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CONTENTS Fourth Quarter • Fall 2023 • Volume 23, No. 4

DEPARTMENTS 06 PRESIDENT’S VIEW Welcome Back

BY ROBERT ANDERS

10 DIRECTOR’S DESK

Building a Strong Member Engagement Strategy to Continuously Improve Our Members’ Experience BY JOHN OSPINA

14 EDITOR’S NOTE

The Resiliency of GAWDA Members BY STEVE GUGLIELMO

34 YEAR IN REVIEW

A Look Back at 365 Days of Intentionality

38 ASK YOUR BOARD

What is your Favorite GAWDA Convention Memory?

GAWDA CONSULTANTS 18

PAGE

End-Of-Year Considerations for GAWDA Members Y STEVE GUGLIELMO, TOM B BADSTUBNER, MARILYN DEMPSEY, MICHAEL DODD AND RICK SCHWEITZER

Hurricane Preparedness

Who Do I Test?

Young and Emerging Professionals from Across the Compressed Gas Industry Gather for Virtual Summit

BY MARILYN DEMPSEY

GAWDA EVENTS

2023 GAWDA Annual Convention Preview

2023 GAWDA Member Visits

BY MICHAEL DODD

BY PAUL PFLIEGER

Facility Safety Products

ITR 4th Quarter Outlook

61 2023 GAWDA Regional Meeting Recaps MEMBER PROFILES

Lampton 2.0 – The Quest for $100 million BY STEVE GUGLIELMO

BY PAUL BERNIER BY BRIAN BEAULIEU

Lampton Welding Supply

IWDC

Member-Owned. Independent. Cooperative BY TIM HUDSON

4 • Fourth Quarter 2023

EZ EZ LOAD-4L-P LOAD-4L-P

Can Can Easily Easily Hold Hold Four Four High-Pressure High-Pressure Cylinders Cylinders or or A A Single Single Liquid Liquid Cylinder Cylinder Can Can Easily Easily Hold Hold Four Four High-Pressure High-Pressure Cylinders Cylinders or or A A Single Single Liquid Liquid Cylinder Cylinder Can Can Easily Easily Hold Hold Four Four High-Pressure High-Pressure Cylinders Cylinders or or A A Single Single Liquid Liquid Cylinder Cylinder

CONTENTS Fourth Quarter • Fall 2023 • Volume 23, No. 4

RUN YOUR BRAIN

THE TEAM EXECUTIVE EDITOR

John Ospina jospina@gawda.org

GAWDA Members Making a Difference How Haun Welding Supply helped shape legislation in New York BY MARK HAUN, JOSH HAUN, AND STEVE GUGLIELMO

PUBLISHER

Bill Brod billb@gawdamedia.com

Who We Are BY KEN THOMPSON

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Steve Guglielmo steveg@gawdamedia.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Natasha Alexis nalexis@gawda.org Andrea Levy alevy@gawda.org CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Robin Barnes robinb@gawdamedia.com VICE PRESIDENT, SALES

Tim Hudson timh@gawdamedia.com RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS

Hannah Gray hannahg@gawdamedia.com Lesli Mitchell leslim@gawdamedia.com RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Athena Cossette athenac@gawdamedia.com

80 83

Wonder, Blunder, Thunder and Plunder The four stages of every family business BY RANDY SQUIBB

What is Your Pricing Strategy? BY ART WASKEY

Embracing Technology Why distributors must evolve to a Generation Two business model BY MIKE MARKS

86 88

The Accidental Salesperson BY JAY SPIELVOGEL

Search Engine Trends for the Gases and Welding Industry

NEWS ROUNDUP 100

Industry News

109

New Members

105

2023-24 Schedule

110

New Products

106

Mergers & Acquisitions

112

The Last Word

108

Advertisers Index

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 issues) 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. Lauderdale, FL, and at additional mailing offices (ISSN 1558-5344). • Editorial correspondence should be sent to Editors, c/o editor@gawdamedia.com. Advertising correspondence and materials should be sent to William Brod, Data Key Holdings, LLC, 19 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 ©2023 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 or all of 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. org. Statement of Ownership Publication Title Welding & Gases Today. Publication number 22-975. Filing date 09/2023. Issue frequency quarterly + 2 special issues. # of issues published annually: 6. Subscription price part of member dues. Mailing address of known office of publication and headquarters: One Oakwood Boulevard, Suite 195, Hollywood, FL 33020. Headquarters address same. Publisher: William Brod, Data Key Communications, 9 Albany St., Suite 2E Cazenovia, NY 13035. Editor: John C. Ospina, GAWDA Executive Director, One Oakwood Boulevard, Suite 195, Hollywood, FL 33020. Editor in Chief: Steve Guglielmo Data Key Holdings, LLC, 9 Albany St., Suite 2E Cazenovia, NY 13035. Owner: GAWDA, One Oakwood Boulevard, Suite 195, Hollywood, FL 33020. Average net press run 1803/1875. Outside county paid/requested mail subscriptions 1850/1875. In-county paid/ requested mail subscriptions 0/0. Sales through dealers and carriers 0/0. Requested copies by other mail classes 0/0. Total paid and or requested circulation 1775/1803. Outside county nonrequested copies 0/0. In-county nonrequested copies 0/0. Nonrequested copies distributed through USPS by other classes 0/0. Nonrequested copies distributed outside the mail 150/400. Total nonrequested distribution 150/400. Total distribution 1850/1875. Copies not distributed 100/100. Total 1950/1975. Percent paid and/or requested circulation 97.5/96.2.

6 • Fourth Quarter 2023

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PRESIDENTS VIEW

WELCOME BACK

Robert Anders is GAWDA’s 2022-2023 president as well as President and CEO of Holston Gases. He can be reached at 865-573-1917 as well as robert.anders@ holstongases.com

8 • Fourth Quarter 2023

hen I was announced as “Mr. X” four years ago in Washington D.C., the first thing I did was go straight to Natasha and say, “I want Maui!” Not to take away from any past or future venues, but, for me, Maui and the Annual Convention are synonymous. My first AC was here in 1993, and I have never missed the opportunity to come back. There is something special about landing at Kahului airport knowing that, for the next week, you will be in paradise with your friends and family. I know that many of you feel the same way, as indicated by the more than 1,000 of you that are joining me on this beautiful island. The AC doesn’t feel, to me, like a business convention, but more like a family reunion. This industry is our family, and family reunions are a time for members to reconnect in a more meaningful way than we can on a conference call or Zoom meeting. In many cases, the AC is the only time I get to really talk to friends I have known for years but don’t get to interact with on a daily basis. Missy and I get to find out what is happening with their kids and now grandkids. We get to ask, “how are you doing?” not “what are you doing?” The Annual Convention is designed to give you plenty of time between official duties to have that twohour lunch with a friend or hang out at the pool making new friends and having one more Mai Tai than you probably should. The Annual Convention, like a family reunion, is about re-connecting. Surrounding all the fun, we have put together a fantastic program for you. We start on Sunday evening with the Newcomers’ Reception (we

have more than 120 first time attendees signed up) followed by the President’s Welcome Reception on the Chapel lawn. What a beautiful setting to start our four days together, so be sure to stop by and have a drink with friends before heading out to the Industry Hospitalities. Monday morning is dedicated to strengthening the relationships between distributors and our supplier partners by having our very popular Networking 360 event, followed by the traditional Contact Booth program. With the exception of the Young Professionals event in the afternoon with Galen Emannuel, which is going to be awesome, this is the only official GAWDA business that we have this day, so I encourage you to make the most of it. On Tuesday morning, we kick off with our Opening General Business Session. I am excited to have the opportunity to address this body for the third time. I’ll provide a quick recap of the last 365 days in the life of our organization and continue our theme of intentionality by encouraging you to “RUN YOUR BRAIN.” I couldn’t think of a better way to close out my tenure than to bring my wonderful wife, Missy, and my middle son, Kyle, to the stage to introduce our GAWDA GIVES BACK recipient, Malama House. We will then be treated to a dynamic, local treasure, Annabel Chotzen, who has been delivering her message of “Putting Your Dreams to Work” throughout the Hawaiian Islands for years. Closing out the morning for us will be Galen Emmanuel, who will give us some insight regarding how to establish culture, how to perform continued on page 8

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together, and how to impact each other at work. Galen is the definition of “high energy.” On Wednesday, we have our Closing Business session that features our industry speaker Sanjiv Lamba, CEO of Linde PLC. Sanjiv will share his thoughts on the state of the industrial gas industry and particularly what that means to our distributer members. Batting cleanup for us is Will Bowen, founder of the Complaint Free Movement, who has over 15 million followers worldwide. Will is a world authority on the subject of complaining. He will give us some insight into why people complain, what’s wrong with complaining, and how to get ourselves and others to stop complaining. As was promoted last year in San Diego, we are going to close out the 2023 GAWDA Annual Convention with a blowout party in the oceanside Molokini Garden. Please make sure to don your best Hawaiian garb and join me at the President’s Farewell Gala. We will have a great event planned with fantastic food, music and entertainment for your enjoyment. It’s hard for me to believe that this year has already come and gone. It seems like yesterday when I stood on the stage in San Diego laying out our course for the next 365 days. We have had a successful year and I am very proud of the product our entire GAWDA team provided to you, our customers. I want to close by expressing my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to serve as your President and share this “Trip around the Sun” together. We have an incredible organization because we have incredible members – you guys are the best! I am and will always be proud to call myself a member of GAWDA. Mahalo!

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DIRECTORS DESK

Building a Strong Member Engagement Strategy to Continuously Improve Our Members’ Experience BY JOHN OSPINA

G John Ospina is GAWDA’s executive director. He can be reached at GAWDA Headquarters in Hollywood, FL, via telephone at 844-251-3219 or via email at jospina@gawda.org.

12 • Fourth Quarter 2023

AWDA’s member engagement strategy is designed to actively involve and connect with our members to enhance their participation, satisfaction, and loyalty. Here are some of the key steps and components we use when developing our member engagement strategy: • Understanding Our Members: We conduct surveys, polls, and interviews to gather information about our members' needs, interests, and expectations. Understanding their preferences and pain points helps us tailor engagement initiatives. • Clear Communication: We strive to maintain transparent and consistent communication with our members. We use multiple channels such as emails, the GAWDA Connection newsletters, GAWDA TV segments, the Welding and Gases Today quarterly magazine, social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and our association's website to keep members informed about events, updates, and opportunities to get involved. • Personalization: We create personalized experiences for our members based on their interests and preferences. We segment our membership base and target specific groups such as the Safety Managers, Industry Partnering, Young Professionals, and Women in Gases groups, which provide relevant content and opportunities.

• Value-Driven Benefits: GAWDA offers tan-

gible benefits that are valuable to our members. Examples include access to valuable consultants, booth programs, Networking 360 events, government and regulatory advocacy efforts, partnerships with sister associations like CGA, AWS, WEMCO, NAW, AEA, AEC, IOMA, and IBEDA to provide exclusive access to resources, professional development opportunities, discounts, and special networking events. • Continuous Learning and Professional Development: We provide consultant workshops, online and in-person webinars and seminars that align with the interests and career development needs of our members. These events help to encourage networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration among members. • Engaging Events: We host interactive and engaging events that bring members together. These events include two National Conferences and 4-6 Regional meetings each year that encourage networking and learning through in-person social activities. • Recognition and Rewards: We recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of our members. We highlight success stories, feature members on our website and in newsletters, and offer awards or certificates for outstanding contributions. continued on page 12

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DIRECTORS DESK

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interact, ask questions, and share knowledge, to foster a sense of belonging and encourage engagement. • Volunteer Opportunities: We provide opportunities for members to volunteer and actively participate in the association's activities. Some of these activities include our Executive Committee, Board of Directors, nine volunteer committees, and event planning committees. Volunteering not only contributes to GAWDA's success but also strengthens the member's connection to industry. • Feedback and Surveys: We regularly seek feedback from our members about their experiences and satisfaction levels. We use surveys and feedback forms to gather insights and make improvements based on their input. • Long-Term Engagement: We focus on building long-term relationships with our members. We continuously engage with them throughout the year and not just during specific events. • Data Analysis and Tracking: We utilize data analytics to track engagement levels, measure the success of different initiatives, and identify areas for improvement. Member engagement is an ongoing process. We’re always adopting and evolving our strategy based on feedback and changing member needs. Thank you to all our engaged members and I hope to see more new faces in 2024.

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EDITORS NOTE

The Resiliency of GAWDA Members

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

16 • Fourth Quarter 2023

s I was reading through this issue of Welding & Gases Today, the word I kept coming back to was resilient. The tenor of this issue was going to be very different as few as five weeks ago. After all, this is the Convention issue and the Convention this year is in Maui. It’s not that we’ve been waiting all year for this Convention, people have been waiting for YEARS for this Convention. I’ve never been to Hawaii, but from everything I’ve heard, it’s paradise. And if Maui is paradise, The Grand Wailea seemed to be Elysium. This issue was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to be light. I wore a Hawaiian shirt on GAWDA TV as recently as August 15th. But then we heard about the horrific fires that tore through Maui in August. And, for a moment, it seemed like Convention might not even happen. But Maui, like GAWDA members, is resilient. Once the fires were contained and we found out that Wailea was relatively unscathed, it became clear that Convention would proceed as planned. Of course, now the tenor of the meeting might not be as light as it once was. But GAWDA members banded together and in one voice proclaimed that Convention must still happen. Not just for us or for the industry, but for Maui. I spoke with Ken Thompson on this very topic as he was putting together his column, which can be found on page 76. As you can read, he went from talking about Pina Coladas to discussing how it’s in the fabric of GAWDA members to give back. And he’s right, it truly is “who we are.” Another example of resiliency came from a company that is right in my backyard in Syracuse, NY. Haun Welding Supply has been fighting

poorly crafted medical gas supervisor regulations for YEARS. But rather than throw their hands up and accept that they’d been dealt a bad hand, they were resilient. It’s not that the thought didn’t cross their mind. In fact, co-President Josh Haun flat out said that it did. On page 72, you can see that he said, “We could have easily given up on this several times. It's been frustrating going through and thinking you're getting somewhere only to take two steps forward and one step back. But, I would suggest, if you have any kind of law that is holding your company back, reach out to your local representatives and see what you can do about it.” In other words, be resilient! And finally, this issue allowed for a little bit of a trip down memory lane. You can read a year of reflection from GAWDA President Robert Anders on page 34, as well as our Ask Your Board column on page 38, which asked our GAWDA Board Members about their favorite Convention memories. And both Robert and Abydee Butler Moore discussed our first Convention back postCOVID in Nashville. “I loved watching most people say, “the hell with social distancing” and giving each other big bear hugs. You could see the joy in people’s faces as they reunited. I think the pandemic strengthened our relationships by reminding us how important we are to each other,” Robert said. GAWDA members have been dealt some bad hands in the past couple of decades. But, without fail, they come through them stronger each and every time. And it truly makes me proud to be associated with this industry and this association. I can’t wait to see you all in Hawaii.

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GAWDA CONSULTANTS R O U N D TA B L E

GAWDA CONSULTANT ROUNDTABLE

End-Of-Year Considerations for GAWDA Members GAWDA’s consultants address regulatory requirements and other hot topics. BY TOM BADSTUBNER, MARILYN DEMPSEY, MIKE DODD, RICK SCHWEITZER, AND STEVE GUGLIELMO

he GAWDA Consultant Program is a GAWDA member 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. GAWDA’s consultants will be on-hand during the GAWDA Annual Convention in Maui and continue to provide commentary during GAWDA’s monthly safety webinars and email safety bulletins. 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.

WELDING & GASES TODAY: This is our last issue of the year. Is there anything pressing or anything that has to be addressed before year-end that we should start by covering? TOM BADSTUBNER: Haun Welding has been working hard with their assemblyperson (see more on page 72) to get the regulations in New York changed regarding medical gas supervisor training. It's a great story about how a GAWDA member can make a difference. Haun has been on this project for several years, and, while it's not guaranteed success, they have been working hard on it and the whole industry will benefit from Haun's hard work when the regulations in New York get changed to match the federal regulations. Right now, New 20 • Fourth Quarter 2023

York has additional regulations far and beyond what the federal regulations are. New York's regulations say that if you supervise medical gas operations, you need two years of college and two years of industry experience. And, especially in small towns, it is sometimes difficult to find people who meet those qualifications. And, the fact is, the college experience doesn't prepare a person to supervise a medical gas operation at all. There are no classes in college that discuss how to supervise a drug manufacturing or distribution operation. We conduct all of that training internally and have done it for years. And what Haun is asking for is for the state of New York to harmonize with the federal regulations, which puts the responsibility for determining the training requirements on the medical gas firm. And that's what our members are good at. This change in the law has been a long process. A version of the bill has actually passed the New York State Senate and passed the Assembly, now it's waiting for the Governor's signature. In New York, the Board of Pharmacy is within the Board of Education. Their whole mindset has been that "more college is better." And that may be true in most applications. But it is not especially appropriate for medical gas operations, especially if we want to have a robust training program and qualification program, and, in particular, in smaller, remote locations.

WGT: Is the college requirement in the current regulations something that has been a barrier in hiring for these positions? Do you feel this will make a big difference if that requirement is removed? TOM BADSTUBNER: Harmonizing with the federal training requirements will be better because, especially in the smaller locations, we often have personnel reassignments. If

we need a new supervisor, the candidate pool will be greater. MARILYN DEMPSEY: And a lot of times, we grow them up. They come to us and start as a loader, then we move them into production and then they move up the ladder. You can see people grow up before your very eyes.

WGT: Are there any other time-sensitive topics we wanted to discuss? MIKE DODD: During our August Monthly Safety Seminar, I talked about UN cylinders. I want to reemphasize to the membership, because that's kind of a new package for a lot of our members, there are a lot of great advantages with it. There are a couple of traffic bulletins that are out, and I've encouraged members to give me a call or email if they have any questions about UN cylinders and some of the advantages that they might have. MARILYN DEMPSEY: From OSHA's standpoint, they had a webinar with interested parties in July. And they talked about how they're moving safety from just being regulatory to being made a "core workplace value." And that means they want to see safety and health programs, where you develop a step-bystep guide to these programs. They have a "Safe and Sound" campaign. And, more importantly, they're choosing leading indicators, which include your training frequency, refresher training, inspections, and looking for unsafe practices and environments. You want to have that predictive way of addressing hazards before they actually become hazards. MIKE DODD: Did they give any examples? MARILYN DEMPSEY: They didn't pick a specific topic, but, because they have the heat emphasis program, they did speak on that and how people have to be proactive so that they look at the Fourth Quarter 2023 • 21

GAWDA CONSULTANTS R O U N D TA B L E

forecast and prepare for it with enough hydrating fluids, and rest times, changing production schedules and other things like that, which will alleviate some of the injuries from heat. They're looking at that, but also they're looking at, especially for our industry, which is in the hazardous materials industry, they want to see that we have a safety manual with policies and procedures and training. And then, with compliance, how are we making sure that these procedures are followed? Is the manual reviewed? They're looking at it in a much more holistic way than before, where it was bits and pieces.

WGT: And when they come in to do inspections, will those change in any appreciable way? MARILYN DEMPSEY: This is not going to be a regulation, as far as I know. This is how they're changing their viewpoint and shifting their paradigm from being "let's find all the violations" to "let's see how holistic of a company is operating here." And that's what they told us the emphasis would be. And it's pretty important.

WGT: If a member reads this article and calls you and asks, "What do I need to be doing differently?" What would you say? MARILYN DEMPSEY: I think that goes along with what is on the GAWDA website. We have a lot of programs on the website and also the consultant seminars. In the Spring, we talk about inspections. In the Fall, we talk about programs. So, Tom is going to be talking about the FDA program and how to create a proper one. And Mike is going to be talking about DOT and I'm going to be talking about OSHA. And the components that the regulatory agencies would be looking for. And so, we actually go over what is in a safety program. And most of those components you will find on the GAWDA website. The Safety Committee speaks to a lot of the policies that should be in place.

WGT: You mentioned the Consultant Webinar and Seminar. It takes place October 24-26 at Weldcoa but also simulcast on GoToMeeting. Why should members make time to attend, either in person or online? MIKE DODD: Ideally in person. You get a lot better reaction with us, the consultants, and eye-to-eye contact. You can just get a better grasp of things. And also, you get to meet with 22 • Fourth Quarter 2023

other members. That's one of the big things about the in-person. You get to talk with other members about what is going on with their company. How are they doing things? What are you doing? Members make a lot of good contacts for help in the future. So, when they leave the seminar, they have people they can call with questions, besides the consultants. So, the in-person is a great format. And the GoToMeeting component gives people who don't have the opportunity to travel, or their schedule won't allow it to tune in and gather what they need to off of the webinars. A lot of people are probably not focusing 100% when they're on the phone. They're working. It gives them a chance to multitask. And our numbers are about 50/50 of in-person vs. attending online. And it has worked out pretty well. So well that we're going to keep offering it. I think it's going to be a great meeting. MARILYN DEMPSEY: I just did an audit at a member company, and they have a new safety and compliance person who came in from a different industry. And I told that person, "If you want to get to know our industry, going to this seminar in-person is a great way to get those contacts, so if you don't know exactly what is going on, you've now got a resource and you can call up a friend and ask them for their input or advice." It creates that informal sharing of knowledge. TOM BADSTUBNER: That's really powerful. I know a lot of phone calls happen between members who have met each other at the seminars.

WGT: You mentioned the Safety Committee. During Convention, the Safety Committee and Government Affairs Committees will meet together. Is there anything going on with those committees that we can share with members? MIKE DODD: We're always looking for suggestions from our members. We've covered a lot of topics. Sample practices, pictograms and things like that. But we're always looking for new topics. So, anytime a member is looking for something they can't find, we'd love to hear about it. MARILYN DEMPSEY: And the way that the Safety Committee works is very dynamic. Jim Herring and Bill Woods do a great job of dividing it into subcommittees and giving us assignments. There are four subcommittees, and you don't want to be the one who doesn't turn in a good product. And then you get feedback from the rest of the group, and you come out with some great suggestions and really dynamic information.

GAWDA CONSULTANTS

R O U N D TA B L E

WGT: How about any year-end deadlines for the respective agencies? Anything members need to keep in mind?

TOM BADSTUBNER: Yes, there are some year-end issues for medical gas manufacturers to be aware of. Between October 1 and December 31, they need to re-register and renew their listings with the FDA. Also, look at your FDA Drug Listings carefully to make sure the correct cylinder sizes and the proper label is listed with the FDA. The regulations say that we must do this in June and December of each year. And, if you're using a registrar, that registrar can help get a copy of your listing for your review. MARILYN DEMPSEY: End of year OSHA, you have to figure out what your inventory levels are, so that you can do your SARA Tier II filing, OSHA 300A, it's a good time to review what your records are and to make sure that all of those are in order. And that comes up right in the first quarter every year. MIKE DODD: DOT doesn't have anything end of year.

But I do have another topic that I wanted to discuss. We have had, over the past many months, members calling us asking about how they can hire employees with past felony convictions. This is the first time in my entire career that this topic has come up so regularly. And it's because the driver pool has become that tight. Rick put together a nice one-page sheet that lists all the infractions that disqualify you from a HazMat endorsement. He also talks about the timeframes, so you have to have X number of years out of incarceration, etc. It's something we haven't normally had to discuss in the past and it shows you how hard it is to find a driver. And, as far as I know, we haven't had any members come back later after hiring one and say they have had a problem. And I'm always a believer in giving people a second chance. If they did something wrong and paid their dues, I believe in giving them a second chance to come back and do well. So, I just want members to know if that is a possibility, they can get hold of us, and we can certainly help them. And I know Rick has helped a lot of people through this process. continued on next page

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CONSULTANTS R O U N D TA B L E

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RICK SCHWEITZER: I will second what Mike said. I haven't ever heard anybody come back and say that it has generated additional problems. There are certain felony convictions or guilty pleas that generate these prohibitions on getting a HazMat endorsement, because of your security threat assessment, but they are limited by time too. I believe it is 7 years after conviction and 5 years after the end of incarceration. So, if you have passed that period of time, you are, once again, eligible to get that HazMat endorsement.

WGT: Rick, in the last issue, we talked about the potential for drug testing by saliva. Has there been any more news on that front?

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RICK SCHWEITZER: Yeah, there's nothing new on either drug testing by saliva or testing of hair samples. Both of those are in the works and will eventually become options for employers. But we're still waiting for final rules or final guidelines to come out from the Department of Health and Human Services and also the certification of labs for saliva testing.

WGT: The other topic I wanted to bring up on the driver pool, we had talked last year about the pilot program allowing 18-yearold drivers. Has that gone into place? RICK SCHWEITZER: It has been in place for over a year now, but it is very limited, so far. I think only 15 companies have signed up with drivers, which is a substantially lower number than the trucking industry and DOT anticipated. Two of the problems with the qualifications for the program are: you have

to have inward-facing cameras in your truck in order to participate, and the other one is that the company has to sign-up with the Department of Labor under their apprenticeship program. Neither of those requirements were specified by Congress in the legislation that mandated this program. They were added later by the Department of Transportation. So, there is some concern that those two requirements are limiting the pool of applicants. But the program is supposed to go on for about three years and develop a body of performance data for these 18–20-year-old drivers to see if they perform as well as 21–25-year-old drivers from a safety standpoint. MARILYN DEMPSEY: Have you heard any feedback? RICK SCHWEITZER: Not yet, other than that there aren't enough carriers involved. We have two more years of data collection ahead of us, though. MARILYN DEMPSEY: Do we know of any of our members doing it? RICK SCHWEITZER: I don't think there are any GAWDA members involved. And it doesn't include Hazardous Materials drivers, so GAWDA members, for the most part, wouldn't be eligible.

WGT: Wasn't this supposed to be some silver bullet that was going to expand the pool of potential drivers? RICK SCHWEITZER: It was, until a lot of people decided that it would be really scary to have 18-year-olds driving an 80,000-pound truck. They didn't realize that 18-year-olds drive those trucks every single day, just not across state lines. MIKE DODD: Maybe the insurance companies just didn't want to cover them.

CONSULTANTS

R O U N D TA B L E Don’t forget: Always put on protective clothing before starting to weld!

RICK SCHWEITZER: That is a concern in some places. But I don't know that it's the overriding concern. And 49 states allow 18-year-olds to drive within state lines. Every state but New York. You can drive all over Texas or California or Florida, but all of a sudden when you cross state lines you're considered a safety risk.

WGT: Was there anything else we wanted to cover for this issue? RICK SCHWEITZER: CGA has started a coalition about carbon dioxide availability. And, right now, it is taking the form of education of members of Congress and Federal Agencies so that there aren't unintended consequences as they go about their efforts to decarbonize the economy. The concern is that with legislation and regulations that will deemphasize and provide incentives to get rid of anything that involves carbon, carbon dioxide is going to accidentally be included in that. And we've already seen evidence of that in certain circumstances. So, CGA has developed this coalition that includes the beverage industry and a lot of food representatives from the beef industry and the poultry industry, to try to develop some basic information and case studies about how carbon dioxide is a necessary and useful and beneficial product and that we need to be careful to not throw out the baby with the bathwater. We are just in the organizational stages. CGA has contracted with a DC law and lobbying firm to help with this project and the next effort will be going to members to develop a map of where facilities are located, which GAWDA can be helpful with, and also some case studies on either potential or real-world implications of lack of access to CO2 and how it might impact customer operations.

WGT: What would the next steps be for a member that wants to get involved? RICK SCHWEITZER: I'm waiting to hear back from the lobbying firm on how they want to develop this information, but we probably will be approaching the membership and asking for information on specific concerns, either in the food and beverage industry, the medical industry or with any other CO2 applications.

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Fourth Quarter 2023 • 25

GAWDA CONSULTANTS SAFETY ALERT

Hurricane Preparedness BY MARILYN DEMPSEY, GAWDA DHS/EPA/OSHA CONSULTANT

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.

Marilyn R. Dempsey, Safety Dragons Workplace Consultants, LLC 940-999-8466 marilyn@safetydragons. com.

26 • Fourth Quarter 2023

ccording to NOAA, the 2023 Hurricane Season should be about average. Both OSHA and National Weather Service (NWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) websites have Hurricane preparedness information. One of the best resources comes from the NOAA website. This information is applicable for both home and business. The list includes seven Hurricane Preparedness steps to address when preparing for a hurricane. • Determine Your Risk. This includes five hazards that are often associated with hurricanes: storm surge, tornadoes, rip currents, strong winds and inland flooding. • Develop an Evacuation Plan. These steps include determining if the property is in an evacuation zone (and what level zone), having a “go bag” for supplies, following evacuation orders, planning alternate evacuation routes and planning for pets.

• Assemble Disaster Supplies such as: food and water, full gas tank, money, medical supplies and prescriptions, radio, batteries and phone chargers. • Get an Insurance Checkup Before Storm Season. You should check with your agent and know your policy terms/limitations, keep insurance documents with you and consider flood insurance. • Strengthen Your Home/Business including: cover windows, trim trees, secure doors and outdoor items (including cylinders), move vehicles to a safe location and consider lining trucks up next to each other. • Help Your Neighbor to Prepare: check in after the storm passes and help them evacuate, if necessary. • Complete a Written Plan: For businesses, the Hurricane Preparedness information should be included in the Facility Emergency Action Plan. The plan should include a contact list, what/how to prepare and all personnel (or family members) should be trained on the plan.

GAWDA CONSULTANTS

SAFETY ALERT

Another useful document to help you prepare has been developed by the GAWDA Safety Committee, “Flood Emergency Preparation.” This document is available on the GAWDA website>Members Only Documents>Sample Safety Practices. If you have further questions concerning safety policies, how to prepare a Hurricane plan for your location, or if you would like your policies/ plan reviewed, please contact: Marilyn Dempsey GAWDA Consultant: DHS, EPA, OSHA Safety Dragons Workplace Consultants, LLC marilyn@safetydragons.com 940-999-8466 www.SafetyDragons.com

Fourth Quarter 2023 • 27

GAWDA CONSULTANTS SAFETY ALERT

Who Do I Test? What employers need to know. BY MICHAEL DODD, GAWDA DOT CONSULTANT

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 MLDSafety@hotmail. com.

28 • Fourth Quarter 2023

enerally, all CDL drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles subject to the CDL requirements on public roads in the U.S. are performing safety-sensitive functions and are subject to DOT drug and alcohol testing (§382.103). This includes all full-time, part-time, intermittent, backup and international drivers. When are tests administered? DOT drug and alcohol tests include: • Pre-employment – An employer must receive a negative drug test result before permitting a CDL driver to operate a CMV (§382.301). • Post-accident – Drug and alcohol tests may be required after crashes according to the chart on the next page (§382.303): • Random – CDL drivers must be randomly tested throughout the year (§382.305); an employer who employs only himself/herself as a driver, who is not leased to a motor carrier, shall implement a random testing program of two or more covered employees in the random testing selection pool as a member of a consortium (see §382.305 interpretation 11). • Reasonable Suspicion – Drivers who appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol can be immediately tested (§382.307). You need to train CDL driver

supervisors to detect the symptoms of driver impairment (§382.603). • Return-to-Duty – Required for drivers who tested positive, refused, or otherwise violated the prohibitions of 49 CFR Part 382 Subpart B; and who have completed the return-to-duty process with a DOT-qualified substance abuse professional. This test is directly observed, and a negative result is required before resuming driving duties (§382.309 and §40.305). • Follow-Up – Required for drivers who tested positive, refused, or otherwise violated the prohibitions of 49 CFR Part 382 Subpart B; and who have completed the return-to-duty process with a DOT-qualified substance abuse professional, and have tested negative for a return-to-duty test. This testing is prescribed by the substance abuse professional for a minimum of 6 directly observed tests in 12 months but can be extended an additional four years (§382.311 and §40.307). Please note: If you want to drug and/or alcohol test a post-accident driver that does not meet the Yes-No chart on the next page, then you may do so, but you must make sure that it is classified as a non-DOT test. You are not permitted to conduct a post-accident test unless it meets the criteria. If you have any questions, please contact: Michael Dodd GAWDA DOT Consultant P.O. Box 93, , Poplar Bluff, MO 63902 (573) 718-2887 MLDSafety@hotmail.com

GAWDA CONSULTANTS

SAFETY ALERT

TYPE OF ACCIDENT INVOLVED

CITATION ISSUED TO THE CMV DRIVER

TEST MUST BE PERFORMED BY EMPLOYER

Human Fatality

Yes

Human Fatality

Yes

Bodily Injury With Immediate Medical Treatment Away From the Scene

Yes

Bodily Injury With Immediate Medical Treatment Away From the Scene

Disabling Damage to Any Motor Vehicle Requiring Tow Away

Yes

Disabling Damage to Any Motor Vehicle Requiring Tow Away

Fourth Quarter 2023 • 29

CGA FOR GAWDA U P D AT E

Young and Emerging Professionals from Across the Compressed Gas Industry Gather for Virtual Summit BY PAUL PFLIEGER, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, CGA

T Paul Pflieger is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Compressed Gas Association (CGA), a nonprofit trade association representing the industrial, medical, and food gas industries.

he fourth annual Young and Emerging Professionals Summit, which took place virtually across four days this August, gathered more than 600 professionals from throughout the compressed gas industry. The Summit, which was planned and executed by Young and Emerging Professionals spanning multiple CGA Committees, drew participants from around the globe including more than 30 countries. And, thanks to the generous support of our friends at WELDCOA, this year’s summit was free to attend. The Summit covered a diverse range of topics meant to educate, inspire, and grow our industry’s future leaders including association involvement, employee safety, fuel gases, the environment, and the future of our industry.

SAFETY STANDARDS AND SERVICE The Young and Emerging Professionals Summit kicked off with an introduction from CGA Board Chair, Nelson Moreira. As Vice President, Operations, Safety & Quality, at Linde, 30 • Fourth Quarter 2023

and as someone who has been in the industry for 37 years, he outlined the importance of educating and training the next generation of industry leaders. Nelson’s introduction was followed by a presentation from Andrew Reeves titled, “You’re Only as Safe as Your Latest Hire.” Andrew’s presentation drew from his military experience and his knowledge from his role at Eleet Cryogenics. In his presentation, he emphasized the significance of training the youngest employees to foster a strong safety culture. To finish off the first session, attendees were treated to a once-in-a-generation discussion between CGA’s New Committee Member of the Year, Robin Jussila, and Steve Gentry, who was recently honored for 50 years of service with CGA. During their lively discussion they discussed the importance of involvement in associations and committee work, industry changes over the decades, advice for a successful career in the industry, how to get involved in technical work at CGA, and more!

CGA FOR GAWDA

U P D AT E

THE FUEL GASES

The Summit covered a diverse range of topics meant to educate, inspire, and grow our industry’s future leaders including association involvement, employee safety, fuel gases, the environment, and the future of our industry.

The second session of the Young and Emerging Professionals Summit covered the many technical aspects of the major fuel gases: hydrogen, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and acetylene. CGA’s Rob Early kicked off the session with an overview of the fuel gases and discussed the unique characteristics and challenges of working with each gas. Rob’s introductory presentation was followed by a panel discussion on the energy portfolio of the future. The panelists included: Rob Early, Technical Manager, CGA, Tom Drube, Vice President Engineering, Chart Industries, Chad Nickell, Director, Biogas Systems Engineering, Air Liquide, and Meredith Webber, CEO, Outrider Gas Transports LLC.

The third session of the Summit covered a topic that nearly every company and person on earth thinks about, the environment. Jim Reebel, Manager of Capital Projects Permitting, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc, started the session by discussing the landscape of initiatives, regulations and targets/goals set by federal and state agencies. In his presentation he explored the practical effects these might have on our industry, including considerations which must be applied to design, engineering, and operations decisions in order to be a compliant business. Jim was then joined by Luke Lana, Director, Commercial and Project Management, Tomco2 Systems; Host, continued on next page

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CGA FOR GAWDA U P D AT E

“Without you there is no association, together we are moving this industry forward.” Catching Carbon Podcast, and Damian Vickerman, Senior Director of Environmental and Emergency Response, Airgas, an Air Liquide Company, for a panel discussion on the future of Sustainability. During the panel, the expert panelists touched on: pressing environmental challenges, standardization efforts, stakeholder collaboration, regulatory frameworks, innovative technologies, policymaker engagement, and the role of young professionals in promoting sustainability.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY AND PROFESSIONAL PANEL The final session of this year’s Summit included a presentation from Rich Gottwald on the future focus areas of the Compressed Gas Association. His presentation was then followed by a discussion with Abydee Butler Moore, President and CEO, Butler Gas Products and Chris Ebeling, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Messer America. The panel explored the role of young and emerging professionals in shaping the industry’s future. They discussed the collaborative efforts among industry associations, knowledge 32 • Fourth Quarter 2023

sharing among industry players, and CGA and GAWDA’s contributions to industry growth. The panel also addressed anticipated technological advancements, and the ways members can support integration. They wrapped up by reviewing the many resources available to young professionals and ways to start getting involved right away. We want to thank all our speakers, panelists, and participants for making this year’s summit a success. As Rich Gottwald said in his Summit-closing presentation, “Without you there is no association, together we are moving this industry forward.” We are proud to partner with GAWDA for this and many other CGA events. More than 70 GAWDA companies who partake in the CGA’s GAWDA Distributor Subscription Program were able to attend this year’s event. To learn more about the program so you can join next year’s summit and get access to CGA’s valuable safety resources and standards: https://www.cganet.com/what-we-do/ standards-publications/gawda-subscription-program/ To learn more about CGA: https://www.cganet.com/ about-us/

BEST

PRACTICES Facility Safety Products BY: PAUL BERNIER, ASP

T Paul Bernier, ASP, is the Safety Products Manager at General Air Service & Supply. He has worked in the welding and gas industry since 1996. Also, Paul is Vice President of Southern Colorado ASSP (American Society of Safety Professionals) Chapter. Paul can be reached at 719-761-7076 or pbernier@generalair.com

34 • Fourth Quarter 2023

he General Duty Clause of the OSH Act (the law that created OSHA) requires employers to provide workers with a safe workplace that does not have any known hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious injury. OSHA’s mission is to ensure employees work in a safe environment by setting and enforcing standards and enforcing training and education. This includes safety products meant to ensure safety. It is important for employers to have and maintain certain items in their facility to help eliminate injuries, if possible, quickly remedy an issue when it happens, and treat injuries as fast as possible when they occur. At General Air, we help our customers by providing facility safety audits that help our customers avoid worker injuries and achieve compliance with OSHA regulations. These requirements are often missed and providing this service is greatly helpful. General Air carries many of the required/ recommended products and we usually win the

business due to the relationship forged while performing audits. The products we often notice missing include: worker PPE, signage, required emergency equipment, and training requirements. These are mandatory products that customers are buying somewhere, so why not from you? Here are the most common items we see missing in shops that result in violations if not present and in good working order. • Eyewash Stations: Eye wash stations are required if there is any chance of exposure to harmful chemicals and/or particles. They must be placed within a 10-second walk for any employee and must be able to provide 15 minutes of flushing non-stop in both eyes. This often requires more than one if the shop is larger in size. Eye wash stations must be maintained and inspected regularly. • First Aid Cabinets: The OSHA requirement is that an employer must ensure prompt first aid treatment for an injured

BEST

PRACTICES employee, either by providing first aid and training or having access to emergency treatment nearby. Since most businesses do not have hospitals right nearby, they probably need a first aid kit, blood borne pathogen kit, and AED. • Fire Extinguishers: OSHA requires a minimum-rated 10B fire extinguisher to be provided within 50 feet of the point of job site use of more than 5 gallons of flammable or combustible liquids or 5 pounds of flammable gas. There are different types of fire extinguishers available, depending on what hazards may present. Many businesses require more than one type of extinguisher. • SDS (Safety Data Sheets): OSHA requires that employers maintain copies of SDS sheets for each chemical in the workplace classified as hazardous. The SDS book contains details of the properties of each chemical that the business handles. It needs to contain information about handling and use precautions, procedures for first aid and emergencies, the potential hazards of each chemical, routes of exposure, and control measures to use. • Signage: Communication is important, and OSHA requires signs to be present. The information provided by the sign warns employees and visitors of potential hazards, exit signs, fire extinguisher signs, electrical hazards, and more. Different colors have different meanings – a danger sign would be red, black, and white, a caution sign is black and yellow, and a safety sign is green and white. • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): There are several differ-

ent pieces of equipment required, depending on the hazard that is present. PPE items consist of protection for eye and face, head, respiratory, falls, foot and hand, hearing, and protection from electrical hazards. A hazard assessment performed by the employer will determine what PPE items and training are required. There are many more items required for facility safety, this article represents just the most common I have seen in my experience. Other safety items include: floor taping for walkways, spill kits, lighting, lock out/tag out locks, etc. Please remember, these facility safety items are required, and your customers have to buy them from somewhere, why not from you?

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A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD

Robert Anders Year in Reflection A Look Back at 365 Days of Intentionality BY ROBERT ANDERS AND STEVE GUGLIELMO

AWDA President Robert Anders will officially transition to First Past President at the conclusion of the 2023 GAWDA Annual Convention in Maui. Before he passes the baton to next year’s President Gary Halter, we had the privilege of catching up with Robert to discuss his “trip around the sun” and ask him to reflect on his 365 Days of Intentionality as 2022-2023 GAWDA President. We want to thank Robert for agreeing to be interviewed and express our gratitude for his incredible job as GAWDA’s leader this past year. The following is a lightly edited transcript of the interview. To see the full interview, watch the September 15th episode of GAWDA TV. WELDING & GASES TODAY: We're coming up on your one-year anniversary of becoming GAWDA President. What has this experience been like for you? ROBERT ANDERS: It has been busy. It has been a little bit scary. But, most of all, it has been extremely rewarding. It has been very cool to watch the plan that we put in place last year come to fruition. It has really been great. WELDING & GASES TODAY: I know that you're a planner and that you spoke with a lot of the past GAWDA Presidents before assuming the position, but has there been anything about the experience that you didn't expect? ROBERT ANDERS: Not really, at least from a function36 • Fourth Quarter 2023

ality standpoint. I'm knocking on wood, because we've got a big event coming up, but everything has kind of come off as planned, to date. Probably the thing that I've been most surprised about has been the registration for the Annual Convention. It's a long flight. It's an expensive flight. Getting out to Maui is not easy. We budgeted for 850 registrants, and we have 1,074 people signed up right now. So, that has probably been the most surprising thing for me, so far this year. And I am tickled pink about it. WELDING & GASES TODAY: Obviously you still have the big culmination still to happen in Maui, but, to date, what has been your biggest memory of your year as GAWDA President and what has been your most proud accomplishment? ROBERT ANDERS: As you say, Maui hasn't happened yet, so I have every expectation that there will be a lot of fun memories that come out of the Annual Convention. But the thing that I am most proud about is the SMC and the energy that surrounded the SMC. Our members stepped up. The educational tracks were packed. We had great speakers that I thought really resonated with our members. The hotel did a great job. We had Chamber of Commerce weather in Philadelphia. It couldn't have come off better. And that is the thing that I am the proudest of and produced the greatest memories for me. WELDING & GASES TODAY: This is a volunteer board and a volunteer position. All of our Presidents, yourself espe-

A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD cially, are very high up and important within their own companies. How has the staff at Holston Gases stepped up to help ensure that this year was a success? ROBERT ANDERS: That's a great question. Any one of the Past Presidents would tell you that they could not have done their job, and done it well, without the full support of their home companies. Bill (Baxter) and the entire team at Holston Gases have been unbelievable. And they've been patient with me, because things that I would normally get into, I would have to say, "I can't do that right now, I've got to do something else." And when I was able to take this role, this isn't something that I see as being for Robert Anders. This is more a recognition for Holston Gases. And I just happen to be the President of Holston Gases. And there's no way that I would have been able to do my job the way that I have been able to do it with GAWDA if I didn't have the 100% support. It has been fantastic. WELDING & GASES TODAY: In Maui, you're going to hand the baton over to Gary Halter. I know you and he are close friends. What will be the biggest piece of advice that you can offer him as he prepares to assume the mantle of GAWDA President? continued on next page

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Fourth Quarter 2023 • 37

A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD ROBERT ANDERS: I think one of the biggest things that I have already shared with him is to be proactive. Don't be reactive. Find out what your next task is, and your next responsibility is and get on it right away. And that way, you have time in case there are some blips out there. The other thing is, don't micromanage. And Gary isn't a micromanager, so I'm not worried about that. But know what your role is, do your role well, and let everybody else do their job. We've got a great staff out there, a great Board, a great Executive Committee. So do your job and let everybody else do their jobs. WELDING & GASES TODAY: Is there anything else about your year as President that you wanted to mention as you prepare to transition into your role as First Past President? ROBERT ANDERS: The last thing that I wanted to say, and of course, I'm going to be at the podium in Maui, but I just wanted to express to the members, not the companies, but the individual members, how much I appreciate the blessing that you gave me by allowing me to serve as your president. It has been a true blessing. It has not been a responsibility or a burden. It has been a fantastic ride. Thank you.

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38 • Fourth Quarter 2023

A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD

Ask Your Board

he 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

THE QUESTION What is your favorite story or memory from a GAWDA Convention or SMC? 2023 GAWDA PRESIDENT

ROBERT ANDERS

Holston Gases What sticks out in my mind is the atmosphere that was present when we got back together again for the SMC in Nashville. We had been 18 months without an industry-wide in-person meeting, and we had some concern about attendance, but our members showed up in force. I loved watching most people say, “the hell with social distancing” and giving each other big bear hugs. You could see the joy in people’s faces as they reunited. I think the pandemic strengthened our relationships by reminding us how important we are to each other. 2023 GAWDA PRESIDENT ELECT

GARY HALTER Indiana Oxygen

Even though it is recent, the most fun I have ever had was in San Diego at Bob Ewing’s AC Gala. We danced all night and shut the concert and bar down. The envi40 • Fourth Quarter 2023

ronment and the band were awesome. Even those who don’t like to dance were out there until the end! 2023 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

ERIC WOOD

O.E. Meyer Company My favorite Convention, to date, was the 2012 Annual Convention in Colorado Springs. This Convention was special to me because I had the opportunity to introduce my father, Craig Wood, as the 2013 GAWDA President. GAWDA was new to me, and I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this process of the introduction or being a part of a Convention. Quite honestly, I couldn’t understand, at the time, what is the big deal? I quickly realized, once on stage and having the chance to introduce and speak about dad, while in front of some of his best friends and peers, what the big deal was. The Broadmoor and the experience spoiled me, and I am thankful to have been a part of both in 2012. 2023 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

ALLISON EARLBECK Earlbeck Gases & Technologies One of the most cherished memories I have from GAWDA was back in 2015 when we had the privilege of hosting Mike Rowe from “Dirty Jobs” as a keynote speaker at our Annual Convention. During his talk, Mike Rowe shared his vast experiences and insights with his unique perspective on our industry and the importance of embracing all types of work. He shared with us - “Work doesn’t bring passion to people, people bring their

A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD passion to work” and shared with us the importance of finding value in every role in society.

SECOND PAST PRESIDENT

prosperity value of GAWDA was not only recognized but required, as this SMC brought the industry back to in-person learning.

ABYDEE BUTLER MOORE

GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT

RAFAEL ARVELO

Butler Gas Products A favorite memory from a GAWDA Convention was the SMC in Nashville 2021. Following the in-person meeting cancellations of my GAWDA Presidential year in 2020, spring 2021 was a (more than) welcomed industry reunion! As I recall, it was also the first large industry association convention post-pandemic-shutdown. Bob and Lauren Ewing had made a phenomenal location selection, and thankfully Nashville was proudly open for hospitality business. Our GAWDA officers at the time, under the suggestion of Gary Halter, opted to adjust the chairs rotation cadence and I had the honor of serving the Association as President in 2021 as well as 2020. We broke 700 attendees, and our industry was back in a big way! Our members’ reliance on the safety and economic

Equigas, Inc. This is a tough question, since there are so many great memories from every single GAWDA event. However, I can mention a few things that comes to my mind immediately: • The SMC in Boca Raton and the PHENOMENAL GAWDA Band. What a great time, so much fun, tables empty because everyone was dancing and what a great venue. • I do remember some great speakers such as: Admiral William McRaven with his “Make Your Bed” speech; Don McMillan with his hilarious Career Venn Diagram; Lou Holtz with his motivational speech and the three rules: “Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.” continued on next page

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A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD

• The Annual in Colorado Springs at the most beautiful

venue, The Broadmoor. The timing was perfect to reunite friends and comrades after the pandemic. • One thing I love is to see the faces when a non-profit organization receives the check from GAWDA Gives Back, many emotional moments that I can remember. Stories? Well, there are too many! I would not start mentioning names!

GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT

BRAD DUNN

CK Supply I have been very fortunate to take part in GAWDA Conventions since an early age and have a lot of fond memories of spending time at great destinations with friends and family while enjoying the events and learning about the industry. In the early days growing up, I always enjoyed sneaking around filling up my bag with vendor give aways at the Contact Booths. There was also the time during a snorkeling trip I accidentally sent my SeaDoo passenger, an unnamed past GAWDA president, into the ocean after he told me to speed up! After participating as an “official” employee and GAWDA member, I have enjoyed all of the speakers and workshops hearing best practices from our peers, but a recent highlight was getting to spend time with Marcus Lemonis before his talk in Colorado Springs. Looking forward to creating some more in Hawaii this year!

GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT

JOHN HILL

Willard C. Starcher, Inc One of my fondest memories from a GAWDA event was my first encounter with the late Al Stark of the Norris Cylinder Company and Shannon Faye of Mathey Dearman. I knew very few people in GAWDA at that time and felt a little out of place. These were 42 • Fourth Quarter 2023

two very unique people. Unfortunately, only those of us that have been around for a while will remember them. I’m not sure when we first met, but I am very confident it happened in the hotel bar. Both became very good friends and provided many happy memories.

GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT

COLLEEN KOHLER

Noble Gas Solutions Growing up in the industry, I attended numerous GAWDA events my whole life. My family would plan our annual vacations around where GAWDA would hold the Annual Convention. I have many fond memories of meeting with other children within the association. We would run and play at the cocktail hours and swim in the pools together. It is amazing to now serve on the Board alongside some of these children, who are now fellow CEOs. It’s pretty incredible to see the growth in these individuals as we work to make an impact in our industry.

GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT

SCOTT RUMMANS Linde, Inc.

In 2018, the Linde team (Praxair at the time) attended the GAWDA Central Regional Meeting in East Lansing, MI. As is typical, the venue and meeting content were superb and the networking opportunities invaluable to our local management team. That meeting also happened to be my first attending a GAWDA event, and having the opportunity to meet with industry leadership and talk through similar issues facing the members was illuminating. Particularly memorable was winning the golf tournament (scramble) on the second day. As it turned out, all four of the Linde participants ended up on the same team and played unusually well. Since we were all new to the group and event, we actually ended up pulling our name from the prize list, but nevertheless

A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD

had a really great time that turned into a now 5+ year relationship with GAWDA that has grown into a partnership that we count on for continued success.

GAWDA VICE PRESIDENT

LINDA SMITH

Chemweld, Inc. My most memorable GAWDA moment was in 2017 when the SMC was in Boca Raton, Florida. Mark Raimy was President and he wanted to form a GAWDA band to perform during the President’s Welcome Reception. Well, having an amateur musical background, I jumped right in to volunteer. We did an online contest to name the band and the entries were so clever. Classical Gas Guys, Flamers, GAWDA Love It, and Pressure were a few of my favorites. The winner was In a GAWDA Da Vida (1968 Iron Butterfly’s “In A Gadda Da Vida.”) I somehow convinced my husband, Gary, who is actually a professional keyboard player, to get involved. Email invites went out to potential band members and song lists were circulated. I remember coming home from work one night and he said, “Do you know a guy named Dino from Generant? Well, Dino is terrified! What have you gotten me into?” Gary, Dino, and Jim Appledorn worked tirelessly to put together a set list with music charts,

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Fourth Quarter 2023 • 43

A S K YO U R

GAWDA BOARD It is amazing to now serve on the Board alongside some of these children, who are now fellow CEOs. It’s pretty incredible to see the growth in these individuals as we work to make an impact in our industry. lyrics, etc. We scheduled a rehearsal for the day-of with all participants and, let me tell you, it was a disaster. We almost called the whole thing off. We flagged down Mark (who, of course, had nothing better to worry about than the band at his SMC) and told him to move the band to later in the evening when many people would have their “beer goggles” on! Somehow, when this mixed bag of music lovers got on the stage the band just came together. In a GAWDA Da Vida was a huge success! Many thanks to the band members: David Andrew (vocals), Jim Appledorn (drums), Jim Atkins (guitar), Ray Borzio (drums), Rich Braatz (base), Bill Brancato (guitar), Dino D’Onofrio (guitar), Gary Halter (vocals), Greg Hansley (guitar/vocals), Jack McCullough (guitar/vocals), Gary Smith

(keyboard), Bill Visintainer (guitar/vocals) and, of course, Mark Raimy for having faith that we could pull it off!

VICE PRESIDENT

LIZ STANDLEY

An event that stands out in my memory is the Young Professionals event at the Annual Convention in New York City in 2017. I had just joined my company back in March and this was my first Annual Convention. I didn’t really know anyone outside of my company, so I was a little nervous. We broke into small groups and went on a photo scavenger hunt that ended at Spin, a ping pong social club. I think events that involve a common goal, like a scavenger hunt, are a great way to break the ice with strangers and grow your teamwork skill set. This event was the beginning of many industry friendships I still have today. After that Young Professionals event, I felt more comfortable walking into a crowd at GAWDA events because I knew I would find a familiar face or two.

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8/31/2023 2:52:05 PM

Held at the

3850 Wailea Alanui Drive Wailea, HI 96753 808-875-1234

The average high temperature in Maui in October is 82 degrees and the average low temperature is 69 degrees. Attire for the Annual Convention is Resort/Business Casual for the meetings, so leave your jackets at home. Attire for the President’s Farewell Gala is Hawaiian themed.

46 • Fourth Quarter 2023

CONVENTION SCHEDULE *ALL TIMES LOCAL

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 12:00 PM-5:00 PM

Early Badge Pickup

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2023 7:00 AM-6:00 PM

Convention Registration

8:00 AM-9:00 AM

Executive Committee Meeting

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Board Meeting with Committee Chairs

12:00 PM-2:00 PM

Committee Meetings • Safety and Government Affairs Committee Meetings • Young Professionals Committee Meeting • Industry Partnering Committee Meeting • Member Services Committee Meeting • Insurance Trustees Committee Meeting

12:00 PM-4:00 PM

Exhibitor Move-In

12:30 PM-2:00 PM

Young Professionals Workshop with Galen Emanuele

2:00 PM-3:00 PM

Women of Gases and Welding Committee Meeting

4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Newcomers Reception

5:00 PM-7:00 PM

President’s Welcome Reception held on the Chapel Lawn/Beach Courtyard Industry Hospitalities

7:00 PM

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2023 7:00 AM-1:00 PM

Convention Registration

6:00 AM-7:00 AM

Exhibitor Move-in

7:00 AM-8:30 AM

Grab-n-Go Breakfast

7:00 AM-8:30 AM

Networking 360 Grab-n-Go Breakfast

7:30 AM-9:00 AM

Networking 360 Event

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Contact Booth Program

1:00 PM

Industry Hospitalities

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2023 7:00 AM-1:00 PM

Convention Registration

7:00 AM-8:00 AM

Group Breakfast

8:00 AM-12:00 PM

Opening General Business Session • Annabel Chotzen • Galen Emanuele

12:00 PM-1:30 PM

Past Presidents Luncheon

12:30 PM-4:30 PM

Women of Gases & Welding and Young Professionals Event: Offsite

1:00 PM

Industry Hospitalities

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2023 7:00 AM-12:00 PM

Convention Registration

7:00 AM-8:00 AM

Group Breakfast

8:00 AM-12:00 PM

Closing General Business Session • Sanjiv Lamba • Will Bowen

6:00 PM-10:00 PM

PRESIDENT’S

FAREWELL GALA

Dress To ImpressHawaiian Style! Best dressed guest will be recognized during the party!

Scan to visit the GAWDA AC Website

Fourth Quarter 2023 • 47

2023 ANNUAL CONVENTION

GENERAL INFO

AT T I R E

H O T E L I N F O R M AT I O N

The GAWDA Annual Convention is business/ resort casual – Leave Your Blazers at Home!

Grand Wailea, Maui 3850 Wailea Alanui Drive Wailea, HI 96753 (808) 875-1234

• Casual Shirts: Hawaiian shirts, button-down shirts, polo shirts. • Trousers, Khakis, Chinos or dress shorts • Footwear: loafers or boat shoes • Relaxed blouses or tops in fun patterns or solid colors • Pants or Skirts: Comfortable pants, chinos, jeans or casual shorts • Dresses: Sundresses or flowy dresses are a great choice for casual events • Footwear: Sandals, flats, casual or ankle boots • President’s Welcome Reception: will be hosted outdoors on the Chapel Lawn/ Beach Courtyard. • Women of Gases & Welding Event: This event will be held offsite, comfortable business/ resort casual attire. • President’s Farewell Gala: The gala will be held at the Molokini Garden. 48 • Fourth Quarter 2023

Most functions for the 2023 Annual Convention will be hosted at the Grand Wailea. The combined Women of Gases & Welding/ Young Professionals event will be held offsite. The President’s Farewell Gala will be held at the Grand Wailea at the Molokini Garden UBER transportation between our two overflow hotels (Andaz & Wailea) and our host hotel is available during event times for conference registered members. Download the app for additional information or check your email for a link on how to register.

BADGES It is necessary for delegates, spouses and children to wear their badges to ALL GAWDA functions. It is your admission to all association sponsored functions.

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cohesive teams, as well as personal and professional growth. In this session, Galen will show you how to build a “culture of feedback” where feedback is embraced as an opportunity to build and strengthen

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

relationships, and as a tool to continually improve and grow as young

Location: Plumeria

giving and receiving feedback that can be shared and taught to others to

professionals. This session also includes a simple, effective model for

Must register to participate.

create a consistent, positive experience in every feedback opportunity.

For more information visit GAWDA.org

Join Galen to learn how to establish and embrace an environment that is open and receptive to feedback; where it’s productive, safe, welcome, and sought after.

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Women of Gases & Welding and Young Professionals Event CALYPSO BOAT CRUISE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2023 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Offsite This event is sold out. Tickets can be retrieved on Oct. 2nd at the Contact Booth Program and Oct. 3rd during Opening General Business Session break at the Haleakala Pre-function space. Contact bellenbogen@gawda.org for more information.

This amazing three-hour boat excursion, for adults 21 and over, on the Calypso, a 65' powered catamaran, gives you time to enjoy a delicious meal and some cold beverages, explore the incredible craft, listen to great island-style music, network with your colleagues and friends and watch the beautiful island scenery. We have added a fun snorkeling and swimming option for those who want to enjoy the wonders of the sea firsthand at no additional fee. The Calypso has a glass bottom viewing area below the lower deck that is open when the vessel is stopped so you can view the ocean views from above. The 3-Hour Calypso boat cruise includes... • Lunch and non-alcoholic beverages. Two drink tickets for alcoholic beverages will also be provided.

• 11 individual dive steps, each with its own handrail.

• Wheelchair accessible, for lower deck use only.

• Digital underwater cameras available for rent.

• 1 1/2 hours snorkeling and swimming at site determined by Captain. Equipment included along with a "Snorkeling 101" course.

• Two freshwater showers.

• 2 water slides, including a "bow" water slide with an exciting drop.

Fourth Quarter 2023 • 51

2 0 2 3 2A 0N2N3U AA LN N U A L OT NIVOENN T I O N C O N VC EN ANNABEL CHOTZEN Put Your Dreams to Work Annabel Chotzen is an awardwinning speaker, corporate trainer, and author. For more than 30 years she has presented keynote speeches and workshops at meetings, conferences, and conventions in Hawaii and across the United States. Annabel is also a personal development coach who gives people individualized assistance and guidance. Annabel’s presentations focus on helping people become more effective, efficient, productive and happier in their work and personal lives

Use the Hashtag

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52 • Fourth Quarter 2023

SPEAKERS SANJIV LAMBA CEO, Linde - Industry Speaker Sanjiv Lamba was appointed Chief Executive Officer for Linde plc in March 2022, when he also joined the Board of Directors. Prior to being appointed CEO, Lamba was Chief Operating Officer after serving as Executive Vice President, APAC. Lamba started his career in 1989 with BOC in Finance, was appointed Director of Finance and subsequently Managing Director for the India business in 2001. He has worked in several geographies for Linde including India, UK, Singapore and Germany where he served as a member of the Executive Board of Linde AG. Lamba is a Chartered Accountant (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Honours) from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta University, India.

2023 ANNUAL CONVENTION WILL BOWEN

GALEN EMANUELE

Complaint Free World

Team Culture/Leadership

Will Bowen is the founder of the Complaint Free movement with over 15 million followers worldwide. Will’s been featured on Oprah, NBC’s Today Show, People, Forbes, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Will Bowen is a humorous motivational speaker, a #1 International best-selling author, and the World Authority on Complaining – why people complain, what’s wrong with complaining, and how to get ourselves and others to stop complaining.

Galen transforms the way teams and organizations approach and establish culture, perform together, and impact each other at work. His unique content massively improves team dynamics, communication, EQ, and generates high-level performance and engagement. Galen has a unique gift of cutting through the noise and fluffy language to translate broad concepts into simple, practical skills and mindsets. A highly sought-after international speaker, with clients including Microsoft, Safeway, and NASA, Galen is also a world-class improviser and has toured with the cast from Whose Line Is It Anyway?

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2023 ANNUAL CONVENTION Don’t forget to download

THE GAWDA Annual Convention APP

APP FEATURES 1. Activity Feed to interact with attendees

2. Get full access to the attendee list

3. View the complete agenda & set your schedule

4. Learn about World Class Products. First Class Service.™

featured speakers

5. Post & share on our social media wall

6. Easily view area maps & meeting locations

7. Plan your Contact Booth experience with interactive floor-plans & exhibitor Info

8. Downloadable Annual Convention Program Book

9. If activated, attendees can turn on session alerts so you don’t miss a thing!

Available on the App Store and Google Play.

54 • Fourth Quarter 2023

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2023 ANNUAL CONVENTION Back By Popular Demand

This Fast-Paced Networking event will be held at the Haleakala Ballroom Pre-Function area of the Grand Wailea before the Contact Booth Program Monday, October 2nd from 7:30 am - 9:00 am. There will be a designated grab and go breakfast for attendees participating in the Networking 360 from 7:00 am - 8:30 am. At 7:30 am we encourage all participants to be checked in and ready as GAWDA will explain instructions and announcements for flow of event.

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2023 ANNUAL CONVENTION 2023 GAWDA Gives Back Malama Family Recovery Center GAWDA President Robert Anders and his wife Missy have selected the Malama Family Recovery Center as the 2023 GAWDA Gives Back Recipients. The Malama Family Recovery Center provides caring, holistic substance use disorder treatment to women and children so families can live safe, independent and healthy lives. This is a cause that is near and dear to Robert and Missy’s heart, as they have seen the impact of substance abuse in their own lives. The Malama Family Recovery Center strives to provide a continuum of care with Therapeutic and Sober Living Programs, Intensive Outpatient, Outpatient, and Aftercare services. They are also the only place on Maui where young children and infants can live with their mothers while they get the help needed. Donations can be made as part of your GAWDA Annual Convention registration, or you can email Bruce Ellenbogen at bellenbogen@gawda.org to donate directSCAN TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE Malama Family Recovery Center

ly (or if you are not able to join us at this year’s convention). Thank you GAWDA members, for making a difference in the lives of others. We hope you join us in giving back to this very special charity.

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NEWS FROM

GAWDA

GAWDA and GAWDA Media Visit Long-Time GAWDA Members

AWDA owes its more than 75 years of success to the amazing distributor and supplier members who comprise the association. Whenever possible, GAWDA HQ and GAWDA Media like to visit member locations. And, without fail, those members are always incredibly generous with their time, throwing open their doors and allowing us to tour their facilities, interview their staff and ask questions about their operations. GAWDA Executive Director John Ospina has been touring the country in recent years visiting long-time GAWDA members and presenting them with plaques to commemorate their long tenures in the association. To see a full recap of the 2023 visits, check out the First Quarter 2024 Issue when it comes out in the winter. This year, GAWDA Media also had the opportunity to visit several companies to learn more about their respective operations. Thank you to the staff at Anthony Welded Products, Arc3 Gases, Catalina Cylinders, Cryoworks, Indiana Oxygen, Roberts Oxygen, and IWDC (see on page 70) for being gracious hosts. If you would like GAWDA HQ or GAWDA Media to visit your facility, contact Natasha Alexis at nalexis@gawda.org or Tim Hudson at timh@gawdamedia.com.

See all of the member visit photos on gawdamedia.com

58 • Fourth Quarter 2023

NEWS FROM

GAWDA

Roberts Oxygen

Fourth Quarter 2023 • 59

NEWS FROM

GAWDA

Anthony Products

Catalina Cylinders

60 • Fourth Quarter 2023

NEWS FROM

GAWDA

Indiana Oxygen

Fourth Quarter 2023 • 61

NEWS FROM

GAWDA

CryoWorks

Arc3

62 • Fourth Quarter 2023

NEWS FROM

GAWDA

2023 GAWDA Regional Meetings

AWDA hosted four regional meetings in 2023. The Regional Meeting slate began with the East/Midwest Regional in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, from June 7-8, 2023. Then, GAWDA members traveled to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, for the Northwest Regional Meeting from July 19-21, 2023. Following that was the Central Regional Meeting in Huron, Ohio, from July 31-August 1, 2023. Finally, the Regional Meeting slate concluded in Ledyard, Connecticut with the Northeast Regional Meeting, which took place from August 15-16, 2023. Thank you to the hundreds of GAWDA members who attended one of this year’s Regional Meetings. To see photo galleries from each event, visit gawdamedia.com. To see the 2024 Regional Meeting slate, including the return of the Southwest Regional and the addition of the brand new Southeast Regional, visit GAWDA.org.

SEVEN SPRINGS REGIONAL MEETING GAWDA launched its 2023 Regional Meeting Season by hosting the Seven Springs Regional in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, from June 7-8. The newly streamlined meeting condensed the schedule to two days instead of the traditional two-and-a-half to great fanfare, as 250 attendees experienced two days of networking and fun. “Thank you GAWDA members for supporting the second-highest attendance record ever for the Seven Springs Regional!” said Regional Chair Abydee Butler Moore. “Greg Doria, Allie Earlbeck, Robin Jussila, Gary Halter, Marilyn Dempsey, Rick Schweitzer, and Jay Spielvogel: your willingness to teach, share, and inspire was magnetic. Thank you!” Thank you to all of the event’s sponsors and attendees for continuing to raise the bar year after year.

EAST/MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAIR Abydee Butler Moore Butler Gas Products Co. 110 Nichol Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15136-2664 (412) 771-7660 ext 316 abutlermoore@butlergas.com

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NORTHWEST REGIONAL MEETING GAWDA hosted its second regional of 2023 from July 19-21 at The Coeur d' Alene Golf & Spa Resort in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. More than 150 GAWDA members attended this two-day event at one of the most beautiful golf resorts in the country. "The Northwest meeting was a great

turn out with 150 registered attendees and an additional 50 spouses or significant others bringing the total to 200 people," said Regional Chair Eric Bliss. "We had three great speakers that discussed a variety of topics from different industries including pacific steel, DA Davidson, and Miller Electric. Thank you to all who attended!"

NORTHWEST REGIONAL MEETING CHAIRS Eric Bliss, Co-Chair

Nicole Kissler, Co-Chair

General Distributing Company 430 17th Ave NE Great Falls, MT 59404 (406) 454-1351 ebliss@gendco.com

Norco, Inc. 1125 W. Amity Road Boise, ID 83705 208-336-1643 nicolek@norco-inc.com Fourth Quarter 2023 • 65

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CENTRAL REGIONAL MEETING The GAWDA Central Regional at Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, Ohio was attended by 135 members. GAWDA distributor members from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio were in attendance. The event kicked off with a vendor tabletop event with 45 vendor tables. This was followed by a networking event with all attendees spending time on the patio on a beautiful Ohio night. The first night was completed with a great dinner followed by Eric Wood, GAWDA First Vice President, giving a GAWDA update, followed by Efram Abrams of AWS discussing the future of the welding industry and how AWS and all of us can continue to help our industry grow. The meeting finished with Hall of Fame High School football coach Chuck Kyle of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio discussing how the game translates into the business world and how to be passionate, focus, and taking risks. "This was the best turnout ever for the vendor tabletop event," said co-chair Mike Roach. "A big thank you for the distributor members for attending!"

CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAIRS Bob Ranc, Co-Chair MK Products 16882 Armstrong Ave. Irvine, CA 92606 (949) 863-1234 BRanc@mkprod.com

Mike Roach, Co-Chair O.E. Meyer Company P.O. Box 479 Sandusky, OH 44870 (419) 625-3054 mroach@oemeyer.com 66 • Fourth Quarter 2023

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NORTHEAST REGIONAL MEETING The final Regional Meeting of the year took place in Ledyard, Connecticut, at the historic Foxwoods Resort from August 15-16. Before the conference, attendees were able to enjoy a boat ride and guided museum tour, followed by a visit to Preston Ridge Vineyard before returning for a reception and dinner at Foxwoods. On Wednesday, August 16th, attendees were able to hear from an allstar cast of speakers including Tom Badstubner, Philip Camporeale, Gary Halter, Don Krier, Jason Micalizzi, and Michael Trueba, Jr. The day concluded with a golf tournament at the breath-taking Lake of Isles, followed by awards and dinner. “We had a great turnout with two days of fun-filled networking opportunities,” says co-chair Michael Trueba, Jr. “Thank you to all who attended!”

NORTHEAST REGIONAL CHAIRS Michael Trueba, Co- Chair MPT Industries 85 Franklin Road Dover, NJ 07801 (973) 989-9220 mtrueba@mptindustries.com

Tom Biedermann, Co-Chair Airweld, Inc. 94 Marine Street Farmingdale, NY 11735 (631)694-4310 t.biedermann@airweld.net

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GAWDA DISTRIBUTOR MEMBER PROFILE

LAMPTON WELDING SUPPLY 2.0 The quest for $100 million BY STEVE GUGLIELMO

ampton Welding Supply (Wichita, Kansas) was founded on October 1, 1946, by Marcel L. Lampton in his garage in Wichita. Marcel had worked for a welding supply company called Phillips and Easton before the company decided to not sell welding supplies anymore following World War II. So, Marcel decided to venture out on his own and fill that welding supply need himself. For nearly 80 years, Lampton Welding Supply has been driven by an entrepreneurial spirit to not only grow the business but to be a true partner to its customers, solving their problems and fulfilling their needs. That spirit has helped grow Lampton from Marcel’s garage to 16 locations today, including 15 branches across Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska. In 1985, Marcel Lampton retired and his son, Marvin E. Lampton took over the company. During Marvin’s tenure as President, Lampton began to rap68 • Fourth Quarter 2023

idly expand its footprint, completing acquisitions and scratch starts across the Midwest. Through it all, Lampton was built on the foundation of being a strong, reliable, trustworthy supplier. And when it grew, it grew in service of fulfilling customer needs. In 2012, they built a state-of-theart automated fill plant with a specialty gas lab in Wichita called Gases Technology, Inc. Marvin’s sons, Doug and Brad joined the company, eventually becoming third-generation owners. In 2019, Doug Lampton was named President of Lampton Welding Supply. It was the culmination of decades of work and service. And Doug intended to hit the ground running. “When I became President, I was able to start implementing some new ideas that I had,” Doug Lampton says. “I knew what we needed to do to evolve and thrive going forward.” The idea for what would be referred to as Lampton 2.0 began to take shape.

LAMPTON 2.0 Doug assumed the mantle of presidency with grand ideas on how Lampton could elevate itself to the next level. But before his grand plan could start to take place, COVID happened. “We had to survive through that,” Doug says. “But we actually grew through the pandemic. We had an All-

GAWDA DISTRIBUTOR

MEMBER PROFILE

Star team in place. We had great team members that had survived the pandemic. (Lampton calls their employees ‘Team Members’ since they all work together as one team for the customer.) But I knew that I couldn’t focus on everything all at once. The sales and the operations, as well as the growth plans and building plans I wanted to implement. So, I decided to reorganize the company and add an extra level of high-level leadership. And in April 2022, we began transforming that All-Star team into a Dream Team.” The initial plans for Lampton 2.0 were seeded when Doug became President in 2019. But the official “groundbreaking” on the plan took place in April 2022, when Lampton hired industry-veteran Robert Mohr Gerry as its Executive Vice President. “I have always loved the concept of evolving a business and taking it forward and implementing purposeful, positive change. Trying to find out how

dynamic, elastic, and high performing a company can be,” says Gerry. “When Doug and I spoke, he told me he wanted somebody to come in and really turn the switch and implement the vision he had for Lampton 2.0. He was committed. When I heard Doug’s vision and I saw how committed he was to making it a reality and I knew that I would have lots of autonomy to make things happen, I was very excited.” The second domino to fall happened in February 2023, as Larry Krznaric joined the company as its Executive Vice President of Operations. “I knew we needed more focus,” Lampton says. “We needed more focused leadership. And so, Robert could dive into the sales and make our team better. And Larry was able to focus on the Operations Side and not have to

worry about the sales. Everybody has their lane. And that is the key to taking care of our customers.”

HITTING THE ACCELERATOR Lampton 2.0 isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It is a focused dedication on taking a brand and a legacy that has been in place for more than 75 years and injecting it with rocket fuel. The first thing that the new structure addressed was being laser-focused on its communication. “We want every single team member in the company to understand the vision and mission,” says Gerry. “So, we put in place a formal communication strategy. We divided things up into weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly and annual communications. But every step of the way, our team members know the mission and what we’re trying to accomplish together.” The company also boils its success down to what it calls “The Four P’s.” To consistently win requires strengths in all Fourth Quarter 2023 • 69

GAWDA DISTRIBUTOR MEMBER PROFILE

four sectors of performance: • People – Best in class talent, strong training and onboarding processes, compensation tied to performance, a team approach to success, strong role definition, excellent measurement of performance characteristics and people committed to excellence. Says Gerry, “You need best in class talent. And we’ve focused on that in our sales team. We’ve added specialists into the mix to help support our generalist sales staff. Specialists in automation, advanced welding systems, laser welding, bulk gas, specialty gas, beverage gas and medical gas. They will be our accelerators because they’re all building off of the common construct of moving the business forward.” • Products – Representing strong brands, presenting highly-organized offerings, leading with solutions, having superb vendor partnerships for the markets and customers we serve. 70 • Fourth Quarter 2023

“One of the first things we focused on when we started Lampton 2.0 was finding out who our true partners were. We qualified them. Where we didn’t feel they were the best solutions moving forward, we moved on. We’ve really increased our partnerships with some best-in-class industry partners. And we have the right products. That’s important. We want the safest brands that bring our customers the best value,” says Gerry. • Programs – partnering with “Best in Class” industry partners, providing a framework for excellence in retail customer experience and outside sales engagement and customer process enhancement, strong messaging and marketing materials, brand evolution. • Positions – Locations that serve the markets we seek, smart highly functional distribution capabilities to serve, digital commerce as an offering, having the right talent serving the right customer

base, committed to segments that propel the business forward, specialists that support the evolution of our customers. “Where we position ourselves is important,” Gerry says. “Not just geographically but where our capabilities are best suited. And that goes for growth as well. We’ve been the dominant player in Kansas. People know our name and know our capabilities. We’ve earned that. But you can’t just show up to a new market and assume the brand will carry you. You have to introduce those new markets to the brand. It's much more expensive to gain a new customer but we're committed to it. We've got to be of superior value to customers and put our brand in the right place. That's that positioning. We've brought on a brand manager as another targeted addition to the team.” “That’s the evolution,” says Gerry. “It’s being laser-focused on those four pillars, investing to make them happen, bringing on the talent and following the program. We’re headed toward $100 million. That’s our next goal.”

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MEMBER PROFILE

And though the vision of Lampton 2.0 started at the top, the company is incredibly focused on ensuring that it is not dictating from on high. The entire company, nearly 150 team members, share in the wins. Says Gerry, “It's really about the team and what the team can accomplish and how we can support them as leaders, more than it is the construct of Doug has a role and I have a role. We're really hoping to ensure that the people who are in the business day-to-day feel highly respected, challenged, and rewarded, and then we're just the blockade removers and market designers and they're the ones who really get the credit. That's our intention.”

THE QUEST FOR $100 MILLION Though the company is invested from top-to-bottom in the vision and trajectory it has laid out, it understands that it can’t simply abandon what made it successful for 77 years. “We will always treat our customers with respect,” Lampton says. “With every proposal to our customers, we include the ‘Lampton Commitment.’” The Lampton Commitment reads: “Lampton Welding Supply promises to conduct our business with integrity, respect, high ethics and a determined commitment to excellence. Over 77 years of gases and welding supply excellence has culminated in the creation of what Lampton Welding Supply is today. Lampton Welding Supply is the industry leader because: Lampton Welding Supply does it right from the start. Lampton Welding Supply will have the finest quality products and the best service available in the industry. Lampton Welding Supply will treat each customer as we would a guest in our home.

If you think you can't, you won't…If you think you can, you will! WE CAN, WE WILL.” And the proof is in the pudding. Since the advent of Lampton 2.0, the company has continuously been breaking territory sales records. And, more than that, the team members are visibly buying in. “I feel it whenever I go to our stores now,” Lampton says. “There’s a buzz when I walk into the stores. The team members are happier. They’re focused. They’re busy. And they’re very positive. And I saw it when we had our annual Lampton Company picnic. We had a very large increase in the number of team members who traveled from all four states into Wichita to attend. It’s not a mandatory event. You could just see the momentum and buzz that has been created. It's due to the changes and the ‘focused leadership’ that Robert and Larry give them. I think it's all translating into wins, and everybody is seeing it.”

THE NEXT PHASE Part of Lampton 2.0 is ensuring the Lampton family legacy continues to be strong. “We want to carry on this brand and legacy,” Gerry says. “The results we see in five years come from the plans we implement today. The assets and capabilities we're adding and the commitment to growth, should lead to us being even better at what we do, to having a higher sense of excellence, a higher sense of urgency as we evolve into becoming the dominant super regional in this part of the country. That's really the mission. To be dominant and forward-thinking about what the customers’ needs are through this business evolution.” Lampton concludes, “In ten years, I still think we'll be winning, growing, and building. That's what I enjoy is the grow-

ing and building of people. Making their lives better. That's what satisfies me. We are not for sale and never will be for sale as long as I'm alive. We will approach the future in the future, but right now we're focusing on today and the next few years, and we are all having fun doing it.”

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IWDC Member-Owned. Independent. Cooperative

his Summer, Steve Guglielmo and I got to attend our first IWDC Sales & Purchasing Convention at the IWDC headquarters in Indianapolis. We were already slated to be in Indianapolis to visit incoming GAWDA President Gary Halter, so Steve suggested we double up on the trip and attend the IWDC show. Part of the Sales & Purchasing Convention included a day at the IWDC headquarters, which was just a short bus ride from the Marriott. The location included office space for administrative personnel and executives, plus a large warehouse space where they stocked thousands of SKUs branded with different suppliers in the industry, as well as their private label line, “Weldmark.” The most in-depth part of the trip was a tour around the warehouse given by Sean Norton, Hardgoods Product Manager for IWDC. Sean has the sales pitch down for so many different brands and vendors, really packing the tour full of sales tips for distributors who were touring as part of the Sales & Purchasing program. I can certainly see how IWDC 72 • Fourth Quarter 2023

brings value from a sales standpoint, bringing awareness to specific SKUs where they are seeing success among members of their group. Toward the end of the visit, we were able to do an on-site interview with Frank Kasnick, President and CEO of IWDC. In his interview, Frank mentions their new product content program with DDS, how to join/criteria of joining IWDC, and advice to distributors who are considering joining a buying group. He also mentions networking and collaboration being a main pillar of the value they bring as an organization. Check out the full interview with Frank here: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=fb647MnIRVI Overall, the IWDC operation was larger than I expected. As Frank mentioned, they are now up to 34 employees, and it was cool to meet and interact with their complete staff and better understand more about their operation and mission. Special thank you to Vic Wilson and Jenne Carney for helping us coordinate our visit.

GAWDA SUPPLIER

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As Frank mentioned in his interview, the IWDC Owners Meeting is a can’t miss event for IWDC Cooperative Members. The Meeting takes place at the Cliff House Maine in Cape Neddick, ME, from November 7-9. For more information, scan the QR code below.

Scan to visit www.iwdc.coop

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PRACTICES GAWDA Members Making a Difference How Haun Welding Supply helped shape legislation in New York BY JOSH HAUN, MARK HAUN AND STEVE GUGLIELMO

AWDA members Haun Welding Supply are one of the many medical gas distributors in New York who have been operating under rules and regulations much stricter than the federal FDA regulations for medical gas supervisor training. Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with Haun Welding Chairman of the Board Mark Haun and co-president Josh Haun about their years-long effort to bring common-sense regulatory reform to the state of New York. The following is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation. To see the full interview, check out the September 15th episode of GAWDA TV. Welding & Gases Today: You have been lobbying the New York State Congress to address the current rule regarding Medical Gas Supervisor training requirements. Can you explain what the requirement is currently and why you were lobbying to get it changed? Mark Haun: It's not so much a training issue, because we train our employees. The problem is the educational requirements for the job are way overstated. The state, presently, requires a two-year degree, preferably in a techni74 • Fourth Quarter 2023

cal field, and two years of working with compressed gas cylinders. They actually prefer a four-year degree in a technical field, including chemical engineering, biology, or respiratory therapy. The issue that we face is that you just can't find people with those degrees that want to work in the welding supply business and supervise medical gas filling. Even if you could find those people, you can't pay them enough to do that job. They're just not interested and not available. But the bigger issue is that those requirements have nothing to do with medical gas supervision. It's a job that you can teach and become pretty proficient at in about a week. It doesn't require a two- or a four-year degree. And what we've been trying to do is lobby the legislature to get this changed. And we've made a lot of progress this year. It's been very exciting for us. It has been going on, officially, for five years. We've had one part of the House pass it but not the other part. And then we changed the language a few times. And now we've finally gotten to the point where both houses have passed language that is very similar to the national standard, which is

what is required by the FDA and is what most states accept. So, we're trying to get the Governor to sign that, which should be done, hopefully, by the end of the year. Welding & Gases Today: You talked about this being a five-year process. For other GAWDA members who might have rules in their states that are written poorly, can you describe what that lobbying process has been like? Mark Haun: We first met with our local State Senator five years ago. He is the one who suggested that we try to attack this legislatively. Prior to that, we had been trying to negotiate with the State Board of Pharmacy and we just weren't getting anywhere. I really don't believe that they understand the process in our industry. We've tried to get them to come to view the filling process and we had been largely unsuccessful. What really helped was getting the legislators in. We probably had 20 or 25 visit our different facilities around the state. And once we could show them the process and explain why the educational requirement in the legislation is really overstated, they agreed. So, once you got past the technical side of it and were able to show people what it's really all about,

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PRACTICES it has been, from our perspective, fairly easy to get the new bill passed through the two houses. Josh Haun: It's been pretty interesting seeing the process and understanding how bills and government work. We've had really good success working with our local representatives, who have been willing to come out and talk to us and see what is going on. The legislation is written with pharmaceutical manufacturing in mind. And that has different requirements. People don't understand that until they see it in person. That has really helped us, and we've had great support from our local legislators who have helped push this through and seen the need for it. That, along with our local manufacturing organization whose lobbyists have helped us with this process as well. Welding & Gases Today: Mark, you said earlier that you're trying to get the New York regulation to mirror the Federal regulation. How do the two differ currently? Mark Haun: The federal requirement doesn't have specific language dealing with the education that is required for the medical supervisor candidate. It just states that the experience and training need to be appropriate and adequate to allow the person to do the job appropriately. It gives the Board of Pharmacy the ability to make a decision based upon the person's experience and qualifications, rather than the educational requirement having so much weight in the process. Welding & Gases Today: Assuming this bill is signed by the Governor and is enacted as law, how will this positively benefit the company and other GAWDA members in New York? Mark Haun: Oh, my goodness, we have two medical supervisors right now that are over 70 years old. In one case, we have plenty of qualified people under

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PRACTICES him who don't meet the current regulation because they don't have a college degree. They have been in the business 10 or 20 years, handling cylinders, even filling medical gases, but they technically don't qualify to supervise. It just doesn't make any sense. So, once this gets passed, it really gives us a lot of opportunity to put the right people in place and not be bound by the educational requirements. We fill in eight locations. Two or three of those are being medically supervised by people who are close to retirement age. If they go before we can replace them, it's going to be a real problem, not only for us, but for the local market. Josh Haun: We serve a lot of more rural areas and that's why we have to fill in so many locations to get those cylinders turned around quickly. And those are the most challenging places to find

somebody who meets those requirements. So, this will really help us to be able to continue to serve those communities that are underserved. Welding & Gases Today: The way New York State is constituted, the Board of Pharmacy falls under the purview of the Board of Education. Has that impacted the current legislation, in your opinion? Mark Haun: We have said that tongue in cheek. But we are telling the State Education Department that a college degree isn't necessary. And I don't know how well received that is, just on that level. Josh Haun: They are very hesitant to reduce educational requirements. And that is the biggest challenge, is their objection to this being signed. Mark Haun: And, regardless of the degree that somebody has after four

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years of college, they don't know anything about our industry or about filling medical oxygen. There is no advantage to it. And we've struggled to get them to understand that. They're concerned about the quality and purity of the gas. As are we. But the regulations and requirements don't do anything to enhance that or ensure the quality of the gas or the oxygen, more than we do by doing the training that we're required to do. Welding & Gases Today: So, somebody that has a four-year degree has to go through the exact same training process as somebody who has no college experience at all? They're not at any kind of advantage whatsoever? Josh Haun: Correct Welding & Gases Today: We mentioned it earlier, for other GAWDA mem-

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PRACTICES bers who might be in states that have similarly poorly constructed rules, do you have any advice, having gone through the process, on how they can go about enacting positive change in their areas? Josh Haun: I think if you see something that can better your business opportunity, better your community, or remove onerous requirements, reach out to your local representatives. That's what they're there for. They're meant to take community concerns and address them as needed. In our case, it was a long process. And if it's something that you really need to do, you need to be patient and willing to put the time in to see it through. We could have easily given up on this several times. It's been frustrating going through and thinking you're getting somewhere only to take two steps forward and one step back. But, I would

suggest, if you have any kind of law that is holding your company back, reach out to your local representatives and see what you can do about it. Welding & Gases Today: Is there anything else on this topic or this regulation that you wanted to mention before we go? Josh Haun: I just want to thank Tom Badstubner for all of his help throughout this process in helping us get in touch with the right people. I would also like to thank all of the other distributors in New York who have written letters to the Governor and to their representatives on behalf of this bill. I think that has really helped it get to where it is at this point.

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nrollment is complete. Hotel rooms are reserved, and flights are booked. More than 1,000 GAWDA members are in Maui for the Annual Convention. It’s the tenth trip to the Island State since the inaugural visit in 1971. Charlie Squibb, Randy’s Dad, was NSWA’s President, and had the pleasure of welcoming nearly 2,500 delegates, when the distributor company census was close to 2,000. This year’s registration of over 1,000 represents a new plateau, considering 50 years of consolidations and other events such as 9/11 and COVID. It will be a great event to mark the passing of the gavel from Robert Anders to Gary Halter. This year’s only surprise was supposed to be George Ratermann’s swimwear selection for the Pool Party - the only concern was whether the Pina Colada ingredients would last throughout the duration of the event. This popular gathering – always an incredible networking and industry friendship opportunity – will include a fundraiser to assist those impacted by the devastation from the recent fires. Now, faced with the tragic consequences of the Maui Fires, the tone of the Convention focuses on how GAWDA’s presence can be beneficial to the island’s communities and the rebuilding of families suffering from the consequences. There is no doubt that GAWDA and its membership will show the true fabric of this organization. Already committed to supporting the Malama Family Recovery Center as the recipient of GAWDA Gives Back, several member companies have established free-standing funds, consolidating donations toward the Maui Strong Fund, and earmarked individual donations through focused charities. The full level of support will

likely never be known, but, if past experiences tell us anything, it will be massive. To copy a familiar phrase – “It’s who we are!” You, the distributor and supplier members of GAWDA, will be surrounded with good content, the sharing of rewarding experiences, and networking that is second to none. So, take a deep breath, and think about your choice to be a part of this gases and welding business world. It is unique, indeed. In very few places will one find a group of individuals who so quickly become engaged with each other. It makes very little difference whether your badge is Red or Blue. Once assimilated into these fellowships, very few elect to depart. Individuals may choose to change jobs, or be hired away from one brand to another, but they remain inside the industry tent. Friendships that begin and develop here, stay here. In the field, we may scrap for an order of 50 pounds of 5P, or the sale of a couple B or MC tanks, but, at the conclusion of each day, we will bend over backwards to help one another out. “Why?” you may ask, is this the case? Likely because of the nature of our business and the consistent mentoring we all receive. Safety is at the cornerstone of our business. We deal with a lot of dangerous “stuff.” An accident can harm us, our colleagues, folks we have never met, or our community, as a whole. An accident in Bangor, Maine, can cause concern for people in Ashtabula, Ohio, or Salem, Oregon. Safety connects our entire industry, and we never fail to share experiences and remedies – it’s our culture to do so. We consider our associates to be “experts.” We deal with many complicated products and processes. Some of these are inward facing and impact our own efficiency and productivity. We

SALES &

MARKETING go out of our way to train and refresh our team members. Our clients look to us to bring solutions, efficiency, and productivity to their production floors. Since our manufacturing and supplier partners are continually offering new ideas, products, and processes, the need to train, perfect, and present is never ending. Even our business model changes. Our sales teams transition from “show and tell” – features and benefits’ presentations to explaining the nuances of electronic sales interfaces. Our marketing group is no longer shuffling paper spec sheets, but, instead, introducing social media campaigns and building out sophisticated web page content. Our call centers have become information and problem-solving resources, matched with field engineering associates providing hands-on assistance, training, and follow ups. All of these adjustments are in an atmosphere of beneficial generational change that require a transfer of proven historic institutional culture to our successors rich with technological skill sets and exciting vision that occur in all walks of life. So, as you unpack those floral Hawaiian garments, understand that you are in Maui as a matter of choice – to be part of an amazing industry that has a “grip” on you as you never imagined. And, as a result, you are surrounded by legions of “genuine” people who share a vision of excellence, understanding, and a willingness to share for the betterment of your organization, associates, clients, and the communities you serve. As you prepare to depart, know, in your respective hearts, that the residents you leave behind in Maui appreciate your thoughtfulness, donations, and prayers. They are better off as the result of hosting the GAWDA Community! You have made a difference.

Now, faced with the tragic consequences of the Maui Fires, the tone of the Convention focuses on how GAWDA’s presence can be beneficial to the island’s communities and the rebuilding of families suffering from the consequences.

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Wonder, Blunder, Thunder, and Plunder The four stages of every family business. BY RANDY SQUIBB, 1994-95 GAWDA PRESIDENT

Randy Squibb is available for Customer Relations presentations and can be reached by email at crsquibb@aol.com.

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AWDA is an association that is made up of like-minded people and businesses. Not universally, but for the most part, we are companies that sell similar products (like I always say, no matter how many times I say the guy down the street sells Oxygen that has lumps in it, it just isn’t true), and many of us are family businesses. And those family businesses are made up of entrepreneurs who want the best for both the business AND the family. But, like every business, family businesses are not immune from the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, and the cycles that face all businesses. Some of the older members within GAWDA might remember Dr. Leon Danco. And if you aren’t old enough to have heard from Dr. Danco, you may remember me mentioning him in my columns before. For my money, there was no higher authority on the inner workings of family business than Dr. Danco. When my dad, Charlie Squibb, was President of NWSA in 1970, we had 7-8 zone meetings per year. And for many of those meetings, Dr. Danco was our featured speaker. When Dr. Danco spoke, you listened. And what he was saying was especially important in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Following World War II, there was an explosion of entrepreneurial activity. People were venturing out on their own to start their own businesses. The gases and welding industry was no different.

But, by the 1970s, many of those post-War owners were getting ready to retire. And, back then, 100% of their net-worth was tied to the business. So, they had no choice but to transition to the next generation or sell their business so that they had money to retire with. And that’s why Dr. Danco was so instrumental for our industry. He was part of the industry before the advent of the majors. And he said that every single family business goes through four stages. He called them Wonder, Blunder, Thunder, and Plunder. And even though it has been nearly 50 years since Dr. Danco was speaking regularly to NWSA members, those four stages still resonate today. Wonder: The wonder stage occurs early on, before the entrepreneur even opens the business. He knows he’s tired of working his 9-5 for somebody else and wants to start his own business. And he thinks to himself, “I know this business. I know the customers, I know the suppliers, and if only it were up to me, I could do it better than we’re doing now.” Now, the wonder comes from when they talk to their family. And the family begins to wonder, “why are you leaving this good paying job? It’s steady. It has excellent benefits. I wonder, why would you do that?” Every entrepreneur has had that wonder before. Another name for it is doubt. And a lot of potentially great businesses and entrepreneurs get snuffed out in the wonder phase. But for those

SALES &

MARKETING that are dedicated and take the plunge, eventually they end up in the next phase. Blunder: You know the phrase, “You don’t know what you don’t know?” That applies doubly to the budding business-owner. This is a difficult time for the entrepreneur. That “wonder” starts to creep back in every day. They’re working 16-18 hours per day just to cover up the mistakes they made the day before. They have an accounting system that would make any CPA cringe. Think I don’t know about this stage firsthand? When we were trying to reconcile cash at the end of the day, my grandfather used to come in and if there was any cash in the drawer, he’d take it out. So, at the end of the day, our cash wouldn’t balance. And then Dad would come in and ask, “Did your grandfather come in today?” That’s the blunder stage. The entrepreneur is learning how to run the business. And, for those that make it through the Wonder and the Blunder, they do learn. And they begin to do well. And, eventually, they are doing so well and have been at it for so long, that they start thinking about the next steps in their life. How do I get out of the business? Thunder: The Thunder stage is like that scene in Goodfellas when Henry is walking through the Copacabana. Henry goes through the side door and enters the restaurant through the kitchen. He gets his own table brought out just for him. All the while, he’s tipping everybody he sees in $50s and $100s. The Thunder stage is like that, just without the Mafia. You’re going to trade association meetings at the company’s expense. You’re seeing your old friends. You’re reminiscing about the good old days. But the younger generation has a different recollection of the “good old days.” They remember Mom and Dad working 18-hour days and stressing at the dinner table. All of that is forgotten

once you’ve found success. But it’s during this time that Dr. Danco would say that the entrepreneur needs to change roles. They need to go from being a doer to being a teacher. It’s time for the next generation to learn those lessons you learned during the Blunder stage. And it’s a difficult thing for the founders to let go. This has been their baby since birth, now they’re being asked to step back and get out of the day-to-day? It’s a difficult thing to do. But do you know what’s more difficult than passing the baton? The Plunder stage. Plunder – Those who know Dr. Danco or have read my columns know I’m quite fond of one of his particular lessons. Don’t worry about a transition plan. When you’re gone, the CPAs will be taking care of that three cars back

from the black limousine on the way back from your funeral. Put another way, failing to plan is planning to fail. Now, thankfully, not many businesses make it here. But those that do are a cautionary tale. If you fail to properly transition your company, it will be plundered and those that remain will be left to pick up the pieces. And, those lessons apply, even if you’re not the founder. You could be the second, third, fourth or even fifth generation. But there will come a day when you need to transition the business to the next person. And if you don’t have a plan in place before that day comes, you could wind up as the cautionary tale we talk about at the next Convention. So, take the time to transition the business. As hard as it may be, you will be so much better off down the road.

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SALES &

MARKETING What is Your Pricing Strategy? BY ART WASKEY

CHANGING DYNAMICS

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

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As a vice president of sales, one of the toughest responsibilities I had was directing price increases. My sales managers and outside sales reps rarely agreed on strategy. Managers always seemed to be on one side of the issue and sales reps on the other. As VP, my position in the price review process was often one of arbitrator. Technology has changed the dynamics of pricing strategy. With digitalization, information is now readily available to measure customer performance. Analyzing price increases is now a more exacting process.

CALCULATING OUTCOMES Consider these elements when calculating pricing outcomes. Customer Segmentation – Make sure your customer segmentation is based on data, not personal emotions. Considerations for segmentation should focus on revenue and gross margin. Pricing shouldn’t be influenced by the emotions of an outside sales rep (OSR), inside sales rep (ISR), store manager, or customer service personnel. The top revenue generator for one OSR’s territory may not be one of the company’s top 20 customers. Consider grouping your customers into four pricing categories — A through D — with A being your top performers with the best pricing. Check to make sure your customers are in the correct pricing category based on revenue and gross margin. Cost of Service — Sales revenue and gross profit percentage are not the only considerations. You also need to look at cost of service. Review how promptly the customer pays their bill. Is the customer that is past due 60 days priced accordingly? How many returns are you processing for the customer each year? Does a specific customer require ongoing training, technical service, or

an inordinate amount of other types of interaction? These are all costs to your bottom line. They should be quantified and considered in price adjustments Customer Type and Geographic Location — Customer type and location impact pricing. From my 50 years in the welding and industrial gas distribution segment, I found that HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air condition) products had a significantly lower competitive pricing structure than some of the same products for metal fabrication customers. While the restaurant service sector afforded the highest pricing for our products. Look for these and other types of considerations in your pricing structure. For example, the greater the distance from a major market, the greater the distribution cost. Pricing should correspond to this. Customers with multiple locations in different markets also need special pricing consideration. Use digital analytics in your pricing evaluation process. Consistency — Another factor to consider is where the customer places their orders. Is your pricing consistent across platforms? Do your customers get different pricing from the OSRs, ISRs, ecommerce orders, customer service rep (CSR), and/or counter store reps? Do your salespeople know how the pricing works? As senior vice president of sales, I would field calls from OSRs who would complain that when their customer went to our store to pick up a product, they were not always charged the OSR’s quoted price. This was also true for products substituted for those quoted. If your pricing is inconsistent, less scrupulous customers can play one employee against the other, costing you money. Pricing Overrides – Human nature also comes into play in pricing consistency. Whether

SALES &

MARKETING retail or wholesale, we tend to migrate to the contact we think will give us the best price. When the client states they are a large user, how often do your reps (OSR or CSR) override pricing guidelines and offer the customer an inappropriate discount? I was in a retail hardware store buying weed killer to get ahead of the spring growth. As I checked out, without requesting it, the cashier asked if I was a student, contractor, or senior citizen. As a senior citizen I received my 5% discount. While I appreciated the consideration, did I really merit the special pricing? Was 5% the appropriate discount? How do you monitor discounting? Is it consistently applied? Customer Contracts – Are your customers using their contract pricing effectively? Is the pricing in a viable metric? Given the complexity of today’s marketplace, OSRs are no longer in a position to set good customer-specific pricing (CSP). It is No Longer Realistic to “Set-it and Forget it.” The discounting from list strategy isn’t reactive in today’s dynamic digital marketplace. Hard loaded fixed pricing policies should no longer be used. Given the environment of the last couple years, fixed pricing can rapidly lead to instant margin erosion. If 60% of your revenue is set by (CSP), in order to ensure the

correct margin, you must be constantly analyzing where your sales dollars come from. Know your renewal dates. Analyze where the product volume is flowing. Evaluate the price points, especially on the most expensive products, and manage your customer contracts.

ECONOMIC DISRUPTORS All of the above pricing factors are influenced by economic disruptors like pandemics, supply chain issues, transportation snafus, and interest rate increases. Spreadsheet pricing strategies are no longer adequate. With the current rate of price change, there is a major concern for margin erosion even when you feel you are constantly raising prices. In today’s environment, spreadsheet analysis can’t possibly keep up with the pace of change.

THE SOLUTION How can a distributor stay on top of the pricing of thousands of SKUs in the face of economic disruption? Here are two important suggestions. Build Company Culture and Team Support – To ensure

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Fourth Quarter 2023 • 83

SALES &

MARKETING pricing is a team effort, your CEO must solicit cross-functional pricing communication support throughout the organization. As a company, you must recognize your pricing guidelines and develop strategy accordingly. This process must involve many people to ensure a collective buy-in. All players should have input on how pricing is set, contracts are structured, and who gets customer-specific pricing (CSP). Set Key Performance Indicators (KPI) benchmarks and communicate monthly results throughout the organization. Share the company’s vision for growth to help each team member contribute accordingly. Managers need to make faceto-face contact with the sales team and branch stores for feedback. Celebrate performance. Provide coaching regarding your current pricing status, any changes in pricing strategy, adoption rate, and optimized profit results. Data Based Pricing – Get rid of the inefficient, time consuming CSP. The backbone of your pricing should be a Pricing Profit Optimizer that sets the lowest and highest acceptable margins. Put pricing back in the proper zone for the customer and the market so sales reps don’t need to use overrides. Make sure your sales team knows that management is in contact with customer needs. Get CSP under control.

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THE TIME IS NOW Pricing must be a core competency of your business and use the best of today’s digital analysis tools. Better customer retention and pricing comes from consistency. According to White Cup Solutions (whitecupsolutions. com), a company that offers a Revenue Intelligence platform designed for the distribution industry, “Distributors who win won’t have one-size-fits-all pricing; they’ll have data-driven intelligent pricing practices to offer the right price to the right customer at the right time. Knowledge is pricing power; they’ll put in place the ability to run what-if scenarios to predict market share, revenues, and margins at various price points.” Identify your greatest pricing opportunities and set strategic price targets by product type and customer type. Ensure that your customer’s performance matches your pricing model. Integrate digital data-based pricing metrics in your strategic planning to minimize inconsistencies created by the emotional side of your planning process. Your analytic tools should be proactive and nimble, not reactive and clumsy. Remember, technology has changed the dynamics of pricing strategy. Make sure your strategic pricing plan is backed by the digital tools now available.

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MARKETING

Embracing Technology Why distributors must evolve to a Generation Two business model. BY MIKE MARKS, INDIAN RIVER CONSULTING GROUP

A 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.

shift is happening in distribution. The advent of increasingly sophisticated and affordable technology is redrawing the industry’s future. Early adopters of technology and new competitors with radically different financial and go-to-market models are threatening traditional distributors. Despite this, many distributors have been slow to change how they operate. For distributors to keep up with the competition, they must embrace change and understand how to leverage the right technology to stay in the game.

HOW DISTRIBUTION STARTED – GEN ONE The rise of distributors began quickly after World War II. With an enormous need for jobs following the war and manufacturers struggling with the logistics of connecting their products with consumers, distributors began to fill the gaps. Distributors offered a way for manufacturers to avoid dealing with the ins and outs of selling to end-users. Distributors combined capital, energy, labor and materials to offer a beneficial service to

manufacturers and end-users. Distributors were happy to tie up their capital in the product because they could make a high margin on sales. At the same time, manufacturers were happy to get their inventory closer to the point of consumption. That business model went largely unchanged until Amazon Business emerged in 2010, disrupting the distribution industry. Digital technologies have increased efficiencies in distribution operations, especially in the past five years. That’s opened the door to reach end-users in new ways, such as ecommerce, third-party marketplaces and manufacturer direct.

WHAT DISTRIBUTORS SHOULD BE DOING Distributors who have survived and thrived throughout time have been able to adapt to threats and opportunities quickly and efficiently. They understand that customers are at the heart of the need for digital transformation. Distributors must embark on a journey to what I call a Gen Two distributor, focused on leveraging technology to deliver an experience Fourth Quarter 2023 • 85

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MARKETING to customers the way they want it, quickly and efficiently. In addition, distributors should rely less on warehousing large amounts of inventory, which lowers their cost-effectiveness. Distributors must invest time and money into technology and innovation to ensure they meet customer demands, increase efficiencies and refine their go-to-market channels. But it’s not just about the technology. The sign of a distributor ready to move to Gen Two is how they view technology. Gen One distributors view technology as an event, such as buying a CRM and moving forward thinking the world will then be wonderful: The technology solves the problem. Gen Two distributors align their goals and customer needs with the selection of technology; they don’t expect a one-anddone. They expect to embark on a journey, knowing that transformation and growth will continue over time. Grainger is a good example. They developed the first CD-ROM catalog in the mid-90s. After the internet and the .com-era took over, Grainger continued to innovate and learn from their successes and mistakes. They began by examining their go-to-market strategy and recognized the need to better capture the small customer market. They brought in a consultant for multiple years to improve their innovation efforts and embarked on a long-term journey with an eye on sustainable success. As a result, they now do over 50% of their business in ecommerce. The key for Grainger was the leadership admitting that what they were doing wasn’t ok, that they needed to change. And then going on a journey to employ the strategies of a future-focused distributor.

GEN TWO: DISTRIBUTION UNBUNDLING When you think of Gen Two, think about unbundling. There are many customers that do not need to be serviced by a field sales rep and few field sales reps would be comfortable sharing this. Over the past 10 years, many of the largest distributors have been shedding branches and transforming their business models, with a more digitally focused strategy. As part of this effort, they have been unbundling products and services to support their goal of providing a better customer experience. The perfect example of unbundling is Uber – they don’t own any vehicles but are the biggest transportation company. Airbnb also fits this description – the largest real estate company without owning any real estate. Both relied on digital tools to create a mechanism that efficiently delivers the product without owning it themselves. 86 • Fourth Quarter 2023

With that same technology in hand, manufacturers can now bypass distributors with manufacturer’s reps and thirdparty logistics (3PL) warehouses for certain segments of business. Common 3PL services include warehouse and inventory management, order fulfillment, shipping coordination, retail distribution, exchanges and returns. Nike is one of the best at utilizing 3PL. Nike can deliver a pair of shoes to a retailer the next day anywhere with a UPS pick up by 4 o’clock. The 3PL doesn’t take title to the inventory but handles logistics for Nike, bypassing distribution. However, many manufacturers don’t want everybody to have live access to their finished goods inventory. In many distribution verticals, the leading distributors are much further ahead than the leading manufacturers. Inventory works like a capacitor in an electrical circuit. It stores up energy (inventory) and then releases it when necessary. However, if a distributor uses technology to know what a customer will need on Tuesday, they can have it drop-shipped or pipelined out of just in time dedicated customer stock, eliminating the need for just-in case and safety stock inventory. This allows leading distributors to have 20 inventory turns instead of just three or four. Some manufacturers make it easier for distributors to do business with them. For example, Square D (Schneider Electric) lets distributors get special pricing authorizations online without jumping through hoops. This has a major impact on saving time and improves the productivity of a distributor’s selling efforts.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR GEN TWO STRATEGY Distributors ready to embark on the journey to becoming a Gen Two distributor can follow those before them and implement this strategy: Start the journey. Every journey starts with the decision to start, knowing that it will be a multi-year journey rather than a one-step problem to solve. This decision must come from the leadership team and be upheld from step one, putting customers first. Surround yourself with like-minded businesses. Get your company into the flow of information and be a fast follower. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel but look at what other people have done and adapt to your business. Attend industry trade and buyer group conferences to pick others’ brains. There are many distributors on the path, and some are quite ahead of their peers.

SALES &

MARKETING Know your purpose as a distributor. Focus on the customer’s buying journey and align your sales and marketing to that goal. Reach out to customers and learn how they want to buy and work with manufacturers to streamline the process. Help move your team from a field rep-centric way of thinking to a focus on a robust inside sales rep infrastructure for market serving activities while the freed up field sales force can shift to market making activities. Essentially the field sales role evolves from being the Lone Ranger to becoming the point of the spear. Stay committed. Embrace the process, make an ongoing and continuous effort and commit to the change. Create a plan for others to follow and involve your sales force and other teams from the jump. Gartner research found that 72% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free experience. When you return to the beginning of distribution, sales reps were the only way a customer could dis-

cover what was new. Customer wants are changing rapidly, and distributors must adapt to meet those new expectations. Distributors must ask themselves, “If all my salespeople quit tomorrow, would I rehire for the same role? Or would I do something differently if given the opportunity? Which look will provide me with the most flexibility and profit moving forward?” Those that move to Gen Two and figure out how to build a business model that integrates customer-centric digital tools will be able to sell a lot lower in the market than their competitors in Gen One. The gap between leaders and followers is already growing and will only continue to widen as Gen Two distributors pave the path forward.

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Fourth Quarter 2023 • 87

SALES &

MARKETING The Accidental Salesperson BY JAY SPEILVOGEL, VENATOR SALES GROUP, LLC

D Jay Spielvogel is CEO of Venator Sales Group, a sales consulting and training firm specializing in boosting Welding and Gas distribution sales performance. Contact him at: Jay@ venatorsalesgroup.com

88 • Fourth Quarter 2023

o any of the following statements sound familiar? “We put new bonus structures in place, and yet my salespeople still lack motivation to hunt for new business.” “It seems my salespeople are more interested in doing ‘milk-runs’ on existing clients, rather than spending time developing new business.” “My salespeople tell me they have a lot of administrative work to do – building quotes, making sure orders are placed properly – and therefore they have no time to prospect.” You can’t force an employee to want to be a better salesperson. In response to the above challenges, many companies will hire additional inside salespeople to help support the outside team. They will also implement sales and product training, as well as investing in technology solutions including CRM programs, email campaigns and online research tools. While these approaches are critical when optimizing a sales organization, they can become bad investments when offered to the wrong team members. If there is any doubt, then consider the following questions: • Are you constantly trying to convince your people to use the CRM and leverage the company sales process? • Is it an endless battle to get some of your team members to spend time qualifying

and getting to know their prospects before sending a quote? • Does it feel like you are having the same conversations every week about the lack of pipeline follow-up and development effort? If the answer to these questions is a resounding YES, then you may have some “accidental salespeople.”

WHAT EXACTLY IS AN ACCIDENTAL SALESPERSON? The best way to answer this question is to compare selling to sports: • Like an athlete, a salesperson enjoys the thrill of the win, but often suffers the agony of defeat. • Both also deal with competition and heavy amounts of pressure to produce results. • Ultimately, success in either occupation requires a competitive spirit, resiliency, a love of the game and a high commitment to growth and improvement. The one critical difference between the two vocations is the low barrier to entry when it comes to a career in sales. This is why we find so many accidental salespeople who pride themselves on their knowledge of what they sell, rather than their ability to sell. When asked what they love about sales and what makes them great at it, they will respond, “I love problem solving and building relationships.”

SALES &

MARKETING While these two competencies are essential in any customer-facing role, a true “sales-athlete” will focus on their love of creating new opportunities, winning new business and the potential commission they can earn. They will also embrace technology and fully leverage the sales process. Additionally, they view sales training and coaching as growth opportunities, rather than a mandated waste of time.

WHAT IF I SUSPECT I HAVE ACCIDENTAL SALESPEOPLE ON MY TEAM? • If you are unsure, the first step is to leverage a third-party sales evaluation tool. There are many on the market, but it is critical to utilize one that focuses less on personality and more on the individual’s commitment, motivation and desire for growth and success in sales. Additionally, a truly objective evaluation tool should reveal both positive and negative beliefs about the role of a salesperson, as well as predicting their response to training and coaching. • Beyond the assessment tool, it is important to sit with the employee and review their personal goals, areas they want to improve and how they perceive their responsibilities. Though the odds of success are low when it comes to accidental salespeople, it is reasonable to ask them to take part in sales training, commit to a regimen of prospecting activities and to fully adopt company tools and processes. The key is being sensitive to them submitting vs committing to the program. In other words, you need to know when to cut your losses and create a backup plan.

A PLAN FOR REPOSITIONING VS. REMOVING THE ACCIDENTAL SALESPEOPLE In the past, companies would quickly terminate salespeople for non-performance. Things have changed and most companies fear the havoc that turnover wreaks on the existing territories, company morale and the client base. Rather than suffering the endless cycle of hiring and firing, a successful model many companies are embracing is segmenting the sales team. This involves creating multiple roles including account care managers, sales support engineers, account executives responsible for client expansion, as well as new business development reps. While an accidental salesperson will predictably struggle with hunting and closing, they may be a great account customer care manager. They may also possess strong problem solving and follow-up skills enabling them to thrive in this new role. While they may be incapable of getting to the real decision makers, they can be viewed as a highly trusted and appreciated resource to your existing client’s buyers and end users.

“Hire for passion and intensity; there is training for everything.” – Nolan Bushnell (cofounder of Atari)

Another role they can fill is sales support engineer, aka “subject matter expert.” In most companies, this task falls on sales management, many who are already stretched too thin. Often, the accidental salesperson was promoted or hired into a sales position due to their technical knowledge. This person can be repositioned into the role of supporting the other team members when they need a “product evangelist” to help present.

HOW DO WE AVOID HIRING MORE ACCIDENTAL SALESPEOPLE? • Like the evaluation process above for existing team members, it is important to have a comprehensive recruiting approach when hiring new salespeople. The focus of the interviewing process should be on a candidate’s motivation and commitment to sales success, as much as it is on their skills, background, and knowledge. Utilizing an objective sales-specific screening tool will also help to weed out the reps who are pursuing a job vs. a career. • Beyond their answers to your questions, pay close attention to the questions they ask you. A growth-minded salesperson will ask about the territory, commission earnings potential, and specific details about other successful individuals at the company. An accidental salesperson will focus on the accounts and leads they will be given, base salary, flexibility in making their own schedules as well as potential to quickly move into a management role. Unfortunately, as the barriers to entry for other competitive occupations become greater, we will see more accidental salespeople popping up. Additionally, as salary demands increase, the cost of carrying these reps will become more burdensome and the emotional drain on leadership will become profound. Stacking the bench with the right “sales athletes” is paramount to the company’s success. Fourth Quarter 2023 • 89

TRENDS &

TECHNOLOGY the S E A R C H for Gases & E N G I N E Welding Industry TRENDS

BY STEVE GUGLIELMO

art of developing a comprehensive digital marketing 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 analyzes 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.

CHAT GPT

Average Search Volume has increased 2,700% YoY Average Search Volume has increase 3,700% over the past 5 years

90 • Fourth Quarter 2023

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TRENDS &

TECHNOLOGY CO2 NEAR ME

Average Search Volume has increased 2.73% YoY Average Search Volume has increased 20.96% over the past 5 years