures within the distributor community.

“Our employees understand that safe ty is the most important job they have, and to be recognized by the CGA and GAWDA is a clear indicator that their hard work and discipline to safety is mak ing a difference,” Martinez says. “With regards to the recognition personally, it’s Nelson Moreira (left) of Praxair Distribution – a member of the Linde Group – and CGA’s Rich Gottwald (right) present Robin Jusilla of Roberts Oxygen Company with the Fleet Safety Excellence Award for Cylinder Gas Transportation, Less than 3 Million Miles Per Year.

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WestAir Gases & Equipment, Inc., in San Diego, CA, earned the honor in the category of more than 100,000 employee exposure hours. This marks the first time WestAir has been recog nized for the award. Keith Martinez, Director of Safety, Quality, Compliance and Security, says historical data was showing that the safety program was “moving in the right direction, but this was a pleasant surprise.”

Over the last two years, the focus has been on ensuring that the critical elements of the Industrial Management System—the core of Air Liquide activi ties—are fully in place and functioning. That system is built around three top priorities: personnel safety, process safety and road safety. And that, Pawulski says, is a “great place to start” for any company. “Put safety at the core of your processes, paired with policies and standard operating procedures, and surrounded by training, communication and awareness all along,” he says.

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GAWDA’s partnership with CGA provides distributor members with access to a library of more than 375 safety publications, eLearning modules, safety posters, and more. Participating members are eligible to participate in the CGA and GAWDA Distributor Safety Awards Program. For more information, please visit resources/cga-subscription-program/https://www.gawda.org/. www.harrisproductsgroup.com

When arriving at WestAir eight years ago, Martinez says, the short-term plan was to “implement a safety culture by building processes, procedures and con sistency throughout the organization, to ensure all employees were equipped with the proper tools to perform their jobs safely.” It took a few years for employees to fully embrace the new safety culture, but then “we started to see our hard work pay off with a gradual downward trend year over year in our recordable injuries, vehicle accidents and near misses.” In addition, the distribution team has performed at a very high level, with drivers achieving the One Million Mile Challenge, driving one million miles with no recordable vehicle accidents. Creating a safe corporate culture overall, he says, must come from the top down. “With the right leadership and tools, our employees have embraced our safety culture, because from the begin ning the message was very clear from our executive team: Working safely is critical to not only our employees, but to the future of WestAir.”

Summer 2022 • 35 satisfying, but we are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with, and we have a great team of individuals within WestAir that truly understand the meaning of safety.”

This year’s Conference theme was “Leaders Mentoring Leaders,” which came from 2022 GAWDA President Bob Ewing ’s initial speech upon being named President at the 2021 Annual Convention. He said, “Come here to get better. Come here to share. If you do that, you can just sit back and watch the magic happen. It’s rocket fuel for your business.” And in his first GAWDA national conference as President, be proved just that, as GAWDA members from across the globe descended in Indianapolis for three days of education, networking, fun, and memory-making. A rising tide lifts all boats, and this year’s SMC was a tidal wave of information. Thank you to all who attended and supported the SMC. We can’t wait to lift the bar even higher at this year’s Annual Convention in beautiful San Diego.

LEADERS MENTORING LEADERS GAWDA’s 2022 Spring Management Conference Raises the Bar 2022 RECAPSMC 2022 SMC Attendance 707 attendees a new SMC record for overall attendance this decade 391 supplier attendees 253 distributor attendees 131 Exhibitors at the Contact Booth Program The Numbers

NEWS FROM GAWDA 36 • Summer 2022

W hen GAWDA’s Spring Management Conference returned in Nashville in 2021 after nearly two years, it set a new record for attendance this decade, with 702 attendees. That record stood for less than 12 months, as this year’s SMC in Indianapolis boasted a new record of 707 attendees.

WorkWereCommitteesGAWDAHardatBeforeSMC

Officially Opened

NEWS FROM GAWDASummer2022 • 37

On Sunday, April 3, before the SMC officially kicked off, the GAWDA Board of Directors and GAWDA Committees were hard at work, meeting to contin ue to grow and improve the member benefits that come with your member ship in the association. The GAWDA Executive Committee and Board of Directors arrived early for a full day of planning meetings to ensure that you get the maximum value from your GAWDA membership, while the Industry Partnering, Insurance Trustee, Member Services, Safety and Government Affairs, Women of Gases and Welding, and Young Professionals Committees all met in the afternoon to set their agen da and goals for the rest of the year, including exciting new initiatives like the Networking 360 Event that will be held at this year’s Annual Convention. To learn more about this event, go to page 62.

In addition to the Committee meet ing, the Women of Gases and Welding Committee also held a Meet & Greet on Sunday, before the Newcomers’ Reception. The reception welcomed more than 40 women who gathered to network. The room was filled to capacity, as women from across the industry got to know each other and learn more about GAWDA’s newest committee.

SMC Officially Kicks Off with Newcomers’ Reception and President’s Welcome Tailgate

Following the Newcomers’ Reception, attendees were led to the historic NCAA Hall of Champions by a full marching band from Butler University. Once at the museum, GAWDA members got to strut their stuff with all sorts of athletic com petitions including: free throw shooting, football passing, pop-a-shot, corn hole, foosball, trivia, and more. Combined with all of the great food, drink, and networking that you’ve come to expect from a GAWDA event, the Opening Tailgate was a home run from start to finish and the perfect opening kickoff to this year’s SMC. Visit gawdamedia. com to see a full photo gallery from the President’s Welcome Tailgate!

erans, Board Members, and members of GAWDA’s Member Services Committee. The Newcomers’ Reception is a great way for those new to the industry to network ahead of the Opening Tailgate.

NEWS FROM GAWDA 38 • Summer 2022

Following the Committee meetings, the SMC officially got rolling with the Newcomers’ Reception and the President’s Welcome Tailgate at the historic NCAA Hall of Champions. The Newcomers’ Reception was held onsite at the Tavern on the Plaza inside the hotel. It was an opportunity for SMC attendees who have been to less than three national GAWDA meetings to mix and mingle with seasoned GAWDA vet

NEWS FROM GAWDASummer2022 • 39 Monday Kicks Off with Educational Sessions and Contact Booth Program SALES GROWTH PLAYS LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENTPEOPLE SUPPLY CHAIN SalesNon-TraditionalRevenuein an Ever-Changing Market Presenter Jason Kirby, OXARC Developing Future Leaders for Succession •Presenters:DougNyhuis,PurityCylinder Gases • Tim PurityMolenbeek,CylinderGases • Chris Stout, Purity Cylinder Gases Leave No One Behind - How Distributors of All Sizes Can Compete in a Digital Marketplace E-Commerce Panel Discussion •Presenters:Moderator: Art Waskey • Frank Kasnick - IWDC • Dave Bent - ESTech • Justin Yoder - Indiana Oxygen • David Schaer, Computers Unlimited What Should We Do With Our CO2? Thoughts for Maximizing Opportunities with Limited Resources Presenter Brad Dunn, Cee Kay Supply Getting the Right People in the Right Seats Presenter Kevin Falconer, Minneapolis Oxygen Company Just-in-Time, Not Always On Time! Supply Chain Panel Discussion •Presenters:Moderator: Rafael Arvelo, Equigas • Dino Sciullo, Sherwood • Dave Anderson, Metalman • Laura Williamson, Industrial Source • Wes Cooper, Holston Gases Building Independence in Specialty Gases Presenter Chuck Mazoch, Coastal Welding Supply/ Coastal Specialty Gases The Value Proposition, the Framework and the Three - Legged Stool Presenter Kathy Lofgren, Rocky Mountain Air Improve Your Company’s Performance with Practical Analysis Presenter Stuart Williams, American Welding & Gas Returning this year after a triumphant debut at the 2021 SMC in Nashville were the Educational Track sessions. From 8:00 a.m. to 11:20 a.m., attendees had the opportunity to attend three separate sessions across three different education al tracks: Supply Chain, Leadership & People Development, and Sales Growth. The sessions included a mix of panel discussions and individual presenta tions on some of the most important hot-button issues facing our industry today including: succession planning, e-commerce, just-in-time shipping, data analysis, and CO2 , among many others.

•

Also, during the Contact Booth Program, GAWDA announced the win ners of its GAWDA Giveaway. Each winner won a full delegate admission to GAWDA’s 2022 Annual Convention, which will take place from October 5-8 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in San Diego, California. Congratulations to the following winners:

To view photo galleries of Monday’s Educational Tracks and the Contact Booth Program, visit gawdamedia.com.

Following the morning Educational Sessions and the opportunity to refuel at lunch, the afternoon turned the net working up to 11 with the return of the Contact Booth Program. The Contact Booth floor saw an incredible 131 ex hibitors, as attendees had no shortage of opportunities to make new connections, catch up with old friends, and learn about the latest and greatest innovations the gases and welding industry has to offer.

Ted Heitz, S.J. Smith Company Ben Hill, 1sourcevend Scott Myran, MWSCO Lawrence Priebe , Keen Compressed Gas Co.

•

Mark Javor , Metro Welding Supply Corp. & Cryogenic Gases Inc.

The educational track sessions were a great way to kick off the unparalleled learning opportunities that GAWDA events are so well-known for. Each session was incredibly well-at tended. The sessions lasted 50 minutes and each one left time for a Q&A with audience members. GAWDA members who bought multiple employees to SMC had the opportunity to attend multiple sessions at once. We thank our 21 present ers for their amazing time and insights during these educational track sessions.

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NEWS FROM GAWDA 40 • Summer 2022

Summer 2022 • 41

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NEWS FROM GAWDA 42 • Summer 2022

SMC Concludes with Tuesday General Business Session

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CED/Powder coated handwheel O-ring seal technology for safety and reliability over the entire service life

He then discussed his mission and aims for his year as GAWDA president including: providing content-rich meet ings with an emphasis on best practices, high-quality networking opportunities with an emphasis on partnerships, spot lighting industry talent and developing future leaders, and multi-level engage ment with in-person, virtual, and hybrid virtual programs.

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Designed to permit valve closure after exposure to an Acetylene ﬂashback Stainless Steel ﬁlter on the valve inlet Optionally integrated with CG-3 type fusible metal Lower stem for valves for “B” and “MC” style cylinders constructed from stainless steel to prevent stress corrosion and resist over-torque

The final day of the 2022 Spring Management Conference kicked off with the General Business Session.

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GAWDA President Bob Ewing took the stage to recognize the hard work of the staff, board members, presenters, and committee members who made this record-breaking event possible.

“The quality of your leadership will only be as great, or as small, as the quality of the models you are exposed to,” he said.

Serving the Compressed Gas Industry in North America since 2009

Tested and certiﬁed by BAM Berlin

He reiterated his message from the 2021 Convention that the industry thrives when we work together and learn from each other.

Bob then recognized Jason Krieger and his team at American Welding & Gas for seeding the initiative with $10,000 donations for three years, which will be matched by GAWDA, bringing the total grant program to $60,000 in fund ing over the next three years. He then invited other GAWDA members to get involved as well.

Finally, Bob previewed this year’s Convention, which will take place in October in San Diego, including the President’s Farewell Gala which will take place on the deck of the USS Midway. He also announced this year’s GAWDA Gives Back recipient: Alzheimer’s San Diego.

He then introduced the Women of Gases and Welding Committee and their new educational grant initiative. A video of committee co-chair Judy Miller and committee member Liz Standley played, as they spoke about the scholarship initia tive, where women within GAWDA can win an all-expenses-paid registration to the University of Innovative Distribution.

For more information about this exciting new initiative visit gawda.org

NEWS FROM GAWDASummer2022 • 43

NEWS FROM GAWDA 44 • Summer 2022 At the 2022 GAWDA SMC, GAWDA recognized this year’s GAWDA Scholarship Recipients. This year, GAWDA is awarding $30,000, $2,000 each to 15 students. Congratulations to all of those who received scholarships this year! • Quin Costin, Montana Tech University (Computers Unlimited) • Colton Diekow, University of Minnesota Duluth (Oxygen Service Company) • Samuel Gage, Auburn University (nexAir) • Sarah Holland, Auburn University (Matheson) • Brennan Johnson, Montana State University (Norco) • Blaine Kaup, University of Nebraska-Omaha (Matheson) • Adam Love, State Technical College of Missouri (Matheson) • Liem Lynch, Auburn University (Anova) • Gregory Phillips, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (West Penn Laco) • Kyle Lee Plant, Tennessee Technical University (Matheson) • David Rimes, Life University (Lake Welding Supplies) • Thomas Schadek, Miami University Ohio (American Welding & Gas) • Justin Schroeder, South Dakota School of Mines & Tech (A-Ox Welding) • Geoffrey Sonenson, Kansas State University (Matheson) • Lindsey Tremel, University of Pittsburgh Fluorocarbons)(Electronic

NEWS FROM GAWDASummer2022 • 45 George Ratermann Recognized with GAWDA Volunteer Award After the presentation of this year’s scholarship winners, First Past President Abydee Butler Moore recognized George Ratermann with the 2022 GAWDA Volunteer Award in recognition of his outstanding and loyal service to the association as a member of the GAWDA Board of Directors. 225 West Second Street • Bethlehem, PA 18015 • P–610 861 7330 75 East Main Street • Westboro, MA 01581 • P–508 898 0100 1310 Highway 82 West • Gainesville, TX 76240 • P–940 668 1777 Tube Trailers, ISO-Containers, CO2 Transports, Ground Storage Modules For superior product quality and performance, call on Weldship! We have met virtually every global standard or code, and have the engineering, technical and manufacturing experience to assure you the right size and configuration for your gas product transports and containers. Weldship is now ISO 9001 Certified. All of our products are available for lease or purchase. In addition, we provide a complete testing service for required container certification. Contact us today to keep your product safe, your fleet moving… and your profits rolling! www.weldship.com ISO 9001 CERTIFIED To Meet or Exceed the Most Rigorous Global Standards, The Gas World Turns to Experience • Knowledge • Performance 225 West Second Street • Bethlehem, PA 18015 • P–610 861 7330 75 East Main Street • Westboro, MA 01581 • P–508 898 0100 1310 Highway 82 West • Gainesville, TX 76240 • P–940 668 1777 Tube Trailers, ISO-Containers, CO2 Transports, Ground Storage Modules For superior product quality and performance, call on Weldship! We have met virtually every global standard or code, and have the engineering, technical and manufacturing experience to assure you the right size and configuration for your gas product transports and containers. Weldship is now ISO 9001 Certified. All of our products are available for lease or purchase. In addition, we provide a complete testing service for required container certification. Contact us today to keep your product safe, your fleet moving… and your profits rolling! www.weldship.com ISO 9001 CERTIFIED To Meet or Exceed the Most Rigorous Global Standards, The Gas World Turns to Experience • Knowledge • Performance Celebrating

year’s GAWDA Annual

three amazing General Session Presenters. Attendees

MentorshipLeadershipDiscussand The SMC concluded

our three distinguished presenters. Thank you to all GAWDA members who

three long-and-dis tinguished careers. The

Basik ,

time, emotional, insightful, and funny. Thank you

year’s record-set ting Spring

mentorship, and les sons

Three Keynote Speakers with heard from Head Coach Frank Vice President and Dr. Kevin about leadership, learned from presentations were at the same to attended this Management Conference for this Convention, which takes place from October 5-8, 2022, at the Marquis, San Diego.

Indianapolis Colts

in Indianapolis. We look forward to raising the bar even higher as we return to San Diego

and Chief Human Resources Officer Victoria Brifo ,

Reich , Air Products Senior

NEWS FROM GAWDA 46 • Summer 2022

Marriott

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NEWS FROM GAWDASummer2022 • 47 THANK YOU to all of the Sponsors Who Made This SMC Possible!

Three subjects quickly surfaced as the “hot button” topics that appeared in every distributors’ note pads. First, the rapidly expanding space in which the distributor manages the wide horizon of gases from atmosphere to user. Next, solutions surfacing that permit distributors to level the field in the electronic paths to markets for their equipment and hard goods supplies. And finally, the mentoring of management succession oppor tunities previously confined to a limited number of family offspring. This article will address two of these observa tions: distributors view of the changing landscapes in the gases side of their businesses, and the rapid developments in the ecommerce relationships across the supply chain. Development of “Business Ownership Succession” and the 2022 GAWDA theme of “Leaders Mentoring Leaders” will be reserved to align with the Annual Convention Program that will focus on the amazing inter actions taking place across so many of these family-owned companies.

What GAWDA members were discussing as they left Indianapolis.

For the purpose of this discussion, let’s as sume that the vast majority of the packaged gases distributor community realize an equal amount of revenue dollars from gas-related products and services and hard goods sales and services. A few percentage points on one side or the other will make little difference for most distributorships.

Today, a distributor’s tanker or tube trailer will pick up a cryogenic or pressurized product from the nearest spigot, deliver it in the most efficient and cost-effective manner to the end user, serving the account under any number of contract variables. More than likely, these product fulfillment arrangements are managed by accurate telemetry protocols that connect the user with the distributor and producer to provide timely automated replenishment under the most favorable circumstances.

The Biggest Hot-Button Issues to Emerge from the 2022 Spring Management Conference

NEWS FROM GAWDA 48 • Summer 2022

BY KEN THOMPSON K udos to GAWDA President Bob Ewing and his SMC organizing partners for a solid Indianapolis Spring Management Conference! GAWDA’s value is de fined by its business-related content and the amazing networking opportunities that allow the content to be discussed, exchanged, and absorbed by so many.

For many years, the global gases companies provided their distributor partners with cylinders filled with the most basic industrial gases, charged for cylinder usage (demurrage), and allowed a small discount as the distributor delivered the product to small end-users. These arrangements were all secured by “Requirements Contracts” that guaranteed exclusive distribution “rights” between the producer and their “agent.” Fast for ward nearly 80 years and, today, distributors hold equity positions in air separation, CO2 production, sophisticated specialty gases blending, dry ice manufacturing, and manage every conceivable facet of cryogenic and gas products distribution.

The independent packaged gases distributor now reasons that the global producers will initiate As an executive and advisor, Ken Thompson has been dedicated for over 60 years to distributors’manufacturers’strengtheningandsupply chain relationships through the sharing of best practices, managing disruptions, and coordinating visions and implementation of systemic technological change to further solid strategic alliances.

Summer 2022 • 49 and continue sophisticated scientific R&D into renewable energy, expansion of medical gases uses and protocols, and partnerships with energy companies to locate and develop energy producing natural resources. Former priorities to simply build and sell out ASUs have been supplemented with far more necessary and rewarding global challenges.

As a result, conversations among a growing number of distributors in clude: “Are there opportunities for equity positions in gases production, liquification, or processing?” “Should I consider multiple take or pay product agreements?” “Should I invest in cryo genic and pressurized transport assets to independently manage bulk gases logistics?” “Should I position myself to wholesale gas products to smaller and willing independent distributors within my logistical footprint?” “Am I exposing myself to leveraging risk for future availability and pricing of heli um, hydrogen, or rare gases if I expand the desire for greater independence?”

“Where is the dividing line in defining a PARTNERSHIP vs. COMPETITIVE ADVERSITY?”

From a commercial and business model standpoint, greater shareholder value will be realized, as global com panies contribute to solving the world’s renewable energy needs. More routine tasks like separating molecules, liqui fying them, and managing distribution are rapidly becoming engrained within skillsets of regional packaged gases distributors, or consortiums thereof.

While digesting the structural changes in gases production, packaging, and de livery has been more deliberate in devel oping, changes in processing the move ment of hard goods products through the supply chain occurred at lightning speed. The use of internet processing of B2C orders has become a part of today’s lifestyle. A computer screen and a credit

NEWS FROM GAWDA 50 •

Summer 2022 card will allow a buyer to get just about any product one can imagine. COVID changed all urgency the commercial world. Connectivity, platform design, and content placement all became high priority projects. It also became clear that a firm’s IT staff, skilled at replacing printer cartridges, didn’t have a clue on how to build an ecommerce model. Companies hired IT professionals from any background – welding and gas es related hard goods knowledge was not a prerequisite. Internet process and marketing consulting companies were building a long “wait list,” Software salespeople were everywhere. Webinars, Zoom, Teams, and a long list of online sessions filled many days. Some order would be restored as companies in the welding and gases distribution vertical would learn from other distribution disciplines’ expe rience. Office supplies, Jan/San, and some MROs had built a decent record of progress. Modeling after these, secur ing senior management commitments, and organizing teams to approach the varying elements of a B2B business model began taking shape. First intro duced to a GAWDA audience at the 2021 Nashville SMC, models surfacing a year later in Indianapolis suggest remarkable progress.ERPproviders in the gases and weld ing space understand the needs of the respective clients have expanded to incorporate connectivity to the ecom merce front end while preserving asset management, inventory control, discreet pricing, and transactional history. Without these basic connectivity functions, there was no incentive for an end user to even consider a supply chain relationship. The realization also surfaced that the other most important part of an ecommerce relationship is PRODUCT CONTENT. Without rich, syndicated content, a user finds little value in using the site for product searches. The content is owned by the man ufacturer, often must be animated and configurative, and must have the ability to transfer through a distribution part ner’s system without any dilution of the display. Dashboards are now in place to measure content quality in the path from origin to the users’ screen. As registrants departed Indianapolis, exchanges were frequent. “I am too small to invest is this much sophistication –

The “good news” is that today there are roughly three dozen Packaged Gases and Welding Supply distributors engaged at various levels of ecom merce integration with their custom ers. More go live with each passing Ken Thompson is one of the most respected figures in GAWDA’s history. In 2021, he became just the 10th person ever to receive the GAWDA President’s Award of Excellence. Check out the March 1st episode of GAWDA TV, where Ken was interviewed about this year’s GAWDA theme of Leaders Mentoring Leaders. month. If GAWDA is the “Keeper of the Knowledge,” and the association continues to provide the networking platform for exchange, many answers to a colleague’s questions are simply a phone call away.

NEWS FROM GAWDASummer2022 • 51 At ASM, we’ve got all the bases covered. We’ve been coming up with innovative cylinder storage and handling solutions for over 30 years, so you’ll never have to worry about your cylinders being safe. Our stats: • A unique ﬁrewall option that allows storage of ﬂ ammables and oxygen in the same unit • Tamper-resistant hardware, hinges, and heavy-duty lock receiver • OSHA & NFPA compliance • Superior quality and durability • Super fast turnaround • Unbeatable customer service Get out and root for your team and let our team worry about your cylinders. Call us at 800-488-8816 800-488-8816 amrstd.com The Standard of Excellence coveredWe’ve all the bases. Global Reach–Made in the USA. ASM Summer Ad_Baseball_GAWDA_7x4.875_Final.indd 1 6/23/22 11:23 AM how can I hope to participate?” “Does my current IT system have capacity to upgrade to these higher levels?” “Where do I start?” “Where can I find a reliable consulting firm that will instruct our people through this process?” “Will our Sales Force support this method of doing business – will they feel threatened?” “How can I differentiate myself from Amazon, Zoro, Fastenal, or others already selling my products from third party sources?” “I have some ‘private brand’ products, how do I market those? Am I responsible for this content design?”

GREAT CONTENT in Indianapolis –leaving no question that take home VALUE is high on everyone’s charts. Shifting sands in gases, ecommerce, and mentoring for the ‘rising stars’ – the future of our Industry – WELL DONE, GAWDA!

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#GAWDAAC2022 52 • Summer 2022 2022 CONVENTIONANNUAL October 5-8, 2022 Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina 333 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 The average high temperature in San Diego in October is 73 degrees and the average low temperature is 62 degrees. Attire for the Annual Convention is business casual. toScanvisitGAWDA Website.AC

Summer 2022 • 53 TIME MEETING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2022 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Early Badge Pickup 6:00 p.m. –9:00 p.m. Board Dinner WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2022 7:00 a.m. –6:00 p.m. Convention Registration 8:00 a.m. –9:00 a.m. Executive Committee Meeting 9:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. Board Meeting with Committee Chairs 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Committee Meetings 2:00 p.m. –3:00 p.m. WGW Committee Meeting 4:00 p.m. –5:00 p.m. Newcomers Reception 5:00 p.m. –7:00 p.m. President’s Welcome Reception 7:00 p.m. Industry Hospitalities THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2022 7:00 a.m. –1:00 p.m. Convention Registration 7:00 a.m. –8:00 a.m. Networking Breakfast 8:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. Opening BusinessGeneralSession 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Past Presidents Luncheon For GAWDA Past Presidents only 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Women of Gases and Welding Event at San Pasqual Winery 1:00 p.m. –5:00 p.m. Exhibitor Booth Set Up 1:00 p.m. Industry Hospitalities

TIME MEETING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2022 6:00 a.m. –8:00 a.m. Exhibitor Booth Set Up 7:00 a.m. –1:00 p.m. Convention Registration 7:00 a.m. –8:30 a.m. Networking Breakfast 7:00 a.m.7:40 a.m. Networking 360 Grab & Go Breakfast 7:30 a.m. –9:00 a.m. Networking 360 event 9:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. Contact Booth Program 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Young Professionals Event (TBD) 1:00 p.m. Industry Hospitalities

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2022 7:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. Convention Registration 7:00 a.m. –8:00 a.m. Networking Breakfast 8:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. Closing General Business 5:30 p.m. –10:00 p.m. President’s Farewell Gala at USS Midway

Session

Tentative 2022 Annual Convention Schedule Distributors will meet with multiple suppliers over the course of 1 hour. (with 1 minute between meetings). Register now to: NETWORKING 360 EVENT NEW for 2022 GAWDA Annual Convention! OCT. 7, 2022 7:45 – 9:00 AM All distributor companies are welcome to participate. Supplier spots are limited. Visit www.gawda.org/networking-360/ for more details. • Build a bigger network • Learn new things • Discuss successes or improvements • Support GAWDA Suppliers

G AWDA Executive Director John Ospina and repre sentatives from GAWDA Media visited two longtime GAWDA members on Monday, May 9. First, GAWDA visited Haun Welding Supply in Syracuse, NY. Haun has been a member of GAWDA since 1967. In recognition of their long-time mem bership in the association, John Ospina presented the company with a plaque to commemorate their contributions to GAWDA. Haun Chairman of the Board Mark Haun was gracious enough to take us on a tour of the company’s facility. and Media Visit Members

NEWS FROM GAWDA 54 • Summer 2022

GAWDA

Long-Time GAWDA

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Then, GAWDA visited Carbonic Systems Inc. in Elmira, NY. Carbonic Systems has been a member of the as sociation since 1958. John presented Carbonic with a plaque commemorating their long-time association with GAWDA, which the company proudly displayed in their entrance. Company President Scott Casey and Vice President Tim Krusen gave GAWDA a tour of the facility. Thank you to both Haun Welding Supply and Carbonic Systems, Inc. for your incredible hospitality and for your ongoing commitment to GAWDA and the Ifindustry.yourcompany would like to be visited by GAWDA, contact Natasha Alexis at nalexis@gawda.org.

NEWS FROM GAWDA 56 • Summer 2022

GAWDA’s Regional Meeting season officially kicked off with the Southwest Regional Meeting, which was held in League City, Texas, from April 18th to the 19th. Regional Meeting Chairs Ashley Madray , Gas Innovations, and Gary Degenhardt, Chart Industries, welcomed more than 80 attendees to the beautiful South Shore Harbor Resort & ConferenceAttendeesCenter.hadthe option of participating in a golf outing or visiting Nasa’s Houston Space Center, just a 15-minute drive from the hotel. In addition to these great networking events, attendees heard presentations from Captain Bill Diehl, President of the Houston Port Bureau, Chuck McConnell, from the University of Houston Center for Carbon Management in Energy, and GAWDA President Bob Ewing who gave a GAWDA Update to the crowd.

MeetingsRegionalGAWDA2022

A great time was had by all who attended. Thank you to those GAWDA members who made this event possible.

SOUTHWEST REGIONAL MEETING

NORTHEAST REGIONAL MEETING

On Wednesday, GAWDA members got down to the business of the event, as they were treated to a GAWDA Update from President Bob Ewing , a great presentation, including an interactive game show, about Employee Recruitment and Retention from Regional Co-Chair Michael Trueba, a con sultant presentation from Marilyn Dempsey that touched on a variety of important topics, and the Changing Environment in Distribution Sales from Art Waskey. The event also featured a Contact Booth Program. On Thursday, Marilyn Dempsey held an informative workshop. Thank you to Regional CoChairs Tom Biedermann and Michael Trueba for hosting this fantastic event.

GAWDA hosted its second Regional Meeting of 2022 in Galloway, New Jersey, from May 10-12, 2022. The Northeast Regional Meeting was held at the picturesque Seaview Hotel. More than 60 GAWDA members attended the event, which featured a wonderful mix of fun, networking, and education. The event kicked off with a day of fun, as GAWDA mem bers tried their hand at go-kart racing and skeet shooting, followed by a wonderful networking dinner back at the hotel.

NEWS FROM GAWDASummer2022 • 57

58 • Summer 2022 A sk Your Board is a new feature that will run in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Quarter Issues of Welding & Gases Today. The purpose of Ask Your Board is to ask common business questions that all GAWDA members might be dealing with and to see how GAWDA’s Board of Directors are dealing with these issues within their own companies. To submit a question for GAWDA’s Board Members to consider, please email steveg@gawdamedia.com

ROBERT ANDERS 2022 GAWDA PRESIDENT ELECT Holston Gases, Inc. Our market strategy hasn’t fundamen tally changed over the last decade. The key to our growth and success will still come from face-to-face interactions be tween our salespeople and our customers. We are trying to support those direct sales efforts by being as efficient as we can in how we “touch” our customer to Ask Your Board allow our sales team to manage larger territories. We have undertaken an expansion of our online presence by com mitting additional resources to our SEO efforts as well as creating an online customer portal. These efforts allow us to interact with our customers 24/7, even when our offices are closed. We also began sponsoring the athletic programs of the Southern Conference, whose member schools are all located in our market area. This type of marketing has allowed Holston and our company logo to be shown in print programs, tee-shirts, online advertising and exposure on channels like ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+.

THE QUESTION How has your company changed its marketing strategy over the last 5-10 years? Have you found the increase in reach has translated to an increase in customers?

ERIC WOOD 2022 GAWDA SECOND VICE PRESIDENT O.E. Meyer Company Our company has changed and evolved in how and why we use targeted marketing campaigns. As O.E. Meyer Co. expanded geog raphies, services, and product offerings, it was evident that we needed to improve marketing. The investment and focus began by hiring a digital marketing specialist who has helped us with branding, mission statement, truck graphics, social media, and by championing a new web site and launching a new e-commerce offering. Much of our marketing is designed and targeted to better inform the public in our markets about our entire product

Lasting Connections THE BEST FOR BEST.THE voestalpine Bohler Welding www.voestalpine.com/welding protectiveonputAlwaysforget:Don’t weld!tostartingbeforeclothing BOED-W22022_Anzeige-Boehler-StickElectrodes-3_375x10inch-EN-WeldingGasesToday.indd 21.04.221 13:14

ABYDEE BUTLER MOORE 2022 GAWDA FIRST PAST PRESIDENT Butler Gas Products

Five to ten years ago, we did a lot of outdoor advertising. It worked, but it was hard to measure. More recently, we shifted that spend on billboards to retaining a firm that acts like an outsourced marketing depart ment. They help us with everything including our website, social media, graphic design, and branding swag. We do our content and newsletter in-house, but our firm does the rest. Our marketing strategy in general has not changed from a target market and “what makes us unique” perspective, we just reach those people and present those messages in evolving ways.

BRAD ARMSTRONG 2022 GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT General Air Service & Supply While the technology improvements over the last decade have changed the way we conduct marketing operations, the greatest shift in our strategy has been in our mindset. General Air has adopted a proactive approach to inbound marketing with an emphasis on experiences and stories over brands and products. Our goal with messaging is to lend credibility to our brand by providing our customers with relevant, educational information. Additionally, we have developed and launched a governing brand guidelines document with company-wide adoption. This ensures adherence to logo, typeface, and color usage, thereby standardizing our look and feel across all channels. By implementing proactive marketing strategies, employing the latest technologies and trends, and creating compelling and consistent messaging, we believe General Air has increased brand awareness and trust. Some specific results of this strategy include a social media following that has reached nearly 30,000 users, a growing e-commerce site, and a Weld Academy that is continuously sold out.

continued on next offering and services provided. For a long time, we did a poor job of bragging about ourselves and found very few people in markets where we’ve had a presence for over 50 years were fully aware of all we do; different marketing campaigns have been used to assist in this effort. We continue to learn more about Google and social media and are now placing more emphasis on these channels to grow market share and new revenues.

Scan for informationmore Wherever and whatever you have to weld, Böhler Welding has the best stick electrode for the job. We supply any type you may need and our electrodes are always easy to handle, with fine arc ignition and stability.

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JOSH HAUN 2022 GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT Haun Welding Supply, Inc. We used to put a large emphasis on television advertising. As people have “cut the cord,” we have transitioned away from traditional commercials. Our focus has transferred into the digital world, with an emphasis on social media platforms and targeted search engine adver tising. It is still pretty challenging to determine how effective our advertising is because we do not sell to the public online. We have also renewed our emphasis on partnering with local charities, which often includes an advertising benefit on our behalf. Our best marketing has been our fleet of delivery trucks. They are closed box trucks with a large logo, so we constantly hear about people seeing our trucks in the area. recruiting, whether we have an opening or not.

ASK YOUR BOARD 60 • Summer 2022 ALLIE EARLBECK 2022 GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT Earlbeck Gases & Technologies Well, 10 years ago, our marketing budget was exclusively spent on phone book advertisements. It suffices to say we no longer run those ads. We have re allocated our spend towards Google PPC campaigns, Facebook retargeting ads, and search engine optimization. Our industry, like most, is heavily relationship-based, so we still believe in the value of traditional sales outreach. However, we know many prospects will do their research online to vet the information that they are hearing. We want to ensure we are consistent with our messaging, and we stay top of mind. We use our digital presence to make sure our value proposition to our customers is perfectly clear and assure there is awareness of the variety of services that we offer.

That drive to “stay abreast of new technologies and ahead of the compe tition” can be traced directly back to the tenets that Leonard put in place 75 years ago. After years of driving back and forth to Minneapolis from Bemidji (over three and a half hours each direction), Leonard had the revolutionary idea to create a truck that would enhance the productivity of his deliveries.

Third-Generation

Bemidji Welders Supply Years family company celebrates its diamond jubilee.

uring World War II, Leonard Hein trained American pi lots to fly and fight. Due to his German descent, he wasn’t allowed to fight during the war, but he was able to contribute to the Allied cause by helping to train other pilots. Following the war, Leonard and his wife, Trudy, decided to open a boat and welding supply business.

Celebrates 75

STAYING AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION Today, Bemidji Welders Supply’s Mission Statement reads, “The mission of Bemidji Welders Supply is to provide our customers with quality welding, safety, and industrial products at affordable prices. We provide ultimate customer service and personal attention to en sure our customers overall satisfaction. Furthermore, Bemidji Welders Supply will strive to remain a leader in the industry by staying abreast of new tech nologies and ahead of the competition.”

BY STEVE GUGLIELMO 62 • SummerMEMBER2022 PROFILE

For a long time, Leonard and Trudy were the sole employees of the company that would become Bemidji Welders Supply. Seven days per week, the two would do all of the sales, service, pickups, and deliveries themselves. Eventually, the company sold the boat portion of the business to concentrate their full efforts on the welding supply business. Now celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2022, it is obvious that the two made the correct decision.

“He was trying to figure out a way to be more efficient,” says President Brian Hartje. “The company wasn’t big enough to have its own semi-trailer.

So, he wanted something smaller that would allow him to transport the liquid. He contracted a place out of Chicago to put a liquid oxygen tank on the back of a flatbed truck and secure it in place. It was the first of its kind and we’re still using that original truck today.”

“We’re in a pretty rural area,” Hartje explains. “To be successful in an area like this, you can’t just focus on one industry. You have to try to cover more bases. You have to be pretty diverse.”

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GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

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USE CODE GAWDAQ322 AT CHECKOUT FOR 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER ON SHOP.CRYOWORKS.NET CODE MAY BE REDEEMED ONCE PER COMPANY TRANSACTION. EXPIRES 10-01-22. Visit THESCANUs:THEQRCODETOVISITWEBSITE!Your productsCryoWorksfavoriteSummer 2022 • 63 MEMBER PROFILE

For years, the tandem of Leonard and Trudy were able to build and maintain a steady business. But, as the business continued to find success, it necessitated growth. In 1969, the company moved from its original location to its current store, located just outside of downtown Bemidji, Minnesota.

In 1984, the company opened its sec ond branch in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, called Rapids Welding Supply. The ad dition of Rapids Welding Supply grew Bemidji’s overall footprint and allowed it to service all of northern and central Minnesota.In2001, Bemidji opened its third branch, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Dubbed Red River Welders Supply, the new branch was able to serve North Dakota and western Minnesota. Through all of this expansion of territory, the company also continued to add inventory and support for different industries. Today, Bemidji serves a wide and diverse array of industries, including: manufacturing, construction, education, healthcare, government, food and beverage, power and utilities, small business, and oil and gases.

“It’s huge,” Hartje says. “Nowadays, a start-up would have a hard time part nering with companies like that. A lot of these big suppliers won’t set you up, as a start-up. Especially if they already have a distributor in the area. So, having a preexisting relationship with those companies already is a huge advantage.

“A lot of family businesses fail be fore they reach this age,” Hartje points out. “Most businesses don’t make it 75 years. They either shut down or they get sold to a bigger company. And we’ve certainly had our struggles, but we’ve come through them and learned from them, and we continue to grow.”

We have some large customers, but we have a lot of smaller customers, as well.”

become a one-stop-shop for its customers.

“We just launched our new site this year,” says Hartje. “I think it will add some business. Because we have such a diverse product offering, we have some customers who may be buying things from other stores or online that they don’t even know we offer. We want to make it convenient for them to buy everything they’re already buying from us, plus things that they need that they might not be using us for, all in one place, online. We want to be that one-stop-shop. So, we really think it’s going to be a big boost for us.”

64 • SummerMEMBER2022 PROFILE

“We’re all about the customer,” he says. “Without your customers, you don’t have a business. We’re so customer-fo cused. Having great customer service, being available to talk to people, and hiring good people. That’s the formula. It’s not a secret.”

And when customers do buy from Bemidji, they can rest assured that they are getting top-of-the-line equipment.

THE PEOPLE Having the best products in the in dustry and serving a diverse range of in dustries has undoubtedly helped Bemidji thrive for 75 years. But, for any business to last that long, it is the people and the culture that have to carry the day.

The company recently launched a new website, designed and powered by ES Tech, which will allow the company to accept credit card payments through its e-commerce site.

He credits the company’s employees and customer-oriented culture for being able to consistently deal with those hurdles that pop up.

He continues, “We still answer the phone. We personally answer every call. I think that’s really important. We’ve ac

Over its 75-year history, Bemidji has been able to partner with the best and brightest our industry has to offer. It has products from Lincoln, Miller, 3M, ESAB, Hypertherm, Fein, Norton, and many, many more in its inventory. That is something the company is incredibly grateful and thankful for.

Summer 2022 • 65 MEMBER PROFILE

Those personal touches can trace their roots all the way back to Leonard and Trudy. Today, Brian, and his brother and co-owner Scott, represent the third generation of family ownership. And the fourth generation is already in the pipeline, as Scott’s sons work for Bemidji full-time, while Brian’s are just starting their careers with the company part-time. But the company has grown beyond the days of the family carrying the entire burden, as Leonard and Trudy did. Today, Bemidji has 18 employees, with their eyes on continued growth.

Modular Drive System allows you to have: • Productivity increase of 50% possible • Repeatable results • Safer work environment • Reduced material handling • Versatility with modular construction Call or visit our website for more information. (800) www.bugo.com/mds_wgtsales@bugo.com245-3186 U. S A. madein Mechanization Solutions to Increase Cutting and Welding Productivity! WGT_MDS_21522.indd 1 2/15/2022 1:26:27 PM tually had people tell us that. Customers want to talk to a person. They’re not calling to talk to an answering machine or get put through to a voicemail. And I understand that. It’s maddening to have to wait through five different prompts only to get sent to voicemail.”

75 AND COUNTING

“Most of our employees have been with us for 20 or 25 years. Some even longer,” says Brian. “It is a family at mosphere. We treat our employees like they’re a part of the family. We don’t treat them as a number. And I think new employees see that. We want them to come in and have this be their last job and retire with us. We just had three people retire who had been with us for more than 30 years each.”

With a sturdy base built on the cul ture and core tenets that have been in place for three-quarters of a century, buoyed by a strong customer base and partnerships with the best brands in the industry, Bemidji is poised to make the next 75 years even greater than the first. Says Brian, “I’m just very proud of what we’ve accomplished. Thank you to our partners and our customers who have helped us make it this far.”

ANNIVERSARIES CELEBRATING T he past three years have been difficult for all of us. From the depths of the pandem ic, we returned to in-person business, but the “new normal” changed the way we worked. And now, as we deal with the fallout from the pandemic, including unprecedented inflation, supply chain issues, and labor shortages, it has, at times, been difficult to find things to celebrate. But through the gloom, GAWDA members have continued to persevere and thrive. This year, we recognize those GAWDA members who are cele brating milestone anniversaries in 2022. Reaching these incredible milestones is impressive at any time. But it’s especially impressive in today’s climate. Congratulations to all who are celebrating. Congratulations to all GAWDA members celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2022 BY STEVE GUGLIELMO = Distributor = Supplier 66 • Summer 2022

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Summer 2022 • 67

in 1742, Taylor-Wharton is celebrating its 280th Anniversary in 2022! The company was founded in High Bridge, New Jersey, by William Allen and Joseph Turner . It actually pro duced cannon balls for Washington’s army during the Revolution, before being purchased by Robert Taylor in 1769, who renamed the company Taylor Iron Works. The company has always been in the metal fabricating business, from its work with horseshoes and nails, through its manganese durable rails during Westward expansion. In 1912, Taylor-Wharton Iron & Steel Company was incorporated, after Taylor Iron & Steel purchased William Wharton Co. In 1957, Taylor-Wharton launched its first insulated liquid cylinder, owing to the growing need for liquified oxygen and nitrogen. In 1991, the company built its Malaysian plant to manufacture cryogenic tanks. Finally, in 2016, Taylor-Wharton was acquired by Air Water, Inc., an industrial gas company based in Japan. Air Water has since acquired Cryofin Pty Ltd. and TOMCO2 Systems and partnered with DOHMEYER to further expand its com prehensive line of cryogenic equipment, applications, and support in the U.S. and globally. Today, Taylor-Wharton produces a comprehensive range of cryogenic storage, transportation, and regasification equipment for all aspects of the cold chain supply for Industrial Gas, Life Sciences, and LNG applications. It is expertise that is nearly three centuries in the making and the company shows no signs of slowing down as it prepares to enter its fourth.

S – Taylor-Wharton Taylor-Wharton was founded roughly 30 years before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord signifying the start of the Revolutionary War. Founded

280 YEARS

“Our organization has always been about more than business,” says Crum & Forster Chairman and CEO Marc Adee. “Whether it’s our commitment to our employees and partners, or our support for local communities, Crum & Forster is proud to host this event and bring together all of our stakeholders to celebrate our history.”

To celebrate its 200 th anniversary, Crum & Forster held a party on May 19, 2022, at Ellis Island. The milestone event featured a host of special guests and charity partners, including President George W. Bush and singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.

S – Crum & Forster Crum & Forster was founded in 1822 as The North River Insurance Company in New York by Captain Richard Whiley. That founding kicked off two centuries and counting of help ing customers manage their coverage needs.

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 68 • Summer 2022

“Throughout its long history, from the 1800s and later owned by Xerox, to being both a public company and now one that is privately held under the parent company Fairfax Financial Holdings, Crum & Forster has provided clients with a wide range of insurance products and solutions, either directly or through our diversified distribution network of brokers and producers,” the company says. C&F believes in “doing good by do ing well.” It is committed to supporting the communities where its employees live and work and it has programs aimed at driving positive change among the diverse groups it serves through both charitable giving and community service and engagement.

200 YEARS

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Summer 2022 • 69

© Saint-Gobain 2022 VORTEX TECHNOLOGYGRAINDELIVERS UP TO COMPARED TO COMPETITIVE ALUMINUM OXIDE WHEELS LONGER LIFE AND FINISHINGFASTER2X REDUCE STEPS AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY Non-woven abrasives can be used on a number of different materials, including, but not limited to: Aluminum | Stainless Steel | Ceramics | Copper | Wood | Titanium | Nickel and more SCAN LEARNTOMORE Ad-GAWDA-Non-Woven-HalfPage-7x4-875-2022.indd 1 6/9/2022 7:25:54 AM 130 YEARS S –InternationalPhoenix

In 1892, George Wordingham was visiting family in Milwaukee and ulti mately decided to open up a business and settle in the area. Wordingham opened Phoenix Printing that year, a company that specialized in printing and packaging for the laundry and dry-cleaning industry. In 1921, Phoenix Printing rebranded to Phoenix Products and shortly thereafter opened a veneer mill to support its plans to diversify. Diversification has been a hallmark of Phoenix since Wordingham first opened the doors. In 1951, the com pany debuted its welding rod ovens and commercial lighting products.

Some highlights of Champion’s history include the introduction of the innovative Brute XL5 Twist Drill in 1971, the Brute SA80 Maintenance Reamer, which was developed by Lowell’s Father, Leon, in 1980, the launch of RotoBrute Magnetic Drill Press Systems in 1996, and the success of the CT7 Carbide Tipped Hole Cutters introduced in 2004. In 2020, Champion acquired another family business, Mercer Industries, sup plier of industrial abrasives. Champion continues to operate Mercer as a key subbrand which sits alongside Champion’s other brands- Brute Platinum, RotoBrute, and Proline.

“The incredible people who work here are the true Champions,” says Allison. “Our employees are dedicated, hard working, and passionate. We are proud of the personal touch that you receive when you do business with Champion. Our goal is to keep doing business with good, solid people. We value deep, long term relationships with our customers. We are in it for the long haul.”

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 70 • Summer 2022

“Our culture has always been very strong,” says Strategic Sales Manager Melissa De Jesus. “We’ve always been known for our collaboration, progress, and craftsmanship across every industry that we do business in.”

“We’ve been able to keep the feel of a family company, but now with the financial backing of a company that can grow,” De Jesus says. With those resources, the company will continue to look to expand into new and exciting industries, as well as introduce a lower-cost line of products.

Some say business isn’t personal, but that can’t be true when your business has been a part of your family for six generations. This year, Champion Cutting Tool, a leading supplier of professional metal cutting tools, concrete tools, and abrasives products, is proud to celebrate its 125th anniversary. Lowell Frey con tinues to lead the company as President and CEO. His daughter, Allison Frey, Chief Marketing Officer, has cemented her place in the industry with seven years of “125experience.yearsof Champion is an incred ible milestone. We started as a small hardware store in downtown New York City in 1897. Multiple generations have worked incredibly hard to build this business together,” says Lowell. “It’s been 40 years since I started at Champion, and I still wake up excited to go to work every morning. Our mission is to serve our customers with the highest quality tools at top notch service levels. We are so grateful to continue to grow and thrive in this industry.”

125 YEARS

The company stayed in the Wordingham family for four generations, until 2018, when Phoenix was purchased by a private equity firm. But that closeknit family culture is something that continues to endure through today.

The company plans to commemorate its 130th Anniversary at its annual “Brat Fest,” a company party that features burgers and bratwurst. Says De Jesus, “We are so thankful for the partners that we have. This is a fun industry to be in and it’s one that we feel honored to be a part of. We look forward to having another 130 years working in this industry.

S – Champion Cutting Tool

“Our products are typically more expensive because of the quality and the time they take to produce. They’re also all made here in the United States,” De Jesus says. “One thing that we have begun looking into is working with im ports and private labeling of products that still meet our quality standards but that can be offered at a lower price point.”

As CPI continues its journey into the next 125 years, that diversification and engineering curiosity will ensure that it continues to have massive success.

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Summer 2022 • 71

S – CP Industries CP Industries was founded in 1897 as U.S. Seamless Tube Works, a subsid iary of National Tube Works Company. The company’s first plant was built in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. By 1898, the company had 125 employees working at its plant and began manufacturing seamless steel tubing and small com pressed gas cylinders.

“I think we have triangulated that business,” he says. “We are the only company that can provide the ASME ground storage, the tube trailers, and also the onboard cylinders for that industry.”

In addition to its compressed gas cylinders, U.S. Seamless Tube was closely tied with the military, even mak ing munitions to be used in the Spanish American War, and later to be utilized during World War I and World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. “We have a long history with the mil itary,” says CP Industries CEO Michael Larsen. “We are still the sole supplier to the U.S. Navy for certain components and that relationship is very strong right now.”

In addition to its work with the military, CPI has also made important contributions to the compressed gas industry. The company played a major role in assisting regulatory agencies on the creation and revision of regulations and specifications for the use of cylin ders and compressed gas storage and transportation. CPI also introduced the industry’s first tube trailer in 1965.

Larsen, who joined the company 12 years ago, after working for TaylorWharton, credits the company’s 125-year legacy to its rich history in engineering and“Ouroperations.forteis in operations,” he says. “Being diversified. Obviously with the military and industrial gas but even in the last 25 years our work in alternative fuels like natural gas and hydrogen. And we have further diversified into manufacturing composites, which we started nine years ago.”

Larsen sees hydrogen as the next great frontier for CP.

For 110 years, Amerisure’s employ ees have been its most valuable asset and what sets Amerisure apart in the insuranceAccordingindustry.tothe company, “At Amerisure, we strive to build and foster a diverse workplace through the attraction and retention of expert employees who share their varied talents, backgrounds, and experiences for our mutual success.” Today, Amerisure has 692 employees at 11 core service center locations across the“Incountry.2018 Amerisure sought to diver sify their portfolio with the addition of Amerisure Programs (AMP) with the goal of providing coverage for a different poli cyholder base than what its core tradition ally wrote,” says Marketing Underwriter Specialist, Program Business, John Scordato, who is currently taking cours es at a local community college to learn the fundamentals of welding. “AMP now provides coverage for a variety of industries including Gas and Welding Supplies Distributors, which AMP has partnered exclusively with The Horton Group on.”

Today, Airweld has 12 locations operating under four separate company names, comprising 95 employees.

The company, which had since changed its name to Rayno Distributors, had grown to three locations, when, in 1978, it merged with Fabro Industries. The newly merged companies united under the name Airweld and the company as it is known today was born.

110 YEARS 105 YEARS

D – Airweld Airweld was founded in 1917 as the Prestolite Battery Company, selling primarily batteries and other automotive parts. The company was able to enter the gases and welding industry when Prestolite began using small acetylene tanks to fuel the headlights for buses and cars. The company continued to sell both welding supplies and auto parts through the 1970s, when the company sold its auto parts division and began to fully focus on welding supplies.

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 72 • Summer 2022

“Our growth has been mainly through acquisition,” says Vice President Tom Biedermann. “We have purchased six different companies from 1978 through today. That, plus the fact that we have S – Amerisure

On September 12, 1912, the Michigan Manufacturers Association joined with a group of local manufacturers to form the Michigan Workmen’s Compensation Mutual Insurance Company. The mission of this newly created partnership was to “solve the problems of Workmen’s Compensation, reduce accidents, ex change experience and maintain a high standard of service to employers and employees.”“Fromthe handshake that sealed the formation of the original partnership in 1912, to today’s long-lasting busi ness relationships, the very notion of partnership continues to be the founda tion upon which our company is built,” the company says. “At the center of Amerisure’s strategy is an exclusive network of elite independent agents. Only the best agencies — market leaders that uphold the values of our partnership and understand our target industry focus areas — represent Amerisure.”

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been able to supply the best service and products in the industry, are the key reasons why we have lasted over 100Goingyears.”forward, the company looks to continue to build on the things that have made it successful for more than a century.“Weare still in growth mode,” Biedermann says. “We did make a pur chase back in November. And we have a couple of other irons in the fire. We will continue to grow through acquisi tion. And we want to continue to stay as independent as possible. We have worked very hard to ensure that we are not dependent on some of the larger vendors, especially when it comes to deliveries and bulk product.” He concludes, “We are very proud of our company that we’ve lasted this long and we’ve been able to get through all of the different events. All the wars and other things that have happened in the world since we’ve been in business. We’ve been able to assimilate as well as persevere through the good and the bad times and we will continue to do that.”

100 YEARS 100 YEARS OF INNOVATION AND TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

S – Rotarex Rotarex is celebrating its centennial in 2022, 100 years after its founding in Lintgen, Luxembourg, by August Theodor Schmitz, in 1922. The company was orig inally named Ceodeux. It began producing CO2 gas to supply the local breweries in Luxembourg and Belgium. By 1926, the company had started to produce its own valves for CO2 and acetylene, which were used to supply the gas it was producing.

“Already focused on the quality of our products and services, our valves rapidly stood out in the market, winning several awards of excellence,” says Vice President Isabelle Schmitz. “Many gas companies and local industries chose Rotarex for the superior quality of its products, leading us

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to stop gas production and concentrate on the valve

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Those strong relationships and de votion to superior quality products have carried Rotarex through to today. Now in its fourth generation of ownership, Rotarex continues the development of the company by focusing on innovation, quality, and customer service, as it has done since the company’s creation.

Eventually,business.”August’s son, Edgard Schmitz , developed Rotarex in the European markets through several in novations, and established strong rela tionships with the major players in the gas industry.

is planning multiple events throughout 2022.“We have planned a family day event at our headquarters in July, and a com pany event in December. Of course, a book is being written about the history and the company culture, and multiple communications and videos about the anniversary and our future developments are coming soon,” Schmitz says. She concludes, “We are proud for reaching 100 years of experience and expertise. The world is changing and so is the world of gas, which still has a long way to go. We look forward to the future developments and needs of the market over the next 100 years. I hope that the family tradition will continue for a long time to come.”

“As with many family companies, corporate culture is an essential element in the success and development of our activities,” Schmitz says. “Our culture is based, first and foremost, on innovation, and through the relationships we have with our customers. We consider our customers as partners. We help them solve their problems with our know-how and we always try to anticipate their future needs. We have strong in-house research and development capabilities, not only in Luxembourg but also in our frontToday,offices.”Rotarex has more than 1,800 dedicated and skilled employees based in one of its 10 factories and 21 sales offices around the world. It is current ly building two new factories, one in South Korea and its new headquarters in Luxembourg. To celebrate its centennial, Rotarex

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“Our founder’s incredible persever ance and a get it done attitude continues to live on in the very backbone of this company,” says President and CEO

Steve Anderson. “If I had the chance to say anything to my grandfather, who started this business, I’d say, ‘Thank you and I hope I can make you proud of us!’” Forney can look on in pride as his company continues his legacy 90 years later. Today, the company has three locations. It is headquartered in Fort Collins, CO, and recently opened an 80,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Vandalia, OH, to better serve its customers. In addition, the company has a sales team across the country. In total, Forney has about 200 “Forney’semployees.emphasis is solely about our customers and employees. We want to make sure that every customer is treated fairly and honestly,” Anderson says. “As for our employees, we ensure that quality of life is paramount, and that

Forney Industries first opened its doors in 1932 when James Donovan Forney went into business for himself and began selling the Forney Instant Heat Soldering Iron door-to-door across the heartland. In 1936, Forney invented and produced the first publicly available 110-volt/125-amp and 110-volt/150amp welders. Staff would climb elec tric utility poles to connect welders for demonstration to farmers and ranchers. Forney welders grew in popularity and, by 1945, Forney was producing 500 welders per week. Throughout the years, Forney added multiple product lines to grow business including resuming in-house welding and plasma machine assembly in 2019 with the introduction of its 400-series inverter equipment.

S – Forney Industries

In 1937, Milt LaDue founded Gas Equipment Company in Dallas, Texas. The company, which today is an integrat ed warehouse distributor of in-process, transfer and control equipment for the industrial gas and cryogenic industries, remained in the LaDue family all the way until March 2020, when GEC was acquired by MAKEEN Energy. The acquisition was aimed at strengthen ing the global business and network of the group’s gas equipment division, MAKEEN Gas Equipment.

Though GEC does not have a formal celebration planned, it plans to celebrate its 85th anniversary, “by continuing to focus on serving our customers with the exceptional level of care and support they are accustomed to.”

Though it has since been acquired, GEC continues to thrive on the tenets that Milt laid out in 1937.

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“We strive to be the top-of-mind source for all customers’ equipment needs,” says Industrial Gas Product Manager Andrew Young. “Our greatest asset is our employees. Sales represen tatives and customer service equipment specialists are factory trained and expe rienced in all product lines to provide dependable solutions with a personal ized approach to a customer base that spans globally. Our sales representatives conduct field and classroom training seminars, provide safety information, establish a direct link to manufacturers, and they are committed to industry and association service.”

“Those values are ‘be innovative,’ ‘be genuine,’ ‘be engaged,’ and ‘be exceptional,’” says Anderson. “Each quarter we send out email campaigns highlighting a core value and how that value has impacted the company from its roots, to now.” In addition, it has created a special logo highlighting that it is 90 years strong.

The company is celebrating its 90th anniversary throughout the year. It is celebrating each quarter by highlighting one of the company’s core values.

Today, GEC has 11 warehouse sales branches, comprising 100 employees, strategically located in a large geographic distribution network across the central, southern, and eastern United States. Says Young, “We are proud of our heritage; however, we are focused on our customers’ future. We view our relationship with customers as a part nership. In a partnership, both parties work together toward shared goals. We do everything we can to stay abreast of our customer’s needs and we strive to exceed our customers’ expectations and build upon our partnerships to continue to remain top-of-mind.”

Forney is planning a celebration party for both its Fort Collins and Vandalia locations. Says Anderson, “It is our vision that when people see Forney green, they understand it represents a product that has been intentionally engineered to meet the high expectations our company has upheld since 1932. We know that our customers associate green with quality and trust, as that has been our promise for nearly a century and counting. For 90 years, Forney Industries has evolved its brand to reflect the demands of its customers. Our customers have come to count on the green machines we sell as indicators of quality, value, and long-lasting dependability. We look forward to serving our customers for another 90 years and counting!” S – Gas CompanyEquipment(GEC)

family always comes first. We provide superior products and services because the Forney team believes in our products and genuinely cares about the work they do. Our culture is very important at Forney Industries. We care about our people. Our mission is helping every team member be better than when they came to us and in turn they give back so much more. They care deeply about each other. Without them we are not a company. In addition, our size makes us nimbler and more aggressive. We can react quickly to almost any issue. We encourage out of the box thinking and it has paid us back in so many ways.”

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D – Central McGowan Central McGowan was official ly created in 1965, but its roots go back much further than that. In 1947, McGowan Welding Supply of Little Falls, Minnesota, first opened its doors. Soon after, a company called Central Welding Supply was founded by Carl Shutan. In 1951, Leo Henkenmeyer began working as a salesperson for Central Welding Supply and, in 1954, Leo and a partner named Leo Rahm purchased the company. In 1965, Central Welding Supply merged with McGowan Supply in Little Falls and the company as it is known today was born. The company was owned by Henkenmeyer and Frank McGowan. In 1977, Henkenmeyer bought out McGowan’s shares and the company has remained in the family ever“We’vesince.grown through a combination of acquisitions, organic growth, geo graphic expansions, and diversification” says President and CEO Joe Francis, Henkenmeyer’s grandson. “We have continued to build our distribution supply capabilities while adding new CO2 com

Young concludes, “The future is so bright, we all need to be wearing sun glasses. GEC as part of the MAKEEN Energy global team now has an enhanced synergy with equipment and solutions from across the world to utilize for our current North American customers. We have been working on our longrange planning and have identified a number of opportunities to bring more ground-breaking technology and expe rience to the partnerships we have with our current customers.”

D – Jackson Welding & Gas Products Like many GAWDA members, Robert Jackson credits service for helping his family-owned company reach its 75th anniversary. But he quickly adds that sacrifice has been important as well for Jackson Welding & Gas Products.

panies, locations, and a dedicated auto mation division. We are growth-minded and opportunistic, with the ability to successfully acquire and integrate new companies and technologies. We believe acquisition and innovation will continue to be our primary growth drivers in the future. Our diversified business opens lots of opportunities for both.”

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“There has to be some level of sacrifice to create an opportunity for a business to continue under the same family,” Jackson says of the Rochester, NY, business. “I know my father and grandmother made all kinds of plans and did all the right things to make sure the company could move forward without massive complications that could easily derail the whole thing.”

Today, Central McGowan has 135 team members across 8 physical loca tions. The company completed three acquisitions in 2021. As Central McGowan marches into its next 75 years, it does so with a vision for its path forward. “Be a growing pro vider of innovative solutions to diverse customers, powered by people with a passion to serve,” says Francis. “We have set targets for people, locations and revenue to help us track and measure our progress. I see talent management along with continued acquisition, diver sification, and innovation being key to achieving our vision and targets.”

He continues, “Our mission statement is simple: Delivering what our team and customers need to thrive. This mission spans the work we do across our diversi fied business and is built into our culture manifesto and daily conversations using the EOS Traction model. Along with our values of Success that is shared and lasting; Trust in our words and actions; Innovation that drives excellence and growth; Collaboration that delivers value-add services and solutions; and Culture centered on people; safety, family and fun, it is what guides daily work and business decisions.”

“For any owner of a company, a huge percentage of our personal value is tied up in these businesses,” he says. The question is always there: “Am I going to cash in or create the right environment for the assets to transfer from generation to generation?”Inthetwogenerations before him, instead of selling the business, Jackson’s grandmother and father grew it and in vested time and effort in providing struc ture and guidance as he was growing up, recalls Jackson. He was told; “Without customers, we don’t have much to do.”

To help the company grow and per petuate into the next generation, Jackson Welding has formalized its processes and its five-, 10- and 20-year plans.

70 YEARS

D – AWISCO In 1952, Unibraze owner Jerry Robinson was in need of distribution. He spoke with his brother, Bernie Robinson, and Hank Soven, about opening up a distributorship in the Bronx to part ner with Unibraze. And, with that, Ace Welding, which later became known as AWISCO, was born.

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A few years after Bernie and Hank opened Ace, the fledgling company merged with Harris Welding out of New Jersey. Harris was owned by Art Weiss and Bill Rotner, and together, Bernie, Hank, Art and Bill continued to grow the business and work together. Eventually, the company was sold to Jerry and be came part of the AWISCO franchise.

“At one time, there were 30 AWISCOs around the country, in the UK, and in Australia,” says President Lloyd Robinson. In 1979, Bernie bought the compa ny back and became the sole owner of AWISCO New York. In 1990, Lloyd joined the company and, in 2000, Lloyd purchased the company. “12 acquisitions later, AWISCO is the company it is today,” Lloyd says. “Almost all of our growth has been through acquisition.” Through all of its growth and evo

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lution, AWISCO has been guided by its vision statement, which reads: Together, we can be the most customer-driven welding, safety, and industrial supply company in the Tri-State area, bringing our customers what they need, when they need it. Today, AWISCO has 9 lo cations, 8 in the tri-state area and an export location in Florida, comprising 100“I’memployees.surethat my dad never thought that 70 years later, AWISCO would still be the force that it continues to be today,” Robinson says. “My dad will be 95 in November and continues to be one of my most trusted advisors. While change is constant, as long as everything we focus on is making sure the customer is always the most important, we will adapt to any changes.”

“This move really developed the busi ness strategically and helped us move product more efficiently,” says Jon, who joined the company in 1998. Today, Jon and his brother, Ben Berger, run the company as the third generation, and the business continues to “Theflourish.ability to help our customers improve and grow is what makes us who we are today,” says Jon. “Customer needs have always been most import ant over selling a product agenda. We have a good reputation for helping our customers succeed and that is based on the foundation that Lamar and Dennis started.”Berger hopes to expand into another location in the next 3-4 years while con tinuing to grow its base and helping new customers achieve their goals.

D – Berger Welding Supply

Charles has since retired but Galiso continues to innovate, grow and con tinues to make customer service its first priority.

Berger Welding Supply was founded in September 1952 when Lamar Berger purchased Gordon Metal Products and moved the business to his farm home stead. At the time, Lamar was attending the Lincoln Electric Welding school to become a certified weld instructor.

“The early years of Galiso were heav ily involved in cryogenics and even at one point housed the first cryonaut, Dr. Bedford,” says Jon Davignon, VP, New Equipment Sales, Customer Service, Marketing.Following Carl’s death, LaNora con tinued the operation until Carl’s son, Charles Grenci, took over operations of the company in 1996. Charles, like his father, was known for his innovative spirit and Galiso became involved in the semiconductor industry. He patented the method of heat generation through molecular gas agitation. This product increased the yield and shortened the downtime on the manufacture of silicon wafers by efficiently removing moisture in process chambers. Galiso, at this time, was even awarded the Texas Instruments prestigious Suppliers Excellence Award due to its dedication to customer service.

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Lamar’s son, Dennis Berger, took over the company in 1971 following a three-year tour in Vietnam. Dennis built a new building which allowed the company to expand into the machine repair business. In 1994, Berger had the opportunity to buy an 18,000 sq. ft. building on US31, which connects South Bend, Indiana, to Indianapolis.

“He conducted welding classes for the next four years and eventually taught all the surrounding high schools,” says VP of Operations Jon Berger. “As interest grew, he got into the welding gas and cylinder business and added onto his ex isting building to accommodate growth.”

S – Galiso Galiso was founded in 1962 by Carl and LaNora Grenci. Carl was an industry veteran who had pioneered the automa tion of hydrostatic cylinder testing. He was also an inventor and had patented the automatic sealing test head as well as the automatic sizing jaws of the Galiso valving machine.

“Our worldwide experience with multiple industries including gas, fire, aerospace, automotive, space agencies, government, and semiconductor corpo rations has given us great experience and understanding of the needs of these industries,” Davignon says. “We continue to evolve as we face the ever-changing challenges presented to these industries in terms of information acquisition, pol icy changes, training, and automation.”

He concludes, “60 years is a great accomplishment and testimony to the culture the Grenci family has built into this company. We are thankful to God above all for his provision and the Grenci family for their commitment to this company.”

In addition to its technical expertise, Galiso has thrived for 60 years because of itsSaysculture.Davignon, “Our culture begins with customer service. It is our belief that the core strength of a company is customer service. We still support equipment made in the ‘70s and will as long as we have the capability. Customer service begins internally where you treat each of your employees equally and as important as your best customer.”

Galiso will celebrate its anniversa ry during its annual maintenance and productivity seminar August 11-12 in Montrose, Colorado.

D –EquipmentIndustrialRobinson’sGas& Robinson’s Industrial Gas & Equipment Corp. was founded in 1962 by Wesley Robinson, a trustee for the Village of Amityville, in Suffolk County, Long Island. Concurrently with the founding of the company, Robinson also started a private ambulance and oxygen service to meet the needs of the com munity and local hospital not provided by the local volunteer fire department. In 1975, Robinson retired to an appointed position as Assistant Commissioner of Jurors for the county of Suffolk. Richard Gabriele, a friendly competitor and friend of Wesley in the ambulance and oxygen business, ac quired both the ambulance and oxygen business as well as the small industrial gas and equipment company that was supplying welding gases to the local body shops, metal fabricators and HVAC merchants.Robinson’s continued to operate in Amityville, New York, until 1984, at which time Gabriele’s sons and daughter joined the company. At the time, the company operated with one truck and a pick-up truck and had four employees.In1985, Gabriele, along with his sons and daughter, Paul, Richard Jr. and Debra, developed a “strategic plan” for the company to expand both the ambulance and industrial gas business, through out Nassau and Suffolk County.

Robinson’s grew rapidly from 1986 to 1990 primarily in the oxygen business. Nursing homes were growing at a rapid rate during this period and Robinson’s became one of the largest suppliers of oxygen and medical gases in the region to the market. A large part of Robinson’s success was being a reliable 24/7 oxygen supplier. Along with the nursing home growth, the company was a major supplier of oxy gen to the volunteer fire and ambulance departments in both counties as well as many dental practices.

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Robinson’s became one of the first companies to be licensed by the New York State Board of Pharmacy, which was an important part of the company’s marketing and sales strategy.

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In 2001, it was decided by the man agement team to expand and diversify the industrial gas and equipment business. The operations moved to a larger facility in Holtsville, New York. In 2004, the company moved to its current location in Holbrook, New York. This expansion included an automated fill plant for oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. In addition, a complete in-house high pressure cylinder refurbishing and hydrostatic testing operation was initi ated. This permitted fast turnaround for both customer and company owned tanks. In 2014, in an effort to further di versify into more sales in the welding, industrial gas and supplies, Robinson’s acquired Coast Welding Supply USA in Westbury, New York. Coast has a retail showroom and gas distribution operation in Nassau County New York, further ex panding Robinson’s geographic operating area. Currently, Robinson’s operates in the tri-state area of New York, Northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut, providing a complete line of medical, industrial, and specialty gases along with welding equipment and supplies.

55 YEARS S – CK Worldwide CK Worldwide was founded in 1967 by Art Kleppen, who owned a small welding supply distributor called Kent Oxygen, and Jim Conley, an engineer for Boeing. At the time, old style TIG torches were all made of a hard phenolic plastic that had a tendency to crack and arc out if dropped. Boeing would fill barrels of expensive broken TIG torches, and allowed Jim and Art to take these torches, chip off the old plastic, and re coat with a silicone rubber that was more durable and provided a great insulant for the torch. These torches were then sold back to Boeing by the early busi ness known as Conley & Kleppen. That company would later become known as CK Systematics, as MIG machines and spool guns were added to the full line of TIG torches and accessories. Later, the company was split, as Conley took the Systematics side of the business while Kleppen held onto CK Worldwide and fully focused on the TIG (GTAW) market.

Bonnie Gabriele, wife of Richard Sr,. became president, daughter, Debra, Vice President, and Kevin Rubenstrunk, Vice President of Operations for Robinson’s Industrial Gas & Equipment Corp.

Robinson’s looks forward to seeing what the next sixty years will bring to the industry and will maintain with the changes like it has done for the past sixty years.

In 2001, Robinson’s Industrial Gas & Equipment separated from Robinsons Ambulance service. Sons, Richard Jr. and Paul stayed with the ambulance business.

TOCONTACTwww.CKWORLDWIDE.comPhone:1.800.426.0877USTODAY!TOFINDACKSOLUTIONYOURCUSTOMERNEEDS!

“We strive to create positive customer experiences with quick answers and solutions,” Meyer says. “We don’t use voicemail and a live person always an swers the phone during business hours, and we are all-hands-on-deck to help customers including our president, Jeff Sharpe with over 40 years at CK. We’ve seen our business more than double in growth over the last eight years and there’s a lot of pride amongst our em ployees, as each and every one plays a part in our success.” Today, CK Worldwide has 40 fulltime employees and a wide range of contractors on staff, including 33 sales reps throughout the USA and Canada.

CK prides itself as “The Standard in TIG Welding” due to its incredible knowledge base and its devotion to providing the best customer service, quality, and range of products.

“CK Worldwide has grown steadily through the years by providing innovative high-quality products at competitive pric es,” says VP of Sales & Marketing Mike Meyer. “CK has held more patents and offers the widest range of TIG products available in the market. Our commitment is in providing the best customer service and supporting distributors to make our products accessible throughout the USA, Canada and the world.”

“Thank you to everyone: our distrib utors, loyal welders, media, and our employees for making CK Worldwide the strong brand it is today,” says Meyer. “The welding market is truly a great community, and we constantly strive to support it as each individual’s success helps the market and industry, and ultimately helps us to grow and give back.”

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In 1967, Franklin Reick , a wellknown New Jersey inventor, began Fluoramics, Inc. in a one-car garage in New Jersey. While working for ITT in the late 1960s, Reick realized that nobody had a good system for sealing oxygen services for welding and steel making.

To learn more about Frank, read his book Just Frank: My Life as an Intrepid Investor.

“Frank’s wife took care of office func tions. As the company grew, Fluoramics moved out of the home garage and into industrial settings.”

Today, Franklin’s son, Gregg, serves as president and chief engineer, Patti Reick is marketing manager, Jenny Hansen, is product solutions engineer & business development manager, and Kyle Feltes is the accounting & business office manager. Says Gregg, “Our strength is our ability to listen to our customers and help them solve their problems. We developed the ‘Ask an Engineer’ program to make it easy for customers to contact us with questions and concerns. We review and respond to inquiries we receive within 24 hours, and we are always available by phone or in person.”

S – Fluoramics

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“In the early days, the business was a family operation with three young boys helping fill jars, bottles, and boxes, and later helping to mix product and repair equipment,” says Gregg Reick, Fluoramics President and Chief Engineer.

Over time, Reick introduced more industry-changing products including LOX-8 paste, Tufoil Engine Treatment, HinterRust, and many more.

He concludes, “As we fill our days and weeks with tasks, it’s easy to forget to appreciate all the things that have brought us this far. Not only do we thank Frank for the foundation he set, but we also thank our very loyal and supportive customers and employees.”

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So, in his spare time, he developed a pipe sealant, Formula-8, which could be used in gaseous and liquid oxygen applications.

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, the second-generation family business has a proud tradition of innovation and a pioneering spirit that keeps it at the forefront of product development, service excellence, and continuous improvement within the wire and cable industry.

Since producing its very first wheels in the summer of 1977, Flexovit has remained determined to manufacture the very best, internationally competi tive industrial abrasives in the industry through smart growth and cutting-edge technology.Awatershed moment in Flexovit’s history came in 1995, when a major expansion grew Flexovit to a 100,000 sq. ft. complex. That same year, Flexovit became the first North American abrasives manufacturer to achieve ISO Quality Certification.Thecompany has since expand ed product distribution through four full-service distribution centers ser vicing North America - Angola, NY and Rancho Cordova, CA covering East and West USA, Brampton, ON, covering Canada, and Flexovit de Latinoamerica in Monterrey, Mexico, servicing Mexico and Central America. Through each expansion and im provement, Flexovit’s commitments to U.S. manufacturing, performance, value, safety and service ensure that it remains the most trusted supplier in the abrasives industry.

From humble beginnings in 1977— mailing cable samples from the garage of its founder, Richard Witwer—Direct Wire has steadily grown into a leading manufacturer of industrial-grade copper wire and cable products for welding, power, and industrial applications.

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45 YEARS

“We are immensely proud of Direct Wire’s history, accomplishments, and growth in the 45 years since its founding,” said Direct Wire’s CEO David Witwer “As we push toward the future, Direct Wire will remain committed to the core values and foundational principles that are essential to our success and define who we are, how we act, and what is important to us.”

S – Flexovit Abrasives Flexovit USA was founded in Angola, NY, by Jay Ilioan. The company mission, which remains firmly in place today under Iliohan’s ownership and vision, is to “manufacture abrasive products in Western New York that deliver the highest value to users in industrial, welding, and construction trades.”

S – Direct Wire

These ideas and beliefs will continue to be instilled throughout the organiza tion and keep Direct Wire focused on exceeding customer expectations through superior service and responsiveness, stateof-the-art technology and manufacturing capabilities, and employee commitment to company values and vision. Says Witwer, “These are the values that guide our people and our business, and they are what make Direct unique.”

S – PDC Machines

Syded Afzal founded PDC Machines in 1977 after moving to the United States from India and obtaining a master’s degree in Engineering from Princeton University. Like many startups, PDC Machines called a garage home in the beginning before eventually opening a manufacturing facility in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Today, PDC Machines has facilities worldwide! “PDC’s strategy has been smart and steady expansion, retaining excellent talent, and remaining on the cutting edge of our industry by anticipating major growth areas,” says Marketing Manager Osama Al-Qasem . “More recently, we’ve had the opportunity to partner with Arcline Investments to supercharge our growth. After decades of laying plans – opening regional sales and service centers in Europe and Asia, working with local partners, consolidat ing our relationship with current partners, and acquiring new ones – we get to see our careful handywork bear fruit.” “PDC is a ’40-year startup,’” AlQasem says. “We have the knowledge and credibility of an industry leader, but the momentum and energy of a startup.” He continues, “PDC has an employee centric, close-knit culture. We place a heavy emphasis on retaining excellent talent and bringing together many differ ent perspectives to form a greater whole. As a result, we have a diverse pool of talent from all types of backgrounds that all bring great expertise and complement each other’s strengths. This culture has been critical in our longevity as a company.”Intenyears’ time, PDC Machines, “aims to be the key player in the global hydrogen industry. We view our prod ucts as the potential foundation to a new hydrogen infrastructure that will help decarbonize mobility and other sectors. As for how we execute, just stay tuned!” saysAsAl-Qasem.thecompany celebrates its 45 th Anniversary in 2022, PDC Machines is on the cusp of opening its fourth building in the U.S., which will more than dou ble the company’s production capacity.

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PDC has eight locations globally and currently has 285 employees, a number which continues to grow.

“We plan to host a Grand Opening celebration when our new 150,000 square foot World Headquarters facility fully opens in Souderton, PA in SeptemberOctober 2022. It is currently being used for some compressor assembly work and all assembly work will gradually transition there. The final piece of the puzzle will be new office space and a companywide cafeteria,” Al-Qasem says. As it closes in on 50 years, PDC Machines continues to thrive as a sec ond-generation owned and operated familyAl-Qasembusiness.concludes, “Over the next 5 years and beyond we look forward to continued growth and to serving both our customers and our employees.”

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YEARS

at norlabcs@norco-inc.com Visit us at www.norlab-gas.com to find a Norlab distributor in your area. Norlab GAWDA Journal ad 2018 v2.indd 1 7/23/2018 2:18:21 PM Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Summer 2022 • 89

or by

40 D – Airgas

In the early 1980s, a young attorney named Peter McCausland saw the potential in a small oxygen distribution company in Stratford, Connecticut called Connecticut Oxygen (CONNOX.) With an impressive proposal and financial backing, McCausland and his team ac quired CONNOX. On February 3, 1982, McCausland signed the Certificate of Incorporation for the State of Delaware, officially forming a larger holding com pany called U.S. Airgas. Strategic acquisitions spurred signif icant early growth. In the early 1980s, the U.S. market for bulk industrial gases was dominated by a few major pro ducers, but the packaged gas market was highly fragmented. And with the industry entering a period of consoli dation, Airgas purchased distributors in various locations and producers in secondary markets that had excellent growth potential. the last 40 years, Aigas has acquired nearly 520 companies and has dynamically evolved in strategy, industry offerings, and technology, all line 800-657-6672 email

Today, American Cylinder Gas has its third generation working in the com pany, as John’s son, Jake , works for the company and is transitioning into

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American Cylinder Gas founded in December 1992 by Jack and Joan Heckel. Jack was a lifelong member of the gases and welding industry, having previously worked for Northern Gases, a company that his father and grandfa ther had started following World War II. Northern Gases was sold to a major in 1978 and, after going through a number of acquisitions over the years, Jack was tired of dealing with large corporate bureaucracies and decided to start his own family business from scratch.

“The culture at American Cylinder Gas is a very close knit one,” says John. “Kevin and I can relate to the everyday struggles of the employees as we have both done, and continue to do, all of the jobs in the company from the driver, ware house, sales, and everything in between. Our employees are hard working, detail oriented, and eager to learn. We have been very fortunate in that regard and we don’t take their contributions to the growth and well-being of the company for granted.”

“I started from day one of the compa ny driving the truck and doing outside sales,” says John. “My brother, Kevin, our vice president, came on about four years after we launched, after he fin ished college.”

Today, Airgas serves more than one million customers. It has nearly 18,000 associates across more than 1,400 loca tions in the AccordingU.S.to the company, “Airgas is in a key transformative period. As we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, we reflect on our first 20 years spent building out the nation’s leading pack aged gas and welding supply infrastruc ture. Since 2000, we’ve transformed into a national operating company focused on growing organically with customers and providing a full range of gas supply modes and product offerings. Today and since becoming part of Air Liquide six years ago, we’ve been evolving through the pandemic and related global supply chain challenges to position our custom ers to fill their potential by supplying products, expertise, and technology to best compete on the global stage. We are stronger, more innovative and more adaptable than ever.”

D – American Cylinder Gas

That customer-oriented approach, combined with a strong internal culture, has American Cylinder Gas well poised to continue its upward trajectory.

while maintaining steadfast commit ment to customers and associates,” the company says. “Airgas has grown into a national partner providing value-added products and services to large, leading corporations and smaller, specialized enterprises. Its entrepreneurial, flexi ble, market-facing approaches enabled effective partnering with customers by understanding their businesses and theirOngoals.”May 23, 2016, the Air Liquide acquisition of Airgas officially closed, marking the completion of a deal that changed the two companies forever. Combining Air Liquide and Airgas brought together two highly complemen tary businesses to deliver greater value, service and innovation to customers in North America and around the world.

sales after driving the truck for the last seven“Weyears.have been able to grow and evolve the company over the years by taking a conservative approach to growth,” John says. “Only taking on what we knew we could handle while still being able to give customers the excellent service they have come to expect. Our mantra has always been to take care of the customers like they are family. Because of this, our customer turnover has been extremely small.”

At the time that Jack and Joan were getting ACG off the ground, current President John Heckel was just gradu ating from college.

30 YEARS

And, in 2023, Thermacut USA will begin to offer its own branded plasma cutting power supplies, CNC track and exhaustingConcludessystems.Bonneau, “While we will continue to grow and evolve with our replacement line of products, we look to grow our presence in the market for plasma cutting power sources and cutting equipment. We’d like to thank all our customers who have made the first 30 years feel like yesterday when the organization was just getting started. Without your support, we couldn’t have made it past the first year and we look forward to the next milestones for the company.”

Today, Thermacut has 10 subsidiaries and 14 in cooperation with Abicor-Binzel. It has two production locations (one in the Czech Republic and the other in China). It has 27 sales units worldwide.

S – Thermacut

That vision remains today, as Thermacut continues to strive to be an alternative choice to OEM consumables. Says Bonneau, “We’re looking to build our brand and image as a company that has also transformed into an OEM sup plier of cutting and welding equipment.”

It was born from the vision of Jiri Zapletal in the garage of his house and has spent the next three decades growing into a global provider of replacement consumables torches and leads packages for plasma cutting, laser cutting, MIG/ TIG welding and oxy-fuel cutting.

“As the industry has changed, we have needed to adapt as well,” says President Kevin Bonneau. “Being a provider of replacement consumables torches and lead packages for the cutting and welding industry, we’ve had to maintain a product line that is at least as good as the original OEM part; otherwise, users wouldn’t find the value in our product offerings.”

“Allcryo was built on repeat custom ers,” the company says. “We know that if we can help you do business once, we will satisfy your needs and build a lasting relationship. Regardless of the scope of a project, our customers always receive our utmost dedication.”

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS 25 YEARS

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S – Allcryo Allcryo Cryogenic Tanks & Equipment was formed in 1997 by Rodney Ballard and his family in Conroe, Texas. The compa ny has spent the last quarter century proudly servicing businesses in the medical and industrial gas industries, while remaining true to its roots as a family-owned and operated small business. The company is a “small company with a big reputation in the international cryogenics industry.” It is renowned for its excellence in manufacturing, refur bishing, and servicing cryogenic tanks, CO2 tanks, and other related equipment.

Thermacut opened its doors in 1992.

Allcryo prides itself on its breadth of inventory, promising that if the product is not in its inventory, they can get it for their customers quickly. The mission today is the same as it was when Ballard opened the doors in 1997: to be the go-to CO2 and cryogenic tank experts. As the com pany continues into its next 25 years, it does so having achieved the dream of its founders. “When you need top-of-the-line cryogenic equipment, you need Allcryo.”

“In the early 2000’s, we developed our Executive brand of filler metals,” Kinsella says. “In the early 2010’s, we became the exclusive supplier of Kobelco and Special Metals in Canada, having branches and inventory coast-to-coast. Then, in 2014, we expanded into the USA with the strategy to sell indepen dent distributors and work closely to aid and assist in the sale to end customers. With a continued focus on quality, and consistently high performing wire, we added to our portfolio and strength ened partnerships in the geographies we served.” Today, Exocor has six locations and 40 employees throughout North America.

To celebrate its silver anniversary, Exocor created a special logo commem orating the occasion and has been pro moting it all year, including by handing out gourmet birthday cake popcorn at the Contact Booth Program at this year’s SMC. The festivities will culminate in

S – Exocor Exocor was founded in 1997 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The company was small, comprising just four employees in a 2,000 sq. ft. office and warehouse with service limited to Southern Ontario.

“Our focus was on critical welding re quirements, often used in the expanding oil and gas markets.”

“As you can imagine, all four peo ple sold, took orders, and helped with shipping,” says President Paul Kinsella.

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Over the next quarter century, Exocor has expanded throughout Canada and in the United States.

“Exceptional service led to the early success of Exocor and as the years have moved on, we find that, more than ever, exceptional service stands out and is a dif ference maker for many customers who recall when it was expected,” Kinsella says. “’Doing the common uncommonly well ‘best describes Exocor in 2022.”

late September in true Canadian style when all Exocor employees and guests will be wined and dined at the Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery in picturesque Niagara-on-the lake, Ontario.

“We had a humbling beginning, as we didn’t have any inventory, not even a striker or vendors set up to purchase products,” says Owner Shannon Long. “We started in a storage warehouse with a couple of plastic tables as desks and twoHowever,computers.”the trio persevered and began to grow and pickup customers.

“Our company’s culture is, ‘you’re only as good as your people,’” says Long. “We have a lot of personalities, but our focus has been on a team environment with minimal turnover. Our goal is to have employees enjoy coming to work and be happy when they head home to their families.”

“We moved to our current location six months after we started the busi ness,” says Long. “And, in 2013, we completed a building expansion project, which included more offices and an additional dock.”

20 YEARS D – Evansville Welding Supply

In 2002, Steve Eidson, Tony Parrish, and Shannon Long partnered to found Evansville Welding Supply.

Kinsella concludes, “As experts in the welding field, we see that those suppliers who bring the personalized service and expertise to the shop floor and help the distributor sales team will continue to differentiate themselves and provide value above and beyond others who push product online. Exocor is committed to advancing our technological offerings but resound in our commitment to provide a personal level of service that engages our partners out in the field and provides the hands-on service that they deserve.”

From the beginning, the company has prided itself on exceeding its customers’ expectations through the hard work of its dedicated people.

And it has worked. Today, the com pany has 16 employees and has plans to expand its operations in the coming years.

“We hope to grow to three loca tions in the next 10 years,” says Long. “Additionally, we hope to pass the compa ny to the second generation. We recently hired our first second-generation family member.”Longconcludes, “Just thinking about the last 20 years makes us proud that we made the leap to become business owners. We appreciate all the hard work and dedication from our employees over the past 20 years because they were instrumental in the company’s success. Our industry is filled with great people, and we have built relationships that are priceless. These relationships have helped us tremendously to get started and become successful.”

S – Gas Innovations Gas Innovations was founded in 2002 with the goal of providing in dustrial gas producers and distributors a dependable, independent wholesale supply partner. The company was orig inally founded as Willingham Welding Solutions by Jason Willingham in the home of the controller and CFO, Mary and Dennis Frings . Soon after, Ashley Madray joined the company as a partner to Jason and the company was

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rebranded Gas Innovations.

“Gas Innovations has grown primarily by having fantastic employee partners, some of whom have now re tired,” says Madray. “From a pure business perspective, our model remains intact to day, independent wholesale supply.”In2021, Gas Innovations partnered with Atlas Welding Supply, in conjunction with a growth investment from AEA Investors’ Small Business Fund to form Meritus Gas Partners, a platform led by a team of accomplished industry executives to partner with best-in-class independent packaged gas distributors across North America. As part of the deal, Madray and Willingham maintain equity ownership in Meritus and will operate as President and Vice President of Gas Innovations, respectively, while serving on the Meritus Board of Directors.

–Maverick Oxygen

The company has built a strong cul ture over its first two decades, one built on collaboration and trust.

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“A great deal of our success is due to our employees,” says Ben. “Our employ ees have helped us build a workplace of passionate, collaborative, trusting individuals, who, in turn, have created Says Madray, “We are confident that together we will grow Gas Innovations while simultaneously building a nation al federation of great businesses with like-minded entrepreneurs.”

In 2002, after leaving his position as national director for respiratory therapy at Kindred Healthcare, Inc., Scott Kittleson opened Maverick Oxygen.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Gas Innovations hosted an employee party in MayConcludes2022. Madray, “Gas Innovations is proud to be a part of the industrial gas industry. Many affiliations with the associations of our industry and lifelong friends have been made, and we are thankful for our customers, employees, suppliers, and related entities. We look forward to the future and the many opportunities it holds. Gas Innovations appreciates all who have had a hand in making us what we are today.”

“While in that role, Scott saw a need for a reliable provider of medical gases and respiratory equipment,” says President Ben Kittleson. “We initially delivered throughout Kentucky and Indiana, primarily servicing nursing facilities, hospitals, doctor offices, dental offices and home health care companies.”Asthecompany began to grow, it added its own fill plant and expanded into Tennessee in 2005. Maverick then added a second fill plant in 2010 and expanded its territory to include Ohio in 2020. “While those types of medical gas customers are still the primary focus of our company today, we have expanded our offerings over the years to meet the requests and demands of our continu ally expanding customer base,” says Ben. “Maverick Oxygen expanded into welding gases in 2007 and has slowly been adding different lines of welding supplies over the years.”

an agile company able to be flexible to meet customer demands. It is this type of workplace culture that has allowed us to weather many storms throughout the years such as COVID and has been vital to our success.”

Today, Maverick has five locations and 20 employees. It also expanded to include medical rental equipment nationwide. Going forward, the company hopes to add more medical gas offerings and a spec gas lab to be able to create gases to the highest purity levels available. World Class Products. First Class Service.™

Today, Lanier has seven employees and continues to look to add to its team.

10 YEARS D – Lanier Welding Products Lanier Welding Products is celebrat ing its 10th anniversary in 2022. The company was founded in a garage in 2012 by Mike Rowe, Brandon Smith, and Kevin Ruppe, before moving into a small 1,000 sq. ft. building later that year. In the decade that has followed, Lanier has graduated from the garage to a small building, to now having more than 10,000 sq. ft. of warehouses and offices.“The growth of our business has been a 100% reflection of our employees and their dedication to our brand and culture,” says VP of Operations Brandon Smith “I can’t say enough about how proud we are in our company and the unified goal we have to make sure the customer trusts and continues to buy from us.”

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“Our culture is hard work and being accountable to our customers,” says Smith. “We’re not a company that be lieves in titles. Everyone is expected to work hard and do what it takes to make sure the customer experience is second to none. That goes from the top down. I believe that type of culture will grow and sustain any business.” As it embarks on its second decade, Lanier hopes to continue to grow into multiple locations and, potentially, other states.“Our goal is to continue to add quali fied hard-working employees as well as increase our capabilities in the industry with micro-bulk and bulk delivery options,” says Smith. “We are extremely proud of what we have built, and we continue to be humbled by each dollar our customers spend with Lanier Welding Products!”

view more milestone anniversary pictures, check out the full anniversary story on GAWDAmedia.com. 96 • Summer 2022

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

Celebrating Milestones GAWDA MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 235 YEARS ` Economy Welding and Industrial Supply 155 YEARS ` Fein Power Tools 115 YEARS ` National Standard Company 110 YEARS ` ITW Miller 100 YEARS ` Hohenschild Welders Supply Company, Inc. 95 YEARS ` MATHESON ` Superior Welding Supply Company ` T.W. Smith Company 85 YEARS ` AWI/Arkansas Welding & Industrial Supply ` Welder Service Co., Inc. 80 YEARS ` Mabscott Supply Company 75 YEARS ` ACE Welding Supply, Inc. ` Industrial Welding Supply, Inc. ` Terrace Supply Company ` Terry Supply Company 70 YEARS ` Walter Surface Technologies ` Western Enterprises 55 YEARS ` A Weldors Supply Co., Inc. ` Ace Industrial Products ` Island Gases Limited 50 YEARS ` Dynaflux, Inc. 45 YEARS ` B&J Welding Supply, Inc. ` Yakima Welders Supply, Inc. 40 YEARS ` ALM Positioners, Inc. ` Kemper Systems 35 YEARS ` Air Supply ` New Braunfels Welders Supply, Inc. ` SYOXSA 30 YEARS ` Advanced Specialty Gas Equipment (ASGE) ` American Gases Corporation ` Eureka Oxygen Company 20 YEARS ` Carbide Industries, LLC 15 YEARS ` U.S. OXO, LLC ` Southern Service & Repair 10 YEARS ` Jasic Technologies 5 YEARS ` Airchem ` Core Industrial Gases OTHER MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Summer 2022 • 97

When measuring cost, don’t just consider the out-of-pocket hourly or project-based rates of the freelancer but also the time it takes your internal team to find, vet and manage those relationships.

Get Scrappy Modern Marketing on a Budget

M any small to medium-sized B2B companies deal with the same prob lem, day after day, year after year. They’ve long understood the value of marketing and its role in helping gain exposure for their brands, drive traffic to their websites, and generate leads for their sales teams. But they often lack the financial backing to do it

Consider someone who can strategize, produce videos, code, write long-form content, build work flows that connect marketing and sales activity, analyze data, and manage social media channels with a personality and brand-relevant voice.

Tom Armitage is part of the sales team at Site-Seeker, a boutique digital marketing agency based in Upstate NY. He earned his master’s in integrated teamjoinedSovenamarketing/PRUniversity. AfterCollegerelations fromandWestcommunicationmarketingfromVirginiaUniversitybachelor’sinpublicUticaofSyracuseholdingrolesatandOverit,TomtheSite-Seekerin2013.

Let’s review how SMBs can get the biggest impact from lean marketing budgets.

LABOR Labor is the part of your budget devoted to getting your marketing work done. This can come in the form of in-house internal staff members, an agency partner, specialty freelancers, or a combination of all three.

By hiring full-time staff, you’ll have more time and resources available to get work done. The downside is that it’s usually impossible to find full-time professionals - within budget - that span the many skillsets in today’s complex digital world.

AGENCY PARTNER With an agency, you don’t just get one expert - you get a whole team. Agencies tend to have

Freelancers are typically best suited for spe cial skills, or, when temporary, special projects require more hands-on deck.

IN-HOUSE TALENT

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You always need to start with a plan at the beginning of your fiscal year, whatever the number. In doing so, you establish goals and expecta tions, set and control cost, confirm your software and technology, understand the work to be done and who will do it, and review how you will measureAlwayssuccess.make sure your goals and objectives meet the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound), which im proves the likelihood of them being met.

The rule of thumb varies by industry. B2C companies tend to spend between 5-10% of pro jected revenue. B2B companies usually are a bit more conservative – typically spending between 3-5%. Startups or emerging companies are more aggressive, sometimes eclipsing 20%.

FREELANCERS

Many companies find talent that can support many of these duties and then outsource the rest.

That’s an age-old question, but important, nonetheless.

Anyright.good marketing program requires an investment on three primary fronts: labor, tech nology, and advertising.

VISION VS. REALITY

What should your marketing budget be?

The marketplace is flooded with freelancers today - some of whom are highly talented. Many freelancers focus on very specific niches.

BY THOMAS J. ARMITAGE, SITE-SEEKER, INC.

There are lots of analytics and measurement tools out there, from Raven Tools to Adobe Web Analytics and many in between.

COMBINATION Unfortunately, it’s impossible for anyone to recommend the best labor option since it depends on your needs, industry, current in-house abilities, and budget.

rich tech stacks that you can and should take advantage of, too.

When put up against the likes of Agora Pulse or SproutSocial, it may have more modest features. But, it’s great at what it’s meant for - scheduling out your posts, in advance, across plat forms to help be more efficient with your social media time.

Consider how you’ll cover non-traditional marketing functions, as well. This could include CRM or database ad ministration, customer service, and sales support.

TECHNOLOGY

Companies most mindful of their dollars tend to use a combination of all three options. It’s often advantageous to hire an in-house marketing lead, an agency partner for strategy and to help take on a portion of the output, and a freelancer or two for highly niche job functions - like video production, web development, or graphic design.

lutely essential to the measurement of your marketing efforts - specifically related to your website, traffic, and conversions.

Google Analytics (data collection) and Google Data Studio (data reporting) are free, work hand-in-hand, and are abso

Plus, when combining all the team members and all their clients, there’s a ton of experience that can be leaned upon to help your business solve complex marketing challenges.

BUFFER

Arrange for the dashboards to be emailed to you regularly so you’re always kept in the loop on your marketing results.

Buffer is a slick and easy-to-use social media scheduling tool.

Plus, it’s inexpensive. Most companies spend $100/month, and some even can get away with the free version, which allows up to three connected profiles.

GOOGLE SUITE

It’s important you first establish your goals and create and label them properly in Google Analytics. From there, sync your Google Analytics account with Google Data Studio, decide on what needs to be measured, and build out your dashboards (you can lean on pre-made templates.)

It’s an extremely easy-to-learn and easy-to-use tool that’s constantly adding new features. You can quickly create graphics by leaning on pre-made templates, quickly adjust dimensions based on various social media formats, and now there’s even the ability to create animations and videos.

CANVA As an alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Use the free or paid version of Canva for your design work and image editing.

Technology is the part of your budget devoted to the tools and software you need to help get your marketing work done. Here are some essential tools that you can purchase for free or inexpensively.

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It’s a social media content creator’s best friend for less than $200/year.

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EMAIL MARKETING

Work with an agency or freelance developer that’s mindful of the overall budget - both for initial build and ongoing website management. Lean on an inexpensive (though trusted) WordPress theme, free plugins, and a shared hosting environment.

ActiveCampaign strikes a happy medium.

LEADFEEDER

All-in-all, savvy marketers can keep costs down by batching work and cleverly repurposing content. Remember, consistent, high-quality content development can help lead to high-quality, inbound lead generation.

Email marketing continues to offer the greatest ROI of any marketing activity. That’s because it’s so cheap to send out emails to current or potential customers.

Make sure you have a plan in place to constantly be adding new and relevant contacts to your database, and also plan to continually communicate with them through relevant emails.

ADVERTISING

Are you helping educate readers? Are you offering incen tives or offers? Or are you just bragging about how great your company is? Make sure there’s a “What in it For Me?” angle to every email or else you’ll run the risk of high unsubscribe rates and dwindling list sizes.

Be mindful of your spend for ongoing management, too, and weigh the costs against the effort.

Advertising is the part of your marketing budget devoted to actual touchpoints with customers – typically in the form of content and advertising. Here are the tactics that make the most sense for businesses with lean budgets.

WEBSITE

With ‘if/then’ automation controls, smart list generation with custom fields and custom tags, and both email and SMS marketing, Active Campaign has great features at a great price. It’s typically less than $200/month.

That’s when you start getting into the Hubspot and Pardots of the world - with higher price tags.

It’s important for businesses to be thought-leaders in their space and use content as a means to drive inbound interest and leads. Today, demand generation in B2B is often asso ciated with podcasts, LinkedIn activity, article writing, guest speaking, and videos.

For most businesses, advertising is a must. And today, you have lots of options: Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify, Hulu, Google Search, CTV, and more.

Although, on the surface, demand generation might appear to be free...it’s not.

ACTIVECAMPAIGN

The beauty of email marketing is that, when done right, current and potential customers will look forward to, read, and learn from what lands in their inbox, specifically from your company. And, over time, turn into customers when the buying need is there.

GOOGLE DISPLAY ADVERTISING

Consider the cost of audio or video production. Or the time it takes to consistently create content on LinkedIn every day. Or travel fees for speaking at conferences.

Instead, map out a low-cost strategy when building or rebuilding your site.

Consider how often you are sending emails and what’s included in those messages.

Lead intelligence is the next frontier for effective B2B selling. Tools like Leadfeeder use reverse IP lookup to identify businesses coming to your website. Knowing which compa nies are qualified vs. not, and being able to see their source/ medium, time on site, which pages they explored, and what conversions/actions they took, helps provide a much more sophisticated layer of intelligence when preparing outreach messages to buyers. There are a number of tools on the market today. Though Leadfeeder offers bare minimum features with no real bells or whistles, it’s inexpensive and can still provide a ton of value to many marketing and sales teams - especially at only $80/month.

Like most marketing functions, websites and website mar keting can be costly, if you’re not careful. Through custom development, high-cost hosting fees, or premium integrations or plugins - costs can rack up quickly.

If you want to go crazy cheap for email marketing, you can select Constant Contact or MailChimp. The problem is that these tools are severely limiting. Most businesses today need something more advanced with website integration and automation capabilities.

Any good marketing program requires an investment on three primary fronts: labor, technology, and advertising.

DEMAND GENERATION

Take into consideration targeting parameters such as location, homeowner status, age, gender, education level, and interest to ensure you’re reaching the best audience for your content.

LOCAL OPTIMIZATION

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a long-term investment. It is all the support given to a website to help it rank higher in the search engines. This comes from a combination of ongoing efforts including keyword research, metadata writing, content creation, coding improvements, external and internal linking, and more. It takes a lot of time and effort to be successful with SEO, so it’s certainly not a cheap option.

 2 gas and 3 gas mixers designed for: Ar, CO2, H2, He, N2, O2, SF6, N2O  Mixed gas flowrates up to 56,000 SCFH  Mixed gas pressures up to 520 PSIG  Explosion proof for mixing H2 with N2, Ar  Indoor and outdoor variants GAS MIXING SYSTEMS With thousands of gas mixer installations worldwide, Thermco has the experience to meet your most demanding gas mixer applications.Applications  Welding Shield Gas  Food Packaging  Furnace Atmosphere  Leak Detection  Laser Assist Gas  Pharmaceutical  Biomedical  Chemical Blanketing  Plasma Cutting Capabilities NEW 219 362 6258 | WWW.THERMCO.COM Summer 2022 • 101 SALES & MARKETING

However, local SEO often contains low-hanging fruit and can help businesses be found more often for local search terms. Start with keyword research, build out a local page on your website, and ensure that name, address, and phone (NAP) are accurate and consistent on both your website as well as across all local listing sites (like Facebook, Apple Maps, Yelp, and more).

SUMMARY

The old adage is true. You need to spend money to make money.But that doesn’t mean that, as a business leader, you should spend your money frivolously without attempting to make the greatest impact possible. Every marketing dollar is valuable. You’ll want to make sure every budgeted line item is helping your organization be more efficient or helping generate more leads.

Of all the advertising options available, Google Display Ads are easily the cheapest. You can typically get them at rates 5x, 10x, or sometimes even 20x cheaper than some of the others listed. And since it’s run through the Google Ad Network, you still have great targeted capabilities.

Though it’d be impossible to operate a zero-budget market ing program, there are ways to maximize time and cut costs. Follow these tips and continuously shift your focus towards the most rewarding activities.

Create and optimize your free Google My Business pro file and make sure there are high-quality photos, details, and descriptions included.

venatorsalesgroup.comContactperformance.himat: Jay@

The movement in sales today - especially due to remote working over the past few years - is a push to be left alone with limited or no oversight. Most salespeople believe that they can function on their own and that their manager’s role is to simply support them as needed. This might include responding to their requests for special pricing and delivery needs, helping with technical issues and supporting them in the field when a perceived need arises - anything beyond reactively helping is viewed as micro-management.

Managing Salespeople in the New Normal A case for micro-coaching

These statements are a common sentiment that managers are hearing from their salespeople.

“We have done everything to help our reps be successful. We have offered new incentives, sales training, lead generation, access to the research data and assistance in the field whenever they need it. Still, they are not managing their time properly, won’t prospect on new accounts, and are failing to proactively expand existing ones. Do we need to do the selling for them?!”

All too often we are hearing this from com panies who are well-intentioned and highly committed to their team’s success. While all the above possible remedies are important factors, the one place most organizations are failing is their sales management approach. If we are going to bridge the divide between a management that wants results and salespeople who want independence, then a more proactive and scalable approach to sales management is necessary. Management can no longer lead with a hands-off attitude: rallying behind the best salespeople, top opportunities, and key accounts, while the lower half of the team is a revolving door with a high rate of failure and turnover.

Do any of these statements sound familiar?

BY JAY SPIELVOGEL, VENATOR SALES GROUP, LLC

Jay Spielvogel is CEO of Venator Sales Group (GAWDA member), a sales consulting and training firm specializing in boosting Welding and Gas distribution sales

“I would prefer to work independently with little to no supervision.” “It feels like our CRM is there to look over my shoulder and track ev erything I am doing.”

“I wish we could get rid of all these internal meetings where we discuss territory plans and do pipeline and deal reviews. I just want to focus on selling instead of being micro-managed.”

Compounding this issue is that many in sales management today pride themselves on a more hands-off style where they manage to the end results. In most cases, emphasis is on the quantity and dollar value of the pipeline as well as actual top line revenue achieved. While undeniably these lag-indicators are important, with so many salespeople struggling in a reactive mode, it is more critical than ever that sales managers also hold the team accountable for lead-indicators which include prospecting activity and sales process adoption.

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This philosophy that a sales manager is there to be a passive resource would be valid if every salesperson were successfully meeting quota, bringing in new accounts and maintaining high margins. Unfortunately, this is not the case when a significant percentage of salespeople are failing to meet their revenue goals. This problem isn’t limited to less experienced salespeople; even the more seasoned reps run into these issues, though presently these challenges are being masked by the massive organic demand from existing clients. If the economic climate changes, most organizations would be negatively impacted and left with insufficient means of adapting.

• Deal reviews coaching to the sales process and playbook (vs. simply offering experiential guidance.)

• Weekly reviews offering critical feedback on CRM usage, accountability, and process compliance.

As the late, great, Coach John Madden said, “Coaches have to watch for what they don’t want to see and listen to what they don’t want to hear.”

• Joint calls with the objective of observing and offering feedback (vs. taking over and closing the deal.)

• Pipeline reviews focusing on early and mid-stage op portunities (vs. only on “what’s closeable.’’)

Summer 2022 • 103 SALES & MARKETING

• Account expansion reviews looking for opportunities to expand relationships and provide solutions.

If we are going to coach salespeople to thrive in any eco nomic condition, we must put routines in place to coach them even when they don’t perceive the need for it. These practices include the following:

MICRO-MANAGEMENT VS. COACHING…IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

To create a repeatable process for coaching and establish a sales culture of discipline and accountability, we must first clarify the difference between micro-management and coach ing. According to Indeed.com, “Signs of micromanagement include a manager that is becoming overly involved in their team member’s daily activities, discourages independent thinking and decision making, routinely monitors every task and frequently asks the employees to stop their work for un planned oversight.” The opposite definition is true of a great manager who: 1. Encourages critical thinking 2. Promotes independence 3. Guides towards success without the expense of freedom “A mentor is always available when the employee asks for help, a coach does not wait to be asked.”

All these ongoing management routines are put in place to promote accountability and growth. They are not meant to suppress independent thought, but rather create a framework for promoting it. If we are going to build successful sales teams, then we need to combat the perception that pro-active coaching is a form of micro-managing.

P art of developing a comprehensive digital market ing campaign is understanding how customers and potential customers are using the Internet to find your products and your website. The graphs and information below all come from Google Trends, which ana lyzes the popularity of search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The graphs scale “Interest Over Time” which represent search interest relative to the highest point in the chart for the given region and time-period. So, a value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. Another alternative is “Google Keyword Planner.” To use this tool, you must have a Google Ads account. The Keyword Planner lets you search keywords and suggests other words or phrases related to your products and services. It lets you research the trend information for how often certain words are searched and how those searches have changed over time and also gives you suggested bid estimates for each keyword so you can determine your advertising budget. In today’s digital environment, we strongly encourage members to capitalize on this growing trend and ensure that your company is visible in the place where people search the most.

for WeldingGasesthe&Industry

BY STEVE GUGLIELMO

TRENDSENGINESEARCH CRYOTHERAPY RELATED TOPICS AND QUERIES 1. Cryotherapy near me 2. What is cryotherapy? 3. Cryotherapy benefits 4. Cryo 5. Cryotherapy treatment • Average Search Volume has decreased 20.8% YoY • Average Search Volume has increased 2.6% over the past 5 years 104 • Summer TRENDS2022 & TECHNOLOGY

CARBONHELIUM DIOXIDE SKILLS GAP RELATED TOPICS AND QUERIES 1. Helium Tank 2. Helium balloons 3. Helium near me 4. Helium miner 5. Helium shortage • Average Search Volume has increased 11.8% YoY • Average Search Volume has increased 37.3% over the past 5 years • Average Search Volume has increased 72.3% YoY • Average Search Volume has increased 129.2% over the past 5 years RELATED TOPICS AND QUERIES 1. What is carbon dioxide 2. Carbon dioxide gas 3. CO2 4. Carbon Dioxide Levels 5. High carbon dioxide • Average Search Volume has increased 136.7% YoY • Average Search Volume has increased 129.2% over the past 5 years RELATED TOPICS AND QUERIES 1. The skills gap 2. What is the skills gap 3. Skills gap analysis 4. Manufacturing skills gap 5. Skills gap report Summer 2022 • 105 TRENDS & TECHNOLOGY

HOW DISTRIBUTORS CAN RESPOND

106 • Summer TRENDS2022 & TECHNOLOGY

BY MIKE MARKS, INDIAN RIVER CONSULTING GROUP

In an inflationary environment, you have to watch closely for changes and, when you recognize a change, react quickly. You must be ready and able to make changes within the day or hours –not weeks. Being agile determines whether you succeed (and survive) an inflationary period.

A s we’re all aware: The supply chain is no longer as dependable as it used to be. It’s now the equivalent of a wild pendulum with sporadic oscillations. Demand is also fuzzy and seems to be ev er-changing. Think about the start of the pandemic, when there was a massive shortage of masks and gloves. People were doing some really interesting things to find and stockpile these supplies. Now, companies give away masks and gloves because they have so much backstock. It’s the same sce nario that is going to play out in the automotive industry. Right now, there’s a shortage of chips. Manufacturers are still making cars while they wait, so once they have the chips, there’s going to be overstock of vehicles and companies offering major deals and incentives to buy a new car.

3 Strategies for Distributors to Weather the Supply Chain Crunch

Distributors need to be closer to their supply chain partners. Share more data and look for the best price. The companies that are more aligned with their suppliers are the most successful during unpredictable times. Get customers to behave differently. You have to figure out what the customer really needs and provide that, which might go against what they “want.” For example, although the cleaning industry is a recession-proof industry, it’s still supply chain-dependent. Distributors can tell their customers not to schedule orders for rush delivery. You could say, “I’ll deliver 80% of your

Mike Marks is co-founder and managing partner of Indian River Consulting Group, a consulting firm to distributors and manufacturers. He specializes in helping distributors and manufacturers accurately diagnose problems and identify risk-bound alternatives. Contact him at mmarks@ircg.com or visit ircg.com.

It’s obvious that the exaggerated pendulum of a supply chain will be with us throughout this year and potentially into 2023. So how do distributors deal with the consequences and resulting inflation?

The current challenge is inflation. There are steep increases across the board. Because of inflation and an uncertain supply chain, manu facturers are hearing the same refrain from their distributors: “You have to stop passing the price increases because I can’t pass them on to my customers!” Or, “When are you going to deliver product to me?”

A items monthly and cover the cost of the freight, and you can add to that order any time you want, but you can’t change the order without a 30-day notice.”

FIBA

508.887.7100info@fibatech.com ww w.

Surprisingly, you don’t have to buy more or new software to be successful: You just need to utilize what you paid for more effectively. If you don’t know how to use your systems, make sure your staff gets the proper training.

Most distributors have dynamic scheduling and safety stock; however, many of them don’t actually use these features. If a distributor is using their inventory management system to its fullest potential, over 75% of the line items they order from suppliers should be computer generated. That means no human touches on those orders; they’re automatically being sent.

Most distributors have about 30% of their orders being computer-generated because it’s hard for some employees to let go and let the technology run that part of the show.

ECH.com Leader in andStorage,Transportation,GasVaporizersServices Products and Services available nationwide from sites in CA, KY, LA, MA, OH & PA Amwins Program Underwriters’ Welding & Industrial Gas Suppliers program offers comprehensive property and casualty coverage along with unsurpassed knowledge of the industrial gas market. The program has been the premier underwriter for this industry segment since 1993. We keep your assets protected. With expertise and a relentless focus on specialization. Bill McCloy bill.mccloy@amwins.com704.749.27304725PiedmontRowDrive | Suite 600 Charlotte, NC 28210 | amwins.com/apu Have your agent or broker contact us today! Ashley Morrow ashley.morrow@amwins.com704.749.2721 In an inflationary environment, you have to watch closely for changes and, when you recognize a change, react quickly. Summer 2022 • 107 TRENDS & TECHNOLOGY

Use the features and parameter settings in your ERP system.

If distributors follow these steps, roughly half of the supply chain crunch and resulting problems would disappear. You can weather wild swings in the supply chain pendulum. You just have to be agile and ready with the right tools and strategy to respond. Technologies, Inc. FIBAT

Here’s another example from the healthcare industry: A hospital called their distributor and requested 80 respirators, but the distributor could only provide 20. Although the hospital was insistent, the distributor remained strong and said, “I can only provide 20, but I’ll give you 20 every month, and you can start to backfill the rest.”

50 Years in the Gases and Welding A Digital Journey

I was asked to participate in the negotiations for the purchase of an IBM minicomputer for one of our distributors in Oklahoma City. During that transaction I learned about IBM’s sales cycle, which was called “Enterprise Selling.” It involved getting the company’s CEO, as well as its key managers, administrators, and sales reps, to agree to the purchase. I served as BOC’s representative in the transaction.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Today, we live in a digital world where eCom merce, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms have transformed the way we do business. These applications are all significant game changers. For example, eCommerce is altering the revenue stream — rising by 44% over the past three years. These changes represent progress. The im plementation of digital technology has improved efficiency, value, and overall innovative effective ness. Data driven capabilities for people, prod ucts, processes, and technology have accelerated businessDistributorsresults.are now up against a mountain

Business:

Having taken courses in programming Fortran for engineering applications just a year earlier, I was able to fix the problem. The punch-card solution worked like a charm; I was viewed as a computer marvel. This was my introduction to the world of digital business. Airco became BOC in 1978 and, by then, I had been promoted to Assistant Regional Sales Manager for Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

My first computer was an Apple III on which I saved documents on a floppy disk. This piece of technology was left behind in 1984 when I ended my days with BOC and joined a welding and gases distributor, General Air. There, we used a series of Macintosh computers and became connected to the world-wide-web in the ‘90s. I can still hear the squealing buzz of the dial-up internet connection that linked General Air’s first computer network to the outside world.

The rush to establish an online presence fol lowed. We developed websites with a collection of our products and services and began to use email. As broadband and Wi-Fi replaced dial up connections, digital communications went into high gear. Now, our phones are a thousand times more powerful than our first clunky computers and storage is in the Cloud.

FROM FLOPPY DISK TO THE CLOUD

My long and fulfilling career has been punctu ated by the digital changes that have transformed society. I still have my first calling card that bears the title, “Sales Engineer, North Texas, Airco Welding Products.” In that position, I called on distributors. As part of my training, I spent a couple weeks in Airco’s customer service department in Houston. While there, I was able to solve a problem the company was having with a computer routine on its IBM System/370.

BY ART WASKEY 108 • SummerSALES2022& MARKETING

W hen Steve Guglielmo advised that this was Welding and Gases Today’s anniversary edition, I was excited. As it happens, the magazine’s landmark issue coincides with an anniversary of my own. I started my career in the gases and welding business 50 years ago on June 1, 1972.

Art Waskey has 50 years’ experience in the welding and industrial gas industry. He travels across the country consulting and giving seminars on business skills and has published 3 books of sales skills stories. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, a Master of Ministry in Leadership Development, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry. You can subscribe to Art’s weekly sales tips and monthly articles on his website. Also, check out his Posts on LinkedIn. For services, contact Art at comimpactspeakingdynamics.artwaskey@ispeakd.com,720-341-9405,

With the digital transformation we enter yet another era of building key stakeholder relationships and the buzz words are Enterprise Selling. The enterprise sales strategy was first used to sell large, sophisticated purchases as noted in the IBM example above. Its best practices have evolved over time and today’s top salespeople have taken Enterprise Selling one step further — using it to act in a business advisory capacity withDistributorsclients.

of online competition and must employ eCommerce, integrat ed ERP software, and B2B distributor-customer platforms.

For

Enterprise selling is the business of capturing sales in a fast-paced digital economy. It requires renewed effort as dig itization has completley altered the way people sell.

When I started my career in the ‘70s, outside sales had a focus on transactional, professional sales cycles. As a sales manager, I was sent to a training program developed by IBM titled “Practice of Professional Selling.” Its main premise was to present product features and benefits. Unfortunately, this approach to selling lacked focus on customer needs and purchasing agents learned to avoid salespeople. In the ‘90s, to offset this imbalance, sales strategy shifted to developing strong relationships of trust with customers. Selling became more about building meaningful partnerships. Next, transactional sales techniques were advanced. The term “solution selling” became popular, as distributors put forward productivity enhancement options for their customers. Companies introduced plans like Lincoln Electric’s “Guaranteed Cost Reduction Program.”

The outside sales process, in particular, has undergone Your Source MIG Carts

Distribution sales, as we know it today, got its start in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century, when the mass production of goods produced the need for a network of distribution centers across the country. Wholesalers began to warehouse inventory for local distribution.

Distributors also need to focus on product content that sells, and marketing capabilities that help them capture their digital revenue market share.

DISTRIBUTOR SALES STRATEGIES: A BRIEF HISTORY

need to incorporate Enterprise Selling to compete in the digital marketplace. A survey conducted in 2021 by the Distribution Strategy Group revealed that in the next five years, without a radical change in sales methodol ogy, traditional distribution will lose 14% of their revenues: 7% from suppliers selling directly to the customer, and 7% through other online channels (Distribution Strategy Group, “The Challenger Sales, Taking Control of the Customer Conversation,” February 23, 2021).

PERSONALIZATION

and Cabinets Deluxe Weld Cabinet DWC1 UniversalUWC2Cart Heavy Duty Single/Dual Bottle Welding Cart UWC4 UniversalTTWC3Cart www.metalmangear.com • 888-762-4045 NEW! Summer 2022 • 109 SALES & MARKETING

Solution selling gave way to a broader concept, consulta tive selling. This focused on customer needs and experience rather than selling them on product or service. The salesperson learned to ask questions that flushed out solutions that met customer concerns.

Albert Einstein said that the measure of intelligence is the ability to change. Be smart - make sure you are adopting the sales strategies necessary to meet market demands in the digital age.

The strength a distributor has in customer relations is its easy access to communication, local inventory, same day service, and technological expertise. The threat of sales lost to virtual, alternative channels, however, remains real. Yet the average distributor’s weakness is a lack of a proactive approach to eCommerce. The opportunity distributors have is to learn how to incorporate the Enterprise Selling process to offset that weakness.

significant change. Larry Davis of AgoNow explained in a recent Modern Distribution Management podcast (“Collaboration Will Define Competitive Advantage,” Feb. 3, 2022), “The outside salesperson is no longer the quarterback, once personally handling order taking, stock checking, chasing backorders, and pricing errors. Now, these tasks can all be done electronically. Today’s salesperson needs to act more like a scout, adjusting a way of creating relationships with customers. They can share insights from suppliers, technology integrators, consultants, and other information providers.”

To illustrate this potential, Fastenal just reported, “sales through its digital footprint comprised 47.0% of total 1Q sales, up from 46.4% in 4Q 2021; 39.1% in 1Q 2022 and 34.9% in 1Q 2020. That’s a jump of 12.1 percentage points in just two years, and the company said its goal is to hit 55% within 2022, which would be yet another hefty increase over the next nine months.” Fastenal’s first quarter total revenue was $1.7 billion, up 24.6% for the same quarter in 2020! (Modern Distribution Management, “Fastenal Wants Digital to Comprise 55% of its Sales by End of 2022,” April 15, blog). Fastenal CFO, Holden Lewis, said, “We spend more on getting closer to our customers than our peers do. We invest more in the tools that allow us to move product where the customer needs it.”

The digital transformation is rapidly creating new integrated sales roles. In its webinar (“Distributors’ Digital Revolution,” February 2, 2022), Distribution Strategy Group described these changing sales roles. Field sales roles will include providing product demos, samples, strategic relationships, account penetration, events, product training, and referrals. Distributors will be expanding their inside sales efforts to include providing account continuity, product penetration, competitive intelligence, contact names and data capture, CRM maintenance, and tactical and operational relationships. The customer service role will expand to include order management, customer invoicing and accounting, service delivery support, and AI assisted cross-selling. Finally, there will be a new dig ital focus on product an service promotions, related product recommendations, product specifications, data gathering, and thought leadership content and positioning.

THE INTEGRATED SALES TEAM

CREATING NEW SPACE

In my 50 years in the gases and welding industry, I have been fascinated by the pace of change and how business has adapted to it.

Both outside and inside distributor sales processes must incorporate working with their customer’s CEOs, adminstration, operations, and sales/marketing executives to understand their business objectives. The term for this procedure is personal ization, “the act of tailoring an experience or communication based on information a distributor has learned about their customer.” (www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/personal ization-definition).

This evolving integration will also have an impact on the distributor’s retail space. Large players, like The Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Costco, have demonstrated the value of displaying products in an open warehouse format. Regional distribu tors will begin to turn their stores into more warehouse-like spaces, removing the stores internal walls and bringing the inventory out of the warehouse into the store. The concept will become, “come and stay as long as you can.” The back of the store will have small rooms with desks and access to the internet where customers can come with their laptops to work on projects without the interruptions in their company offices. Free coffee and soft drinks will be available. Stores will offer product training and demos, products specialists, repair drop offs, simplified product returns, and weekly vendor mini-open houses.

The goal is to educate and train customers on new added-value propositions related to eCommerce, vendor managed inventory, and to offer internal and external expertise using your employees and vendors.

CELEBRATING CHANGE

A SWOT Analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threats) of the conventional distributor’s current sales rela tionship to its customer base reveals what needs to be done to keep pace with today’s digital transformation.

110 • SummerSALES2022& MARKETING

Here are some of the events scheduled for 2021 and beyond. Check the EVENTS tab on the GAWDA website at www.gawda.org for more information. AUGUST 2022 GAWDA MaumeeRegionalCentralMeetingBay,Toledo, OH AUGUST 8-9, 2022 Winning the War for Talent –Session 4 Virtual Event AUGUST 17, 2022 – 3:00 P.M. EST OCTOBER 2022 GAWDA Annual Convention San Diego, CA OCTOBER 5-8, 2022 IOMA Annual Meeting Sintra, Portugal OCTOBER 15-19, 2022 Winning the War for Talent –Session 5 Virtual Event OCTOBER 19, 2022 – 3:00 P.M. EST NOVEMBER 2022 IWDC Owners Meeting Park City, UT NOVEMBER 1-4, 2022 Atlanta,FABTECHGA NOVEMBER 8-10, 2022 DECEMBER 2022 Winning the War for Talent –Session 6 Virtual Event DECEMBER 14, 2022 – 3:00 P.M. EST APRIL 2023 AIWD Annual Convention San Diego, CA APRIL 14-17, 2023 MAY 2023 GAWDA Spring Management ConferencePhiladelphia, PA MAY 6-8, 2023 upcoming industry events Summer 2022 • 111

We are doing ongoing analysis into all the above. For now, our best analysis indicates it is most prudent to continue to assume the economy is softening (slowing rise in the key benchmark areas like New Orders, Industrial Production, and Retail Sales) and that most businesses are going to experience the same phenomenon. It is conceivable that the deceleration may be come more acute than previously projected because of economic consequences of the Ukraine war via inflation here in the U.S., neon needed to produce semiconductor chips, and other potential supply chain disruptions.Theadvance estimate of GDP, adjusted for inflation, indicated a 0.4% decline from 4Q21 to 1Q22. The advance estimate is subject to revision, but let’s take it at face value for our immediate purposes. Consider the following regarding the first-quarter decline:

“Recession! Recession is here! Recession is coming!” These are common and unsur prising refrains these days. The economy is going from the best phase of the business cycle (Phase B, Accelerating Growth) to the slowdown phase of the cycle (Phase C, Slowing Growth). Couple that reality with a remarkably bad month of April for equities, the first quarter-2022 GDP result coming in below the fourth quarter of 2021 (preliminary data, adjusted for inflation), the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, inflation seemingly out of control, war, politics, and high food prices, and the potential impact all of the above has on disposable personal income, and it is no wonder economic concerns are ratcheting higher.

The federal government spent less (a short-term drag on GDP but arguably a long-term good thing). We think the decline in federal spending is short term.

Imports surged higher, likely in anticipa tion of the war, while exports declined on a seasonally adjusted basis, likely because much of the world slowed down before the U.S.

◼ There was a lack of inventory buildup, much of which can be traced back to the semiconductor chip supply issues.

BY BRIAN BEAULIEU

◼

REASON #1 WHY WE EXPECT A SOFT LANDING We independently forecasted Retail Sales adjusted for inflation because it is pretty easy to keep Retail Sales out of recession territory when there is high inflation. The chart presents the results of that forecast, based on fac tors previously shown in the Executive Summary, such as: THIRD QUARTER OUTLOOK

Deceleration

◼ GDP came in at a stronger-than-normal pace in the fourth quarter of 2021; that makes it that much more difficult to post quarter-to-quarter gain in the first quarter.

◼ The trade deficit ballooned in the quarter.

112 • Summer 2022 THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

TREPIDATION REASON #1

Of concern here is that the Ukraine war could exacerbate this issue.

◼ There have been 11 recessions in postWWII history. There have also been 11 instances of a one-quarter decline in GDP not continuing on into a recession (which is two consecutive quarters of GDP decline).

◼ The Omicron variant was an issue early in the quarter. We saw it disrupt several key aspects of the economy, such as building permits taking an unusual hit. Shutdowns and disruptions stemming from the virus increased in the quarter according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (which compiles the GDP data).

Trepidation

ITR

What follows are three reasons for trepidation, and three reasons why we expect a soft landing for the U.S. macroeconomy.

Summer 2022 • 113 ITR FOR GAWDA a. Inflation-adjusted disposable personal income b. Consumer debt load as a percentage of disposable income c. Full employment/structural employment d. No change to consumer spending since the onset of the Ukraine war

U.S. Real Gross Domestic Product to U.S. Total Retail Sales (deflated)

TREPIDATION REASON #2: STOCK PRICES

The noteworthy extent of the decline in stock prices to date (albeit short of bear market territory) is difficult to dismiss. At issue, besides the duration and magni tude of the trend to date (the magnitude is unnerving), is that the stock market is not always a reliable leading indicator. It can go through ups and downs that do not correlate well with the economy. For instance, in 1987, the S&P 500 dropped 30.2% in three months. There was no follow-on recession. In 2011, the market dropped 17.0% over five months, and, again, no recession ensued. Certainly, there are times when the market is telling us some thing. It could be argued that sometimes it is unwinding from untenable positions in certain sectors. That is why we prefer to focus on the bond market and what it has to tell us about the future. We will be closely watching how this fear-factor input unfolds in the weeks and months ahead. If the market continues to careen downward for another one to two quarters, our chances for a soft landing will have diminished.

GDP Retail Sales

In addition to the poor first-quarter showing in GDP, the equities market had a tough April. The S&P 500 declined 8.8% from March to April. We can eas ily understand how the market’s trend ratchets up the anxiety level. The April decline of 8.8% isn’t a record, but it is considerably worse than normal. While the magnitude of the decline was unexpected, the direction was not. Our ITR Equity Optimizer Model™ showed “defensive –high inflation” going into April. The same signal is in place for May. The May signal indicates that that we aren’t necessarily at or near the low yet. Looking at prior instances similar to the current set of circumstances requires going back to the 1970s and 1980s (also high inflation periods). These precedents give us a six out of six probability that the market will be higher a year from now. Bad news coming from the stock market understandably tends to create headlines and headaches. Have you noticed much of the decline is stemming from high tech stocks that didn’t have the profits to sup port the pricing? This looks like a market rebalancing for reality. It will be important to see if the decline spreads to the stalwart defensive sectors. We don’t yet have any Optimizer or traditional signals telling us about a trend reversal; however, observing prior cycles suggests we are closing in on completing the capitulation phase of the trend. Stay tuned.

We see inflation-adjusted Retail Sales decelerating (Phase C of the business cycle) without breaking below zero (which would be Phase D, Recession). Back-checking that against inflation-adjusted GDP indi cates that a soft landing in GDP is more probable than not. When the consumer is buying at a healthy pace and businesses are not in financial trouble, we see no reason to call for a macroeconomic recession beyond some thing that could be a statistical anomaly.

REASON #2 WE EXPECT A SOFT LANDING

It would be helpful to know what is in the mind of the Federal Reserve, in aggregate and individually; they have their inflation hawks and their doves. We tend to think that the poor stock market performance in April, coupled with the uncertainties and price disruptions stemming from the war (which are not economically systemic over the long term), and potential concern on the Fed’s part regarding the 1Q22 GDP number will cause the Federal Reserve to tread lightly when it comes to pushing rates higher.

The Fed raising rates 50 basis points reflects their sensitivity to the 1Q22 infla tion-adjusted GDP decline, concerns about economic disruptions being war related, and the turmoil in the stock market. If the Fed becomes more aggressive in the future, with consecutive rate hikes of more than 50 basis points in 2022, we think it would constitute a move that imperils their stated objective to create a soft landing for the economy. From our perspective, we need to watch consumer spending extraordinarily closely to determine if the higher rates are truly having an adverse effect on the macroeconomic trend.

114 • Summer 2022 THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™ TREPIDATION REASON #3: HIGHER INTEREST RATES Who doesn’t instinctively shudder at the thought of higher interest rates? The connotation of higher costs, the inability to afford a home, the end to higher home prices, etc., are all too real. The risk to the economy is quite real if interest rates rise too far and too fast. A good rule of thumb is an increase of 300 basis points will disrupt the economy. REASON #3 WE EXPECT A SOFT LANDING

There are clearly economic risks evident today; however, our analysis suggests that the best plan is one that focuses on the

CONCLUSION

Jackie Green is Vice President of Economics at ITR Economics. Check out the January 1, 2022 episode of GAWDA TV, where Jackie was interviewed about planning your business for 2022.

economy in general experiencing deceler ating rise that will feel quite sluggish in too many sectors and quarters of 2022 and the first half of 2023. We think this continues to be a time to invest in your businesses with the knowledge that labor shortages are not going away, demand will improve as supply chains etc. improve, and the war’s consequences on the U.S. economy become normalized.

The growth will not be linear. We are forecasting multiple quarters of marginal growth in GDP (inflation adjusted). It would not take much softening in some of the upside factors for those flat-to-marginal ly-positive quarters to become flat-to-mar ginally-negative quarters. As mentioned at the beginning of the Summary, the research is ongoing. Use these quarters to align inputs with the best markets in terms of opportunities and profit margins. Investing in your people and processes continues to make a great deal of sense even with the rise in interest rates.

Welding & Gases Today | Q3 2022

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