Year: 2019

Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to the Welding & Gases Today article “Riches in the Niches: Compressed Gas Cylinder Maintenance.”  “Doing the absolute bare minimum testing will not extend the lifespan of a cylinder,” says Jonathan Balbi, COO of Airgenics, Inc. “To keep asset bases as healthy as possible, simple and cost-effective options are available from the larger cylinder requalification companies across the country. These ‘extras’ beyond the requalification test are situationally optional but can mean the difference between replacing six percent of your asset base and two percent of your asset base.” According to U.S. Tank and…

Each year, Google publishes a year-in-review report discussing the year’s search engine trends. The report discusses not only what the most searched terms on the search engine were (world cup, Avicii, Mac Miller) but also how people are using Google. In 2018, Google reported a 500% growth in “near me” mobile searches that contain a variant of “can I buy” or “to buy.” To Google, this suggests that people are no longer using the “near me” function in Google to simply find places nearby. They’re using it to search for specific items, in a specific area. Part of developing a…

A moderated discussion between Tom Badstubner and Michael Dodd by tom badstubner, michael dodd and steve guglielmo It can be scary when a federal agency shows up to your business unannounced for an audit. You can feel blindsided. But the reason that GAWDA employs consultants that specialize in dealing with these federal agencies is for exactly this moment. Your GAWDA membership includes access to these consultants at no additional expense. Make sure that you’re taking advantage of that! Companies that are proactive in working with the GAWDA Consultants are better prepared for when auditors knock on the door and will…

In the United States, everybody loves coffee. That’s not much of an exaggeration. According to a study from the National Coffee Association (NCA), 64% of Americans consume coffee every single day. An average American drinks 3.1 cups per day and, cumulatively, Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee every day. So how does this impact the gases and welding industry? Over the past several years, a new trend in coffee has emerged. One that appears to be more than a passing fad. That is the rise of nitro brewed coffee. “The market for cold brew and nitro cold brew coffee…

While digital marketing was once new and revolutionary, it’s now mature with less opportunity to stumble into success. That means you need to have a plan if you hope to succeed. But how does a company know where to start or if what it has in place is working? Further, what work should be performed in house and what should you outsource? At the highest level to be successful in digital marketing you need to develop a plan to address the following: Your website Search engines (Google) Social media Video Email marketing Measurement for success (Google Analytics) Your Website The…

I’ve been in this business forever. Like every other kid growing up in the family business, I had worked summers at Welders Supply all through high school. I worked in the warehouse and painted cylinders and did everything that the owner’s kid is supposed to do. But I was in college when I started to seriously think about my career at Welders. I approached my dad and said, “Dad, I’m going to quit school.” And he said, “I really wish you would stay but your timing couldn’t be better. We have a job for you.” So, I quit school and…

A respected friend in his mid-seventies came into my office, dropped into a chair, and asked if I could help him with an emotional dilemma. I couldn’t imagine why this brilliant PhD was approaching me for help. I was humbled and felt a bit inadequate when he asked, “What am I going to be when I grow up?” Thirty years later that question still resonates with me. How many times have you wondered about your future self? Do you think that perhaps, “what you can be when you grow up” is too big a dream or too tall a task…

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, with more than 500 million members. Let me say that again. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. Why not leverage that to your advantage in finding new business opportunities in your territory, nurturing your customer base and building your brand as a subject matter expert to draw potential customers your way? The focus here is on the free version only. LinkedIn also offers paid business and premium versions with more robust search and communication features. I don’t intend to turn you into a social media expert. The sheer enormity of LinkedIn can…

On October 7, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Domino’s Pizza in a case where the appeals court ruled that a blind customer could sue the pizza chain under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because the company’s website did not provide him access. The case now goes back to district court for trial. The company had argued that the ADA applied to its restaurants and stores but not its website or apps, because the law was enacted in 1990 before the development of the Internet. The court of appeals disagreed, and the Supreme Court declined…

Sign Up Today to Get this Invaluable Training Resource for your Employees (Free for Participating GAWDA Members) Here at the Compressed Gas Association, we’re focused on developing safety standards that reflect industry best practices for handling industrial, medical and food gases, in as safe and effective a manner as possible. Our members who write these standards leverage in-depth knowledge and have many years of experience in understanding the hazards of these gases. They know how best to mitigate them – all with the goal of keeping everyone who comes into contact with these products as safe as possible. We recognize,…