Welding & Gases Today - Q3 2018

The Official Publication of the Gases and Welding Distributors Association

Annual Convention & SMC RECAP

Attendance Sets a New Record

Third Quarter 2018

MEMBER PROFILE

O.E. Meyer: 100 Yrs. in Business

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co nt e n t s

Third Quarter • Summer 2018 • Volume 17, No. 3

DEPARTMENTS 08

PRESIDENT’S VIEW Record-Setting SMC, Two New GAWDA Positions

12

COVER STORY

70

80

DIRECTOR’S DESK New Director of Membership Services and Programs

BY JOHN OSPINA

14

YEARS

60

PUBLISHER’S NOTE New Editor in Chief

50

BY BILL BROD

18

BY THOMAS L. BADSTUBNER

DOT Requirements for Special Permits

20

BY MICHAEL DODD

egulatory Relief on R Driver Hours of Service

100

YEARS

GAWDA Members Reflect on the Journey to Success and Paths Forward to New Opportunities

BY RICHARD P. SCHWEITZER, ESQ.

96

ITR ECONOMICS: Production Growing, but Indicators Suggest Slowdown by 4Q18

YEARS

Marking Milestones

ree Medical Gas Training F for GAWDA Members

YEARS

90

YEARS

GAWDA CONSULTANTS 16

YEARS

BY NED LANE

BY VERONICA WESTFALL AND AGNES H. BAKER PAGE 36

BY ALAN BEAULIEU

MEMBER PROFILE

GAWDA GUEST VIEWS

28

22

.E. Meyer Company O Marks 100 Years of Customer Service Excellence

BY AGNES H. BAKER

GAWDA CONSULTANTS A Great Member Resource

BY DIANE STIRLING

92

UMAN RESOURCES H Organizing for Improved Sales

BY ART WASKEY

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@WeldingAnd GasesToday. org. • Advertising correspondence and materials should be sent to William Brod, Data Key Holdings, LLC., 1415 W. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13204; 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 ©2018 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 editor@WeldingAnd GasesToday.org.

• Data Key Holdings, LLC. reserves the right to print portions of all or any correspondence mailed to the editors without liability on its part and no such correspondence will be returned. • Visit Welding & Gases Today Online at www.WeldingAndGasesToday.org.

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co nt e n t s

Third Quarter • Summer 2018 • Volume 17, No. 3

NEWS ROUNDUP

NEWS FROM GAWDA

110

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

115

INDUSTRY NEWS

125

IN MEMORIAM

128

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

130

NEW OFFERINGS

132

ADVERTISERS INDEX

66

AC PREVIEW GAWDA in the Great Northwest

84

SMC RECAP Attendance Sets New Record

72

FEATURED EXHIBITORS A Guide to the Featured AC Contact Booth Exhibitors

124

REGIONAL MEETINGS Only One Regional Remaining

THE TEAM EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EDITOR IN CHIEF

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

VICE PRESIDENT, SALES

John Ospina jospina@gawda.org

Veronica Westfall veronicaw@datakey.org

Agnes H. Baker

Tim Hudson timh@datakey.org

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

Bill Brod billbrod@datakey.org

Natasha Alexis nalexis@gawda.org

Robin Barnes robinb@datakey.org

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P RESIDENT’S VIEW

Record Attendance at SMC and Board Approval of Two New Positions by ned lane

I

t’s been a busy quarter for the GAWDA team, and we’ve accomplished quite a bit. Below, I’ve summarized some of our activities:

AIWD CONVENTION GAWDA’s 2017–2018 president, Ned Lane, serves as president of Cee Kay Supply, Inc. in St. Louis, MO. He’s worked in the welding and gases industry for 34 years on both the distributor and supplier sides. He can be reached at nedl@ceekay.com and 314-644-3500.

In April, John Ospina and I had the opportunity to present at the Association of Independent Welding Distributors (AIWD) Convention in Louisville, KY, about the value of a GAWDA membership. Our message seemed to resonate, as we gained seven new members in the weeks after the convention. I extend my thanks to John and Mike Dodd, as well as Stephen Hill for his follow-up efforts.

SPRING MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE IN ST. LOUIS We had 678 — a record attendance — at the Spring Management Conference in St. Louis. Our speakers, venue and Contact Booth Program received very positive feedback. Of course, I also need to mention the President’s Reception and a St. Louis Cardinal victory over the Chicago Cubs (don’t look at the Central Division standings). And, we were able to coordinate a tour of Cee Kay Supply. Thanks to everyone who made the conference a success!

BOARD APPROVES TWO NEW POSITIONS The board approved adding another vice president on the path to being president of GAWDA, and we are pleased to welcome Bob Ewing to this position. He will help the incoming presidents to start their search for convention sites a year earlier and give us more options for 8 • Summer 2018

The board approved adding another vice president on the path to being president of GAWDA, and we are pleased to welcome Bob Ewing to this position. cities, hotels and avoiding conflicts with other association events and dates. In addition, this decision will give Bob another year of being part of the executive committee and help him to better understand the association and team.

The board also approved the addition of a member services and program director to the GAWDA team. This individual will be in charge of validating and improving the “GAWDA Value” provided to our existing membership, enable us to review our services and programs, deliver the greatest value to our membership and recruit new GAWDA members.

CONTACT BOOTH PROGRAM The Industry Partnering Committee led by Doug Morton has agreed to take over the Contact Booth Program process for the next Spring Management Conference and Annual Meeting. In the past, we have not had a standing committee to manage this process. However, we have made great progress over the past few years and believe, with the guidance of the committee, this will continue to improve. Using information from our surveys and other feedback, we intend to continue to make our Contact Booth Program a positive experience for both suppliers and distributors.

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In June, many suppliers and distributors attended a seminar on Compressed Gas Association guidelines, best practices and incident sharing in Louisville, KY. We look forward to more joint sessions in the future that will continue to bring content and value to GAWDA members. Thanks to CGA Staff and current President Jack Butler for making this such a great event.

ANNIVERSARIES Finally, congratulations to all of our members celebrating milestone anniversaries! See the pages of this magazine for highlights on some of our members. We applaud all of you and your companies’ accomplishments and are proud to have you as GAWDA members.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming GAWDA convention in Seattle!

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DIRECTOR’S DESK

GAWDA Hires Director of Membership Services and Programs by john ospina

G John Ospina is GAWDA’s executive director.

He can be reached at GAWDA Headquarters in Hollywood, Fla., via telephone at 844-2513219 or via email at jospina@gawda.org.

12 • Summer 2018

AWDA is pleased to announce the hiring of Andrea Levy as director of membership services and programs. In this position, Andrea is responsible for directing the membership recruitment and retention operations of the association, including the development of membership campaigns, member services and affinity programs.

Before joining GAWDA, Andrea served in various sales and digital media positions. In the news media industry, Andrea most recently worked for Tronc’s South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper. She has also been part of Advance Digital’s corporate product team working with their leading newspapers across the country, including the Portland Oregonian, Cleveland Plain Dealer and New Orleans Times Picayune.

In the association space, Andrea was director of client solutions for the Alliance for Audited Media. In addition to growing their client/member base, she actively managed member engagement and retention, including developing and delivering product tutorials and training seminars for both new and existing member offerings.

Andrea also served as staff liaison for industry advisory committees whose recommendations and initiatives were presented to the association’s board of directors.

Andrea will be heading up a study of our membership services to determine their overall value and relevance to the industry. The study will involve tracking the various services that GAWDA offers to establish individual benchmarks. We’ll be reaching out to members who have used our programs to get their feedback on the impact each of these services has had on their businesses. We’ll also

be reaching out to members who have not yet used our programs to determine why they have not taken advantage of these services and how we can improve our communication efforts.

This outreach will be in Andrea Levy, GAWDA the form of surveys, calls Director of Membership and online questionnaires.

Services and Programs From time to time, we will make trips to visit member companies to get a better understanding of their operations and the challenges they face.

Based on the site visits, program benchmarks and member feedback, services will be evaluated and reviewed by both the staff and volunteer leadership. Recommendations will be made to periodically update, add or eliminate programs to ensure our value proposition maintains the highest level of value to all our members.

Over time we’ll develop member tool kits.

These tool kits will be designed to help identify specific job functions and match them up to services that impact their performance and safety practices. Andrea will launch a series of articles in the Welding & Gases Today magazine to keep the membership informed on updates to our members services.

Please join me in welcoming Andrea to the GAWDA team. If you have any questions or suggestions on how we can improve your membership experience, feel free to contact Andrea at alevy@gawda.org.

As always, thank you for your continued support of our association and our industry.

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F ROM THE PUBLISHER

What a difference a year makes ‌ by william brod

Veronica Westfall, Editor in Chief, Welding & Gases Today

G

William Brod is the Publisher of GAWDA Media, producers of Welding & Gases Today and other related communications. He is part of the GAWDA Media team, and can be reached at billbrod@ datakey.org, or at 315-445-2347, x138.

AWDA Media is now into our third year of serving the membership by producing Welding & Gases Today and the GAWDA Connection, as well as supporting the GAWDA headquarters staff in delivering the annual meetings. We had a steep learning curve to climb getting started in 2016, especially on the editorial side. This effort was led by Editor in Chief Diane Stirling, who established a high standard for excellence through her strategic planning skills and attention to detail. Recently her alma mater, Syracuse University, lured her back to produce a magazine about the research projects being done by university staff and students. We are grateful for her leadership and contributions to our team.

Our new Editor in Chief is Veronica Westfall, who joined us in early July. She comes to us with

dual degrees in English and Magazine Journalism from the prestigious Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Her work experience includes over 25 years in curricula development for the construction industry, with 15 years as president of a textbook writing company specializing in the building trades, including electrical, plumbing and welding.

Veronica lives in Syracuse, has a daughter named Liz who is a student at the Pomeroy College of Nursing and recently adopted a puppy named Lucy. Her hobbies include traveling, hiking, kayaking, gardening and finding creative ways to raise money for the Food Bank of CNY. Her skills are a terrific complement to our team, and she has already introduced some new ideas to our communications that will benefit the membership.

She can be reached at our office number, or at veronicaw@datakey.org.

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CONSULTANTS FDA & MEDICAL GASES

Medical Gas Training Resources Find the training format that best fits your business needs by thomas l. badstubner

E GAWDA’s FDA and Medical Gases Consultant Thomas L. Badstubner is president of AsteRisk, LLC in Lewisville, TX. Members can reach him at 508-883-0927 and tom@asteriskllc.com.

ffectively training your employees can accomplish several important goals: regulatory compliance, standardization, employee performance improvement, loss reduction and profit improvement. GAWDA members have access to a variety of training resources and training formats. Select the format that best meets your business requirements.

GAWDA UNIVERSITY GAWDA U Online is an employee training curriculum and management tracking protocol that addresses many of your training needs in the areas of compliance with safety practices and government regulations, which are impacting your core business. GAWDA University is facilitated

by Norco, a GAWDA member. To sign up for the program, send an email to Michelle Zimmerman at michellez@norco-inc.com. Dozens of free courses are available to GAWDA members.

Here are some examples: • Acetylene Safe Handling and Storage • Back Injury Prevention and Safety • FDA cGMP Training • Nitrous Oxide Facts & Guidelines • Noise and Hearing Conservation • Oxygen Safe Handling and Storage • Prevention of Vehicle Accidents • Forklift Safety

CGA TRAINING MODULES The Compressed Gas Association has invested significant resources in high-quality e-learning modules. The first three training modules are available at CGAnet.com — click on the publication locator.

16 • Summer 2018

• • •

TM-1 Safe Handling and Storage of Compressed Gases TM-2 Safe Handling of Acetylene Cylinders TM-3 Safe Handling of Cryogenic Liquids in Portable Containers

CGA VIDEOS In addition to the e-learning training modules above, the CGA has developed industry standard videos to assist in training your personnel and customers.

• AV-7 Characteristics and Safe Handling of Carbon Dioxide • AV-10 Safe Handling and Use of Medical Equipment and Gases in a Homecare Environment • AV-12 Avoiding Medical Gas Mix-ups

PROFESSIONAL COMPLIANCE SEMINARS GAWDA consultants (Mike Dodd/Tom Badstubner) present a three-day DOT/FDA compliance seminar at least twice each year.

The spring seminar is held at Chart Industries in Ball Ground, Georgia, and the fall seminar is held at Weldcoa in Aurora, Illinois. The seminars alternate between DOT/FDA audit survival and certified, train-the-trainer sessions. Contact Mike or Tom for more information.

FOOD GAS ROUNDTABLES A free monthly webinar is available to GAWDA members to review the compliance requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (21 CFR Part 117). Over the course of the year, we cover the subjects required for food/ beverage gas Current Good Manufacturing

Compliance Made Simple.

Practices (CGMP) training (FSMA, allergen training, sanitation training, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Prevention Controls, Supplier Qualification, Food Safety Plans, etc.). We also review the changes to the sample procedures and recent FDA actions. The webinars are typically held at 2 p.m. EST on the last Friday of each month. Contact tom@asteriskllc. com for log-on information.

Electronic Records Electronic Signature

Gas + Cryogenic Production Records

MEDICAL GAS ROUNDTABLES Similarly, we conduct several medical gas CGMP webinars on the last Friday of each month. There are sessions for all GAWDA members, and there is one session reserved exclusively for members of the GAWDA Medical Gas Standard Operating Procedure Program.

Medical Gases: O / N / N2O

OTHER FOOD GAS TRAINING ONLINE RESOURCES Contact tom@asteriskllc.com for the links to the online training resources below: • Food Gas – CGMP Training for Pumpers: This 28minute video presentation and quiz covers the essential FDA regulations (21 CFR 117) including allergen training and sanitation training.

• Food/Beverage Gas Compliance – For Owners and Managers: This 62-minute video discusses how to set up a compliant food/beverage gas program.

• Medical Gas – CGMP Training for Pumpers: This 25-minute video presentation and quiz covers FDA compliance requirements of 21 CFR Part 211.

• Medical Gas – CGMP Training for Drivers: This 23-minute video presentation and quiz covers the FDA regulations pertaining to medical gas container deliveries, recognizing medical gas labels, medical gas tamper-proof connections, etc.

These resources above can greatly assist you in your regulatory and training needs. Consider which format best fits into your requirements.

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Summer 2018 • 17

CONSULTANTS DOT, SECURITY, OSHA & EPA

Understanding the DOT Requirements for Special Permits by michael dodd

SPECIAL PERMITS

GAWDA DOT, Security, OSHA and EPA Consultant Michael Dodd is president of MLD Safety Associates in Poplar Bluff, MO. Members can reach him at 573-7182887 and at MLDSafety@ hotmail.com.

There are two kinds of DOT special permits: permits for manufacturing packages that are different from approved specifications, and permits that let you do things differently than what is found in the published regulations. A special permit is an alternative method of complying with the Hazardous Materials Regulations. It will cover a new process, product or materials that are not specifically referenced in the regulations. You need to apply and obtain authority from DOT to hold a special permit. This is known as “party to” status.

If you have to offer a special permit container to a common or contract carrier then you must provide them with a current copy of the special permit at or before the time of shipment. There are a few exceptions to this requirement, but almost all the time this requirement will apply.

Again, you must enter the special permit number onto the hazardous material shipping paper in association with the proper shipping name of the product in the special permit cylinder. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but 99 percent or more of the special permits require this.

ON FILE AT EACH LOCATION

TRAINING

If you have a package that has a special permit on it, you must have a current copy of the special permit on file at the location that ships or requalifies the package. You must follow the requirements outlined in the special permit. Some special permits require a copy to be kept in the motor vehicle. If it does, this will be stated in the special permit.

All employees that handle a special permit package must be trained on the requirements of the special permit, and the training is required every three years. You will need to document this training per 172.704(d). Here is a summary: • (d)(1) The hazmat employee’s name; • (d)(2) the most recent training completion date of the hazmat employee’s training; • (d)(3) a description, copy or the location of the training materials used to meet the requirements; • (d)(4) the name and address of the person providing the training; and • (d)(5) certification that the hazmat employee has been trained and tested.

TRANSPORTING A SPECIAL PERMIT PACKAGE If you receive a cylinder that is being operated under a special permit then, provided you don’t modify the package (for us, that means you don’t fill it), you can reoffer it for transportation without being a party to the special permit. Example — if Company XYZ fills a cylinder under a special permit and you order it from Company XYZ you can then take it to your customer. You must have a copy of the special permit on file, have trained and documented all employees that touch the package and then note the special permit on the shipping paper in association with the product description.

The key is that you did not fill the cylinder or modify the package when you shipped or transported it.

18 • Summer 2018

“PARTY TO” THE SPECIAL PERMIT? If you read item “1. Grantee” on the special permit and see the words “See individual authorization letter,” then you need to have your company authorized by DOT to be a party to the special permit to be able to fill the cylinders used under the special permit.

CONSULTANTS DOT, SECURITY, OSHA & EPA HOW DO I BECOME A “PARTY TO” A SPECIAL PERMIT? The PHMSA website for special permit applications and renewals can be found at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/ special-permits/special-permits-applications.

There is a link “Access Online Applications Portal” to the online procedure at portal.phmsa.dot.gov, but unfortunately, it is difficult to use.

What has worked very well is to use a template that I can provide you and make your own Word document application, then to email it as an attachment to specialpermits@dot.gov, and they will email you back your approval letter.

Your special permit will be the authorization letter you received stapled to the top of the actual special permit that you will print off. You keep the two items together as your permit.

Please note that just because you apply doesn’t mean that the permit will be automatically granted. Your current DOT safety score and performance can keep you from getting party to special permits. You also must have been audited in the past and have a Satisfactory Rating. If you apply for a special permit and have never been audited, then you will generate an audit.

They will come visit, so be prepared. This has happened to several of our members in the past year.

SPECIAL PERMIT RENEWALS When it comes time to renew your special permit, you can use the same email process as above. I can supply you with a sample special permit renewal letter. You can also use the online PHMSA portal discussed above.

It is extremely important that the renewal takes place at least 60 days or more before the special permit expires. If you renew more than 60 days before expiration and DOT drags their feet, then you get to keep using the special permit. If you renew less than 60 days before the expiration date, and they drag their feet and the special permit expires, then you must cease using the special permit until they send you the approval letter. The first permit is issued for two years and the renewals are issued for four years after that.

Special permits can be very confusing, and applying for and renewing special permits can be confusing, as well. So, if you have any questions, please contact me and I will be glad to walk you through the process.

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Summer 2018 • 19

CONSULTANTS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & HUMAN RESOURCES

DOT, Congress Provide Regulatory Relief on Driver Hours of Service by richard p. schweitzer, esq.

C GAWDA’s Government Affairs and Human Resources Legal Consultant Rick Schweitzer is president of Richard P. Schweitzer, PLLC in Washington, DC. He is also GAWDA’s general counsel.

Members can reach him at 202-223-3040 and rpschweitzer@ rpslegal.com.

20 • Summer 2018

ongress and the Department of Transportation are working to provide companies operating truck fleets some additional flexibility in complying with the driver hours of service regulations.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued guidance that liberalizes the rules for using a commercial motor vehicle as a “personal conveyance.” The new guidance allows a driver to record time operating a CMV for personal conveyance (i.e., for personal use or reasons) as off-duty when the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work by the motor carrier, even when the CMV is laden.

The FMCSA added that motor carriers can establish personal conveyance limitations either within the scope of, or more restrictive than, this guidance, such as banning use of a CMV for personal conveyance purposes, imposing a distance limitation on personal conveyance or prohibiting personal conveyance while the CMV is laden.

Examples of appropriate uses of a CMV while off-duty for personal conveyance include, but are not limited to: 1. Time spent traveling from a driver’s en route lodging (such as a motel or truck stop) to restaurants and entertainment facilities.

2. Commuting between the driver’s terminal and his or her residence, between trailer drop lots and the driver’s residence and between work sites and his or her residence.

3. Time spent traveling to a nearby, reasonable, safe location to obtain required rest after loading or unloading. The resting location must be the first such location reasonably available.

4. Moving a CMV at the request of a safety official during the driver’s off-duty time.

5. Time spent transporting personal property while off-duty.

6. Authorized use of a CMV to travel home after working at an offsite location.

Examples of uses of a CMV that would not qualify as personal conveyance include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. The movement of a CMV in order to enhance the operational readiness of a motor carrier.

For example, bypassing available resting locations in order to get closer to the next loading or unloading point or other scheduled motor carrier destination.

2. After delivering a towed unit, and the towing unit no longer meets the definition of a CMV, the driver returns to the point of origin under the direction of the motor carrier to pick up another towed unit.

3. Continuation of a CMV trip in interstate commerce in order to fulfill a business purpose, including bobtailing or operating with an empty trailer in order to retrieve another load or repositioning a CMV (tractor or trailer) at the direction of the motor carrier.

4. Time spent transporting a CMV to a facility to have vehicle maintenance performed.

5. After being placed out of service for exceeding the maximum periods permitted under 49 CFR Part 395, time spent driving to a location to obtain required rest, unless so directed by an enforcement officer at the scene.

6. Time spent traveling to a company’s terminal after loading or unloading from a shipper or a receiver.

CONSULTANTS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & HUMAN RESOURCES

In addition, three members of the House of Representatives have introduced legislation to provide hours of service relief in several areas.

The HOURS Act, H.R, 6178, would expand and make uniform the hours of service rules for short-haul operations.

Under the bill, a driver requiring a commercial driver’s license would be exempt from the log book, 30-minute rest break and Electronic Logging Device requirements if the driver operates within 150 air-miles of the normal work reporting location and is relieved from duty within 14 hours. The current limits are 100 air-miles and 12 hours.

DEADLINES MAKING YOU A LITTLE CRABBY?

Also, the bill would reduce the current supporting documents requirement to require only those documents necessary to verify the start and end time of a driver’s daily on-duty period, since ELDs automatically track location and time data based on engine and GPS data.

Finally, it would allow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to forgo an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking in the rulemaking process with respect to split sleeper berth flexibility.

The bill stands a good chance of passage as it has the support of the trucking industry.

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Summer 2018 • 21

CONSULTANTS THE GOOD THEY CAN DO

GAWDA’s Consultants are Always Available with Money-Saving, Life-Saving, Sanity-Saving Advice by diane stirling

G

AWDA distributor and supplier members generally know their stuff. They know their customers, they’re aware of the newest models of goods on the market and they understand the ins and outs and operational necessities of the gases and welding distribution business. Because they’re so involved with the day-to-day, though, they may not be as up-to-date as they’d like on the myriad issues that envelope the industry. Still, there are legal, safety and regulatory requirements and demands that are integral to their business functions and are an essential part of their operations. Those matters frequently change or have updates.

That’s where GAWDA’s tried-and-true consultants come to the aid of members.

Experts in legal issues, legislation, safety standards and regulatory matters emanating from the federal agencies that weigh in on industry functioning, GAWDA’s consultants do stay up-to-date and fully informed. They are on top of the latest rulings and determinations from government agencies — the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Transportation and the Food and Drug Administration — and how those changing issues affect member businesses, routine operations and compliance standards.

GAWDA’s long-standing consultants are available to each member company, quickly and easily, whenever needs arise.

22 • Summer 2018

GAWDA Consultants present about how and when to contact them as well as the ease of their availability, in a panel discussion during the Spring 2018 SMC with 2017–2018 GAWDA President Ned Lane.

Most are ready to work with members at the drop of a phone call or an email.

GAWDA’s consultants can be called into service by members who are in the midst of an on-site inspection or a roadside stop.

And their availability and expertise often provide quick, streamlined answers to questions that can rise unexpectedly and situations that can otherwise mean some worrisome moments. Their knowledge translates into tangible benefits, and their abilities, awareness of policies and procedures, as well as their insights, often save members significant amounts of time, trouble and money.

AN EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT The availability of all three GAWDA consultants is one of the prime benefits — and an exclusive one — of associ-

ation membership. The services of the consultants are available without charge, almost without exception.

At the GAWDA 2018 Spring Management Conference, President Ned Lane introduced all three and took the opportunity to provide attending members with more detail about the level of expertise and availability of the consultants as a key component of the benefits of membership.

Lane noted that no matter the size of the member company, GAWDA’s consultants are at a distinct advantage because they operate as consultants to each individual member. He urged members to make use of their expertise: “Regardless of the size of your company, these guys are part of your team,” Lane explained. “If you’re a small company,

CONSULTANTS THE GOOD THEY CAN DO they’re a resource. If you’re a big company, these guys are someone to bounce your ideas off.” As he introduced each consultant, he turned the microphone over so each could add their comments.

ALWAYS ON CALL

Rick Schweitzer, who has been with the association for 30 years, described his functions. “One of the roles I provide is to answer basic legal, government and human resources questions for GAWDA companies,” he said. “Only a handful of GAWDA companies have in-house lawyers. Even if you have a regular business lawyer, he or she might not understand DOT regulations, alcohol testing rules and other basic laws that apply to your business. If you don’t know the answer, Mike [Dodd], or Tom [Badstubner] or I do. We all work together to provide you the best answers,” Schweitzer said. He underscored that value — as well as the ease of working with the consultants — by jokingly noting, “How many times can you call a lawyer and you don’t get a bill? This is part of your dues.”

Mike Dodd has spent 44 years in the gases and welding distribution industry and 18 as a GAWDA consultant. He described his familiarity with the federal agencies that issue and uphold regulations in the industry, such as cylinder filling and requalification. They include the Department of Transportation, the Occupational Safety and Health Safety Administration, the Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency.

He said since most distributors have at least one delivery vehicle, “if that describes your company, you need to talk to me.”

Dodd says he typically responds to as many as 400 calls a month, on average, and is available for consultation even as DOT inspections are happening, on the spot. “When the DOT inspectors are there, call us,” he added. “We can immediately

start on an action plan and help you get the situation fixed before you get the citation letter back. If you have a violation, what the agency wants to see is that not only did you correct the violation, but you put safety management practices in place.”

In those situations, he said, he can help members illustrate that they have changed their processes to avoid recurrences and that the company’s safety management program is settled. In his experience, Dodd said, if a very concerted effort to correct a situation is illustrated up front, penalties often can be reduced.

EXPERTISE + COMFORT Dodd also described how the ready availability of consultants on the other end of a phone can provide both tangible and intangible value in instances where an employee is injured on the job, or worse. “Get hold of me. I’ll walk you down through the compliance side of it. I’ll help you through the regulatory piece, and that will let you concentrate on taking care of the [employee’s] family.

No one wants to go through that, but I think member companies would say that in those situations, it was a big help to have someone to talk with.”

Tom Badstubner consults with members in the areas of the Food and Drug Administration and Medical Gases and Special Gases regulatory issues. He offers a comprehensive FDA food and medical gas technical support program and administers the GAWDA medical gas standard operating procedures program. He is also responsible for conducting monthly free online food gas roundtables and other training. He reported that he averages about 21 calls a day from members, and he’s also available via email to advise on various aspects of operations. He’s quick to respond to member questions about procedures and technicalities and is available to help with walk-throughs of actual situations, he said.

GAWDA CONSULTANTS FDA and Medical Gases Issues THOMAS BADSTUBNER Asterrisk, LLC P.O Box 292547 Lewisville, TX 75029-2547 508-883-0927 (office) 443-255-8984 (cell) tom@asteriskllc.com

DOT, Homeland Security, OSHA and EPA Issues MICHAEL DODD MLD Safety Associates, LLC P.O. Box 93 Poplar Bluff, MO 63902 573-718-2887 MLDSafety@hotmail.com

Government Affairs and Human Resources Issues RICHARD P. SCHWEITZER, PLLC 1717 K St. NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20006-2333 202-223-3040 rpschweitzer@rpslegal.com

All of the consultants publish articles in each issue of GAWDA’s magazine, Welding & Gases Today, detailing situations and remedies, as well as issuing alerts and legislative updates.

They also issue updates through the twice-monthly GAWDA Connection e-newsletter.

The following pages list the types of issues and regulatory matters on which GAWDA’s consultants are available for questions and advice.

Diane Stirling is a career journalist, editor and public relations practitioner. She served as GAWDA Media editor in chief from Fall 2015 through Summer 2018. She can be reached at stirlingdm@gmail.com.

Summer 2018 • 23

CONSULTANTS THE GOOD THEY CAN DO

GAWDA CONSULTANT AREAS OF EXPERTISE TOPIC

PRIMARY

BACK-UP

Accident Reports

Dodd

Schweitzer

Alcohol Testing

Schweitzer

Dodd

Antitrust

Schweitzer

Appraisals (Performance Evaluation)

Schweitzer

B

Benefits – Employee

Schweitzer

C

Calcium Carbide (EPA – Lime)

Dodd

Capital Gains Tax

Schweitzer

Cargo Tanks/Testing

Dodd

Child Labor Requirements

Schweitzer

Commercial Drivers License

Dodd

Compensation Programs

Schweitzer

Complaints and Recall of Medical Product

Badstubner

Contracts

Schweitzer

Cylinder Filling

Dodd

Cylinder Ownership

Schweitzer

Cylinder Requalification

Dodd

Disciplinary Practices

Schweitzer

DOT Audits

Dodd

Schweitzer

DOT Employee File Maintenance

Dodd

Schweitzer

Driver Qualification

Dodd

Schweitzer

Drug Testing

Schweitzer

Dodd

Economic Analysis and Forecasting

Beaulieu

Emergency Response Hazmat

Dodd

Employee Discipline, Layoffs

Schweitzer

Employee Orientation

Schweitzer

Employee Training

Schweitzer

Employment Law Compliance

Schweitzer

EPA Regulations

Dodd

Equal Opportunity Employment

Schweitzer

Estate Tax

Schweitzer

Exempt/Non-exempt status

Dodd

Exemptions/Special Permits

Schweitzer

Fair Labor Standards Act Compliance

Schweitzer

FDA Requirements

Badstubner

Fume Litigation

Schweitzer

GAWDA Medical Gases SOP Manual

Badstubner

General Truck Safety Regulations

Dodd

GAWDA Group Life and AD&D Insurance Plan

McLaughlin

A

D

E

F

G

24 • Summer 2018

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Schweitzer

Schweitzer

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CONSULTANTS THE GOOD THEY CAN DO TOPIC

PRIMARY

BACK-UP

Hazardous Materials

Dodd

Schweitzer

Hazardous Waste (EPA)

Dodd

Schweitzer

Hazmat Fees

Dodd

Schweitzer

Hazmat Registration

Dodd

Schweitzer

Hazmat Regulations

Dodd

Schweitzer

Hazmat Training Requirements

Dodd

Schweitzer

Hazmat Training (On-Site)

Dodd

Schweitzer

Hiring Employees

Schweitzer

Hours of Service

Dodd

Human Resource Issues

Schweitzer

Human Resource Record Keeping

Schweitzer

Hydrotesting

Dodd

Insurance – Shipments

Dodd

ISO Accreditation

Badstubner

J

Job Descriptions

Schweitzer

L

Labeling (DOT)

Dodd

Labeling (Hazmat)

Dodd

Labeling (Medical)

Badstubner

Labeling (Warnings)

Dodd

Litigation

Schweitzer

Load Securement

Dodd

Marking Hazmat

Dodd

H

I

M

Minimum Wage

Schweitzer

N

Nitrous Oxide

Badstubner

O

OSHA Requirements

Dodd

Overtime

Schweitzer

Schweitzer

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CONSULTANTS THE GOOD THEY CAN DO P

R S

T

U

V

W

TOPIC

PRIMARY

BACK-UP

Performance Appraisal Programs

Schweitzer

Personnel Policy Development

Schweitzer

PHMSA Violations

Dodd

Placarding

Dodd

Post Trip and Annual Inspections

Dodd

Record Keeping (HR)

Schweitzer

Recruiting and Hiring

Schweitzer

Safety Ratings, DOT

Dodd

Schweitzer

Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)

Dodd

Schweitzer

Security

Dodd

Schweitzer

Segregation of Hazards

Dodd

Shipping Papers (Hazmat)

Dodd

Specialty Gases

Badstubner

Supervisor Training

All Consultants

Depending on type

Tier Reports (SARA)

Dodd

Schweitzer

Transportation of Hazmat

Dodd

Schweitzer

Training

All Consultants

Depending on type

Underground Tanks (EPA)

Dodd

Schweitzer

Unfair Competition

Schweitzer

Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices

Schweitzer

Validation Requirements for Med Gas Ops

Dodd

Valve Protection

Badstubner

Vehicle Accidents and Incidents

Dodd

Vehicle Maintenance

Dodd

Vehicle Operation (Driving)

Dodd

Vehicle Parts and Accessories

Dodd

Wage and Salary Administration

Schweitzer

Schweitzer Schweitzer

Schweitzer

Schweitzer

Summer 2018 • 27

MEMBER PROFILE

O.E. Meyer Co. has provided medical gases to customers since 1948.

O.E. MEYER COMPANY Marking 100 Years of Customer Service Excellence by agnes h. baker

W

hat are the odds of a business reaching its 100th operational anniversary?

According to Yale University Professor Richard Foster, they’re not high. He finds the current average lifespan of a company listed in the S&P 500 index of leading U.S. companies is just 15 years — and that rate is falling.1 Defying these statistics is the O.E. Meyer Company, a Sandusky, Ohio, industrial/medical gases, welding products and specialty medical products distributor, now celebrating its centennial. The company’s secrets to longevity include a commitment to and investment in its employees, strong working relationships with partners and the community, quality 28 • Summer 2018

leadership and clear and consistent value propositions for customers.

IN THE BEGINNING Like many successful distributorships, O.E. Meyer Co.’s beginnings were humble. Founder Carl F. Meyer got into the business in 1917 by offering welding repair services to companies in and around Sandusky. Within a year, he was operating as the Ohio Welding Company and was joined by his brother, Omar Meyer Sr., in the day-to-day operations of the welding shop.

When Omar Sr.’s sons, Omar Meyer Jr. and August “Gus” Meyer, became part of the business in the early 1930s, the company was renamed O.E. Meyer

& Sons. The brothers oversaw several fundamental shifts in the company’s operations. The market for industrial gases and welding equipment began to grow following WWII, and the brothers recognized an opportunity to expand the company’s reach. In 1948, welding equipment and compressed industrial gases, as well as medical gases for hospitals, dental and physicians’ offices, became new points of focus for the business.

Shortly after that expansion, Gus Meyer created a separate welding supply business in Toledo. In addition, the original welding repair business in Sandusky 1. Kim Gittleson, Can a company live forever? (BBC News, New York, at: www. bbc.com/news/business-16611040).

MEMBER PROFILE was sold, and it became known as the Lake Erie Welding Co. Meanwhile, O.E. Meyer & Sons was working to grow its new product lines. It quickly outgrew its original facility, and by the mid-1960s it opened branches in Galion and Lorain, Ohio.

In 1967, Rodney Belden joined the company’s 16 employees as general manager. He was instrumental in the growth and development of the company and served in several roles, including as CEO. Belden recognized greater potential in medical markets and oversaw the establishment of O.E. Meyer’s Medical Division in 1976. While the medical market represented fewer than 10 percent of total company revenues at that time, the addition of new resources to service that growing market quickly changed that equation. What’s now called the Hospital Division represents 20 percent of sales today.

The company added another division to service the home health care market in 1984. It served the rapidly expanding medical gas outpatient market that was being fueled by federal Medicare/ Medicaid reimbursement policies and other factors. As federal policy kept shifting over the next 30 years, though, home health care became a challenging business for independents. Consequently, O.E. Meyer recently sold its division to Toledo-based ProMedica in 2017.

TRANSITIONS O.E. Meyer & Sons operated as a family-run business until Jan. 1, 1989, when Omar Meyer Jr. sold the company to his 57 employees. As an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) business, the company maintained its systems and its management team, but was renamed O.E. Meyer Co. Leadership transitioned from Omar Meyer Jr. to Rodney Belden as CEO, Craig Wood as vice president of the industrial division

Sandusky headquarters of O.E. Meyer Co.

and David Belden as president of the health care division.

Under Rodney Belden’s leadership, the company continued to thrive. In 1997, O.E. Meyer purchased 10 acres of land on Tiffin Avenue in Sandusky and in 1999 built a 16,500 sq. ft. industrial and medical gas filling plant on the site. The company also developed a 47,000 sq. ft. corporate facility in 2001. It provided space for office, retail, warehouse and service capabilities, and that building continues to serve as company headquarters today.

Recognizing strong regional demand for propane in the residential heating market, O.E. Meyer Co. also added a propane division in 1999. Terry Clevenger, who heads that group, said the division enables the company to serve its propane customers well.

The company’s next step was the addition of a CO2 division in 2012, which today offers beverage-grade CO2 to the restaurant, bar and microbrewery markets.

Rodney Belden retired as CEO in 2015. (He passed away in June 2018; see his obituary in the “In Memoriam” section located toward the back of this

“GAWDA’s Contact Booth Program has been a vital resource for identifying new suppliers, a critical element in being able to provide our customers with the best products available.”

— Craig Wood Chairman of the board, CEO Summer 2018 • 29

MEMBER PROFILE O.E. Meyer Co.'s new Columbus branch has the room to accommodate future growth.

AN EIGHTH SITE

issue.) At the same time, Craig Wood took over as chairman of the board and CEO. Dave Spencer filled Wood’s seat as president of the industrial division.

THE COMPANY TODAY Wood now oversees an employeeowner group of 105, and a full 100 years after the company’s founding, he manages it with the same set of core family-business values. “Very simply put,” said Wood, “we treat our fellow employee-owners, customers and supply partners the way we would expect to be treated!”

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE Since assuming his role in 2015, Wood has led the O.E. Meyer Co. team by adding even more value propositions for customers.

One of those most recent projects is cylinder barcoding. The company partnered with fellow GAWDA member Computers Unlimited in 2016 and began applying barcode labels to its entire inventory of high-pressure cylinders, cradles, liquid cylinders and forklift propane cylinders. Cylinder tracking using handheld scanners was also implemented on two truck routes in 2017, giving the company the ability to better monitor its cylinder operations. With both plant managers and drivers finding this new technology helpful, the company plans to implement the tech tracking process company-wide by the end of this year.

30 • Summer 2018

Spencer explained that decision: “We chose to barcode cylinder assets to ensure that our customers were being invoiced correctly, as a tool to rectify and correct cylinder discrepancies and to monitor our assets in support of growth. This is an investment in our future, as well as our customers.”

Wood, who served as GAWDA president in the 2012–2013 term, attributes much of the company’s success to its participation in that association. “We take full advantage of our industry consultants.

This group’s input is especially critical to the effectiveness of our safety and compliance programs,” he explained.

“GAWDA’s Contact Booth Program has been a vital resource for identifying new suppliers, a critical element in being able to provide our customers with the best products available.”

GROWING OPERATIONS In 2015, the company upgraded its plant with the latest technology in gravimetric filling, enabling it to fill more accurately and improve efficiencies.

Increased product demand in the past few years also has allowed O.E. Meyer Co. to expand its cylinder fleet and to purchase new tractors, trailers and box trucks to service its expanding customer base. These new vehicles have enabled the company to become more efficient and to provide the right footprints to accommodate given market needs and payloads.

Late last year, O.E. Meyer Co. opened its eighth branch location in Columbus, Ohio, allowing the company to reach new markets in the central part of that state. Wood explained, “Our Columbus facility represents the final leg of our long-range expansion plan, which began some 10 years ago. Situated on nine acres, this new branch gives us the space to service our Columbus market and to accommodate future growth.”

Today, O.E. Meyer Co. reaches 31 out of the 88 counties in Ohio through its eight branches. They are located in Sandusky, Bowling Green, Fremont, Galion, Garfield Heights, Lorain, Walbridge and Columbus.

A SPECIALTY PROVIDER While O.E. Meyer Co. chose to leave the direct patient health care business, the company continues to be a specialty provider of innovative products and consultative services to that market.

David Belden noted, “We continue to serve the acute-care market with a focus on enhancing the standards of care for anesthesia, respiratory, nursing, emergency and intensive care providers.

Also, we maintain a biomedical staff to provide on-site and field services, including equipment management, environmental monitoring, medical gas analysis and verification and anesthesia preventative maintenance.”

The company has served medical gas markets since 1948, and today, it sells and distributes oxygen, nitrous oxide, breathing air, carbon dioxide, helium and specialty mixtures. Medical gas delivery equipment, including wall outlets, zone valve boxes, alarms, gas manifolds, nitrogen control cabinets, air compressors and vacuum pumps, are also provided by the company.

We were founded 50 years ago with a simple idea: Support the needs of gas distributors.

Together we have continually innovatived solutions that have reshaped our industry, making it safer, more efficient, more productive, more consistent and more profitable.

Thank you to everyone we’ve had the pleasure to serve.

Let’s do more in the next 50 . weldcoa.com/50years

MEMBER PROFILE O.E. Meyer Co. is heavily involved in introducing advanced technologies, such as this plasma cutting table.

TECHNICAL SELLING A real asset is the company’s location in the heart of one of most productive fabrication regions in the country.

Automated equipment and systems for cutting and welding are driving activity in this market. Once limited to only the largest machine shops, these new technologies are now increasingly being adopted by medium and small fabricators.

Wood explained, “We see more and more robotic welding and CNC plasma cutting applications in our market every day. As a result, we continue to be committed to investing in the kind of education necessary to support customers who are adopting these new technologies.

With our in-house knowledge of robotic operations, the company has expanded its offerings beyond welding applications to material handling, machining, grinding and robotic cutting solutions.”

The company is deeply committed to keeping its employees well-educated on all product lines and related processes and considers technical selling to be an important element of the O.E. Meyer Co. business platform.

Wood believes that technical selling is more important today than ever 32 • Summer 2018

before, given the struggle its customers have finding qualified and skilled labor.

The ability to problem-solve is critical to sales of new technology, he notes, and so training team members in technical selling has become essential to the firm’s success in new-equipment markets. The company carefully crafts partnerships with suppliers to ensure that its team is knowledgeable about the products it sells and installs.

Wood said, “We continue to grow our sales team by adding those who have industry experience, combined with good problem-solving capability and technical skills. We want to offer solutions that empower our customers to enhance productivity, quality and efficiencies beyond their expectations.”

O.E. Meyer Co.’s 21st century automation team provides customers with the technologies needed to produce parts more precisely and more efficiently — creating a value-added proposition for its customers.

In its 100 years in business, the company has grown from a simple welding repair shop to an operation proud of its ability to design, build, integrate and service the most complex automated welding and cutting systems on the market today.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS Success at O.E. Meyer Co. is based and measured on customer satisfaction.

Whether solving a metal fabrication problem or delivering innovative product to the patient-care industry, O.E. Meyer Co.’s mission is customer-centric and designed to help others enhance their productivity and efficiency.

Each year, O.E. Meyer Co.’s goal is to become a better, more efficient and more successful company, and to provide its customers with superior services and products. Though this is the company’s centennial, this year is no different.

The company is marking 100 years in business by continuing to strengthen its offerings and the service provided to its base, Wood noted.

“Being the biggest distributor in our marketplace is of no interest to us,” said Wood. “We focus every day on being the best distributor, knowing that tomorrow will be our first opportunity to improve on what we did today.”

Agnes H. Baker is a freelance writer and editor with over 15 years of experience covering the industrial, medical and specialty gas industry. She can be reached at agnes.h.baker@gmail.com.

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Before You Go “All In”

Make Sure You Have a Great Hand.

Selling your business can be a real gamble – so you want to be sure to choose the right acquisition firm based on your short- and long-term needs.

One huge benefit Tech Air brings to the table in addition to the profit from selling your business is the opportunity to become a partner – and enjoy an equity share in our growing family of Tech Air companies. Of our 24 acquisitions to date, more than half of our sellers have taken that route.

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TECH AIR ACQUISITIONS What if You Could Cash Out and Still Keep Playing?

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ou’re nearing retirement and your financial advisor keeps urging you to cash out and diversify. That’s an option; but suppose you’re not ready to just walk away. You spent a lifetime building your business — maybe even generations — and you need to know that your family, employees and customers will be taken care of.

Welding & Gases Today sat down with Tech Air CEO Myles Dempsey Jr., who has come up with an innovative solution for allowing distributors to remain in the game by inviting them to partner with Tech Air.

How does it work?

Myles explained: “For example, suppose you have a distributorship for sale at $10 million. With a Tech Air partnership, you could pull out a given amount of cash, say $9 million, and then take the remaining $1 million and invest it in a partnership with Tech Air. This allows you to sell your company while gaining equity in Tech Air, which has grown from less than $20 million in sales to approaching $200 million in 7.5 years.”

their portfolio, and then reinvest a portion in the Tech Air family of companies, providing further risk reduction. “Tech Air is growing at a rate of 35 percent compounded annually,” Myles noted, “and that equity will likely appreciate faster and is more diversified than equity in a single, smaller company.”

What are some of the advantages of this acquisition process?

• Continuity – “Our strategy is to retain the entrepreneurial spirit that allowed the small business to succeed in the first place,” Myles emphasized. “We keep the owners involved in operating the company and we know their employees are the ones who service the customers, so we keep most of them too.” This continuity extends to the Tech Air management team as well.

In fact, most of Tech Air’s regional managers are former owners who now have an equity stake in the company.

• Diversifying Wealth – “Most owners have 80 to 90 percent or more of their total wealth tied up in their businesses,” Myles said. Partnering with Tech Air allows them to cash out and diversify

• The Burden of “Administrivia” – If you ask any small business owner to name their biggest hassle, they will probably mention drowning in administrative tasks and paperwork: HR,

safety, compliance with EPA, DOT and OSHA regulations, legal, accounting, benefits, training — Tech Air offers corporate-level support for all of these functions so that business owners can go back to doing what they do best, serving customers.

• Opening Doors to New Product Lines – “Many small distributors have reported that access to all product lines can be a problem,” Myles said. “For example, they may be a Miller distributor, but they can’t buy Lincoln directly, and a lot of small companies can’t get full access to Hypertherm. Joining the Tech Air family of businesses opens doors to all of these product lines.”

• Funding for Capital Expenditures – “Small distributors aren’t always willing or able to make large capital investments to fund growth,” Myles pointed out. “We are aggressive on capital investments, so our partners can benefit from the expansion they might have been hesitant to risk as a small company.”

Do sellers have to become partners in Tech Air? No. For business owners who want to exit straight to retirement, Tech Air offers a full buyout option.  To discuss an acquisition or partnership with Tech Air, contact Myles Dempsey for a confidential, no-obligation evaluation at 203731-8981 or myles@techair.com.

Summer 2018 • 35

Marking Milestones

GAWDA Members Reflect on the Journey to Success and Paths Forward to New Opportunities

BY VERONICA WESTFALL AND AGNES H. BAKER

A

nyone who’s ever gone hiking will tell you that the only thing more satisfying than the view from the top is reflecting on the effort it took to get up there. Building a business is a similar endeavor — you begin with a fixed goal in mind, and then find the people, equipment and processes it will take to get you there.

Welding & Gases Today interviewed members who are marking significant milestones in their journey to the top. We asked what investments they have made to get them where they are today and what initiatives they plan on undertaking to achieve the next level. Their responses were as varied as the members themselves, and we hope they entertain, inform and inspire you as you continue to grow your business.

36 • Summer 2018

100 YEARS

= Distributor

= Supplier

SUTTON-GARTEN COMPANY

Indianapolis, Indiana

W

hat does it take to build a family business that will last 100 years? “Great employees and a willingness to change with the times,” said W. “Pat” Garten, president of Sutton-Garten Company. SuttonGarten is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary this October, and Garten sees that as a win for small businesses everywhere.

Garten attributes much of his company’s success to its greatest asset, the employees. The feeling is clearly mutual — Sutton-Garten staff average over 15 years of employment with the company.

“The people we’ve been lucky enough to find to work for us understand that the customer drives our business, and they are always on the lookout for new opportunities,” Garten said.

This includes providing quality products and backing them up with technical knowledge and first-rate service.

Here are some highlights of their first 100 years: • Founder W. “Ray” Garten began his career in the welding department at the Prestolite Company in Speedway, IN. Prestolite manufactured automotive lamps and lighting systems and was owned by industrial pioneers Carl Fisher and Jim Allison, who started the Indianapolis 500.

• When the company was sold to Union Carbide, Garten was transferred to Chicago, where he met Charles R. Sutton. In 1918, Sutton and Garten founded SuttonGarten Company and returned to Indianapolis to begin operation as the first independently owned Prestolite distributor in the state of Indiana.

• During the 1930s, the supply business suffered, but the repair business continued to thrive. In fact, no one was laid off from Sutton-Garten all through the Great Depression.

• In 1960, W. “Bill” Garten became president of the company, and when he passed away in 1974, Pat Garten became president and has managed the company ever since.

Since then, Ben and Matt Garten have joined the team to become the fourth generation to work at the company.

In 1986, the company was recognized by the National Welding Supply Association as the oldest distributor in the United States under continuing management.

Sutton-Garten weld shop in 1928, showing the “latest” in gas and arc welding equipment at the time.

Pat, Ben and Matt Garten accepting the 2007 AWS Image of Welding Award.

• In 2007, the company was honored with the American Welding Society’s Image of Welding Award.

Today, Sutton-Garten provides quality welding and cutting equipment, supplies and gases to the metal-working industry.

They also rent and repair welding and cutting equipment, offer weld training and certifications, produce dry ice and provide bulk gases to the food and beverage market.

What does the future hold for Sutton-Garten? “Always adapting our business to serve our customers,” Garten said.

“We are currently implementing a phone app for our sales representatives.” They are also looking to add tablets to provide instant product data at their customer service counter.

Summer 2018 • 37

100 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

90 YEARS

90 YEARS

Left: Depke early delivery trucks.

Below: Depke fill plant.

DEPKE GASES & WELDING SUPPLIES, INC.

D

Danville, Illinois

epke Gases & Welding Supplies was founded in 1928 as Depke Service Company. Today, the company is a distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding and cutting equipment, safety supplies and related welding accessories.

“It’s been a great run, and we’ve managed to adapt as time goes on,” said President Curt Towne. Over the years, the company has invested in new products and processes to improve productivity. “We added an automated filling plant and keep our employees trained and up to date,” Towne said.

Depke’s technical experts include welding engineers, certified weld inspectors, gas delivery system specialists, filler metal consultants and abrasive selection experts, as well as a variety of industry partners designed to bring value to their customers.

JOHN TILLMAN COMPANY

Compton, California

W

ith a carefully made pair of leather welding gloves, California craftsman John Z. Turney founded a company in 1928. Shortly thereafter, his employee John Tillman, a seasoned welder, assumed ownership, giving the brand its trademark name. Tillman quickly rose to be known as the top manufacturer of quality welding gloves and leather protective garments and is now owned by UK conglomerate Bunzl.

Today, with headquarters in Compton, California, and facilities in Georgia and Indiana, the John Tillman Company

38 • Summer 2018

The approach to service at Depke has always been simple — provide the best answers to any issue as quickly as possible and see that the solution is carried out as promised. They accomplish this through experienced staff, continual training and a shared belief in doing what’s right for the right reasons.

“We enjoy being involved in cutting edge technology,” Towne said. “For example, one of our customers is researching the use of nitrogen blanketing in the construction of circuit boards.” This process eliminates oxidation, reduces waste and improves the quality of the joints.

Depke merged with Weldstar in early 2018 but continues to operate autonomously. The merger provides the benefit of shared resources, noted Towne. “We will gain efficiencies between the two companies and are transitioning to the same software now.” focus remains on providing premium products to the welding and safety industries, according to Beth Dahlke, general manager. “Today we have over 1,500 items including an entire line of PPE (personal protective equipment). While most of Tillman’s products were originally manufactured in the U.S., many are now imported but are made to the highest quality for which the brand is known,” Dahlke emphasized.

Tillman has managed to avoid many 21 st century merchandising challenges, like Big Box Store competition and internet selling. “We sell exclusively to distributors,” explained Dahlke, “and the strength of our reputation for consistently made superior products has enabled us to maintain a strong business.” Although it keeps an eye on market trends, so far

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES WEST PENN LACO, INC.

The John Tillman Company has made top quality welding gloves for 90 years.

the company has not been impacted by the rise of robotic welders, which require no PPE. Going forward, the John Tillman Company will continue to invest in its number one asset — its employees — through training and development. New technologies for its operations are also part of its strategic plan for the future.

amily owned and operated since 1928, West Penn Lacquer, now known as West Penn Laco, started in business as the first supplier of automotive lacquer coatings in the Pittsburgh market.

In the 1940s, West Penn Laco recognized the customer value of delivery service, but the war effort made acquiring trucks difficult. A Plymouth Coupe was modified by removing the trunk lid, enabling it to accommodate 55-gallon drums of thinner and other automotive refinishing products. As West Penn Laco’s transformation into the delivery business began in earnest, a Studebaker was acquired in 1948 and permitted expansion into the gas and welding supply business.

The 1970s saw enormous growth in industrial and medical gases, and what was once a side business became a much larger part of the company. Today, West Penn Laco supplies Western Pennsylvania’s automotive refinishing, welding and industrial gas needs. Their client portfolio includes businesses

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Summer 2018 • 39

90 YEARS

F

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

90 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES West Penn Lacquer, now known as West Penn Laco, started in business as a supplier of lacquer coatings for early automobiles.

West Penn Laco's modern delivery fleet.

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“Staying on the cutting edge with technology, maintaining a stable work force and supplying the customer what he wants, when he wants it, at a competitive price has ensured our continued success,” said President Howard MacKay. West Penn Laco started with a single location in East Liberty and opened their fifth location in 2017.

What does the future hold for West Penn Laco? “For the business to remain successful well past our 100-year anniversary and into our fifth generation of family ownership,” MacKay said.

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40 • Summer 2018

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Delivering global Co2 SolutionS

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80 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

80 YEARS

Purity has been delivering through rain, snow, sleet and shine for 80 years (photo circa 1958).

PURITY CYLINDER GASES, INC.

P

Grand Rapids, Michigan

urity Cylinder Gases, Inc. is an independent and locally owned welding supply and gas distributor with over 160 employees throughout Michigan and Northern Indiana.

The company was established in 1938 by Edward Butterfield, Glenn Garman and Howard Sweet. Like many distributors, Purity was experiencing supply challenges and met with other companies to find solutions. These discussions led to the formation of the National Welding Supply Association in 1945.

In 1960, employees Ken Nyhuis, Glenn DeVries and Don Wyngarden purchased and continued to grow the company.

Today, Purity is on its fourth generation of ownership and third generation of family ownership.

Currently serving the automotive, furniture building, metal fabrication/construction, food process and medical industries, the company stocks a large supply of welding consumables, safety equipment, industrial supplies and tools. Purity owns three fill plants that produce oxygen, argon, CO2, nitrogen, specialty gases and nitrous oxide. They also have a dedicated acetylene plant.

What does it take to continue growing after 80 years in the welding supply and gas distribution business? “Our success comes down to our employees and their commitment to customers, suppliers and the industry,” explained President Douglas Nyhuis. “We can have buildings, cylinders, hard goods and trucks, but it doesn’t amount to anything unless we have employees who are engaged in the business.”

Future plans for Purity include opening their 15th location before the end of this year and continuing to invest in their employees. “Employee training and development returns value to both the business and our customers,” Nyhuis said.

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42 • Summer 2018

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES THE GASFLUX COMPANY

I

Elyria, Ohio

80 YEARS

n 1938, William Ulmer founded The Gasflux Company to market a new and improved brazing method that introduced flux automatically into the flame, improving the wetting action and producing stronger welds. Ulmer’s first employee, Thomas “T.J.” Farquhar, was hired to promote the new process to fabricators, and he eventually gained majority ownership. The business has been in the Farquhar family ever since.

After weathering lean times during World War II, Gasflux grew quickly during the post-war manufacturing boom. Bicycle and metal furniture manufacturers became a steady customer base, followed by air conditioning and refrigeration clients.

By the 1960s, Gasflux had outgrown its original plant and under the leadership of then president Bill Farquhar, T.J’s son, investments were made in capital equipment and company facilities. “We went from half a building to half a block,” said current President and Chairman Bob Farquhar.

Bob watched much of Gasflux’s manufacturing base head overseas in the 1990s. “I decided to make this an opportunity instead of a loss by following our customers,” Farquhar explained. “Gasflux opened distributorships all over the world, and today we are an international company.”

The original Gasflux product remains at the core of their business. By continuing to build around it with synergistic

Gasflux’s 1939 introductory brochure.

brazing accessories and processes, and with a fourth generation of Farquhars on board, Gasflux is poised to begin its next 80 years of supplying superior quality brazing products.

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Summer 2018 • 43

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

Left: 1948 Willard C. Starcher delivery truck.

Right: Willard C. Starcher has been supplying West Virginia for 80 years.

WILLARD C. STARCHER, INC.

80 YEARS

Spencer, West Virginia

W

illard C. Starcher, Inc. was founded by Willard Starcher in 1938 and operated from a garage behind his home in Spencer, WV. Concerned that manufacturers were going direct to customers, which would hurt his young company’s hard-won business, in 1948 Starcher banded with other distributors to form the National Welding Supply Association to represent the interests of the independent welding supply distributor.

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Today, the company is owned and operated by John and Carol Hill and Mary Beth Titus. It is still a family business, with John and Mary Beth being the grandchildren of Willard Starcher.

Carol Hill succeeded her husband John as president in November 1989 when he was recalled to active duty to serve as a helicopter pilot in the Gulf War. Upon his return, the company continued to expand.

In addition to hardgoods and equipment, the company offers compressed industrial, medical and specialty gases.

“We are a traditional independent welding distributor,” President John Hill explained. “Our employees have certainly been a major factor in the success of our business. We have also had the opportunity to supply niche industries such as the oil and gas pipelines in the area.”

Looking to the future, Hill intends to continue to invest in the company’s delivery fleet. The trucks get a lot of wear and tear, and repair facilities are few and far between in rural West Virginia. “Our first customers are over an hour’s drive away,” Hill explained.

Hill also intends to continue investing in his employees. “My personal goal is to continue to increase the professionalism of all of our employees in each area of expertise, and that means train, train, train,” Hill said. He noted that the company makes extensive use of the GAWDA consultants in that area, who provide on-site training for everything from fill plant operations to hazardous materials.

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Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

70 YEARS .

BICKETT MACHINE & GAS SUPPLY, INC.

B

70 YEARS

Bickett’s machine shop fabricates ornamental iron railing and custom gates.

46 • Summer 2018

Portsmouth, Ohio

ickett Machine & Gas Supply has served Ohio’s Scioto Valley since 1948.

Over the years, it has evolved with the local economy, from supplying foundries with industrial gases in its earlier days to offering medical gases and custom metalwork today.

Chief Financial Officer Maureen Coburn explained that hard work and a willingness to adapt to changing conditions have kept Bickett in business for the last 70 years and will keep it going in the future. “We’re not a big box store, so we can provide the personal service that our customers appreciate,” Coburn said.

Along with a complete line of welding and safety supplies, Bickett carries the largest hydraulic hose and fitting inventory in the area. The company also has a full-service machine shop that does everything from repairing and balancing driveshafts to fabricating ornamental railing and gates. Eric Lewis oversees the welding supply division, while Jeff Ellis directs the machine shop division.

In 1999, the company invested in a state-of-the-art pumping station to supply oxygen to area hospitals and medical supply houses. The company also has its own fill station for propane, with exchange stations in both Ohio and Kentucky.

Coburn’s advice to anyone starting out would be to “avoid signing up for everything.” She pointed out that while diversifying is important, scattering your efforts in too many directions tends to stall forward motion. “Do a few things and do them very well,” she advised.

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES BUG-O SYSTEMS

S

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Bug-O Systems develops portable and automated welding and cutting products.

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Summer 2018 • 47

7/20/2018 12:47:26 PM

70 YEARS

olving problems efficiently put Bug-O Systems in business and keeps it there. A family-owned company celebrating its 70th year, Bug-O began as D.R. Electric Company selling equipment, like the Livesay Multipurpose Machine, which was designed to speed up the cutting and welding process in the manufacture of WWII landing craft.

Company founder H. Edward Cable eventually acquired the Livesay patent in 1954 and continued to develop portable and automated welding and cutting products, operating as the Welding Tool Corporation. The transition to today’s name came shortly thereafter. CEO Chip Cable, third-generation family leader, explained, “One of our early products was a friction drive machine. These were known as bugs, so we labeled our first model the bug-0 (bug dash zero).

Customers read this as ‘Bug-O,’ which became our trademark name.”

In 2008, the company made a significant investment in new facilities, moving its manufacturing plant, corporate headquarters and training facilities to the South Point Industrial Park. “Showcasing our products in this magnificent new setting has made all the difference in the world. Business immediately improved,” Chip said.

Bug-O enters its 70th year with a firm plan for the future. “Customer needs and applications are the basis of Bug-O’s growth and innovation,” said President Matt Cable. “We are in the midst of product redesigns so that our equipment can interface with the latest fabrication systems. This means Bug-O is working on more plug-and-play device compatibility and more flexible and portable products for everything from small projects to cross-country pipelines around the world.”

70 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES BUTLER GAS PRODUCTS COMPANY

I

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

n 1948, John A. “Jack” Butler opened Butler Gas Products in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Back then, Pittsburgh was known as the Steel City, and Butler prospered as they served the numerous welders in the area.

When the steel industry began to collapse in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Butler chose to follow the gas business and positioned themselves as a regional gas manufacturer and distributor. Gas sales now constitute 90 percent of the company’s business.

Today, CEO John T. “Jack” Butler II heads the company, alongside his daughter, EVP & COO Abydee Butler Moore.

Speaking with Jack Butler, you can’t help but be engaged by his enthusiasm. “We are so lucky to be in the gas business,” Jack said. “Between the great people and the opportunities, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

To provide agility in a changing marketplace, gas sales are diversified into six areas: fabrication, construction, specialty gas and medical, process gas, retail and wholesale. Butler sells all forms of packaged gas, including bulk and microbulk in oxygen, argon, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Helium, methane, acetylene and hydrogen are manufactured, mixed and repackaged

(l-r) Owners Jack Butler, Abydee Butler Moore and Elissa Butler at the Family Business Awards in 2017.

on-site. Pure gases up to grade 5/UHP are also available.

Reinvestment is the key to their continued success, Jack explained. They decide where to reinvest by asking key questions: “Will it provide a positive cash flow? Will it provide a 20 percent return every year? Will it pay for itself in five years?

If the answers are yes, yes and yes, we go ahead.”

CEE KAY SUPPLY St. Louis, Missouri

C

Cee Kay unveiled a statue titled “Together We Build” during their 70th anniversary celebration. Created by sculptor Sergio Furnari, it is based on a famous photo of 11 fearless ironworkers sitting on top of an I-beam in New York City in 1932 during the construction of a skyscraper in Rockefeller Center.

48 • Summer 2018

ee Kay Supply opened for business on November 3, 1948, as a distributor for the National Cylinder Gas Company, a manufacturer of gases and welding equipment. Cee Kay was founded by Ralph Chase and Ralph Knight, who derived the name of Cee Kay using the “C” from Chase and the “K” from Knight.

On December 6, 1955, Sales Manager Paul Dunn purchased Cee Kay Supply.

At the time, there were three employees and sales of approximately $100,000 per year. Today, Cee Kay has 110 employees and sales of $30 million per year.

Paul Dunn retired in March 1979, and his son, Tom Dunn, took over as

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES president of the company. According to Dunn, the key to Cee Kay’s longevity is “the coworkers who serve our customers and each other. They are the ‘heart’ of the company. We have a work-hard culture, but we also get together often as a company with our families to have fun. Our passion is making things better every day.”

In November 1997, Cee Kay moved its headquarters to a 120,000 sq. ft. building on 6 acres. Cee Kay Supply currently services within a 100-mile radius of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Future plans include the addition of a dry ice manufacturing location in Joplin, MO, and expansion into other areas.

Cee Kay employees celebrated being named a Top Workplace in 2017.

70 YEARS

GENERAL DISTRIBUTING COMPANY

General Distributing Company has been serving Montana for 70 years.

Great Falls, Montana

G

eneral Distributing Company was founded in 1948 as a distributor of batteries and tires. Shortly after the company’s inception, Glenn E. Bliss was hired. He purchased the company in 1957 and immediately added welding equipment and supplies to the company’s product offerings. By the time Glenn Earl’s son, Glenn F. Bliss, joined the company in 1971, welding supplies and equipment had grown to be an important market.

Today, General Distributing Company’s business is evenly split between gases and welding equipment. The company caters to a mix of industry, agriculture, education and the medical community, which includes many of Montana’s key hospitals. Laboratories, universities and industrial customers rely on the company’s bulk tanks for the storage of liquid nitrogen and oxygen. A significant part of the company’s

growth has been in cryogenics and the sale, installation and service of manifold systems.

Over the years, the company has grown into six locations across Montana, serving the enormous geographical area of what is commonly known as Big Sky Country.

General Distributing Company takes pride in the technical expertise of their employees and provides continuing education in soft skills, such as customer service and computer training, as well as product knowledge and technical training. To that end, the construction of a new training and demonstration lab is currently underway at the company’s headquarters in Great Falls.

“Our biggest investment has been in our people,” thirdgeneration President Glenn W. Bliss said. “We have long-tenured employees with technical product knowledge and a driven desire to provide exceptional customer service across Montana.”

Summer 2018 • 49

70 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES GTW WELDING SUPPLIES

Greenville, Michigan

G

TW Welding Supplies was founded by William Loding in 1948. The family-owned company has been operating out of Greenville, MI, for 70 years and is the area’s leading supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding supplies, safety equipment and hydraulic hoses and fittings. They also have a second facility in Ionia, MI. GTW performs hydrostatic cylinder testing, machine repair and warranty service. They also provide ISO machine

certification and quality testing standards. Local microbreweries are one of the specialty markets served by GTW. GTW is a big proponent of training and regularly hosts demonstration labs on new equipment and processes.

According President and Owner Jeff Loding, the secret to their longevity is

GTW Welding Supplies has been the Greenville area’s leading welding and gas supplier since 1948.

“continuity of management, loyal customers and building relationships.” In the future, Loding hopes to see controlled, moderate growth of the company to ensure continued quality service for their customers.

NORCO, INC. Boise, Idaho

N

orco, Inc. was founded in 1948 as the welding supply division of the Nordling Auto Parts Company. In 1968, the division was purchased by Larry Kissler. At the time, Norco had 15 employees and two locations. Today, it has over 1,300 employees, 80 facilities and is the largest independent welding supply and gases distributorship in the United States.

Norco CEO Jim Kissler distilled the major factors that have contributed to Norco’s exponential growth over the past seven decades. “There are three keys to our success: experienced people, continuity of management and reinvestment in the company,” he explained.

“Employees are our most important asset,” Kissler said. “They know the customers, the pricing and the idiosyncrasies of the supply system.” To preserve this asset, Norco formed an ESOP to retain and reward employees for their longevity.

“Experienced management is key,” he continued. The company has had 50 • Summer 2018

Norco’s new $14 million Meridian facility has allowed the company to consolidate and centralize billing functions.

only three owners in 70 years, and Jim’s daughter Nicole Kissler will take over when he retires, extending the company ownership into a fourth generation.

“Continuous reinvestment is also essential,” he noted. Within the last month, Norco opened a new 86,000 sq. ft. building on a 6.3-acre campus in Meridian, ID. To provide an idea of the scale of this company, that enormous building was constructed with one primary focus in mind, to consolidate and centralize billing functions.

One of the core values of Norco is giving back to the communities it serves.

One-twelfth of the company’s shares are allocated to charitable giving through the Kissler Family Foundation, which amounts to more than $1 million each year.

The Meridian facility includes a life-size statue of Larry Kissler, who served as president of the National Welding Supply Association, the precursor of GAWDA.

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES THOMPSON BROTHERS WELDING & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY

I

Coffeyville, Kansas

Top: The original Thompson brothers, Don Thompson and Clarence “Tommy” Thompson.

Bottom: Thompson Brothers Chanute, KS facility.

WELDERS SUPPLY COMPANY OF LOUISVILLE Louisville, Kentucky

W

elders Supply Company of Louisville specializes in distributing welding equipment, gases and supplies and was founded in 1948 by the late Louis Wright Sr. It remains family-owned today, and owner Louis Wright Jr. operates the company with the same goals established by his father 70 years ago: to provide quality products, timely service and technical assistance for their customers.

“Taking care of the customer is number one,” said President Larry Simpson. “We don’t have voice mail at our company.

Welders Supply Company of Louisville in 1957.

Summer 2018 • 51

70 YEARS

n 1948, brothers Don Thompson and Clarence “Tommy” Thompson converted one corner of a roller rink into a small showroom and started selling welding supplies. Seventy years later, Thompson Brothers Welding & Industrial Supply has grown into a leading regional distributor in southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma and southwest Missouri, serving the welding, industrial and automotive markets. According to President Rick Thompson, hard work, honesty and integrity are the values that have shaped the company.

Rick’s son and Marketing Manager Ryan Thompson pointed out that a strong family connection has been one of the most important factors in their continued success. “We work and play together, and it’s just made us stronger,” Ryan said.

“We take a lot of pride in our family name and business, and we hope to continue into a fourth generation.”

The loyalty and commitment of their staff has also been crucial. “We have employees who have been with us for 25 and 30 years,” Ryan said. “That level of experience is invaluable both to us and our customers.”

Plans for the company include going digital in the field by equipping drivers with tablets for data and order entry and scanners for tracking bar codes. “This will allow our drivers to immediately respond to customer questions regarding stock and prices without having to wait to hear back from the home office,” Ryan said. The project is currently underway, and the goal is to implement it by the first quarter of next year. They are also making investments in their fill plant and transitioning to palletized filling to improve efficiency.

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

70 YEARS

When you call us, the phone is answered on the first or second ring, and then the person you want is paged to the phone.

You will always reach a person, not a mailbox.”

When you reach that person, it’s essential to make them feel valued and important, Simpson advised. “People will forget what you do and say, but they will never forget how you made them feel,” he explained. It’s this level of customer service that has allowed the company to grow from a small 2,500 sq. ft. office in 1948 into a new 75,000 sq. ft. distribution center today.

Embracing technology is also important to the company. They have invested in cylinder tracking and online customer account access so that customers can review cylinders, delivery

52 • Summer 2018

Welders Supply Company of Louisville today.

tickets and account balances, as well as place orders and more 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

“We are getting ready to pilot the use of mobile apps for field personnel,”

Simpson said. “That will allow our sales representatives and drivers to provide an immediate answer to the questions of whether we have an item in stock and how much it costs.”

60 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

ANTHONY WELDED PRODUCTS

Simi Valley, California

W

orking for a welding supply distributor, Anthony Salvucci saw the growing need for cylinder handling products and began building them in his garage. Demand for his wares grew quickly, and in 1958 he formed Anthony Welded Products with his son Frank Salvucci Sr. Today the Simi Valley, California, business is still in the Salvucci family, has two manufacturing plants in the U.S. and offers a complete line of cylinder carts, stands and racks — a model for every purpose.

4 Generations Strong Since 1958

Anthony Welded Products founders Frank Salvucci Sr. (left) with his father Anthony Salvucci (right).

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Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES President Frank Salvucci Jr., the founder’s grandson, reports, “From the start, we grew our company by building solutions. Our products grew out of the applications we found for our customers’ problems. We still find new distribution and storage solutions by paying attention to our customers’ needs and challenges, and today, we have a catalog of over 500 models from which to choose.”

CEO Elsie Salvucci explained that product innovation in both its industrial and medical product divisions is at the

core of the Salvucci business. “With additions like ergonomic handles, lighter-weight framing materials and user-friendly designs, the company is constantly reengineering and adding to its line,” she said.

The formula for the continued success of the family business includes the addition of a fourth generation of Salvuccis.

“Markets change, but our approach to business remains the same,” said Frank Jr. “We are problem solvers in the distribution and storage of gas, and we go where the cylinders are.”

CITY WELDING SALES & SERVICE, INC.

J

Skokie, Illinois

ohn Coffey founded City Welding Sales & Service in 1958 and his son, Shawn Coffey, has run it since 1980.

“I was harnessed as the engine of the business when I was only 20 years old,” Shawn said. “My dad opened a new company and when he handed this one over, he basically said, ‘Son, this is the deep end of the pool, and I suggest you learn how to swim.’ So I did.” Sadly, John Coffey passed away in April of this year. He was 88 years old.

City Welding supplies a wide variety of gases in various sizes.

60 YEARS

“The gas industry is an ever-changing dynamic,” Shawn pointed out. “Lately we have been in a cycle where the big fish are swallowing the little ones, and it can be vexing figuring out where to get gas when the number of suppliers is dwindling. For example, helium is on such a tight chain that if we lose one production plant it results in a huge problem. Manufacturing your own would be tremendous, but that equipment costs titanic fortunes.”

City Welding has weathered many gas shortages over the years. This year helium and argon are in short supply and last year, it was nitrous oxide. Shawn’s advice to new startups would be to: “Remember that you are in the cylinder rental business, so in times of shortages you need to prioritize your existing customers. Also, if you can cover your overhead with the sale of gas, you are knocking it out of the park.”

54 • Summer 2018

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES FIBA TECHNOLOGIES

Littleton, Massachusetts

W

orld-renowned for the development of various testing equipment, FIBA Technologies began in 1958 as Mass Oxygen Equipment, an industrial and medical gas distributorship in Melrose, MA. Today, the company has facilities in seven states and in Taiwan.

CEO Jack Finn, son of founder Frank Finn, explained, “We entered the testing market to develop a better means of non-destructive testing for tube trailers. In 1981, we introduced our Acoustic Emissions Testing process and in 1991, our Ultrasonic Testing process.

Both methods offer a more efficient and less cost-prohibitive testing process and have put FIBA on the map as a major

Second- and thirdgeneration Finns received the Massachusetts Family Owned and Managed Business Award at Northeastern University.

brand in the gas containment industry.”

In 2003, FIBA began manufacturing their own seamless pressure vessels, broadening the company’s reach. Today, it is the only completely vertically integrated gas containment equipment supplier in the world, reports John Finn, director of operations. FIBA plans to continue to lead the development of containment equipment with its Type 4 composite pressure vessels.

Capable of producing hydrogen fueling

vessels with working pressures up to 1,000 bar, the company has its eye on emerging hydrogen fueling applications, according to Chris Finn, director of sales.

“Demand for our products and services continues to grow globally and we expect the next 60 years to be busy,” said Jack. “We plan to grow through innovation, and most importantly, through the efforts of our staff. Our people have always been at the core of our success.”

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Syracuse, New York

n the 1930s, Orval Haun realized that the welder he was using could benefit from a redesign, but his company didn’t want to change it, so he began manufacturing and selling welders out of his garage, sparking a quest for innovation that would continue for the next four generations.

In 1958, he founded Haun Welding Supply along with his son Ken Haun. Haun sells welding equipment and supplies, all types of gases, power tools, consumables and safety products. They also have an onsite service department and a welding school.

President Mark Haun started working for the company when he was only 12 years old. His wife Janine and their three sons (Josh, Erich and Kyle) followed in his footsteps, and today the family remains focused on sharpening “The Haun Edge,” a company mission to provide continuous improvement in the areas of customer service, innovation and efficiency.

One of the major segments served by the company is industrial, medical and specialty gases. In 2011, Haun upgraded and fully automated their main fill plant, which has one of the longest fill islands in the country. “Haun now has 10 fill plants — five full fill plants and another five that just do oxygen,” said Josh Haun, director of operations and marketing.

Their latest innovation? Automated tracking of tens of thousands of warehouse products, a project that is nearly complete.

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES (l-r) Holston Gases Chairman Bill Baxter, Ginger Baxter, Missy Anders and President and CEO Robert Anders.

HOLSTON GASES, INC.

Knoxville, Tennessee

F

ounded in 1958 by Pat Baxter and Bob Walsh, Holston Gases has now grown to 27 locations in six states and is one of the largest independent suppliers of welding gases, propane and restaurant CO2 gas in America.

Holston was headquartered on the Tennessee River for 50 years, and in 2012 built a state-of-the-art gas fill plant and distribution center on I-275.

Each of the company’s locations is led by a general manager who oversees the administration of that branch.

“At Holston, all decisions are made at the local level rather than in the ivory tower of a corporate office hundreds of miles away,” President and CEO Robert

Anders explained. “Companies that centralize decision-making tend to lose touch with both the local market and the local employees. Decentralization has allowed us to grow into a large company while maintaining that small-company focus and a sense of family for our employees.”

Holston’s 60th Anniversary Celebration included dinner for 600 on the Festival Lawn of the World’s Fair Park, followed by a program in the Tennessee Amphitheatre.

The crowd included current employees as well as several Holston alumni who worked for the founders at the beginning of the company.

Chairman of the Board Bill Baxter said, “We were honored by the tremendous turnout of our employees from all over the Southeastern United States.

And we were especially delighted by the attendance of several of our retirees who played such an important role in the early stages of the company’s history.

We stand on their shoulders today, and the success we have in the future will be to their credit.”

60 YEARS

KALAS WIRE AND CABLE

I

Denver, Pennsylvania

n 1958, the founding partners of Kalas Wire and Cable created a wire and cable business in Denver, PA, and used their wives’ initials (Katherine and Linda and Sue) to form its unique name. Sixty years later, Kalas is a $150 million operation with 500 associates, proud of its reputation as a leading manufacturer of copper wire and cable and value-added assemblies.

Kris Hill working on the Kalas industrial products line in Denver, Pennsylvania.

Summer 2018 • 57

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES President and CEO Jack Witwer grew up in the wire industry and now leads the organization as a third-generation family member. Noted for the breadth and diversity of his customer base, Witwer’s deep knowledge of the business enables him to skillfully manage products across multiple markets.

“I am proud and humbled to be able to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Kalas,” Witwer said. “While we have grown and evolved, the important things have remained the same. Our commitment to quality, our passion for service and the loyalty of our talented associates are what make Kalas so special.”

Central to its success is Kalas’ unique vertically integrated business and production model that allows for a comprehensive and technical approach to applications. Rooted in looking for new and innovative ways to deliver value to its customers, the company invests carefully in its people. Leadership teams are made up of those with diverse backgrounds and tenured functional experience who can develop products and help shape the company’s marketing strategy.

Kalas manufactures copper wire and cable.

Going forward, Kalas plans to continue to advance new ways of serving its customers through collaborative partnerships and technical expertise and looks forward to 60 more years of growth.

60 YEARS

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58 • Summer 2018

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Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

50 YEARS HYPERTHERM, INC.

I

Hanover, New Hampshire

THANK YOU GAWDA MEMBERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. Fifty years ago, in a small two car garage, Hypertherm began our journey with simple, powerful ideas about business and an invention that shaped the future of industrial cutting. The same ideals that fueled our inception all those years ago are still what drive us today: A passion for challenging what’s achievable with the products we create, the culture we foster, and the experience we deliver to our customers. It’s a journey made stronger by the support of GAWDA members like you. Thank you partners for 50 years of collaboration and friendship.

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50 YEARS

n 1968, Dick Couch, then an engineering student at Dartmouth College, and his professor, Bob Dean, set out to solve an issue with plasma arc cutting, an unwieldy and costly process at the time. Within about six months, they had developed a waterinjection process that substantially improved the plasma process, and Couch formally founded Hypertherm, Inc. Working out of a two-car garage, Couch and five associates spent the remainder of the decade perfecting their new technology.

Facing enormous challenges, it took until 1976 — eight years after the company’s official incorporation — for Hypertherm to As an engineering finally turn a profstudent, Dick Couch began working on an it, albeit a small improved plasma arc one. Throughout cutting technology. those early years and to this day, Couch stayed true to his engineering roots and his overarching goal of cutting the cost of cutting metal.

“Hypertherm’s focus has always been on helping our customers reduce their operating cost and improve cutting performance so they can enhance their profitability. That’s what we continue to do today,” said Hypertherm’s Evan Smith, who took over the president and CEO role from Couch. Couch remains involved with Hypertherm as chairman of the board.

Looking forward, Smith said Hypertherm will continue to stay true to Couch’s vision of improving the

fabrication process through engineering innovation. At the same time, the company plans to do something Couch did a lot of in Hypertherm’s early days: work closely to really understand the customer using its cutting products, and then develop products that meet their needs.

50 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES MERCER INDUSTRIES, A DIVISION OF MERCER TOOL CORPORATION Ronkonkoma, New York

B

eginning with the sale of a humble hand file, Mercer Industries has expanded their offerings from one quality item to hundreds of premium products. “Fifty years into this business, in addition to a great file, we manufacture everything that’s needed to cut, grind or finish,” said Jim Wallick, president and son of founder Mel Wallick. Jim describes the path to the company’s long-term success as one lined with careful investments in people and technology, with no shortcuts where product quality and customer service are concerned.

As a company that sells exclusively to distributors, Mercer Industries has paid attention to shifting trends in inventory management. “In the past,” explained Jim, “our customers would buy and store up to three months of product.

Today, it’s all about just-in-time inventory.” This necessitated the expansion of Mercer’s warehousing operations, which are strategically located in New York and California to serve customers nationwide. Inventory trends also prompted Mercer

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60 • Summer 2018

Mercer Industries manufactures everything that’s needed to cut, grind or finish.

to install office technologies and systems to speed delivery from their storage locations.

These investments, together with building strong partnerships and offering innovative products, have paid off in continuous growth every year for the past 10 years, Jim said. “Our sweet spot is quality and price.”

As for the next 50 years, the Wallicks intend to continue to concentrate on customer needs, quality products and the speed at which they are delivered.

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Mitchell Welding Supply is celebrating 50 years in business.

MITCHELL WELDING SUPPLY Terrell, Texas

W

hether a customer needs plasma cutters, lasers or robotics, Mitchell Welding Supply is committed to supplying any technology required in the welding industry. According to President Rodney Wray (son of owner Benson Mitchell), staying agile and in touch with industry changes has been vital to the company’s longevity.

“Our whole business is not tied up into one market,” noted Wray. “Texas is diverse.” For example, in the late 1960s, no one worked with specialized gases, and now they are best sellers. To meet the changing needs of their customers, Mitchell

began mixing and pumping different gases on site.

While the products and distribution system may have changed over the past 50 years, the company’s core values and work ethic have not. As a testimony to their success, Mitchell Welding Supply proudly conducts business with many of the same customers they started with in 1968. This past February, the company opened a third location in Garland, TX, and will continue expanding to meet the needs of their customers.

What else will the future hold for Mitchell Welding Supply?

“We are upgrading our whole facility to supply specialty and medical gases,” Wray said. “Our goal is to be completely independent.”

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50 YEARS

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Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES OXARC, INC.

I

Spokane, Washington

nvesting in non-traditional sidelines has allowed familyowned OXARC the flexibility to weather market fluctuations while continuing to expand. “My dad (OXARC founder Jerry Walmsley, always said that diversifying provides insurance when certain aspects of the business are down,” said President Jana Nelson. “For example, during the recession, new equipment sales were down but the service side of our business was up. Diversification kept the scales balanced.”

In addition to welding equipment, supplies and service, OXARC operates a fire equipment division, two welding schools and a weld inspection division.

They also supply dry ice for the medical industry and for dry ice blast cleaning and offer an extensive list of industrial chemicals.

One of their newest revenue streams is supplying the products used in cannabis extraction. “With the legalization of marijuana in Oregon and Washington

OXARC color codes its cylinders using a state-of-the-art paint booth.

state, cannabis extraction is a huge part of our business now,” Nelson said. “There are so many medical applications, from cannabidiol pills used to treat epilepsy to lotions for treating joint pain.”

OXARC got ahead of the curve by designing the CO2 pumping system used in cannabis greenhouses before marijuana

was even legalized. “We are constantly scanning the news to see where the trends are going,” Nelson said.

Their next initiative? Tagging over a million cylinders (high-pressure, low-pressure, large and small) using a bar code system starting next year.

PARACO

Rye Brook, New York

C

50 YEARS

elebrating 50 years in business, Paraco credits their long-term success to both their employees and their customers. Opening in 1968 as a welding and industrial gas supplier, Pat Armentano started the company from scratch in Mt. Vernon, NY. His family continues to lead the company today with son Joseph Armentano as CEO and granddaughter Christina Armentano as executive vice president of sales and business development.

“As the youngest of 10 children, my grandfather developed a unique ability to connect with people and bring out the best in them, making him a natural and talented entrepreneur,” Christina said. “This set the stage for our success and continues to do so.”

Paraco CEO Joseph Armentano with Christina Armentano, executive vice president of sales and business development.

62 • Summer 2018

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES In 1979, on instinct and with very limited resources, Pat purchased Paraco Gas, a small propane marketer in Peekskill, NY. This eliminated the middleman from his growing propane distribution business and set the company on a path to become the largest privately held propane distributor in the Northeast. Since that time, Paraco has made 48 additional acquisitions, all strategic to propane.

Guided by the values of their founder, Paraco looks forward

I

PEARL ABRASIVES

Commerce, California

forward in the next 50 years. Pearl is also investing in its people, particularly product managers, who are tasked with looking at applications and finding better tooling solutions.

“Pearl Abrasives was founded and built on innovation,” said CEO Dan Davidenko, “and that remains our driver for success today.”

Dan Davidenko, CEO of Pearl Abrasives.

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50 YEARS

n 1968, Max Pearlman observed that the pipeline for abrasives supply to the steel fabrication industry was weak and demand for quality products high, so he founded Pearl Abrasives. Fifty years later, that small family enterprise has grown into an international manufacturing corporation.

With a mission to develop a complete line of high-quality abrasive solutions, Pearlman began introducing new products in the 1970s, beginning with the company’s trademarked Maxi Disc Radial Flap Disc. The following decades saw the expansion of the company’s catalog to diamond super-abrasives and equipment.

In the 1980s, Pearl Abrasives established itself as an industry leader in the field of high-tech diamond blades and then, in the 1990s, led the market in concrete surface-prepping equipment with its Hexpin Surface Preparation System.

Designed to accommodate multiple tools, the Hexpin enabled customers to use one machine for multiple tasks. The company’s next innovation was a lightweight and more transportable tile saw series.

Continuing the push for advancements in the use of diamond wheels for cutting metal, Pearl Abrasives introduced a new tool this year, its Xtreme Series Blade.

Investments, like Pearl’s new 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the art manufacturing and distribution facility in Commerce, CA, are meant to carry the company

to serving their customers in the years ahead. To do so, they are investing heavily in the professional development of the sales team and in improved technology for all operations.

Paraco also looks to expand through more acquisitions and is open to exploring joint venture opportunities in related businesses, including in the industrial gas space where lasting relationships exist from the company’s early days as a welding and gases distributor.

Summer 2018 • 63

50 YEARS

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

SIDNEY LEE WELDING SUPPLY, INC.

F

Hampton, Georgia

ounded in 1968 by Sidney Lee with the goal of providing the best products and the highest level of customer service, Sidney Lee Welding Supply, Inc. carries a large inventory of welding gases in cylinders and tanks, in a wide variety of sizes for all welding applications in aluminum and stainless steel. In addition, their

CO2 division provides carbon dioxide for restaurants and breweries and they distribute high-purity gas and specialty mixes for medical and research facilities.

Sidney Lee also supplies special effects and set fabrication for both television and film — the vampire in the opening scenes of “The Vampire Diaries” is emerging through a fog of Sidney Lee

CO2, and they have also supplied the sets of “The Fast and the Furious” movies.

If you ask President Zane Lee what’s kept his business going for 50 years, he will laugh and answer in four words: “Too stubborn to quit.” This perseverance has allowed Sidney Lee Welding Supply to make careful and measured progress that ultimately comes down to learning to do each task very well before moving on to the next one. “Right now, we’re focusing on the things you can’t put in a box,” Lee said.

This includes continuous improvements in both service and delivery methods, such as upgrading to full microbulk capacity for nitrogen, oxygen and CO2.

The biggest gamechanger for the company occurred when they opened their second location in 1995 because it meant they were beginning to operate at scale, Lee said. The business has now grown to five locations across Georgia.

Weldcoa co-owners Bud Koltz (left) and Hector Villarreal (right).

WELDCOA

Aurora, Illinois

W

eldcoa was founded in 1968 by Dick Bennett, an inventor who created the company’s core products such as the Sur-Loc pallet system.

Current president and co-owner Hector Villarreal joined the company in 1995 as its first marketing employee. “Dick experimented with all kinds of products to improve gas distribution,” Villarreal explained, “and he encouraged his employees to do the same.”

Maynard “Bud” Koltz, current vice president and coowner, joined Weldcoa in 1996 and took up the challenge 64 • Summer 2018

of creating the next generation of company products. Koltz had grown up installing plant equipment and is credited with Weldcoa’s next big innovation — modular, pre-built fill plants — which revolutionized fill plant construction. With Gary Schuman, Weldcoa’s director of automation, Koltz then developed an automated filling system, the Sur-Fill, adding another major product to the company’s portfolio.

More recently, Weldcoa introduced its next generation of automated systems for the specialty gas market. “We put Don Renner, our engineering sales manager, and Tom Badstubner, GAWDA’s FDA and Medical Gases Consultant, in the same room with Bud and Gary and amazing things happened,” Villarreal said. “Together they developed the IQS Blend Cell and the Digital Lab Assistant.”

With a view to the future, Weldcoa has invested $2.5 million in robotic welders, lasers and other automated equipment to enable the company to build more products of the highest quality.

“Weldcoa is lucky to have young talent in our engineering department to leverage new manufacturing technology,” Villarreal said. “Fifty years after our founding, we are unrivaled in our ability to develop new products for gas distribution and get our solutions to market quickly.”

Marking Milestones CELEBRATING MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

Other Member

ANNIVERSARIES 5 YEARS ARC3 GASES, INC. TRI-STAR GASES, LLC

10 YEARS ADVANCED GASES & EQUIPMENT, INC. OWNER RESOURCE GROUP ZEPHYR SOLUTIONS, INC.

15 YEARS

ADVANCED WELDING SUPPLY COMPANY, INC. AGP HELIUM SOLUTION SOURCE WESTERN GASCO CYLINDERS LIMITED

20 YEARS

CRYOSTAR USA LEHIGH EQUIPMENT COMPANY, INC.

25 YEARS

A-GAS INTERNATIONAL CTR, INC. CRYO WELD CORPORATION MESA SPECIALTY GAS & EQUIPMENT OXYGEN SERVICE COMPANY U.S. GAS

30 YEARS

AMERICAN CAP COMPANY, LLC AMERICAN WELDING & CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY, INC. ARC WELD, INC. MCDANTIM, INC. RASCO FR

35 YEARS

BISHOP WELDING SUPPLY POWERWELD, INC. SANREX CORPORATION WASHINGTON ALLOY COMPANY

40 YEARS

AGP HELIUM AIRWELD, INC. CHEMWELD, INC. COMPUTERS UNLIMITED EVERGREEN MIDWEST, INC. M J B WELDING SUPPLY, INC. WEST CHESTER PROTECTIVE GEAR

45 YEARS

AIMTEK, INC. RAY MURRAY, INC. RON-SONS TORCH SKY OXYGEN TYLER WELDERS SUPPLY, INC. VOLUNTEER WELDING SUPPLY WEH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

55 YEARS

ANN ARBOR WELDING SUPPLY COMPANY, INC. CAMERON WELDING SUPPLY CHART INDUSTRIES, INC. COASTAL WELDING SUPPLY, INC. CONTROL DEVICES NAPOTNIK WELDING SUPPLIES ORANGE RESEARCH WESTERN SALES & TESTING OF AMARILLO, INC.

65 YEARS

AMERICAN COMPRESSED GASES, INC. LEFELD WELDING & STEEL SUPPLIES, INC.

75 YEARS

MCKINNEY WELDING SUPPLY CO., INC.

95 YEARS GENERAL WELDING SUPPLY CORPORATION

Summer 2018 • 65

CONVENTION PREVIEW

2018 ANNUAL CONVENTION SEPTEMBER 9 – 12 Sheraton Seattle Hotel Seattle, Washington

Source: Sheraton Seattle Hotel

SCHEDULE of events SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Early Badge Pickup

12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Tours & Activities (Seattle City Tour)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

PRESIDENT’S

Welcome Reception Sunday, September 9 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

7:00 am – 6:00 pm

Convention Registration

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Executive Committee Meeting

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Tours & Activities (Seattle Lakes Cruise with Space Needle Visit)

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Board of Directors Meeting

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Regional Chairs Meeting

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Committee Meetings

Sheraton Seattle, Grand Ballroom Connect with colleagues and customers while enjoying a taste of Seattle, with local beer, wine, appetizers and entertainment.

(ATTIRE: CASUAL) 66 • Summer 2018

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

First–Timers Reception

Sheraton Seattle, Cirrus Ballroom GAWDA welcomes all those new to the organization who are attending their first GAWDA Annual Convention. (Attire: Casual) President’s Welcome Reception Industry Hospitalities

CONVENTION PREVIEW MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 7:00 am – 1:30 pm

Convention Registration

7:00 am – 8:00 am

Networking Breakfast

8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Opening General Business Session Speakers: John Rossman, Drew Carter & Alex Chausovsky

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Past President’s Luncheon

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Tours & Activities Seattle City Tour, Snoqualmie Falls Viewing & Wine Tour, Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour

12:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Young Professionals Event Art Marble 21 with Boat Tour & Lunch

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Exhibitor Booth Setup

1:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Industry Hospitalities

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 6:00 am – 11:30 am

Convention Registration

6:00 am – 8:00 am

Exhibitor Booth Setup

7:00 am – 8:00 am

Networking Breakfast Convention Center

Contact Booth & Prize Program 8:00 am – 11:30 am

Convention Center Back by popular demand, this is an outstanding supplier and distributor networking opportunity. More than 100 GAWDA member suppliers will display their newest products and services and be on hand for one–on– one conversations with distributors.

The Prize Program is a highlight of this event, with more prizes this year than ever before!

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Tours & Activities Seattle Lakes Cruise with Space Needle Visit, Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour

12:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Industry Hospitalities

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 7:00 am – 1:00 pm

Convention Registration

7:00 am – 8:00 am

Networking Breakfast

8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Closing General Business Session Speaker: Dr. Rick Rigsby

12:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Women of Gases & Welding Event Chihuly Garden & Glass with Lunch

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

President’s Farewell Gala Held at the Museum of Pop Culture

YOUNG Professionals Monday, September 10 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm 731 Westlake Ave. N.Seattle Connect with other young GAWDA professionals during lunch at Art Marble 21 followed by a boat cruise around Seattle.

Art Marble 21 offers music, games, a full bar, and locally sourced food. www.artmarble21.com (ATTIRE: CASUAL)

WOMEN OF

Gases

&

Welding Wednesday, September 12 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm Chihuly Garden & Glass Exhibition at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St. Join us at Seattle Center for lunch and a tour of one of the most spectacular glass sculpture exhibitions in the world. Created by artist Dale Chihuly, who trained under master glass artists in Venice and has exhibited worldwide. Proceeds to support the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. www.chihulygardenandglass.com

Summer 2018 • 67

CONVENTION PREVIEW

PRESIDENT’S

Farewell Gala Wednesday, September 12 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) 325 5th Avenue N. Join us for dinner and dancing at a Denim & Diamonds Gala at the Museum of Pop Culture, with Seattle’s rich musical roots as a backdrop. Members can stroll around and discover legendary music artifacts, connect with friends and enjoy great live entertainment. www.mopop.org

(ATTIRE: DENIM WITH GLITTERING ACCESSORIES)

GAWDA gives back

G

AWDA President Ned Lane and his wife Jo Ann have selected Mary’s Place and Ronald McDonald House Seattle as recipients of donations from the 2018 GAWDA Gives Back Program. Donations from the Gives Back campaign will fund specific projects at both charities.

Mary’s Place is the leading voice for homeless women, children and families in emergency situations. They help families reclaim their lives and provide practical tools and resources that help them find housing and employment.

Funds from the Gives Back campaign will be used to purchase additional beds and expand another shelter area to help more families.

Ronald McDonald House Seattle provides a temporary home for families with very ill children. Their goal is to help families focus on their child’s healing. Families are provided a home with prepared meals, dining area, living rooms, computer rooms, laundry and many other amenities. Funds from the Gives Back campaign will be used to help expand the kitchen to incorporate commercial appliances.

68 • Summer 2018

CONVENTION PREVIEW

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CONVENTION PREVIEW

ANNUAL CONVENTION

presenters

Experts in Digital Innovation, Business Strategy, Motivation and Economics to Address GAWDA Members at the Annual Convention

JOHN ROSSMAN Managing Partner Rossman Partners Former Amazon Executive John Rossman is most known for launching and scaling the Amazon Marketplace business, which now accounts for over 50 percent of all Amazon units sold and shipped. He also served as director of enterprise services at Amazon.com, where he managed worldwide services to enterprise clients, including Target, Sears and the NBA. Since leaving Amazon, he has advised clients across most industry verticals on digital strategy, operations and culture. He is now managing partner at Rossman Partners.

John is the author of “The Amazon Way: 14 Leadership Principles Behind the World’s Most Disruptive Company” and is an expert in digital innovation and helping his clients build and execute innovative business models. His new book, “The Amazon Way on IoT: 10 Lessons Every Leader Should Learn from Amazon’s Internet of Things Strategy,” came out in October 2016.

DREW CARTER President, Maritz Motivation Solutions Maritz Motivation Solutions President Drew Carter has more than 20 years of experience in senior advisory and executive roles, driving revenue growth using technology, strategy and analytics. He’s committed to providing clients world-class solutions that deliver massive 70 • Summer 2018

value, using behavioral sciences, decision sciences and deep operational execution expertise.

Drew has worked with some of the largest companies in North America and Europe, driving growth through loyalty, sales effectiveness and employee engagement programs, as well as mission-critical strategic planning. Drew holds a patent for marketing effectiveness measurement and optimization. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management from the University of Kansas and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

ALEX CHAUSOVSKY Speaker and Consultant ITR Economics Alex Chausovsky is an accomplished speaker and consultant at ITR Economics.

He is a highly experienced market researcher and analyst with more than a decade of expertise in subjects that include macroeconomics, industrial manufacturing, energy efficiency, automation and advanced technology trends. He has consulted and advised companies throughout the U.S., Europe, Brazil, China and Japan for the last 15 years.

Alex regularly delivers keynote addresses at leading industry events to rave reviews. His charisma, engaging personality and refreshing demeanor on stage always surpass the audience’s expectations.

His extensive consulting expertise is greatly valued by management teams of companies both

CONVENTION PREVIEW large and small. ITR Economics’ clients rely on his input when developing strategic plans for the future, as he helps them plan for risk conditions and find areas of opportunity.

DR. RICK RIGSBY

Twice named an Outstanding Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M, Dr. Rick has numerous publications. His first non-academic book, “Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout,” is a USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Amazon best seller.

TAG & BRAG! Use the hashtag:

#GAWDA2018AC while at the Convention

President and CEO, Rick Rigsby Communications In 2017, Dr. Rick Rigsby delivered a speech about the lessons he learned from his father, titled “The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout.” It went viral, and within days it had been viewed more than 200 million times.

Dr. Rick is president and CEO of Rick Rigsby Communications.

The former award-winning journalist followed a television career with graduate school and two decades as a college professor, most of those years at Texas A&M University, where he also served as character coach and chaplain for the Aggies football team.

Dr. Rick’s dynamic presentations motivate, empower and inspire worldwide — from Africa and Asia, to the Americas, Europe and Canada. His audiences include Fortune 500 company employees, academic communities and service organization members. The internationally acclaimed speaker is a favorite among professional sports organizations, including the NFL and the PGA. Summer 2018 • 71

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE

2018 ANNUAL CONVENTION GUIDE TO

Contact Booth Exhibitors

T

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 8:00 am – 11:30 am

Convention Center

here’s no better place for face-to-face information exchange than the Contact Booth Program. It’s a huge and highly informative showcase of vendor and supplier offerings and an outstanding networking opportunity.

with the most points at the end of the AC will win a FREE DELEGATE REGISTRATION for the next convention!

NEW — USE THE GAWDA APP TO COMPETE FOR A FREE CONVENTION DELEGATE REGISTRATION! In addition to the hugely popular Contact Booth Prize Program, this year we are offering a new competition through the GAWDA app. Download the GAWDA event app (called Attendee Hub in the app store) and search for the GAWDA 2018 Annual Convention.

Track your points (and the competition!) by clicking on the Game icon in the app. Play EARLY and OFTEN — current GAWDA Member leaders include: SUPPLIERS: DISTRIBUTORS: 1. Derek Kuhnle – Prism 1. Brad Peterson – Visual Software Mississippi Welders Supply Company 2. Eric Wise – Wise 2. Abydee Butler Moore – Telemetry Butler Gas Products 3. Danny Olvera – Cryolor 3. Tom Klemz – Baker’s Gas and Welding Supplies

Every activity on the app racks up points: from reviewing the schedule and speakers to uploading photos during the convention. The top three suppliers and distributors

Stay tuned for updated leaderboard standings in the GAWDA Connection newsletters from now through the end of the AC!

CRYOVATION: A QUALITY CUSTOM MANUFACTURER AND INSTALLER Hainesport, NJ— CryoVation is a manufacturer and supplier of pumps, vaporizers, automated and manual control systems, liquid filling, purifiers and all related equipment. Specializing in customized industrial, specialty gas, beverage and medical gas fill plants, CryoVation can offer turnkey installations, technical support and field services using in-house employees and partner companies around the world. www.cryovation.com See us at booth 103.

MERCER INDUSTRIES — SOLUTIONS, START TO FINISH Ronkonkoma, NY—Mercer Industries supplies a full line of technologically advanced, superior quality, long-lasting bonded and coated abrasives, diamond blades and industrial files. The Mercer commitment to serving its customers and providing quality products spans 50 years. Quality, performance, delivery, service and value are the focal points for this third-generation family business. www.mercerindustries.com See us at booth 203.

3M — AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION OF PERFORMANCE AND VALUE

HYPERTHERM: 50 YEARS OF SHAPING POSSIBILITY

St. Paul, MN — The newest faces in metal grinding and cutting are the 3M Silver Cut-Off Wheel and Depressed Center Grinding Wheel. They give you the long life and fast cut of 3M Precision Shaped Grain at an unbeatable value. Also, check out newest 3M Speedglas™ Welding Helmets, 3M Adflo Purifying Respirator and 3M Silver products. www.3m.com/speedglas See us at booth 212.

Hanover, NH — The same ideals that fueled our inception (in this garage) are still what drive us today. Thank you GAWDA members for your support throughout the years. We couldn’t have done it without you. www.hypertherm.com See us at booth 706.

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FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE CONTROLLED EFFICIENCIES, LLC – TECHNOLOGY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Cresco, PA — As an industry leader and global manufacturer of surface conditioning solutions, Weiler Abrasives Group is dedicated to forging collaborative relationships with our customers in diverse markets — Welding & Fabrication; Industrial Production; and Maintenance, Repair & Operations — to tackle their toughest cleaning, grinding, cutting, de-burring and finishing challenges. www.weilercorp.com See us at booth 402.

CALIFORNIA CYLINDER CAN SATISFY ALL YOUR CYLINDER NEEDS Upland, CA — California Cylinder offers a full line of high-pressure cylinders and cryogenic liquid cylinders to our industry. Product line includes high-pressure steel, aluminum, acetylene and propane cylinders. California Cylinder also offers cylinder requalification services with our affiliate, West Coast Hydro Test & Maintenance. www.californiacylinder.com See us at booth 615.

@bluearcskills

WEILER COVERS YOU BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE WELD

Goodlettsville, TN — Controlled Efficiencies, LLC (CE) offers innovative solutions that simplify the intricacies of compliance, designed for government-regulated industries.

Our Electronic Records and Electronic Signature CERES Program is used for FDA production documentation and tracking for medical gases — oxygen, nitrogen and nitrous oxide with more gases to come. Contact 615-206-8765 or go online for more information. www.cesimplify.com See us at booth 414.

AMERICA’S FIRST CHOICE FOR COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDERS

HIGH PRESSURE CYLINDERS

New & Reconditioned Steel, Aluminium & Propane Cylinders

LIQUID CYLINDERS

New & Reconditioned

Dynaflux and IMC Marks are working together to deliver the highest satisfaction to its customers. Stay on top of the game and keep your ever-changing chemical applications clearly marked.

ON THE JOB. ON THE MARK.

We Buy Used High Pressure Cylinders FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED www.californiacylinder.com | Toll Free: 866-442-7295

IMCMARKS.COM

DYNAFLUX.COM

Summer 2018 • 73

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE AMERICAN CAP COMPANY PROVIDES CUSTOMERS WITH HIGH QUALITY Wheatland, PA — American Cap Company provides customers with high-quality cylinder caps, valve guards, neck rings and other cylinder related components. Our products are designed to meet CGA, CSA, DOT, ISO and EN standards.

ACC is API-5CT, API-Q1 and ISO 9001:2008 certified. www.americap-mfg.com See us at booth 117.

74 • Summer 2018

PRISM VISUAL SOFTWARE SERVING GAS DISTRIBUTION FOR OVER 20 YEARS Roslyn, NY — Prism Visual Software sells back office accounting, CRM, mobile Android delivery and customer web shopping software to support a welding supply distributor’s end-to-end technology needs.

Prism Route Management Dispatch Suite sells with a fully integrated Accounting ERP or integrates with QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics and SAGE. Supports fill tank, cylinder exchange workflow with scanning, gas and hard goods inventory control, rental billing, mobile invoice for delivery and equipment service, electronic survey and DOTs, and more. www.prismvs.com See us at booth 311.

ACME CRYOGENICS FINAL LINE MANIFOLDS Allentown, PA — Acme Cryogenics is a leading designer and manufacturer of final line pressure control manifolds.

Their time-proven brazing, cleaning and testing procedures provide superior results that cannot be matched by any other manufacturer’s process. Let Acme show you the difference! www.acmecryo.com See us at booth 502.

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE CRYOWORKS SPECIALIZES IN COMPLEX SYSTEM DESIGN Jurupa Valley, CA — From a simple flex hose to an entire complex piping system, CryoWorks provides a wide range of new and used products for the storage, distribution and transfer of cryogenic fluids. They specialize in “complex” system design, engineering services, project management, repairs, service and turnkey installations. www.cryoworks.net See us at booth 701.

PFERD POLIFAN -CURVE ®

Milwaukee, WI — A patented design, PFERD’s POLIFAN®-CURVE is designed especially for fillet weld applications and can go from rough grinding to smooth finishing in a single step.

Its unique configuration gives three fully usable working surfaces: the top, bottom and entire radial edge. Available in a variety of diameters and abrasive materials. Stop by our booth 810 to learn more! http://bit.ly/pferd-polifan See us at booth 810.

YOUR WELDING TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PARTNER Troy, OH — HIWT offers welder training, qualification and certification services. Our capabilities range from inspection courses to AWS® CWI®, CWE® and CWS® test preparation classes. We can train and qualify welders in conjunction with your weld process specifications, as well as provide training in the major arc welding processes. www.welding.org See us at booth 807.

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10 #8 ntio h t nve oo t b al Co a s u it u nn Vis the A ng uri

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Work with Confidence PFERD SOLUTIONS FOR METALWORKING n n n n

Grinding and cut-off wheels POLIFAN® flap discs Power and maintenance brushes Coated and non-woven abrasives

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Mounted points Files Power tools Carbide burs

TRUST BLUE PFERD INC., 9201 W. Heather Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53224 Phone: (262) 255-3200 n Toll-Free: (800) 342-9015 n Email: sales@pferdusa.com

Summer 2018 • 75

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE MCDANTIM — TRUMIX® GAS BLENDERS Helena, MT — McDantim Trumix® Gas Blenders are a unique approach to accurate, on-site gas blending.

Using laminar gas flow properties, they maintain industry standard accuracies over a wide range of flow rates without buffer tanks or electricity. Two or three-component blends are available at flow rates ranging from 1 SCFH to over 4,000 SCFH. www.mcdantim.com See us at booth 315.

ABRASIVE SOLUTIONS POWERED BY NORTON, INSPIRED BY YOU Worcester, MA — Norton knows that you run a complete operation, and you expect complete solutions. Whether you are preparing materials for welding, grinding after the weld or blending the work piece to achieve the finish your customers demand, Norton offers the products you need to make it happen. Abrasive solutions powered

by Norton, inspired by you. www.nortonabrasives.com See us at booth 600.

Ad-GAWDA-ExhibitorGuide-NQ3-RCandCombo-2x2-2018.indd 7/20/2018 17:46:51 AM

ASM — PROVIDING OVER 27 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE Central Bridge, NY — ASM has provided over 27 years of excellent customer service and outstanding product quality.

They continue to manufacture high-pressure and propane cylinder storage and merchandising cabinets for both industrial and commercial use, along with a variety of ergonomic cylinder-handling devices. www.amrstd.com See us at booth 512.

VEITE CRYOGENIC North Ridgeville, OH — Ve i t e C r y o g e n i c Equipment and Service (VCE) manufactures, installs and maintains custom, highpressure cryogenic gas delivery systems and turnkey compressed gas distributor fill plants for industrial gases.

Veite also offers a complete line of quality tested cryogenic hardware and equipment, including transfer pumps, available for same-day shipment. www.veitecryogenic.com See us at booth 513.

AMWINS HAS DELIVERED FOR OVER 26 YEARS Charlotte, NC — Distributors have entrusted their insurance investment to AmWINS Program Underwriters for over 26 years. With specialized coverages, competitive pricing, loss control, strong claims management and now cyber liability, you cannot afford not to ask your agent about AmWINS. Contact us today to learn how your business can benefit from AmWINS Program Underwriters. www.amwins.com See us at booth 603.

SUPERIOR PRODUCTS Cleveland, OH — Superior Products will showcase an expanded product offering of Semi-Automatic Manifolds and manifold systems, new quick connects for welding equipment, an all-purpose propane torch, test gauges with bleeder valves and more! Spend time with us to learn why more distributors are switching to the Superior brand of products. www.superiorprod.com See us at booth 406.

KAPLAN INDUSTRIES PROVIDES TOTAL SOLUTIONS Harrison, OH — More than just an industrial cylinder supplier, Kaplan Industries offers a wide portfolio of services. Executives will discuss our new Hydrocarbon offering for the medical cannabis industry, cradle manifold systems, liquid and propane offerings, medical and beverage options including cylinder reconditioning and both hydro and UT testing. No one inventories a more complete line of cylinders and valves for compressed gases, offering both new and refurbished cylinders. www.kaplanindustries.com See us at booth 501.

76 • Summer 2018

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE COMPUTERS UNLIMITED SERVING GAS & WELDING DISTRIBUTORS FOR 40 YEARS

ROTAREX GAS HANDLING PROCESS Hackettstown, NJ — Serving the industry since 1922, manufacturer of valves, fittings and regulators for compressed gases.

Source-to-process solutions for the handling of gas including specialty, semiconductor, corrosive, industrial and medical. Innovator for cylinder valves, line valves, integrated valve-regulators, regulators and fittings in materials such as brass, ASB stainless steel, nickel and Hastelloy. www.rotarex.com See us at booth 514.

Billings, MT — TIMS Software, developed

by Computers Unlimited, is the premium ERP software solution for gas and welding supply distributors. Available features include mobile solutions that are fully integrated with the TIMS system, cylinder tracking/ management, order processing for gases, hardgoods and rental equipment, inventory/warehouse and truck routing/dispatching mobile management, credit card processing, document imaging, ecommerce and advanced data analysis tools. www.timssoftware.com/Industrial See us at booth 307.

FIBA EXECUTIVES TO HIGHLIGHT PRODUCT LINE Littleton, MA — FIBA serves industrial and specialty gas distributors and manufacturers. FIBA manufactures and repairs transport, storage and filling equipment, including DOT, ISO and ASME pressure vessels, tube trailers, ISO modules, ASME and DOT receivers, bulk transporters and tanks, oil field equipment and vaporizers. FIBA provides ultrasonic, acoustic emission and hydrostatic requalification of pressure vessels. www.fibatech.com See us at booth 217.

| Place Customer Orders & Check Open Orders | See Standard & Special Contract Pricing | Check Inventory Availability | View Cylinder Balances & Transaction Details | Search Current Accounts Receivables | See Contact Details for Customers & Prospects Premier ERP Solution for the Gas and Welding Industry

www.TIMSsoftware.com/IndustrialMobile

406.255.9500

software | service | support

Summer 2018 • 77

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE SAFTCART EXECS DISCUSS LATEST OFFERINGS

NEW CHART ORCA CO2 MICROBULK DELIVERY SYSTEMS

Clarksdale, MS — SafTCart, a “Made in the USA” manufacturer, will discuss their latest innovations including the Aluminomics Trailer for efficient cylinder delivery. They will also be on hand to discuss the warehouse-friendly box cart line and employee-friendly cylinder delivery systems. www.saftcart.com See us at booth 115.

Ball Ground, GA — For years, Chart has provided the finest MicroBulk delivery units for atmospheric gases and is now offering the Orca system in CO2 service with similar features. Designed to fill the Perma-Max™, Carbo-Mizer® and Carbo-Max® Bulk CO2 Systems, the Orca CO2 unit will provide you with a safe, efficient and reliable delivery unit for years to come. www.chartindustries.com See us at booth 207.

CGW INTRODUCES E3 GREEN GRINDING WHEELS

NORLAB OFFERS A COMPLETE LINE OF SPECIALTY AND CALIBRATION GASES

Niles, IL — CGW’s E3 Green Grinding Wheels have highperformance grains for superior metal removal while providing a smooth/easy operator experience. E3 wheels are excellent for blending/ contouring and TIG welds. www.cgwcamel.com See us at booth 407.

Boise, ID — Norlab specialty gases include environmental, industrial hygiene, medical and special application mixes along with multi-component hydrocarbon mixtures and pure gases up to 99.9999 percent. We also provide fixed flow, multi-flow, demand flow and pressure reducing regulators plus manifolds, filters, fine metering valves, cylinder changeover systems and a full line of accessories. www.norlab-gas.com See us at booth 500.

SELECT-ARC SETS THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE IN TUBULAR WELDING ELECTRODES Fort Loramie, OH — Select-Arc, Inc. manufactures a complete line of premium quality flux-cored and metal-cored welding electrodes: carbon steel, low alloy, stainless steel, nickel alloy and hard surfacing. The company backs its exceptional welding wire products with outstanding service and the best value-added in the industry. SelectArc sets the standard of excellence in tubular welding electrodes. www.select-arc.com See us at booth 202.

TOTAL SOLUTION PROVIDER Chino, CA — Genstar Technologies (Gentec) provides various high-quality gas control and handling devices, gas welding and cutting apparatus, automation equipment and manifold systems. With custom product configurations, total system integration, and reliable engineering and support, Gentec is a total solution provider for the most demanding customers. www.gentec.com See us at booth 305.

ARCOS SHOWCASES LINE Mt. Carmel, PA — Arcos Industries, LLC manufactures a comprehensive line of superior quality bare wire, covered and tubular welding electrode products. Our wide range of consumables includes high alloy, stainless steel and nickel alloy electrodes. Arcos electrodes meet or exceed demanding military and nuclear application specifications such as: ASME Nuclear Certificate #QSC448, ISO 9001: Certified, Mil-I 45208A Inspection and Navy QPL. www.arcos.us See us at booth 204.

78 • Summer 2018

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE ANTHONY WELDED PRODUCTS LOAD-N-ROLL SERIES CARTS

CYL-TEC IS YOUR ONE RESOURCE FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS INDUSTRY

Delano, CA — Anthony is excited to attend another GAWDA conference with a couple of cutting-edge products to show, one of which is the new patented Load-N-Roll cart line. This fourwheel design revolutionizes the way cylinders are handled. Scan the QR code above for a quick video about the Load-NRoll series carts. www.anthonycarts.com See us at booth 800.

Aurora, IL — One resource, zero headaches. Cyl-Tec is the one-stop solution for compressed gas cylinders, liquid cylinders, small bulk, bulk and accessories. Stop by our booth to learn how we can assist your business through our extensive inventory of in-stock items. www.cyl-tec.com See us at booth 412.

BTIC AMERICA OFFERING UNISO HIGH-PRESSURE GAS CYLINDERS Houston, TX — BTIC America Corporation (BAC) is a subsidiary of Beijing Tianhai Industry Co., Ltd., which is one of the best and largest cylinder manufacturers in the world. BAC provides cylinder sales and services. Products include high-pressure gas cylinders (DOT/TC and UNISO), acetylene cylinders, cryogenic cylinders, fire-fighting cylinders and SCBA cylinders. www.btic-america.com See us at booth 405.

Summer 2018 • 79

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE GULLCO – 300 SERIES KAT Cleveland, OH — The Gullco 300 Series KAT is the next model in the long history of Gullco welding automation carriages. The KAT is small and light yet robust with many features which include: tool-less setup adjustment and operation, “click-click” self-aligning wheels for simple and quick installation, dynamic dovetail racking for versatile torch positioning, ingress protection including conformal coating of circuit boards, energy efficient with low electricity consumption and an “OSHA Safety Orange” paintjob. www.gullco.com See us at booth 517.

WESTERN ENTERPRISES SETS THE STANDARD Westlake, OH — Western Enterprises sets the standard in quality and safety for welding and gas distribution applications. With quality, reliable, made-in-USA gas fittings, quick connects, flash arrestors, regulators, pigtails and manifolds, Western offers a full line of products for every gas management and control application! www.westernenterprises.com See us at booth 798.

WELDSHIP INTRODUCES MINI CO2 TRAILER Bethlehem, PA — Weldship Corporation unveils a new mini bulk 2,500-gallon CO2 tank trailer. It fits easily into compact spaces and is equipped with a 1.5" liquid load/unload line and a 1" vapor line. The 300 PSI tank provides the same pressure rating as larger trailers and is perfect for smaller jobs. This single-axle unit has a tight turning radius and an overhead compartment door, allowing limited interference. Other features include an RSS/ABS braking system, air suspension, disk brakes, weatherproof LED lighting and an automated tire inflation system. www.weldship.com See us at booth 314.

80 • Summer 2018

LINCOLN ELECTRIC CO. WILL NETWORK WITH DISTRIBUTOR PARTNERS Cleveland, OH — With more than 200 technical representatives and field sales support personnel, Lincoln Electric strives to assist distributor partners as they meet end-user needs with application expertise, quality products and outstanding customer service. www.lincolnelectric.com See us at booth 811.

ELEET OFFERING NEW LINES OF TAYLORWHARTON TANKS Bolivar, OH — Eleet has been providing high-quality rehab bulk tanks and industrial and medical final-line assemblies for more than 20 years.

Now we’re offering new Taylor-Wharton bulk and micro-bulk tanks. With Eleet’s piping and testing, these new bulk tanks have been excellent performers in the field. CO2 tanks have inner stainless steel and recondensing coil as standard, while a new micro-bulk tank offers exceptional versatility. www.eleetcryogenics.com See us at booth 601.

ATTC – AMERICAN TORCH TIP MADE IN THE USA Bradenton, FL — For over 75 years, American Torch Tip (ATTC) has manufactured quality, American-made products for the welding, cutting and metal fabrication industries, including welding and cutting torches, consumables, parts and accessories. ATTC’s manufacturing facility in Bradenton, Florida, sources and builds products spanning six technology platforms, including Plasma, MIG, TIG, Oxy-Fuel, Laser Optics and Thermal Spray. In addition to its own product lines, ATTC features 16,000+ replacement products for over 100 brands.

ATTC has proudly produced American-made goods since 1940. www.americantorchtip.com See us at booth 803.

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASES NEW PRODUCT FROM THEIR SAFETUBE PRODUCT LINE Milwaukee, WI — Phoenix International is best known for its durable Dryrod ovens. Current products include electrode ovens, flux ovens, portable ovens, bench Dryrod ovens and Safetubes. Phoenix International is proud to announce a new product in their Safetube product line. This new display will hold 14" or 18" Safetubes. www.dryrod.com See us at booth 817.

CONTROL DEVICES ACQUIRES HARRISON VALVE Fenton, MO — Control Devices proudly announces the addition of Harrison Valves to the family. By combining Control Devices’ state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing facilities with the unrivaled quality of Harrison Valve’s products, you can enjoy the advantages of getting the best selection and technological expertise all in one place. www.cdivalve.com See us at booth 606.

VOESTALPINE BÖHLER WELDING Sugar Land, TX — A pioneer in innovative welding consumables, Böhler Welding offers a unique product portfolio of more than 2,000 products for joint welding worldwide. Expertise in even the most demanding welding applications in oil and gas, pipeline, chemicals, power generation, transportation and automotive industries and more. www.voestalpine.com/welding See us at booth 515.

WALTER SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES Windsor, CT — Walter Surface Technologies provides high-quality and high-productivity abrasives, power tools, tooling, chemical tools and environmental solutions for the metalworking industry. The company continuously designs and develops Only the best™ new tools to increase productivity and safety in the welding, metal fabricating and metal finishing industries. www.walter.com See us at booth 912.

METAL MAN WORK GEAR CO. INTRODUCES ADVANCED INVERTER TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS Appleton, Wisconsin — Metal Man Work Gear Co. is offering three new products with Advanced Inverter Technology: the Metal Man Multi-Process 141 120V inverter wire feed welder and DC stick/ TIG welder; the 220iDV dual-voltage (120V/240V) inverter wire feed welder and DC stick/TIG welder; and the 200iDV dual-voltage (120V/240V) inverter AC/DC TIG welder with pulse control, AC balance control and AC frequency control. All three products are backed with a three-year parts and labor warranty. www.metalmangear.com See us at booth 215.

OTTO ARC DELIVERING HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS EVERY DAY El Dorado Hills, CA — Otto Arc offers a full line of cutting systems to help assist you with your production needs. They also specialize in orbital welding products to save your customers time and money.

We are looking for strategic partnerships with distributors to offer high-quality cutting solutions for their customers. Come visit us in Seattle! www.ottoarc.com See us at booth 313.

Summer 2018 • 81

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE IMC MARKS ANNOUNCES INTEGRATED MANUFACTURER DYNAFLUX Guilford Twsp, OH — IMC Marks announced Dynaflux as its integrated manufacturer to streamline exchanges and maximize purchasing power. The strength of the two companies working together offers strong support for both businesses and in turn, largely benefits customers.

IMC Marks’ hands-on approach to marking solutions provides a clear connection to the demand of Dynaflux’s ever-changing chemical applications. www.imcmarks.com www.dynaflux.com See us at booth 799.

THE HARRIS PRODUCTS GROUP OFFERS SPECIALTY GAS EQUIPMENT Mason, OH — The Harris Products Group offers a full line of specialty gas equipment. We manufacture high-purity bar stock regulators available in stainless steel, brass and chrome plated. In addition to regulators, Harris offers complete gas management products for flow control, gas purification and cylinder storage. www.harrisproductsgroup.com See us at booth 813.

GAS INNOVATIONS – NEW OFFERINGS TO DISTRIBUTORS LaPorte, TX — Gas I n n o v a t i o n s o ff e r s its High-Pressure Tu b e M o d u l e s “Our Competitive Advantage” to distributors. Distributors may rent, lease or buy for supplying air, argon, carbon monoxide, ethane, ethylene, helium, hydrogen, methane and nitrogen. Gas Innovations will help distributors identify opportunities for short-term projects, temporary supply, pipeline interruption, etc. www.gasinnovations.com See us at booth 616.

82 • Summer 2018

TOMCO2 SYSTEMS – DRIVING GLOBAL CO2 SOLUTIONS

Loganville, GA — TOMCO2 Systems has established itself as the world leader in the CO2 industry. Backed by extensive experience in Storage Vessels, Transport Vessels, Special Applications, Parts and Services, while designing, fabricating, servicing, installing and inspecting turn-key solutions to fit any CO2 application need.

Technicians are available 24/7 to ensure equipment delivers maximum efficiency, allowing Industrial Gas Distributors to provide additional value to their customers while minimizing expenses. www.tomcosystems.com See us at booth 613.

CATALINA CYLINDERS: LEADING PRODUCER OF HIGH- AND LOWPRESSURE ALUMINUM COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDERS Garden Grove, CA — Catalina Cylinders manufacturers highand low-pressure aluminum compressed gas cylinders for the markets of Specialty and Calibration Gas, Industrial Gas, Beverage, Medical, SCUBA, Fire and Rescue and Automotive (Nitrous). Catalina Composites (subsidiary) produces Type 3 CNG cylinders. Manufacturing and inventory locations in Garden Grove, California, and Hampton, Virginia. www.catalinacylinders.com See us at booth 312.

World Class Products. First Class Service.™

FLEXOVIT USA, INC. FEATURES HIGHPRODUCTIVITY ABRASIVES FOR POWER TOOLS Angola, NY — Flexovit USA, Inc. is a USA-based manufacturer of high-productivity abrasives for portable power tools. Flexovit operates a 100,000 sq. ft. ISO certified factory, four sales and distribution centers, and deploys a team of technical sales representatives to provide support to abrasive users through a selective network of authorized distributors in USA, Canada, and Mexico. www.flexovitabrasives.com See us at booth 700.

FEATURED EXHIBITORS GUIDE SHERWOOD VALVE EXPANDS PRODUCT OFFERINGS Pittsburgh, PA — Sherwood continues new product development of valves for medical gases, calibration gases and specialty gas applications to be released in 2018. Stop by the Sherwood booth to learn more about our current products and find out about our custom design capabilities. Sherwood provides American-made quality products and service you can trust. www.sherwoodvalve.com See us at booth 805.

KOBELCO’S INNOVATIVE SPIRIT SUPPORTS NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION Stafford, TX — Kobelco Welding of America introduces the LP-XR series to their product line up. The LP-XR series is an all-position, stainless flux cored wire with reduced hexavalent CR production. With as much as 80 percent reduction in CR(VI), the LP-XR series leads to a safer work environment and facilitates meeting strict OSHA requirements. www.kobelcowelding.com See us at booth 716.

BLACK STALLION – INNOVATIVE FR GARMENTS, GLOVES & MORE SINCE 1974 Santa Fe Springs, CA — With 44 years of manufacturing experience, Black Stallion® is a market leader in high-quality, innovation-driven, and value-focused gloves, FR garments and other PPE. See our booth or visit our NEW website to experience the latest in innovative protective gear, including our NEW SmashPad and FlakFinger, the redesigned Tigster T50, and more. www.blackstallion.com See us at booth 916.

SUMNER MANUFACTURING: A LEADER IN THE INDUSTRY Houston, TX — Sumner Manufacturing is recognized as the leader in pipe handling equipment, and our product range includes equipment for a wide variety of contractors including HVAC and welding contractors. All Sumner products are built with the concept of providing safe tools that meet the needs of the trade. www.sumner.com See us at booth 604.

WELDCOA WOLF PACK 2-IN-1 SERIES

TWECO VELOCITY2™ MIG CONSUMABLES

Aurora, IL — The Wolf Pack 2-in-1 Series is designed to be utilized as a dual asset, quickly changing from a gas pack with wheels to a stand-pad skid unit within seconds. Sturdy exterior frame comes with double clamps making this gas pack a long-lasting investment.

Compliant with DOT guidelines and Shell Off-Shore OPS0055 Standards. www. weldcoa.com/lowpro-wolfpack-2-in-1 See us at booth 210.

F l o re n c e , S C — Tw e c o VELOCITY2™ MIG consumables provide less downtime and more weld time.

VELOCITY2 consumables stay cooler, last longer, produce a more stable weld puddle and improve overall productivity. These non-threaded consumables are available for Spray Master™ and Tweco Classic Number Series MIG guns. www.esabna.com See us at booth 614.

CAVAGNA OFFERS ALL-IN-ONE PRODUCT VALVE Somerset, NJ — Cavagna Group’s I-VIPR is a valve with an integrated pressure regulator. Its ergonomic design provides the user with easy access to all primary functions from one side of the cylinder. I-VPR is suitable for various welding gases, including oxygen, acetylene and AR/ C02 mixtures. www.cavagnagroup.com See us at booth 306.

Summer 2018 • 83

HQ & PROGRAM NEWS

SPRING

R E C A P

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

84 • Summer 2018

First Timers, President’s Welcome Reception and SMC Business Sessions Hit it Out of the Park

A

ll aspects of the 2018 Spring Management Conference comprised a home run event — from the setting at Ballpark Village/ Busch Stadium, to the record number of attendees, to the presentation by skilled experts of hands-on, applicable information to enhance business operations.

As President Ned Lane planned, the conference offered tangible value and information that could readily be applied at the operational level. The business sessions were accompanied by great networking opportunities, fun, casual events and a Contact Booth Program that proved positive for distributors and suppliers alike.

NEW RECORDS

ON MANY LEVELS

The 2018 SMC was a record-setting, successful event. These statistics went into the books:

678 

Total Attendance — a New Record for SMCs

218



Registered as Distributors

371



Registered as Suppliers

144 

Contact Booth Exhibitors

83

Participants in the Contact Booth Prize Program



HQ & PROGRAM NEWS The Red and The Blue It was a Red (Cardinals) and Blue (Cubs) night — within a fantastic setting — for the First Timers and President’s Welcome Receptions, conducted with the bonus element of a Busch Stadium “rivals” game backdrop.

Welcoming New Members Left: New Members from Fluoramics, Jenny Emmons and Gregg Reick, with GasWorld’s Tim Rice.

Right: New Members from Cosen Saws, Yu-Hsien Ho and Kent Hughes enjoying the Ballpark Village venue.

Takin’ Care of Business AC Charities Named Two charities were named by President Lane (left) and his wife, Joanne, to be the recipients of 2018’s GAWDA Gives Back funds when GAWDA meets for the Annual Convention in Seattle in September. Chosen are: Mary’s Place. Lane described this as an agency that is “a leading voice for homeless women, children and families in emergency situations.” Funds raised by GAWDA members will buy extra beds and expand the available space at the shelter.

Ronald McDonald House. This organization houses families, while also making them feel more at home, while their children are receiving treatment for serious illnesses, such as cancer. The organization was chosen due to the Lane family’s experience with a young cancer victim in their hometown, the president said.

Summer 2018 • 85

HQ & PROGRAM NEWS Pictured in photo: The present GAWDA Executive Team, from left, Bob Ewing, Abydee Butler Moore, Brad Peterson and Ned Lane.

Bob Ewing, of Red Ball Oxygen, who has been serving as a GAWDA board vice president, was selected for the new role.

That made for this updated slate of 2017–18 officers: • Ned Lane, president • Brad Peterson, president-elect • Abydee Butler Moore, first vice president • Bob Ewing, second vice president • Mark Raimy, first past president • Bill Visintainer, second past president

Second Vice President Added This spring, the GAWDA Board and membership acted to add a new board position to the leadership of the organization. The move to add a second vice president role INSURANCE PROGRAM won unanimous approval of the membership during one of two business sessions.

In addition, serving as vice president officers are: Evan Bennear, Kelly Bladow, Jay Brant, Jeff Johnson, Melissa Perkins, Bill Proctor and Jim O’Connor.

The role of a second vice president was added to permit earlier planning and easier access to desired dates and location accommodations for future conferences, plus more orientation time for future presidents.

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HQ & PROGRAM NEWS Makin’ it Work: Business Presentations Millstein: ‘There’s a Formula’ Mitch Millstein, Ph.D., an expert in lean process improvements and how data is key in evaluating them, outlined how GAWDA businesses can use data to lead reductions in mileage; improvements in customer service and delivery operations; and to optimize inventory by better balancing product supply with demand. He also discussed ways to streamline business processes and minimize labor costs in warehouse operations.

His three key insights were: • “Performance measurement isn’t everything; it’s almost everything.”

• “There is a formula for that.”

• “Identify and eliminate non value-added steps.”

Stawski: The Shopping State of Mind “You can’t expect today’s shopper to have the same frame of mind as they did in the past,” Andy Stawski, commercial market manager for Miller Electric, told the SMC audience.

“There’s been a significant evolution in the way shoppers think and make purchase decisions,” he said. At one time, purchase decisions were very linear. Today, however, shoppers think in an “infinity shape” and are “always in the path to purchase.”

BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS

Stawski also advised: • A purchaser’s state of mind changes in the store.

• 70 percent of shoppers going to welding stores know in advance what they want to buy.

• 72 percent started their shopping by looking at the manufacturer’s website to learn about the product.

• 90 percent of welding machines are still purchased at brick and mortar stores, but owners must work to make the customer experience a positive one by having stock on hand and through service and retention efforts.

Six Components of a Great Business There are six essential components to running a great business, rather than having one that is stuck in inefficiencies and unable to hit its goals, EOS implementer and business consultant Jeanet Wade told the GAWDA audience.

She outlined six ways to help businesses get traction on their goals, rather than being stuck “hitting the ceiling,” left in a situation where nothing seems to work: 1. Have a clear and simple vision.

2. Get the right people in the right seats.

3. Have the right information to navigate toward your vision.

4. Stop chasing time-sucking issues.

5. Make sure there is a structured process.

6. Create a way to make traction on your vision.

Summer 2018 • 87

HQ & PROGRAM NEWS In photo: from left, Sarah Dwyer (Hypertherm), Ryan Craven (General Air) and Ashley Baker (Cee Kay Supply) present new ideas for hiring and retaining good employees. The discussion was led by business consultant Jim Del Carmen, at right.

Hiring Out of the Box: HR Panel Consultant Jim Del Carmen prompted discussion among a panel of industry human resource officers that revealed some out-of-the-box ways audience members can promote job openings and find good people for their companies.

HR managers Ashley Baker of Cee Kay Supply, Ryan Craven of General Air and Sarah Dwyer of Hypertherm discussed creative approaches that, given the skilled employee shortage, have become somewhat standard practices for them now.

Those hiring tactics include: • Taking job-opening flyers to truck stops • Building relationships with high schools and trade schools • Pairing with local non-profits to host job fairs • Creating an appealing work culture elping new employees through an educational loan • H debt-reduction program • Adding innovative elements to your benefits package • E nsuring a “rapid response” screening and interview process • Developing a differentiated brand to attract employees

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ALUMINOMICS

In photo: Marie Ffolkes, Air Products President − Industrial Gases, Americas, pictured third from left.

ABRASIVE PRODUCTS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

PREMIUM FLAP DISCS

Keynoting WGW: Marie Ffolkes The Women of Gases & Welding luncheon this year featured Air Products President − Industrial Gases, Americas, Marie Ffolkes, as keynoter.

Ffolkes spoke of her personal path from being a young girl in Jamaica, to her college years in the U.S., to varied work experiences around the world and to her top role at Air Products. She also discussed her perspectives on the industry and on managing in a changing environment. Her key messages: • Adaptability in business today is essential.

• Success hinges on remaining flexible, especially when rapid change is happening.

• Change is a fact of life and today, change is fast and transformative.

• For current leaders, building additional leaders within their corporations “is really about learning how to lead and inspire as a key differentiator.”

12 SCHOLARSHIPS A W A R D E D The GAWDA Foundation again awarded scholarships to help young people drawn to studies they can use in future careers in the welding and gases distribution industries. Twelve scholarships were awarded, with the funds dedicated to help students pay tuition expenses.

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• Sabrina A. Lutse, University of New Mexico • Meghan Mikula, PSU – Behrend • Graci Runk, East Texas Baptist University • Madeleine Stenzel, University of Minnesota – Rochester • Christian A. Stewart, University of Alabama • Megan West, West Chester University

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Summer 2018 • 91

7/20/2018 7:43:16 AM

Organizing for Improved Sales 10 Core Tools that can Help Ensure Success by art waskey

S

Art Waskey has served with General Air Service and Supply Company of Denver for 34 years, most recently as senior vice president of sales.

Before that, he was a zone sales manager for British Oxygen Company in Houston. He has written two books about sales in the gases and welding distribution industry. Waskey is transitioning to a new career in consulting and public speaking, and in 2019 will be teaching in a seminary. He can be reached at Speaking Impact Dynamics and at awaskey@ generalair.com.

92 • Summer 2018

ales professionals operate within broad territories, are tasked with challenging goals and interact with a great many people.

Effectiveness as a sales rep, therefore, requires organization — lots of it. As a sales manager and trainer, I am aware of the importance of organization, so I am constantly looking for ways to improve territory management. In fact, I’ve developed key tools designed to help sales reps become more organized and improve their management techniques.

THE INSPIRATION KEY There is an effective way to inspire even the most reluctant trainees, I’ve found. Early in my career, at Bruce Breier’s seminar, The Organized Executive, I discovered how Breier teaches that being more organized is the best way to inspire busy salespeople to become more successful. One of his notable philosophies is, “It’s difficult to delight your customers if you feel disorganized at any level.”

Breier believes that leading by example is the most compelling way a manager can educate his or her team in a manner that motivates real change (in both their personal and professional lives).

Leaning on Breier’s advice, I have developed 10 tools that I believe help bring out the best in sales reps by helping them develop a high level of personal organization.

THE TOOLS The tools are based on my personal philosophy that, “If it’s not measured, it won’t happen.”

Here are the 10 core organizational tools that I believe enable sales professionals to better meet their goals: 1. Weekly Call Reports – Fundamental to any professional sales portfolio is the need to track customer activity. Effective call reports are the building blocks that support all other tools. Tracking should include: (1) an account data base to collect all activity on each account; (2) the account name; (3) the goals; (4) a next step activity; and (5) an appointment date on your calendar.

These reports should be completed by the end of the work week. Sales managers should review call reports early in the weekend (I suggest Friday night). They should include in their responses to each sales rep the information about which relevant department heads should be involved and where they are needed. (Interestingly, those sales reps in the Millennial age group, who have introduced a 24/7 online approach to the workplace, make responding promptly to correspondences an important practice today.)

2. Setting Calendar Appointments – If appointments are made and confirmed in ad-

SALES & MARKETING vance, “no show” calls will greatly diminish. When submitting expense reports to managers, reps should attach copies of their next month’s calendar. This makes management aware of upcoming appointments and helps avoid “no shows.”

3. In-the-Funnel (ITF) Accounts – This is considered the home for new and penetrative opportunities. Each ITF entry should contain: (1) an account name; (2) a strategy that includes a goal (product or service), a clear next step (CNS) and a CNS appointment date; (3) the anticipated annual margin and sales dollars; and (4) the designation of “new account” or “penetration of an existing account.”

4. Top Five – During the Monthly Travel Day review (explained below), the Top Five ITF opportunities are prioritized and reassessed at the end of the month.

5. Dashboard – As part of the Monthly Travel Day, key indicators are measured against negotiated goals and formulated as a dashboard report. It includes: (1 & 2) annual new and penetrative margin; (3) cylinder placements; (4) annual ITF margin; (5) prospective calls; (6) Customer Value Files (CVF) (described below); and (7) new contracts.

Breier teaches that being more organized is the best way to inspire busy salespeople to become more successful.

One of his notable philosophies is, “It’s difficult to delight your customers if you feel disorganized at any level.”

6. Sales Results – Each month, sales margins and new business margins are compared to the previous month, to the corresponding month last year and with year-to-date results.

7. Customer Value Files – A CVF is a customer appraisal form used to review sales and activity history and set expectations for the next 12 months. It ensures the supplier/ client relationship is progressing effectively.

8. Looking Back/Looking Forward Monthly Reports – This tool, due by the close of the last day of business each month, is a summary of the past and next month’s activities. It includes: (1) closed business (new, penetration and

Summer 2018 • 93

significant growth account sales); (2) significant projects/ events; (3) a summary of Dashboard numbers looking forward; (4) Top 5 ITF accounts (goal, next step, date); (5) the name of next month’s CVF presentation; and (6) significant projects/events.

9. Monthly Travel Day – On a monthly basis, the sales manager arranges a field day with each sales representative.

In that meeting, for an hour, they review: ITF accounts, the Top Five and Dashboard and Sales Results from the previous month. For the balance of the day they call on key existing and Top Five accounts. Each call is debriefed for possible skill improvements and next appointment strategies. I’ve noticed that sales reps (and particularly Millennials, given their communication preferences) appreciate the face-to-face time, immediate feedback and recognition of their work process that occurs in the Monthly Travel Day sessions.

10. Assessment – This is a simple written record of measurement-to-goal achievement along with a thingsto-do list from the monthly review.

THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATION These 10 tools have proven effective in our organization.

To illustrate a case in point, a few years ago we decided to add safety product managers. Two seasoned veterans were chosen, both with full line safety supply experience. Within three years, our sales grew by over 800 percent! When I asked what the sales reps attributed to this level of success, the product managers replied that they found it relatively easy to add new products to our core competency. They said this ease came as a result of being exposed to our company’s very disciplined sales organization program.

These managers gained basic skills through an education process that by today’s standards is slow and arduous, and one which required long periods of time to assimilate information from disparate sources. Today, however, digital tools are available that tie the many parts of the sales process together much more easily and quickly. While the job still requires a high level of organization, learning and adapting to the sales process can occur much more efficiently through the use of digital tools. They enable sophisticated scheduling and the rapid organization of ideas and data.

To support your sales team’s desire for superior achievement, I urge you integrate these 10 core organizational tools into your management plan.

94 • Summer 2018

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THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

ITR Third-Quarter Outlook:

U.S. Industrial Production is Growing at an Accelerating Pace, but Leading Indicators Suggest Slowing Growth Will Take Hold by 4Q18 by alan beaulieu

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BUSINESS CYCLE CHANGE: THREE TRENDS TO WATCH Nondefense Capital Goods New Orders (excluding aircraft) are in the early stages of shifting from accelerating rise to decelerating rise (shifting from Phase B to Phase C). The progression of the shift is slightly milder than normal, which could reflect the tax law changes. However, the updated analysis based on leading indicator trends and ITR’s Checking Points system continues to portend slowing growth in the latter half of 2018 turning into mild contraction for 2019. The upper side of the forecast range may be more probable given the slightly milder-than-normal trend dynamic referenced above; 2018 comes in with about a 5.4 percent year-over-year gain.

The current year-over-year increase is 7.7 percent. Maintaining a milder-than-normal scenario for 2019 would result in a 2.3 percent decline in New Orders for 2019.

The present milder-than-normal transition to the downside of the business cycle is encouraging and may be linked to the tax law changes. Surveys show that a minority of businesses are raising their capital spending plans based on the improved cash flow. It is too soon to know if this trend will hold given the July 6, 2018 start date for tariffs to be imposed upon

Nondefense Capital Goods New Orders (excluding aircraft) 30

30

Rates-of-Change

This content is exclusive to GAWDA Members.

20

20

For more information on GAWDA 10 7.7 and association membership, contact: 0 Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager -10 954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org

96 • Summer 2018

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selected goods coming into the U.S. from China. China has promised to respond in kind.

The trade and potential supply chain disruptions, compounded by uncertainty created by the tariffs, present a downside risk to the forecast presented in the Core Economy at a Glance. This risk likely balances out the upside risk suggested by the tax law changes.

The list of leading indicators pointing to a shift to slowing growth for New Orders (12/12 Phase C with a 3Q18 12/12 high) includes, but is not limited to: 1. PMI New Orders component 2. ITR Leading Indicator 3. Wilshire Total Market Cap 3/12 4. Small Business Capital Expenditure Plans 5. Profitability for domestic nonfinancial corporations 6. Machinery Manufacturing Capacity Utilization

ITR FOR GAWDA CORE ECONOMY AT A GLANCE The core economy is growing, with each of the measures listed below rising at an accelerating pace. U.S. Industrial Production was up 2.8 percent from the year-ago level, benefiting from expansion in the Manufacturing, Mining and Utilities components. However, slowing growth will take hold through much of the industrial

12/12

economy by the end of this year. U.S. Total Retail Sales (up 4.8 percent) are currently growing at an accelerating pace, but the rate of rise will diminish later this year and contribute to slowing the rate of rise for U.S. Industrial Production. Wholesale Trade will also transition to the back side of the business cycle by the end of this year for both Durable and Nondurable

Goods. Meanwhile, U.S. Private Sector Employment will grow at an accelerating pace into early next year, further tightening the labor market. The core economy will face further downward pressure in 2019. Build up your reserves of cash now to mitigate the difficulties your business will face during this time and invest for the accelerating growth trend expected in 2020.

12MMT/A CURRENT 2018 2019 2020

HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. TOTAL INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

2.8

2.9

-1.2

2.3

Activity will expand throughout this year before declining next year.

U.S. NONDEFENSE CAPITAL GOODS NEW ORDERS

7.7

4.7

-3.2

6.0

The pace of growth will slow by the end of this year.

U.S. PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

1.8

2.0

1.6

1.3

Employment will grow at a slowing pace through much of 2019 and 2020.

U.S. TOTAL RETAIL SALES

4.8

4.0

1.4

3.7

Retail Sales will increase throughout the length of this forecast, but the pace of rise will slow late this year and in 2019.

U.S. WHOLESALE TRADE OF DURABLE GOODS

8.7

8.3

3.8

6.2

Wholesale Trade will transition to Phase C, Slowing Growth, by the end of this year.

This content is exclusive to GAWDA Members.

For more information on GAWDA The pace of rise will slow late this year 6.0 8.4 3.5 8.4 and association membership, contact: and throughout next year.

Services Manager Note: Forecast colorStephen represents what Hill, phase theGAWDA market will be in at Membership the end of the year.

954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org U.S. WHOLESALE TRADE OF NONDURABLE GOODS

EXCHANGE RATES The U.S. dollar (USD) is strengthening, and indications are that the trend will continue.

On the chart shown here, this can be seen in the rising 3/12 rate-of-change and the actual monthly data. This is a fairly recent trend, and one that can change the manufacturing environment going forward. A rising USD will help keep inflation at bay domestically but also make U.S. goods more expensive outside of the U.S. The stronger USD has the potential to exacerbate the issues U.S. exporters will face if tariffs are going up against U.S. goods as they enter foreign markets. The USD is up 4.5 percent over the last four months measured against a trade-weighted basket of currencies (St. Louis Federal Reserve data).

The ITR Checking Points indicate further

Trade Weighted Exchange Rate Index (U.S. dollar) Rates-of-Change

Index

20

140

0

120

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80 Index - 3/12 Index - 12/12 Index - 12MMA

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Summer 2018 • 97

THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

ascent is probable. The USD is up 5.3 percent against the Chinese yuan (five-month rising trend), 6.3 percent versus the euro and 6.7 percent relative to the Canadian dollar (also a five-month rising trend).

comparison could become an issue going

percent change upper-side-normal trend

forward regarding ascent in the stock

probability is 6.2 percent. There was a 15.4

market and cash flow for capex. It will take

percent surge in profits for nonfinancial

a 13.5 percent jump in corporate profits in

industries in the second quarter of 2011,

2Q18 to get to a positive year-over-year

which demonstrates that a better-than-nor-

CORPORATE PROFITS

comparison and a 14.4 percent gain for

mal surge occurred in the not-too-distant

profits to establish a record high (based

past. Anything approaching simply a normal

on Bureau of Economic Analysis data).

increase will leave profits lower than a year

Both numbers are improbable but not

ago and imperil any upbeat economic out-

impossible. The historical second quarter

look stemming from the tax law changes.

Corporate profits for nonfinancial industries in the first quarter of 2018 came in 7.3 percent lower than a year ago (seasonally adjusted annualized rate). The negative

ITR Consumer Activity Leading Indicator

LEADING INDICATORS Slowing growth trend will take hold in the second half of this year The ITR Consumer Activity Leading Indicator fell further in June from its mid2017 peak. Given its typical lead time, this indicator is signaling that consumer activity will transition to Phase C, Slowing Growth, during the latter half of this year.

The ITR Consumer Activity Leading Indicator leads the U.S. Industrial Production 12/12 by 6 −16 months (majority range).

Rates-of-Change

Production

Leading Indicator

15

15.0

10

10.0 5.0

3.4

2.8

This content is0.0exclusive to GAWDA Members.

-5.0 For more information on GAWDA US Industrial Production - 12/12 and association membership, contact: -10.0 Leading Indicator - Monthly Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager -15.0 954-367-7728 220 '09 x'10 '11 /'12shill@gawda.org '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20

U.S. TOTAL INDUSTRY CAPACITY UTILIZATION RATE Utilization rate signals accelerating rise in economy into third quarter of 2018 Following a mild data adjustment, the U.S. Total Industry Capacity Utilization Rate 1/12 is declining from a February 2018 peak. Based on a median lead time of six months, this suggests that the industrial economy will rise into the third quarter of this year before entering a sustainable Phase C, Slowing Growth, trend.

The U.S. Total Industry Capacity Utilization Rate leads the U.S. Industrial Production 12/12 by 3 − 8 months (majority range).

98 • Summer 2018

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Industry Capacity Utilization Rate Rates-of-Change

Production

Rate

21

15.0

14

10.0 5.0

7

5.1 2.8

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ITR FOR GAWDA U.S. Conference Board Leading Indicator

U.S. CONFERENCE BOARD LEADING INDICATOR U.S. leading indicator signals accelerating growth through third quarter The U.S. Conference Board Leading Indicator 1/12 fell in May. If the tentative April peak holds, this indicator would signal that Industrial Production will grow at an accelerating pace through at least the third quarter of this year before the pace of rise slows.

The Conference Board Leading Indicator leads the U.S. Industrial Production 12/12 by 5 − 8 months (majority range).

Rates-of-Change

Production

Leading Indicator

30

15.0

20

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2.8

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U.S. ISM’S PURCHASING MANAGERS’ INDEX

U.S. to ISM’s PurchasingMembers.

Managers’ Index This content is exclusive GAWDA

PMI suggests industrial production will slow its pace of growth this year The U.S. Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) 1/12 rose for the second straight month in June. However, the PMI 1/12 cannot yet be considered in a rising trend, as two months are not statistically significant enough to call a cyclical turn. The PMI 1/12 signals that the U.S. Industrial Production 12/12 could transition to a slowing growth trend in the third quarter of 2018 and fall through at least mid-2019.

The Purchasing Managers Index leads the U.S. Industrial Production 12/12 by 9 −15 months (majority range).

Rates-of-Change

Production

Index

For more 15.0information on GAWDA and association membership, contact: 10.0 Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager 5.0 2.8 954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org

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ITR ECONOMICS FOR GAWDA | Q2 REPORT 2018 | WELDING & GASES TODAY ITR ECONOMICS | P: 603-796-2500 | www.itreconomics.com

Summer 2018 • 99

THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

GAWDA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/DASHBOARD: GAWDA-SPECIFIC INDICATORS CURRENT GROWTH PHASE RATE (12/12)

INDICATORS

HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INDEX

All three components (manufacturing, mining, and utilities) of Production are in Phase B. Avoid overexpansion at the top of the business cycle.

2.8%

B

U.S. PROCESSED GOODS FOR INTERMEDIATE DEMAND PRODUCER PRICE INDEX

The June Price Index was up 6.8% from June 2017, the fastest pace of growth in over six years. Ensure you have a price escalator plan to pass along costs to customers.

4.9%

B

U.S. CRUDE OIL FUTURES PRICES

Month-end Prices broke $70 for the first time since October 2014. Plan for quarterly Prices to dip to the mid-$60s by late 2018.

23.3%

B

U.S. NONDEFENSE CAPITAL GOODS NEW ORDERS WITHOUT AIRCRAFT

Annual total New Orders, a measure of B2B activity, were at the highest level in more than three years. Differentiate your product offerings to increase customer loyalty.

7.7%

B

Annual total New Orders are rising, but a stronger U.S. dollar is likely to blunt the upward momentum late this year. Avoid overly-optimistic expectations this year.

-1.5%

This content is exclusive to GAWDA Members.

U.S. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT NEW ORDERS

A

For more information on GAWDA 11.9% and association membership, contact: Higher Oil Prices are having a positive impact on components of New U.S. DURABLE GOODSStephen NEW ORDERS Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager Orders such as U.S. Ships and Boats New Orders (up 24.6% year over 7.3% WITHOUT AIRCRAFT year); seek opportunities there.

954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org U.S. FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS NEW ORDERS

ITR LEADING INDICATOR (MONTHLY)

New Orders were growing at the fastest pace in seven years due in part to rising Iron and Steel Producer Prices. Focus on making sure that quality keeps pace with demand.

The Indicator edged downward since the last report, tentatively transitioning to Phase C. The downward movement signals slowing growth for Industrial Production in late 2018.

The U.S. economy is firing on virtually all cylinders. The positive momentum extends to the GAWDA indicators above; all but one of the indicators above are in cyclical rising trends (Phase A or Phase B). The notable exception is the ITR Leading Indicator. While the other GAWDA industry indicators are likely to move in a coincident fashion with GAWDA member sales, the Leading Indicator offers a roughly three-quarter look ahead at the likely upcoming business

A

RECOVERY

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B

ACCELERATING GROWTH

B B C

1.7 (Monthly)

cycle status of the U.S. industrial sector. The tentative decline in the Leading Indicator suggests that GAWDA members should begin to think about the upcoming transition to Phase C, Slowing Growth, in U.S. Industrial Production expected to take place in late 2018.

As you enter budget planning season for 2019, avoid being overly optimistic in your projections and actions.

C

SLOWER GROWTH

D

RECESSION

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THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

U.S. Industrial Production Index Data Trend

U.S. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

B - ACCELERATING GROWTH 2018 2.9% 106.7* 2019 -1.2% 105.5* 2020 2.3% 107.9* * Index based to 2012 = 100.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Index

Index

120

120

12MMA Forecast 12MMA 3MMA

110

110

◼◼ Production up 2.8 percent from a year ago

105.3

◼◼ Accelerating growth will persist through

the third quarter of this year ◼◼ Slowing

growth in Retail Sales will place downward pressure on Industrial Production

U.S. Industrial Production in the 12 months through May was up 2.8 percent from the same period a year ago. Production will grow at an accelerating rate through the third quarter of 2018. Activity will then rise at a slowing pace late this year. Plan for a mild recession to take hold in 2019 followed by renewed growth in 2020.

U.S. Total Retail Sales are growing at an accelerating pace. Consumer activity is benefiting from growing employment and wages. Industrial activity is rising to meet increasing demand for retail goods and consumer spending. However, Retail Sales will be in a slowing growth trend late this year, which will persist through 2019.

This will place downward pressure on the industrial sector throughout this time.

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U.S. Industrial Production Index Rate-of-Change For more information on GAWDA 15 and association membership, contact: 10 Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager 2.8 5 954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org

Management Note: Newer-to-market products can help your company outperform your competition when the business cycle turns downward.

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ITR FOR GAWDA

U.S. NONDEFENSE CAPITAL GOODS NEW ORDERS (EXCLUDING AIRCRAFT)

B - ACCELERATING GROWTH 2018 4.7% $812.6 billion 2019 -3.2% $787.0 billion 2020 6.0% $833.8 billion

U.S. Nondefense Capital Goods New Orders (excluding aircraft) Data Trend Bils of $ 300

1200 12MMT Forecast 12MMT 3MMT

250

HIGHLIGHTS: ◼◼ New Orders up 7.7 percent on a yearover-year basis

Bils of $

1000 795.1

200

800

will take hold late this year and persist through 2019

150

600

U.S. Nondefense Capital Goods New Orders during the 12 months ending in May totaled $795.1 billion, up 7.7 percent from the same period a year ago. The New Orders 12MMT will rise into the third quarter of this year. Activity will then decline at the end of this year and through 2019. The 12MMT will rise in 2020.

The U.S. Machinery Manufacturing Capacity Utilization Rate 1/12, which typically leads business-to-business activity by about two quarters, is declining from a late-2017 peak. This indicator is signaling that New Orders will transition to Phase C, Slowing Growth, around the middle of this year. Check your capital expenditures and ensure you are not projecting linear growth. Budget for New Orders to rise at a diminishing pace and then decline by the end of this year.

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◼◼ Activity

will rise into the third quarter of this year

◼◼ Decline

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U.S. Nondefense Capital Goods For more information on GAWDA New Orders (excluding aircraft) Rate-of-Change and association membership, contact: 20 20 Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager 7.7 10 10 954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org

Management Note: Evaluate your own ITR Checking Points for signs of business cycle downturn in alignment with New Orders. Prepare for mild recession by increasing your cash reserves.

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Summer 2018 • 103

THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

OIL PRICES: U.S. OIL FUTURES COMMODITY PRICES

B - ACCELERATING GROWTH Sep 2018 $67.44 per barrel Dec 2018 $65.26 per barrel Mar 2019 $61.81 per barrel Jun 2019 $61.77 per barrel

HIGHLIGHTS: ◼◼ Prices 3MMA up 46.0 percent in supply/demand will result in lower Prices

U.S. Oil Futures Commodity Prices Data Trend $/bbl.

$/bbl.

120

120

100

3MMA Forecast 3MMA Actual

100

80

69.92

80

◼◼ Rebalance

60

60

40

40

◼◼ Plan for mild decline in Prices by late 2018

U.S. Crude Oil Future Prices surged through the end of June. Prices during the three months ending in June averaged $69.92 per barrel, up 46.0 percent from the same period one year ago. The Oil Prices 3MMA is projected to peak by the end of the third quarter and then retreat by the end of 2018. Expect Prices to decline through at least mid-2019; however, the decline will be mild.

Supply pressures are placing upward pressure on Prices but this pressure is expected to ease later this year. Decline in the Crude Oil Inventories 3MMA is signaling that downward movement in the Prices 12/12 is likely in the second half of this year, through at least mid-2019.

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U.S. Oil Futures Commodity Prices

For more information on GAWDA Rate-of-Change and association membership, contact: 80 Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager 12/12 Forecast Range 954-367-7728 x 12/12 220 / shill@gawda.org

Management Note: Prices will decline later this year. If you are making a purchase, avoid locking in prices until the first quarter of 2019.

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ITR FOR GAWDA

STEEL PRICES: U.S. STEEL SCRAP PRODUCER PRICE INDEX

B - ACCELERATING GROWTH Jun 2018 558.68* Sep 2018 609.12* Dec 2018 601.90* Mar 2019 560.59* * Index based to 1982 = 100.

HIGHLIGHTS: ◼◼ Prices outlook revised upward due to the 25 percent tariff

U.S. Steel Scrap Futures Commodity Prices Data Trend $/GT

$/GT

900

900

3MMA Forecast 3MMA Actual

700

700 549.6

500

500

300

300

◼◼ Plan for Prices to rise into the third quarter

of 2018 ◼◼ Prices

will decline by the end of 2018

The May U.S. Steel Scrap Producer Prices 3MMA was up 23.6 percent from last year. Average Prices during the first quarter of 2018 were 6.3 percent higher than forecast. This deviation was largely the result of the recent 25 percent tariff on steel. As a result, the new forecast has Prices projected to be approximately 25 percent higher than the previous forecast.

However, should the tariffs be rescinded, Prices will fall below the forecast range.

Plan for the Prices 3MMA to rise into the third quarter of 2018. However, the rates-of-change are projected to peak in the fourth quarter of 2018. Anticipate price decline in at least early 2019.

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U.S. Steel Scrap Futures Commodity Prices

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Management Note: The inclusion of Canada, Mexico, and the EU in the tariff is leading to increased taxes on goods the U.S. exports. If you are a steel supplier, ensure your customer base is diversified.

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Summer 2018 • 105

THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

U.S. Fabricated Metal Products New Orders Data Trend

U.S. FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS NEW ORDERS

B-A CCELERATING GROWTH 2018 10.0% $402.9 billion 2019 -0.3% $401.7 billion 2020 4.4% $419.4 billion

HIGHLIGHTS: ◼◼ New forecast issued to reflect the Census Bureau’s annual revision

Bils of $ 150

Bils of $ 600

12MMT Forecast 12MMT 3MMT

120

480

384.1

90

360

60

240

30

120

◼◼ Expect 10.0 percent growth in New Orders

this year due to higher Steel Prices ◼◼ Outlook for flat New Orders in 2019 and

growth in 2020 unchanged New Orders through May were up 11.9 percent on a year-over-year basis, the fastest pace of growth in seven years. A new forecast was issued to reflect revised data from the source, the U.S. Census Bureau, as part of their annual data revision. The data revision lowered the latest 12MMT by 5.8 percent. The 12MMT forecast for New Orders was revised downward by 0.6 percent, 0.9 percent, and 2.0 percent for 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. The growth rate expectation for 2018 is 5.8 percentage points higher than the previous forecast; sharper rate-of-change ascent in the new data combined with upside pressure from tariff-influenced rise in Steel Prices led to the upgrade. The 2019 and 2020 growth rate forecasts are little changed from before.

The New Orders 12MMT will rise through early 2019 before subsequently declining for the remainder of that year. New Orders will resume rising during 2020. Year-overyear growth in Steel Prices during at least the upcoming four quarters will provide a cushion during the upcoming period of slowing growth. However, declining B2B activity during 2019 will hinder New Orders that year.

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Metal Products For more information GAWDA New on Orders Rate-of-Change and association membership, contact: 15 11.9 Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager 10 954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org

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Management Note: Seek to preserve margins through product differentiation and branding.

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THE GAWDA INDUSTRY ANALYSIS REPORT Provided by ITR Economics™

U.S. Food Production Data Trend

FOOD: U.S. FOOD PRODUCTION

B - ACCELERATING GROWTH

HIGHLIGHTS: ◼◼ Production

Index

Index

120

year ago

120

12MMA

up 4.7 percent from one

3MMA

115

115

105.3

◼◼ This market will expand through at least

2020 ◼◼ The

U.S. Purchasing Managers Index suggests Production will enter a slowing growth trend around the middle of this year

U.S. Food Production during the 12 months ending in May was up 4.7 percent from the year-ago level. Production will expand through at least the end of 2018.

However, the pace of growth will slow in the latter half of this year.

The U.S. Purchasing Managers Index 1/12, which measures activity in the manufacturing sector, is declining from an August 2017 peak. Given its typical lead time to Production of about three to four quarters, this indicator is signaling that Production will transition to Phase C, Slowing Growth, around the middle of this year, in line with expectations for this industry. Growth in 2019 will be relatively mild. Budget accordingly.

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U.S. Food Production Rate-of-Change This content is 6exclusive to GAWDA Members.

4.7

For more information on GAWDA 4 and association membership, contact: 2 Stephen Hill, GAWDA Membership Services Manager 954-367-7728 x 220 / shill@gawda.org 0

Management Note: Focus on employee retention even as the pace of growth for Production slows. A recession in this market is not anticipated through at least 2020.

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ITR Economics Alan Beaulieu, principal 77 Sundial Ave #510 West, Manchester, NH 03103 GAWDA chief economist | 603-796-2500

108 • Summer 2018

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T

he following businesses recently joined the Gases and Welding Distributors Association. For more information about the benefits and services available to members, please contact the Association at 844-251-3219 and Stephen Hill, membership services manager, or visit www. gawda.org.

DISTRIBUTOR MEMBERS A. KALMERTON WELDING SUPPLIES, LLC 1014 South Main Street Oshkosh, WI 54902 920-231-8891 FAX 920-231-8893 www.akalmertonweldingsupplies.com Al Kalmerton, owner al_kalmerton@ntd.net

A. Kalmerton Welding Supplies is a local, family-owned and operated company that provides high-quality welding services for a variety of businesses such as manufacturing, industrial, fabrication and beverages.

ACTION GAS & WELDING SUPPLY

18415 Pasadena Street Lake Elsinore, CA 92530-2793 951-639-3906 FAX 951-639-3127 www.actiongas.net Timothy Serviss, president tserviss@actiongas.net

Action Gas & Welding Supply sells a complete range of welding gases, including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, argon, nitrogen, oxygen, acetylene, helium and cryogenic liquids. The company also offers filler metals, abrasives, rentals, welding machines, cutting outfits, safety equipment, parts and accessories.

BENTON’S WELDING SUPPLY

8163 Highway 278 NE Covington, GA 30014-1535 770-786-3424 www.bentonwelding.com Sidney Benton, owner bentonwelding@bellsouth.net

Benton’s Welding Supply offers industrial, medical and scientific gases, as well as hardgoods such as welding machines, filler material, gas apparatus and safety equipment.

C&O DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

514 Lucabaugh Mill Road Westminster, MD 21157 410-848-7640 FAX 410-848-9323

110 • Summer 2018

www.codistributors.com Jason Stonesifer, president jason@codistributors.com Richard Crunkilton, general manager richard@codistributors.com C&O Distributors is an authorized service and repair center for Miller and Lincoln Electric equipment and machinery. The company also offers welding supplies, compressed and medical gases, propane, abrasives, dry ice, hardware, hand and power tools, farrier and horseshoeing supplies.

DELTA WELDING SUPPLY, INC.

1701 East U.S. Highway 41 Attica, IN 47918 765-762-9353 FAX 765-762-1825 www.deltaweldingsupply.com Rex Oteham, president delta.rex@comcast.net Holli Oteham, vice president hollideltawelding@comcast.net

Delta Welding Supply offers a complete line of industrial and highpurity gases, welding equipment, power tools, accessories, flat stock, angle iron and tubing. They also provide weld certification services.

GIBBS WELDING SUPPLY, INC., A DIVISION OF A-L COMPRESSED AIR 875 Visco Drive Nashville, TN 37210-2167 615-254-1457 www.alcgases.com Richard Gibbs Sr., president richard@alcgases.com Ricky Gibbs, vice president/sales ricky@alcgases.com Wade Gibbs, vice president/operations wade@alcgases.com

Gibbs Welding Supply, Inc. is a full welding supply distributor providing industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding equipment rental, bulk gases and propane.

J&B PROPANE

3406 Highway 21 West Madisonville, TX 77864-6100 936-348-5465 FAX 936-348-5222 www.jandbpropane.com Jeb Blair, vice president jblair@jbpropane.com

J&B Propane represents Morse, Saint-Gobain, Revco, Tillman, Sowesco, DeWalt, Metabo, Lapco, Uniweld, Victor, Hypertherm, Miller Electric, Lincoln Electric and Profax. They also supply LPG and other industrial gases and sell/rent ASME tanks and exchange cylinders.

REVELL SUPPLY GROUP

2502 Smith Bridge Road Pearl, MS 39208 601-936-0008 FAX 601-939-0353 www.teamrevell.com Tim Rooks, managing partner rsg.acct@teamrevell.com

Revell Supply Group provides unlimited sourcing, equipment demonstrations, safety and product education, custom installation services and an in-house delivery fleet.

SEABOARD WELDING SUPPLY, INC. 2112 Kings Highway Oakhurst, NJ 07755 732-493-8100 FAX 732-493-3122 www.seaboardfs.com Brian Nowell, president bnowell@seaboardws.com

Seaboard Welding Supply represents the following manufacturers: Linde Gases, Eutectic, Fibre-Metal, Smith Equipment, Jackson Products, Miller Electric, Tweco, Harris Calorific, Victor and Lincoln Electric.

SOUTHERN SERVICE & REPAIR

2051 J and C Boulevard Naples, FL 34109-6213 239-597-1427 www.weldingandco2supplies.com Drew Dehnz, owner ddehnz@comcast.net Heather Dehnz, owner heatherdehnz@gmail.com

Southern Service & Repair is a gas supplier that offers Matheson Tri Gas, Weldcote, Inweld, ORS Nasco, Revco, American Torch Tip, Miller Electric, Cel-Tec, Drill America, Rex Cut and Seal Seat products.

YAKIMA WELDERS SUPPLY

710 West Valley Mall Boulevard Union Gap, WA 98903 509-453-7627 FAX 509-453-9470 Brenda Bruner, corporate secretary brenda@yakimawelderssupply.com Kevin Marshall, sales yakimawelderssupply@gmail.com

Eric Tejeda, sales yakimawelderssupply@gmail.com Yakima Welders Supply offers a wide selection of welders, cutters, abrasives, rods, accessories and safety gear for agricultural, manufacturing and automotive applications.

SUPPLIER MEMBERS CO2 AIR, INC.

1445 Ventura Drive Cumming, GA 30040 770-889-2489 www.co2airinc.com Allen Wood, president allen.wood@co2airinc.com Justin McDowell, vice president sales justin.mcdowell@co2airinc.com

CO2 Air is a manufacturer of dry ice and liquid CO2 equipment. They also offer engineering services, installation, commissioning and training.

CONTROL DEVICES

1555 Larkin Williams Road Fenton, MO 63026 636-660-7100 FAX 314-781-7859 www.cdivalve.com James Norris, vice president of sales & marketing jnorris@cdivalve.com

Control Devices offers check valves, controls for air compressors, fire suppression systems, vehicle systems, specialty gas applications and refrigeration and air conditioning system components. Specific products include a wide variety of specialty valves, nozzles, condensate traps and refrigeration distributors.

CONTROLLED EFFICIENCIES

110 Glancy Street, Suite 202 Goodlettsville, TN 37072 615-206-8765 www.cesimplify.com David W. Graves, president david@cesimplify.com Lance Snyder, IT director/engineer lance@cesimplify.com

Controlled Efficiencies offers an FDA-validated electronic records and electronic signature software for the production of medical gases including oxygen, nitrogen and nitrous oxide. This system utilizes biometric fingerprint technology and also tracks workforce certifications and training.

Summer 2018 • 111

COSMODYNE

3010 Old Ranch Parkway, Suite 300 Seal Beach, CA 90740-2764 562-795-5990 FAX 562-795-5998 www.cosmodyne.com Melania Charles, director sales & marketing charm@cosmodyne.com

FLUORAMICS, INC.

121 Steuben Street Winona, MN 55987-4619 507-205-9216 FAX 507-474-4584 www.fluoramics.com Gregg Reick, president greick@fluoramics.com Jenny Emmons, business development manager Cosmodyne is a leading provider of small to medium, highly 106-8212efficient 1/4 pg.and 4Cmodular _3.375airx separation 4.375_Welding & Gasesliquid Today_Jan. 2017 plants producing or jemmons@fluoramics.com gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and argon. They also specialize in storage and cylinder filling systems.

FIZZ DEFENSE

Box 1003 Adairsville, GA 30103 800-253-6610 FAX 678-792-7784 www.fizzdog.com Dick Mich, principal dmich@fizzdog.com

Fluoramics engineers high-quality lubricants, greases and oxygencompatible thread sealants. Products range in scope from applications for automotive and industrial equipment, to lubricants for weaponry and high-speed mechanisms, plus general-purpose lubricants.

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Fizz Defense is a boutique manufacturer of nitrogen-generation, filtration and air treatment for the compressed gas industry.

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Dawn Pfaff, marketing coordinator dpaff@jmmglobal.com Mike Herschell, product manager mherschell@jmmglobal.com

LABEL SOLUTIONS, INC.

JMM manufactures and directly sells telemetry devices that manage and monitor the inventory of pressurized gases to the end user.

KEARNS, BRINEN & MONAGHAN, INC. 20 E. Division Street, 2nd floor Dover, DE 19901-7366 877-698-5200 FAX 302-304-8381 www.kbmcollect.com Mark LeFevre, president and CEO mark@kbmcollect.com Ron Buker, vice president, sales rbuker@kbmcollect.com

677 George Street Marshfield, MO 65706 800-299-9200 FAX 417-859-6851 www.easylabeling.com Rob Freeman, director of business development rfreeman@easylabeling.com

Label Solutions, Inc. supplies regulatory-compliant cylinder labels and pressure-sensitive product label solutions for various manufacturing applications. The firm also offers label-to-surface testing services (i.e., extreme hot/cold, waterproof, condensationproof, theft prevention and durability).

MAILAM USA

KBM is committed to helping clients improve their cash flow through use of the latest technology and by employing the best people in the collection industry.

3805 Timms Street, Ste 100 Tyler, TX 75701-0513 903-630-5474 FAX 903-630-5475 www.mailamusa.com Ken Moore, president mailamusa@yahoo.com

Mailam USA is a wholesaler of welding wire.

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NORLAB CALIBRATION GASES & EQUIPMENT/DIVISION OF NORCO, INC. 898 W. Gowen Road Boise, ID 83705 800-657-6672 FAX 208-331-3038 www.norlab-gas.com Robert Gerry, vice president industrial robertg@norco-inc.com Keith Partch, product manager keithp@norco-inc.com

Norlab is a manufacturer of calibration standards that are used in industries such as pharmaceuticals, natural gas, medical diagnostics and air quality monitoring. The company specializes in industrial hygiene and EPA protocols.

POLYMET CORPORATION

7397 Union Centre Boulevard West Chester, OH 45014 513-842-1142 www.polymet.us Bill Mosier, president bmosier@polymet.us Wes Price, sales manager wprice@polymet.us Robert Unger, sales manager runger@polymet.us

QUALITEC, LLC

Rua Fazenda Monte Alegre, 367 Sao Paulo, 05160-060 SP Brazil International phone: 55 11 3902 3032 www.qualitecinstrumentos.com.br Marco Aurelio Casmalla, product engineer marcoaurelio@qualitecinstrumentos.com.br

Qualitec manufactures pressure regulators, pressure systems and valves.

RED SEAL MEASUREMENT

1310 Emerald Road Greenwood, SC 29646-9558 800-833-3357 FAX 864-942-7473 www.redsealmeasurement.com Jeff Kiser, owner jeff.kiser@redsealmeasurement.com Curtis Fennell, marketing manager curtis.fennell@redsealmeasurement.com

Red Seal Measurement provides advanced measurement solutions for refined fuels and other industrial applications.

TEMPSHIELD, LLC

PO Box 199 Mount Desert, ME 04660-0199 207-667-9696 FAX 207-667-4747 www.tempshield.com Paul Larochelle, CEO paul@tempshield.com

Polymet Corporation manufactures high-performance wire for hardfacing, welding and thermal spray applications used in aerospace, power generation, nuclear, lumber, mining and many other industries. Polymet wires are ideal for demanding applications such as metal to metal, metal to earth, high impact, high abrasion, corrosion and high temperature wear factors.

Tempshield specializes in the development and manufacture of cryogenic personal protective equipment (PPE) and apparel.

PULSA SENSORS

TRINITY CRYOGENICS

Pulsa Sensors manufactures a weight and pressure telemetry solution that provides real-time gas inventory and expected depletion times through purpose-built sensor hardware and an advanced machine learning backend.

Trinity Cryogenics offers manufacturing, sales, service, repair, inspection, testing and rehabilitation of cryogenic trailers and

833 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94103 310-435-9347 www.pulsasensors.com Dave Weins, CEO dave@pulsasensors.com Sam Fatoohi, business development sam@pulsasensors.com

114 • Summer 2018

9701 Old State Road 25 North Lafayette, IN 47905 765-564-1272 FAX 765-564-6032 www.alloycustomproducts.com Keith Hall, vice president product development keith.hall@trin.net Scott Rasmussen, sales engineer scott.rasmussen@trin.net

truck-mounted ASME pressure vessels.

INDUSTRY NEWS Acme Cryogenics Welcomes New Sales Manager

Acme Cryogenics announced the addition of Lorenzo Ramirez to the position of west region sales manager, based in Phoenix, AZ. R a m i r e z ’s focus will be on growth and account management of the company’s vacuum-jacketed pipe business in the U.S. western Lorenzo Ramirez region.

Ramirez has an extensive background in mechanical and project engineering and previous experience in the aerospace and oil and gas industries. Most recently, Ramirez was project engineer managing for Honeywell Aerospace for advanced jet air trainers.

He previously was employed at NASA Johnson Space Center, working with cryogenic thermal vacuum-chamber technologies. His experience also includes designing and manufacturing fracking and deep-sea oil and gas equipment.

He brings to the position a wealth of full lifecycle engineering knowledge and experience that includes extreme environments, temperatures and pressures, the company said. He has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas El Paso.

Gage Joins Sumig USA Corp. in USA-East Role Tim Gage has joined Sumig USA Corp. as sales manager, USA East, the company announced.

Steve Saumier, director of sales and marketing, noted that Gage’s skill set will help the company accelerate continued market share growth and support sales

activities on the East Coast. “Gage has many years of experience within our industry managing key accounts and holding various sales Tim Gage management positions,” Saumier said. “His technical expertise and sales management skills will be utilized to support our distribution, strategic customers and sales partners.”

Sumig, based in Orlando, FL, is a manufacturer and supplier of welding products, welding supplies and a complete line of robotic welding systems.

All Safe Global Adds Ultrasonic Examination All Safe Global, Inc., a nationally recognized DOT-authorized recertification facility, has added ultrasonic examination (UE) to its advanced cylinder testing capabilities.

The company’s new UE17 ultrasonic examination machine provides enhanced high-pressure cylinder testing using ultrasound. The system has numerous benefits for specialty gas cylinder certification, the company said. UE testing is done with the valve in place, preserving residual high-value gases and keeping the cylinder interior free from contamination and moisture throughout the process. This new capability is in addition to the firm’s continued hydrostatic test recertification services and is offered in partnership with Digital Wave Corporation.

President and CEO Matt Boettner said, “This state-of-the-art testing is a tremendous resource for our customers, particularly those in ultra-high purity, laser, precision welding and other specialty gas applications.”

Jerry Bru, All Safe global sales manager, noted that “ultrasonic examination is a fantastic addition to the company’s full-service capabilities. We pride ourselves on providing exceptional-quality cylinders to a complete spectrum of industries, and the addition of UE certainly enhances our ability to sell and support with precision.”

Airgas Earns Boeing’s “Supplier of the Year” Award Airgas, an Air Liquide company, has been recognized as “Supplier of the Year” in the safety category by The Boeing Company. Airgas was one of 13 companies Boeing honored in 2018 for distinguished performance. As the award recipient in the safety category, Airgas is recognized for modeling a zero-injury mindset and investing in and implementing a formal, measurable safety program.

Earlier, Boeing presented Airgas with its Performance Excellence Award as one of 411 companies to receive that designation. To further acknowledge superior performance, Airgas was selected as one of only 13 from that group to receive the Supplier of the Year designation.

Airgas CEO Pascal Vinet notes, “It is a true honor to receive this exceptional recognition from Boeing, particularly in the safety category, as the safety of our customers and associates is core to our business and company culture. We are proud of our work together with Boeing to prioritize areas of improvement for injury reduction via the deployment of unique safety solutions developed

by Airgas.”

Airgas has been a Boeing supplier for more than 25 years, providing industrial gases, hardgoods, safety products and dry ice across the enterprise.

Summer 2018 • 115

INDUSTRY NEWS Tulsa Chart Shop Celebrates Safety Milestones

Chart Industries announces that two major safety milestones have been achieved by its Tulsa air cooler facility.

Executives and staff there celebrated the facility’s marking more than one year without a recordable injury, and more recently achieved a second milestone: the facility’s staff put in over one million hours without a lost-time accident.

Chart’s senior leadership conducted a meeting to commemorate the accomplishments, recognizing the workers on both the night and day shifts that accomplished those records. Company leaders then took up the cooking and serving duties to host both shifts of the Tulsa crews for a company-provided shrimp and crawfish boil.

Jack Butler Named New CGA Chairman Jack Butler, president and CEO of GAWDA distributor member Butler Gas Products of Pittsburgh, PA, has been elected chairman of the Compressed Gas Association.

He was named to the volunteer position at the CGA Annual Convention recently. The term is for one year.

Butler also was cited as the 2018 recipient of the CGA Service Award, according to news from the company.

Sponsored by Chart Industries, the award recognizes CGA committee participation for character, commitment and contribution to uphold and further the mission of the CGA, according to CGA’s website.

“I’m happy to be there,” Butler said.

“I love the industry and I love giving back to the industry. I’ll be working to get more GAWDA and CGA cooperation and collaboration in efforts to make our industry safer.”

Butler is the first distributor member to serve in an executive committee 116 • Summer 2018

capacity at CGA. He was vice chair for the past year. He also is a past president of GAWDA, serving the association in 1992–1993.

American Torch Tip Adds Robotic Specialist Zac Marnell has joined the American Torch Tip Company, bringing more than 20 years of sales management and service experience in the Zac Marnell automated welding and cutting industry. He provides expert-level national sales and service in the area of robotic and automated welding tools and applications, including the company’s Lightning KNL-360º Through-Arm Robotic MIG gun. He recently served as district sales manager with National Standard Welding Wire.

“I’m looking forward to helping ATTC grow in all aspects throughout the industry through teamwork,” said Marnell. “We have great products and service here, and I can’t wait to spread the word.”

Weldcoa Anniversary Raffles Raise Cash for GAWDA Gives Back As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Weldcoa is conducting special fundraisers at each of the GAWDA Regional Meeting events. The raffles are Weldcoa’s way of “giving back to the industry that made our success possible,” said Melissa Heard, Weldcoa marketing manager.

In the contests, one winner gets the entire pot of funds raised. Weldcoa matches the total pot up to $1,000 and donates that amount to GAWDA Gives Back. If

more than the goal of $1,000 is raised, the overflow goes to GAWDA Gives Back as well, Heard explained. When more than $1,000 is raised, Weldcoa also selects a second winner to receive an iPad Mini.

The total amount contributed by Weldcoa will be announced at the GAWDA Annual Meeting.

CPV Manufacturing Now ISO 9001:2015 Certified CPV Manufacturing announced receipt of its ISO 9001:2015 certification for a quality management system in the design and manufacture of high-pressure valves and fittings.

“We’re proud to be able to say that we’ve earned this certification,” noted David London, president. “It proves to the world that we are 100 percent committed to the quality of our products and to customer satisfaction on a global scale.”

ISO 9001:2015 certification is voluntary and encompasses a strong customer focus, the involvement of all personnel and the actual processes and systems.

The nine-month certification process involved all employees and management at all levels, going beyond the quality control team to the entire organization, the company said.

Weiler Names Jason Conner VP of Sales

Jason Conner

W e i l e r Abrasives Group has promoted Jason Conner to the position of vice president of sales for the U.S. and Canada.

Conner will now oversee all

INDUSTRY NEWS sales activities in the U.S. and Canada, including independent distribution, national accounts, field sales and manufacturers’ rep groups. He will also serve as a point of contact to strengthen relationships with Weiler’s end users, distribution partners and industry associations, the company stated.

Conner joined Weiler in 2012 as a national accounts manager and was promoted to director of national accounts in 2015. As director of national accounts, Conner’s collaborative leadership style served to strengthen the Weiler national accounts team, as well as the company’s relationships with key independent business partners.

“Jason has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our strategy to become a market leader,” said Weiler Abrasives’ Bill Dwyre, managing director – Americas. “His passion for excellence is infectious, as is his relentless pursuit of winning. He brings a wealth of experience to our channels and market segments that position him to successfully lead our sales team and provide innovative solutions to our customers and channel partners.”

Prior to joining Weiler, Conner served in sales and marketing roles with Newell Brands as a territory and channel manager, partnering with independent distribution, buying groups and national accounts to drive growth of the Irwin and Lenox brands.

Abicor Binzel Adds Key Accounts Group Manager

Tom Thompson

Abicor Binzel has added Tom Thompson as a new manager in the company’s Key Accounts Group.

Thompson is helping to lead the Sensors and

Weiler Workshops for Warriors

Automotive segments for Binzel as the company seeks to further improve its presence in the seam tracking arena and reach new market segments with seam tracking solutions, the company reports.

Prior to joining Abicor Binzel, Thompson was director of sales at a leading vision sensor system company.

He has more than 35 years of experience in industrial laser applications across a variety of market segments. He will be based in the Detroit area.

Weiler Abrasives Group Launches National Fundraising Campaign

Weiler Abrasives Group, a leading provider of abrasives, power brushes and maintenance products for surface conditioning, has launched a national fundraising campaign, “Leading a Warriors’ Charge,” in partnership with Workshops for Warriors.

Based in Cresco, PA, the Weiler firm donated $25,000 to kick off a yearlong campaign that supports machining and welding training programs at the Workshops for Warriors school that trains, certifies and helps place veterans, wounded warriors and transitioning service members into advanced manufacturing careers.

“Weiler believes in the value of the Workshops for Warriors cause and is

pleased to support it,” said Nate Schmid, director of marketing – Americas.

“Bringing veterans back into the workforce after they have served and training them with skills to have careers in welding and CNC machining is so important, both for their livelihoods and for our industry, as we face a major gap in the technical trades across the U.S.” Weiler has been providing Workshops for Warriors with in-kind support since 2014, supplying abrasive products and safety products to meet the needs of every incoming class each semester. The company plans to continue offering this support while championing the organization’s “Leading a Warriors’ Charge” nationwide fundraising campaign. The effort includes promotion at trade shows, partnership-branded product packaging and more by the Workshop for Warriors organization.

“Weiler has been a great supporter of ours since the outset,” said Lyle Palm, dean of welding at Workshops for Warriors. “They’ve gone the extra mile with this campaign. It’s an honor to partner with a company that genuinely believes in what we’re doing.”

Since its inception in 2008, Workshops for Warriors has trained and certified 496 veterans, wounded warriors and transitioning service members, awarding more than 3,000 Summer 2018 • 117

INDUSTRY NEWS nationally recognized third-party credentials. In 2017, 94 percent of the school’s graduates obtained jobs in advanced manufacturing after completing the program.

Barry McGrane Named VP Sales and Service with Hiab USA Barry McGrane has been named vice president sales and service, North America with Hiab USA, Inc. In that role, McGrane leads the sales and service organizations Barry McGrane to execute Hiab’s business development and sales strategy

across all end markets, including industrial gas and LPG, the company reported.

“Barry’s mission, backed by a dedicated global organization, is to further build our market leading position with Hiab loader cranes and Moffett truck-mounted forklifts,” said Scott Hall, senior vice president, sales and service. “Working closely with Hiab’s tail lifts organization under the renowned Waltco brand, we hold all the elements for further successful growth as the preferred partner in the U.S. for our industrial and LP gas customers,” said Hall.

An engineer by education, McGrane has been with Hiab for more than 17 years. He has held positions in the company’s research and development department since 2015. He also has served as director of sales and product

management for Hiab’s truck-mounted forklifts business line.

CPV Manufacturing Names New VP of Sales and Director of Engineering CPV Manufacturing has named Jay H. Loomis as vice president of sales, with responsibility for the expansion and development of CPV’s sales team.

“Jay’s customer-focused sales and account management style are a great fit for our leadership team,” remarked David London, CPV Manufacturing Jay H. Loomis

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INDUSTRY NEWS president. “His background will be significant in carrying us forward. We’re glad to have him on our team.”

Prior to joining CPV, Loomis was a national account manager at Airgas USA, where, as a Single Point of Contact, he maintained and nurtured customer relationships on a national level. Loomis’ sales and account management experience span three decades.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

In addition, the company has named Robert Cardona as director of engineering. In that post, Cardona Robert Cardona is responsible for

managing the engineering team and for overseeing all engineering projects, according to London.

“We’re thrilled to have Robert join our team. With his strong leadership skills, innovative approach to product design and can-do attitude, he’ll be instrumental in the invention and design of new products at CPV,” London noted.

Cardona has more than 32 years of experience in manufacturing environments. He most recently served as a senior engineer at Productive Plastics.

Prior to that, he was at Smart-Hose Technologies, where he also worked as a senior engineer. Cardona holds four patents and played a significant role in the design of systems and components for the Aegis Radar System. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University and

served in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force Civil Air Patrol.

Indiana Oxygen Company Opens New Branch in Dayton, OH

Indiana Oxygen Company has opened a new branch location at 3012 Production Court in Dayton, OH. While Indiana Oxygen has been serving western Ohio for decades from its Cincinnati location, the new branch cements its commitment to the Dayton community, according to Walter Brant, chief executive officer.

“My grandfather originally partnered with two businessmen from Ohio, so this move is really building on our roots,” said Brant. “We’re committed to this community. Our new fill plant in Ohio will provide products for the

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INDUSTRY NEWS Dayton market. Manufacturing our product locally allows our customers the flexibility to compete and thrive in today’s business world.” Brant explained the company did not move into Dayton simply to fuel expansion. “We came to Dayton because we felt that there was no one left in that market who shared a similar outlook on business. We have the capabilities to handle any size job, but we’re agile enough to care about every job.”

Airgas Celebrates 10-Year Partnership with Operation Homefront

Airgas, an Air Liquide company and supplier of industrial gases, pledged to continue its support of Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that supports military families.

Since 2008, Airgas has donated $1 million to Operation Homefront and thousands of employees have been involved in local activities and fundraisers to benefit the non-profit. In addition to donations and volunteer work, Airgas has hired more than 1,000 veterans in its decade of support to Operation Homefront.

“We’re proud to support military families within Airgas and in the communities in which we operate,” commented Airgas Chief Operations Officer Andy Cichocki. “We hope our continued financial support and employee engagement will help Operation Homefront provide vital aid to military families during stressful times.”

“We are thrilled to celebrate a decade of working closely with Airgas and its employees to meet the needs of our military families who are struggling to make ends meet,” added President and CEO of Operation Homefront Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr. “We are deeply grateful for their continued commitment to care for those who have served all 120 • Summer 2018

of us and look forward to many more years of working together to help this very special and deserving group of our fellow Americans have an opportunity to thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.”

Two Added to Engineering Team at Norris Cylinder Emmanuel Ode joined Norris Cylinder as the new product and compliance engineer.

Emmanuel has extensive experience as a senior engineer with Praxair where he worked on plant and coldbox designs.

Emmanuel Ode His vast experience with pressure vessel design codes, regulations and product compliance will help drive the successful launch of new cylinders and streamline existing products and processes.

Emmanuel has a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria) and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Mississippi.

Ulusan Ibrahim Yenisehirli joins the engineering team as the manufacturing engineer. Ibrahim comes to Norris Cylinder from Metal Ulusan Ibrahim Research, Inc. where Yenisehirli he served as the application engineer, developing and improving Mori Seiki CNC machining capabilities of parts and prototypes for NASA and other government agencies.

He brings over 25 years of experience as a manufacturing engineer, and will

be instrumental in directing, managing and improving the quality of processes and products at Norris Cylinder.

Ibrahim has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, from Middle East Technical University, and an MBA from the University of Huntsville in Alabama.

“With the new talent coming on board, we are well positioned to further expand our partnerships with key customers in joint product development projects and support the overall industry as a whole,” said Sally Mitchell, vice president of engineering. “And as the Norris Cylinder family grows, so does our commitment to manufacturing innovative and quality products.”

RCI Moves Nitrogen Generator Plant from TX to SC In February, Ranch Cryogenics, Inc. landed a contract to move an idle nitrogen generator from Texas to South Carolina, but there was just one hitch — it had to be up and running in its new location by April 1. An RCI crew started with a kickoff meeting at the Illinois office on February 2 and was onsite in Texas two days later to start work. A month later on March 2, the plant was packed up and ready to ship.

“It’s pretty unusual to have it done in that amount of time,” said Mike Duffy Jr., RCI president. Time tables vary with each project, but they’re ordinarily a little more flexible — often from four to six months. “Two months is the tightest schedule we’ve had to work with,” Duffy said. “We planned on working seven days a week, but it turned out we couldn’t work on Sundays. So that made it even more difficult.”

It worked to everyone’s advantage that the company had just hired Phil Sullivan, a welder-pipe fitter and repair veteran who was named construction manager for the project.

INDUSTRY NEWS IMC Marks Announces Dynaflux as Integrated Manufacturer

Removal of the coldbox in Texas. (RCI photo)

IMC Marks announced Dynaflux as its integrated manufacturer to streamline exchanges and maximize purchasing power.

“Dynaflux is known for their strength in the chemical industry, and this integration offers strong support for both our businesses,” said IMC Marks Co. President Michelle Cloonan.

“IMC Marks’ hands-on approach to marking solutions provides a clear connection to the demand of Dynaflux’s ever-changing chemical applications.

Born of GAWDA ideals, our assimilation extends to the business of keeping safety regulations current in the field and in the supplier community,” said Dynaflux Vice President Joey Pogue.

Weiler Abrasives Group Announces Expansion

Weiler Abrasives Group will consolidate its power brush manufacturing operations at its Cresco facility. Due to this consolidation, Weiler will close its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, and transition production to the Cresco location over the coming months.

“We are excited about the benefits the move will bring to our local community and our North American customers, including improved service levels that our customers have come to expect from Weiler,” said Bill Dwyre, managing director, Americas, Weiler Abrasives Group. “These investments are designed to further position Weiler for growth and reinforce our continued commitment to U.S. manufacturing.”

“Phil was there the whole time and really got things done,” Duffy said.

“There was only a crew of five for RCI and three to four for a lot of it.” RCI met the deadline, and the relocated plant was mechanically and electrically complete

by March 30.

AWG Opens New Store in Duncan, SC American Welding & Gas, Inc. opened its 75th store on June 6, 2018.

Located off Interstate 85 at 1736 Victor Hill Road in Duncan, SC, the newest branch has high visibility and an experienced team that is ready to serve the gas and welding industry. Branch Manager Tim Ervin is ready to take on day-to-day sales and delivery needs, while providing the best customer service. Account Manager Kyle Jordan directs his focus toward new customer acquisitions and AWG brand awareness. Their knowledge of gases and products are a valuable asset in this marketplace.

Summer 2018 • 121

INDUSTRY NEWS Norris Cylinder Company Receives Favorable Trade Finding The United States Department of Commerce has issued a preliminary finding to increase countervailing duties on high-pressure steel cylinders imported from China, initiated at the request of TriMas’ Norris Cylinder business, which is part of the Specialty Products group. The preliminary finding increases duties on high-pressure steel cylinders imported from China from the current 15.81 percent rate to a new level of 37.77 percent, if confirmed in a final determination scheduled for later this year. These duties are necessary to help mitigate subsidies of input steel manufactured in China and provided to local China cylinder manufacturers.

These increased countervailing duties are expected to create a more level competitive environment in the United States and therefore enable Norris Cylinder to continue to invest in its U.S. manufacturing capabilities, and provide its customers with high-quality, high-pressure steel cylinders. Norris Cylinder is the last remaining producer of high-pressure steel cylinders in the United States.

Armando Ramirez Joins Catalina Composites as Sales and Marketing Manager Catalina Composites, a Division of Catalina Cylinders, Inc. announces the appointment of alternative fuel industry veteran Armando Ramirez to its sales and marketing team.

Ramirez will assume the role of sales and marketing Armando Ramirez manager and will be responsible for promoting Catalina’s composite products 122 • Summer 2018

as well as growing and developing its customer base in the alternative fuel for transportation space.

“I am pleased that Armando has agreed to join the Catalina Composites management team to continue providing the unmatched service and support our customers and industry partners have come to know,” said David Silva, vice president of sales and marketing. “His experience and long history in the alternative fuels industry will be a great asset to the organization as we roll out our lighter-weight Type 3 composite cylinder products.”

In the past, Ramirez worked for Clean Energy Fuels, IMPCO Automotive and Luxfer Gas Cylinders. In addition, he has OEM technical experience from working with Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Ramirez holds an associate’s degree from Cosumnes River College and is a graduate of the Ford Automotive Student Service Education and Training Program.

DeLille Announces New President DeLille Oxygen Company has announced the promotion of Josh Weinmann to president. Weinmann started at DeLille as a loader/unloader after graduation, and according to DeLille Chairman of the Board Tom Smith, “Josh has risen to the top by performing just about every position we have.”

Weinmann has spent much of his career in specialty gas plant management, gas inside sales, account management and development. His previous positions included vice president and operations manager.

Weldcote Metals, Inc. Announces New Sales Team Weldcote Metals, Inc., a division of Zika Group, has added two new members to its sales team, Fritz Klug as northern

Fritz Klug

Jay Hickman

sales manager and Jay Hickman as southern sales manager.

Klug has nearly 35 years of industrial sales experience. Before joining Weldcote, he was director of sales at CGW-Camel Grinding Wheels, western U.S. sales manager at L.S. Starrett Company and territory manager at Triangle Tool Group. Klug has extensive experience with distributor channel development.

Hickman has more than 30 years of industrial sales experience and was a former membership director for Coated Abrasives Fabricators Association. Prior to joining the team at Weldcote, he held the positions of southern sales manager at CGW-Camel Grinding Wheels, sales manager of Garryson, Inc. and district sales manager of Anderson Brush.

“Creating a strong, experienced and knowledgeable sales team will position Weldcote at the forefront of the industrial tool industry,” commented Joe O’Mera, who was named CEO of Weldcote Metals earlier this year.

Compressed Gas Association names Richard Gottwald President and CEO

The Compressed Gas Association (CGA) board of directors has named Richard Gottwald as CGA president and CEO, replacing Michael Tiller who retired this year.

“I am honored to join the team at CGA. I look forward to working with

INDUSTRY NEWS the board and the staff to build on the history and successes that have made CGA such a critical component to the success and safety of the compressed Rich Gottwald gas industry,� said Gottwald.

Before joining CGA, Gottwald served as president and CEO of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP).

He joined APSP in 2013 and realigned the organization to be a unified voice to protect existing markets and to grow new business for its members. Prior to APSP, Gottwald was executive vice president at the International Sign Association where he was responsible for providing oversight and leadership on the regulatory, legislative and technological challenges and opportunities facing the sign industry across North America. Gottwald has also held senior management positions in several trade associations, including executive vice president for the Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, president of the Plastics Pipe Institute and executive director of the Society of the Plastics Industry.

Gottwald holds a BS in Plastics Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE).

Norton North America Vice President Brad Johnson with Olympic Athlete Erin Hamlin.

Norton Abrasives Helps USA Luge Team Win Olympic Medals Norton Abrasives has announced that Olympic luge medalist Erin Hamlin will be making an appearance at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, IL on September 11, 2018.

Four-time Olympic Games veteran and 2017 World Champion, Hamlin Summer 2018 • 123

INDUSTRY NEWS won a bronze medal in Sochi competing in women’s singles, becoming the first woman in U.S. history to stand on the podium for USA Luge. Hamlin and the USA Luge team credit the involvement of Norton Abrasives in getting to the winner’s podium.

Norton worked to improve sled performance by reducing friction on the ice and increasing speed. Norton engineers analyzed the metallurgy of history’s swiftest sled runners and developed new steel recipes to provide critical speed, control and consistency for the luge athletes.

“Norton engineers understand that we need to be on the cutting edge of technology to reach striking distance of a medal win. They work with our team to make the best, fastest sleds,” said Hamlin.

Norton Abrasives has extended its contract as primary sponsor of the USA Luge Team through the next Games to be held in Beijing in February of 2022.

“This partnership galvanizes our commitment to work with the USA Luge National Team as they prepare and compete on a global stage,” said Bradley H. Johnson, vice president, Saint-Gobain Abrasives North America.

The relationship between Norton and USA Luge dates back almost 35 years, when the company began donating Norton sandpaper products for USA Luge athletes to shape and polish runners on the sleds. Today’s USA Luge athletes use Norton abrasive products every day to prepare their sleds for racing.

Gas Innovations Expands Storage Capacity and DualScale Filling Capability

Gas Innovations has expanded capacity by adding additional cryogenic tanks and truck scales. Gas Innovations now fills liquified petroleum gas and cryogenic ISOs simultaneously. Gas Innovations supplies turnkey logistics of hydrocarbon supply to projects worldwide. These projects include packaging, analytical quality control, complex routing and project management. This expansion allows the company to meet the large delivery demands of LNG startups, petrochemical feed stocks, diluents and other campaigns or petrochemical demands.

ONLY ONE GAWDA REGIONAL MEETING REMAINING! There is one GAWDA Regional Meeting left in 2018. More information can be found on GAWDA.org, with updates appearing in each issue of the GAWDA Connection newsletter.

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In Memoriam

KENNETH L. HAUN

LYNN MAKI

Kenneth L. Haun, who co-founded Haun Welding Supply of Syracuse, NY with his father, passed away April 7.

He was born to Orval N. and Norene Haun in Newfane, NY in 1932 and lived in Niagara Falls, NY until moving to Syracuse at the age of 13.

Ken graduated from Syracuse University in 1954 with a B.S. in electrical engineering and was in the Air Force ROTC program. After graduation, he was employed by North American Aviation.

He was called into military service later that year and was stationed in South Korea for a year, then in N. Concord, VT as a radar maintenance officer. He stayed in the Air Force Reserve for seven years.

Ken retired from Haun Welding in 1991, and in 1993, he and his wife moved to Punta Gorda, FL. There, he was an active member of the Isles Yacht Club and a covenant partner of the First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda. He remained active as a past president of the Central New York Pilots Assocation of Syracuse and as a member of the Civil Air Patrol.

He leaves behind an extended family, including his wife of 63 years, Marjorie; sons Mark (Janine) and Gary Haun; daughters Judy (John) Bertrand and Patti (Victor) Kidd; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Colleagues at Computers Unlimited said a sad and final farewell to a dear friend and long-term colleague, Lynn Maki, on April 13.

Ly n n s t a r t e d h e r c a r e e r a t Computers Unlimited as a computer programmer in 1982. She quickly moved into various management positions and eventually became director of support services. Lynn retired from the company in 2009.

At a time when computer software was a new frontier, Lynn broke “the glass ceiling” by dancing on it. She was widely known and respected among Computers Unlimited customers in both the HME and specialty gas industries. She had the ability to solve the most complex problems, a knack for smoothing ruffled feathers and a never-ending customer service ethic.

Lynn loved her job and went above and beyond, always making sure that customer projects were accomplished when they were pledged to be.

Her colleagues will miss most of all the things Lynn carried with her throughout her life and her career: her infectious smile, her ability to make friends with everyone she met, her constant old-school Montana work ethic and her kindhearted spirit.

To submit In Memoriam remembrances or other industry news, contact: editorial@datakey.org or call 315-445-2347, x120.

LESLIE CARR DUPUY JR. Leslie Carr DuPuy Jr. passed away peacefully on May 3 at home, surrounded by his family.

“Les” was born July 24, 1925, at Providence Hospital in Waco, Texas, to Leslie Carr DuPuy Sr. and Louise Romans DuPuy. He attended Waco public schools and graduated from Waco High in 1941. He served in the Army during WWII and eventually graduated from Texas A&M University in 1948.

After working several jobs around the country post-graduation, Les returned to Waco in 1954 and purchased the Smith Oxygen Company, renaming it DuPuy Oxygen. This venture kept him continuously employed until his retirement in 1985. Les was involved with NWSA (now GAWDA) throughout his career and he developed many friends in the welding supply industry.

DePuy was a lifelong member of Central Presbyterian Church. He loved life and lived for his family, friends and the good times they shared together.

He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Virginia; sons Carr (and his wife LaRaine) and Cary (and his wife Mandi); and grandchildren Riley (and his wife Sarah) and Scott, Paige and Neal.

The DuPuy family would like to express profound appreciation for the numerous friends and acquaintances in the welding industry that were so important in making Les’ life so richly rewarding.

Summer 2018 • 125

In Memoriam

LEO T. HENKEMEYER Leo T. Henkemeyer passed away peacefully on May 7, surrounded by family, at the age of 87.

He was born June 20, 1930, in St. Cloud, MN, to Joseph and Florence (Benoit) Henkemeyer. He was a resident of St. Cloud most of his life, owning and operating the company Central McGowan for many years.

The life Henkemeyer lived was that of an extraordinary man, someone whose general passion in life was to give back to his community and his company in many ways. He spent the majority of his life and career enjoying every minute that he owned and operated Central McGowan, and his desire to see the firm thrive existed until the day he passed. He also believed in living life to the fullest and was always positive in spirit. He enjoyed spending time with his family and animals. He loved hunting, fishing and his place in northern Minnesota, where he spent the majority of his final years. He was a very private person and liked to remain anonymous in the many charitable acts he was involved in over the years. He created many friendships, valued his relationships and ultimately built a foundation of success in his life that will continue his legacy in the years to come.

Without him, Central McGowan would not exist as it does today, for it was his leadership that built the foundation the company operates with today.

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Henkemeyer believed that he had “50 families – not just 50 employees – 50 families that I’m responsible for.” He meant this and cared about every family member within Central McGowan until the day he passed.

Survivors include children, Cynthia Francis of St. Cloud, Michelle Henkemeyer of Clearwater and Lynnette Tucker (Michael) of Colorado. Also surviving are eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and his brother, Roger Henkemeyer, of Apple Valley. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

credited as co-founder of the NWSA (now GAWDA) with V.S. (“Pops”) Rice in 1945. Herb Sr. also died on his birthday on October 25, 1980, at age 81.

Herb Jr. loved inventory and servicing the retail customer. He believed that if you catered to your customer with inventory and services, you would have a customer for life. Herb Jr. also realized the value and revenue potential of the high-pressure cylinder. He did not believe in renting cylinders from others and instead purchased cylinders every chance he got. Over the life of Weiler, the company had accumulated over 70,000 cylinders.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sandra, and children Herbert G. (Gretchen) Weiler III (“Bud”), Janet L. Weiler Ferguson, James C. (Deena) Weiler, Lisa R. Weiler, and 11 grandchildren.

HERBERT G. WEILER JR. Herbert G. Weiler Jr. passed away on May 16 at Hospice of Dayton, on his birthday, at the age of 83.

Herb Jr. (known as “Junior” to his peers), started at Weiler Welding Co. Inc. in 1951. In 1967, he was promoted to vice president/general manager. In 1981, he became the president of Weiler Welding, and under his leadership, the company grew to seven locations. They included facilities in: Dayton, Moraine, Piqua, Vandalia, Springfield, and Cincinnati; and in Richmond, IN. In 1974, Herb Jr. built an 8,000 sq. ft. building in Dayton that housed the company’s corporate offices, sales and purchasing offices and arguably the first self-serve retail welding supply store in the industry.

His father, Herbert (“Tubby”) Weiler Sr., started the company in 1920 and is

VIRGINIA “GINNY” WILSON After a three-year battle with cancer, Ginny passed away on July 17th. She was the CFO and Co-Owner of Four Corners Welding & Gas Supply in Gallup, NM. Ginny had spent over 40 years in the industry and was highly regarded by many for her depth of knowledge in cylinder control, expense control and accounting practices. Her last industry commitment was serving on the IWDC Expense Control Committee.

Ginny is survived by her husband,

In Memoriam Kent Wilson, daughter Amber Chisamore, stepson James Wilson, three brothers, four sisters, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by both parents and one sister.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations for Unfailing Love Ministries in Milan, NM at www.uflministry.org. This was one of Ginny’s favorite ministries that reaches out to women transitioning directly out of prison and assists in life skill development and personal growth through education opportunities.

She was a loving wife, mother, “Gigi,” friend and mentor to many and is missed.

RODNEY STUART BELDEN Rodney Stuart Belden passed away on June 4 at age 86, surrounded by his family at his home on Catawba Island, Ohio.

Belden was born Aug. 19, 1931, to Ashley and Jean Belden in Burlington, VT and was one of four children: Duane, Louise, and his twin brother, Roger, who

pre-deceased him. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and his master’s degree from Northeastern University. He married Anne Gregory on May 15, 1954, and they celebrated 64 years together. The Beldens’ five married children, Debbie (Phil), David (Diane), Pam (Jack), John (Libby) and Missy (Scott), have grown families that now include 16 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Belden built a highly successful career at AIRCO and later, at Sandusky, Ohio-based O.E. Meyer Co. There, he was instrumental in transforming the company from a smaller family-owned business to a thriving employee-owned enterprise. He retired in 2015 after a 60year career. He also served as a founding member of AIRCO’s distributor association (ADA). Named scholarships have been established in his honor at Michigan State University and at the American Welding Society Foundation.

After living in numerous places domestically and abroad, Belden and his wife settled to Catawba Island.

He was a 15-year director of Port Clinton Huntington Bank, a longtime member of the Catawba Island Club and president of Plum Brook Country Club. He was recognized in 1998 by Ernst & Young as Northwest Ohio’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He had served in the Air Force at Ramstein Air Base in southwestern Germany.

Memorial donations may be made to the Catawba Island Volunteer Fire Department and Stein Hospice.

LOREN P. HUBER Loren P. Huber, 81, of Mason City, IA passed away on June 26 at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.

Huber was born January 23, 1937, in Buffalo, MN to George and Eva (Stenson) Huber. He attended Holy Family and graduated in 1955. Following high school, he enlisted into the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1964.

He was united in marriage to Sandra Falt at Holy Family Catholic Church on September 12, 1959. This union would be blessed with three children, Cynthia, Paul and Doug.

Loren was president and CEO of Huber Supply Co. in Mason City.

He enjoyed telling jokes and spending time with family and friends. Most importantly, he loved the Lord.

Those grateful in sharing in his life are his children, Cynthia (Robert) Olsen, Milwaukee, WI, Paul (Janice) Huber, Eagan, MN, and Doug (Kristie) Huber, Mason City; 15 grandchildren; three great grandsons; two great granddaughters; twin sister, Loretta (Jim) Mathas; brother, Chuck (Jennie) Huber, and extended family and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents; wife; brother, Jim Huber and best friend, Larry Lee. A special thank you to Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit for the exceptional care provided to Loren.

Memorial donations may be made to Faith Baptist Church.

Summer 2018 • 127

INDUSTRY NEWS

M&A SCORECARD DataOnline Acquires Wikon Company DataOnline, the leading global provider of industrial IoT (Internet of Things) solutions, has acquired Wikon Kommunikationstechnik GmbH, a German company that designs, builds installs and supports end-to-end IoT solutions.

In making the announcement, Rob Barnacle, president of DataOnline, said, “We are excited to have Wikon as part of the DataOnline Group. Our company vision includes growing our presence in Europe and expanding into adjacent markets. Wikon has a large established European customer base and is providing solutions for a variety of markets. This is a perfect fit for us.”

Founded in 1991, Wikon is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

The company’s managing directors, Andreas Konzelmann and Joachim Molz, are continuing to lead the company. “Everyone at Wikon is excited about becoming part of the DataOnline Group. The coming together of our two companies will create a significant force in Industrial IoT. We’re very much looking forward to the challenge and opportunities ahead,” Konzelmann said.

DataOnline has offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia and a global network of representative companies.

Equigas Announces American Market Partnership Equigas, Inc. and VRV S.p.A. have joined forces in a commercial partnership to serve the American market, permitting Equigas to promote, quote, sell and service products such as cryogenic liquid cylinders, cryogenic microbulks, cryogenic bulk tanks, cryogenic trailers and LNG ISO-containers for the United States.

News of the partnership was announced by Rafael Arvelo, Equigas general manager.

VRV was founded in 1956 and began its cryogenic division in 1975.

Today, the company uses innovative techniques to produce a comprehensive range of products and services for the design and fabrication of state-of-theart vacuum-insulated tanks for the distribution and storage of cryogenic liquefied gases. These include nitrogen, oxygen, argon, LNG (natural gas), hydrogen and other hydrocarbons for use in industrial, healthcare, electronics, food, energy and environmental applications. The gases are produced from VRV manufacturing facilities in Italy, France and India.

Airgas Marks 500th Acquisition Airgas, Inc. has acquired the assets and operations of Weiler Welding Company, Inc. The acquisition, which was effective April 30, marks the 500th in Airgas’ 36-year company history.

Headquartered in Moraine, Ohio, Weiler Welding Company is a full-service industrial gas, beverage gas and welding supply business. The firm services southwestern Ohio and southwestern Indiana through six locations.

Weiler’s 70 associates join the Airgas Great Lakes Region.

“We look forward to continuing to offer the excellent service that Weiler Welding Company customers have come to expect and are proud to welcome Weiler Welding Company’s associates into the Airgas and Air Liquide families,” Airgas CEO Pascal Vinet said.

Jim Weiler, president of Weiler Welding Company, added: “The joining of these two companies will create tremendous value for our associates and our customers. Weiler Welding Company appreciates Airgas’ customer-centric and employee-focused culture. We feel that this culture will foster opportunities for our associates and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers as a part of Airgas.”

SHARE YOUR NEWS! If you’ve hired new people, moved your facility, acquired a company, added a product line, have new offerings or anything else newsworthy is happening at your business, please let us know. We’d like to share those updates with your fellow GAWDA members.

GAWDA publishes a twice-monthly e-newsletter (The GAWDA Connection) and a quarterly magazine for its membership audience. Simply forward your information to GAWDA Media at: editorial@datakey.org or call us at 315-445-2347, x120.

128 • Summer 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS “Airgas is proud to mark the 500th acquisition since our inception in 1982.

Growth through acquisition has always been a core strategy and competency for us and we remain committed to pursuing acquisition opportunities in the years to come,” Airgas COO Andy Cichocki said.

ZWC Holdings, Inc. Joins the Ownership Group of Weldcote Metals, Inc. Weldcote Metals, Inc. announces the addition of ZWC Holdings, Inc., controlled by Zika Group Ltd., to its ownership group.

Zika Group also announces the appointment of Joe O’Mera, former president of CGW, Camel Grinding

Wheels, as CEO o f We l d c o t e Metals and as part of the ownership group.

O’Mera brings more than 25 years in the industrial welding Joe O’Mera tool marketplace to the position. Along with his exceptional capabilities and leadership, O’Mera has proven success in creating value for his customers and shareholders.

Weldcote Metals was founded by Bill Roland, founding CEO and current president, and John Pandorf, cofounder and CFO, in 2006. Roland and Pandorf, who together bring 65 years

of industry experience, will continue in their capacity as company owners and members of the management team.

“The fusion of Zika’s experience, product line and manufacturing capabilities, together with Joe O’Mera’s leadership, will position Weldcote at the forefront of the industrial tool industry, providing a high-end, ‘one-stop shop’ solution,” said Pandorf.

“I am confident that my experience and industry knowledge, combined with the technical expertise and backing of the Zika Group, will escalate Weldcote’s presence in the industry,” said O’Mera.

“Creating value for Weldcote customers and shareholders, while also serving the needs of welders in this market, is a goal that I am committed to.”

LIFTING, PIPE HANDLING, WELDING EQUIPMENT AND MORE! LEARN MORE

281-999-6900 / sumner.com Summer 2018 • 129

NEW OFFERINGS

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1. Norton Abrasives Introduces New Combination Wheels

Norton Abrasives has introduced a new Norton Quantum 3 (NQ3) combination wheel. NQ3 combination wheels have several key benefits over competitors’ wheels, the company said. The proprietary grain and tougher bond system contains a unique combination of fillers and bonding agents, offering a 50 percent longer life and reducing the need for wheel changes, thus decreasing production downtime and lessening labor costs.

“In addition to lasting longer and increasing productivity, users are reporting that NQ3 Combo Wheels are significantly easier to use and cut effortlessly compared to other wheels,” said Saida Guerra, associate product manager, North America.

“NQ3 Combo wheels are ideal for a broad range of applications including general fabrication, oil rig building and repair, rail, container and pipeline manufacturing.”

The new wheel is in addition to the recently introduced Norton NQ3 line of depressed center grinding wheels. The NQ3 wheels are offered in 10 Type 27 all-purpose grinding and cutting application SKUs. Sizes range from 4-1/2" and 5" for hubbed and non-hubbed wheels.

2. Abicor Binzel Releases New Gas Management System

Abicor Binzel has released its Gas Management System EWR 2/EWR 2 Net. The EWR 2 is the evolution of Binzel’s original electronic welding regulator and delivers substantial gas savings, the company said. It also features network-compatible software integration for gas use monitoring and measuring in real time.

According to the company, EWR 2 is Binzel’s first product designed and built for Industry 4.0. With an Ethernet and CAN interface connection, it can connect to any business’s local area network. Network connections permit the EWR 2 to perform data logging of gas usage for manufacturers over any period and allow for remote adjustments to parameters.

A single software program can access and monitor gas usage for any number of EWR 2 gas management system units.

The system uses quick-action frequency valves to regulate the flow of gas in relation to the weld current. Gas savings with 130 • Summer 2018

4 the EWR 2 still achieve the same 60 percent savings potential as the first iteration of EWR. The new version also has an improved display screen and internet compatibility features.

3. Responsive Respiratory Adds D/E Cylinder Cart

Responsive Respiratory, of St. Louis, MO, has expanded its cylinder cart line with the addition of a new Patient SixCylinder D/E cart. The cart features a durable powder coat paint finish, 6" wheels for maneuverability and an adjustable height handle for ease of use. The two-piece design allows for compact shipment and storage, significantly reducing freight costs for providers, according to the company.

“The six-cylinder D/E cart is a natural expansion of our patient and office transport offering,” noted Tom Bannon, Responsive Respiratory president. “While RRI offers a warehouse version of this cart, our customer feedback initiative identified the lighter‐duty patient model as a requested item within the customer group. The smaller footprint and more economical price are a good fit for office and patient usage.”

4. Black Stallion Offers Lightweight Welding Jacket Staying cool, comfortable and protected while welding is now easier with the new Stretch-Back FR Cotton Welding Jacket (JF1625-NG) from Black Stallion.

The lightweight welding jacket offers all the protection of a Black Stallion standard welding jacket with the added comfort of a flame-resistant cotton stretch-knit back panel.

The fabric’s stretch provides just the right amount of give as a welder moves, while its looped knit yarn allows more airflow through the fabric, resulting in a cooling effect.

The jacket’s back panel includes ASTM F1506-compliant flame resistance, providing the added benefit of comfort and breathability without sacrificing protection. In addition, the front, shoulders, arms and neck of the JF1625-NG are constructed of 9 oz. flame-resistant cotton, offering protection for most light welding applications. The new offering is available through independent welding and safety distributors nationwide.

NEW OFFERINGS 7

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5. ArcOne Redesigns Eagle Helmet

8. Wise Telemetry Introduces Next Generation

6. voestalpine Böhler Welding Launches New Line of PPE

Wise Telemetry introduced the next generation of its endto-end telemetry platform, the Elite Series.

The Elite Series delivers a suite of new features in the online dashboard, including a geographic map that shows the location and alert status of all sites, an alerts page indicating all sites that need deliveries and an end-user login portal. Additionally, all data shown on the dashboard can be downloaded as Excel reports for easy distribution and data analysis.

ArcOne announces the redesign of its Eagle helmet with features to meet the highest demands in welding.

The company noted that the new and improved Industrial Grade Eagle is the first helmet designed for respiratory protection and standard welding. The flip-up helmet has a large view, quick-change grinding shield, is perfectly balanced and comes with the company’s newest headgear innovations.

Filler material specialist voestalpine Böhler Welding has launched its own line of personal protective equipment (PPE), including the newest weldCare Guardian auto-darkening welding helmets and safety glasses. Using the latest developments in optics and ergonomics, they combine protection with comfort and user-friendliness, the company said.

The Guardian series of battery-powered, auto-darkening welding helmets meets the safety and durability requirements of relevant CE and ANSI standards, and feature high-impact nylon shells and comfortable headgear with longitudinal and angular adjustments. The helmets are available in Böhler Welding and UTP Maintenance brand designs.

The welding glasses fulfill the requirements of industrial standard EN 166F, are CE approved and designed to withstand smaller object colliding at up to 45m/s.

7. Industrial Pro Announces Grinder for Life Offer

Industrial Pro announced an exclusive Grinder for Life offer from Taipan Abrasives, a manufacturer of industrial cutting, grinding and finishing abrasives.

“Distributors ordering Taipan discs will automatically get a free industrial-grade grinder with every 250 discs purchased. You’ll never need to buy an angle grinder,” said Ralph Beaumont, national sales director.

Industrial Pro is a welding wholesaler of Taipan Abrasives products, including cutting, grinding and flap discs, annular cutters, saw wheels, flap wheels, carbide burrs, surface conditioning, deburring wheels, quick change discs, hand pads and accessory products.

Telemetry System

9. New Weiler Industrial Grinding Products

Weiler Abrasives Group is offering new industrial grinding solutions, available for the first time to North and South American customers. These products have been a trusted choice in the European market for years under the SWATYCOMET brand. Weiler’s industrial grinding products include organic rough grinding wheels, vitrified precision grinding wheels and Diamond and CBN Super Abrasive products.

Weiler’s industrial grinding product lineup offers unique technologies for applications such as surface grinding, gear grinding, creep-feed grinding, roll grinding, centerless grinding, crankshaft grinding, as well as foundry grinding applications.

10. New Norton Die Grinder for High-Efficiency Grinding

Norton Abrasives has added the Norton Pneumatic Die Grinder to its new professional tool line. This tool quickly and comfortably accomplishes a wide range of portable grinding applications without the need to change machines.

“Our new, versatile die grinder will enhance the performance of numerous abrasive products, including mounted points, flap wheels, traditional specialties such as cartridge rolls and our new Norton Carbide Burrs,” said Patrick Carroll, senior product manager. “We are pleased to offer a one-vendor solution for a perfect pairing of the machine and the abrasive.”

The grinder has a free speed of 25,000 rpm, designed to make quick work of deburring, surface cleaning and stock removal applications, welding preparation and finishing.

Summer 2018 • 131

ADVERTISERS INDEX 3M Company.............................................................3 Acme Cryogenics.....................................................54 American Cap Company...........................................74 American Torch Tip.....................................................6 AmWINS Program Underwriters.................................86 Anthony Welded Products.........................................53 Arcos Industries......................................................IBC ASM/American Standard Manufacturing....................21 Black Stallion – Revco Industries...............................94 BTIC America Corporation.........................................79 Bug-O Systems........................................................47 California Cylinder Corporation..................................73 Carborundum Abrasives...........................................91 Catalina Cylinders....................................................42 Cavagna North America............................................39 CGW – Camel Grinding Wheels.................................69 Chart Inc...............................................................107 Computers Unlimited................................................77 Control Devices........................................................45 Controlled Efficiencies..............................................17 CryoVation...............................................................52 Cryoworks...............................................................60 CTR Inc.....................................................................5 Cyl-Tec....................................................................15 Dynaflux..................................................................73 Eleet Cryogenics......................................................71 ESAB Welding & Cutting...........................................95 Exocor...................................................................113 FIBA Technologies....................................................55 Flexovit USA............................................................90 Gas Innovations.......................................................60 Generant Company................................................113 Genstar Technologies...............................................11 Gullco International..................................................27 H&H Sales Company..............................................112 The Harris Products Group.......................................IFC Hobart Institute of Welding Technology.....................112 Hypertherm.............................................................59 IMC Marks...............................................................73 132 • Summer 2018

Industrial Pro, a Division of Forney Industries Inc........40 Kaplan Industries.....................................................33 Kobelco Welding of America....................................101 The Lincoln Electric Company.....................................9 McDantim................................................................61 Mercer Industries.......................................................7 Metal Man Work Gear...............................................43 NorLab Calibration Gases.........................................44 Norton Abrasives......................................................10 ORS Nasco..............................................................46 Otto Arc Systems...................................................123 PFERD, Inc..............................................................75 Phoenix Products Company....................................121 Prism Visual Software.............................................119 Reelcraft..................................................................56 RegO Cryo-Flow Products.......................................109 Rotarex...................................................................58 SafTCart..................................................................89 Select-Arc, Inc........................................................ BC Sherwood Valve.......................................................25 Sumner Manufacturing Co......................................129 Superior Products..................................................109 Taylor Wharton.........................................................71 Tech Air.............................................................34, 35 Thermacut...............................................................14 Thermco Instrument Corporation...............................93 Tier 5 Labs..............................................................63 TOMCO2 Systems Company.....................................41 Veite Cryogenic Equipment & Service Corp..................1 voestalpine Bohler..................................................119 Walter Surface Technologies.....................................13 Watson Coatings....................................................124 Weiler Abrasives Group.............................................19 Weldcoa..................................................................31 Weldship Corporation...............................................88 Western Enterprises.................................................26 Winton Products Co...............................................118 Wire Wizard – ElCo Enterprises.................................74 Worthington Industries................................................2

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