Year: 2020

Haun Welding Supply is again offering welding courses. Read the full update below or on the company’s website. In response to the coronavirus pandemic: -Weld training has restarted. For more information, click here. -For available PPE and disinfectant options, click here. -Our drivers are no longer entering medical facilities. We will coordinate an exchange location at your facility. For non-medical customers, please contact your local store if you would like to make alternative delivery arrangements. -We are offering curbside service for order pickups. Please call ahead with your order or you can call when you arrive to arrange this. -We will not…

The following is an excerpt from the GAWDA Safety Organizer, a monthly newsletter sent to GAWDA members. For more information on the GAWDA Safety Organizer, or to read past issues, visit the GAWDA.org Members-Only Section. This month’s bulletin is to remind people of the hot months of summer and the problems of overfilling LPG cylinders. This bulletin is not meant to provide all the details of proper filling and storage of LPG cylinders. Hot Summer Days The extreme heat of the summer months will cause overfilled cylinders to begin venting product and this venting product can be liquid, which expands…

The following is an excerpt from the GAWDA Safety Organizer, a monthly bulletin sent to GAWDA members. For more information on the GAWDA Safety Organizer, or to read past issues, visit the GAWDA.org Members-Only Section Hazards exist everywhere: Viruses, noise, chemicals, falling objects, slippery surfaces/uneven surfaces and sharp objects. Employers are required by regulation to protect employees from known and potential hazards in the workplace. The General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, 29 USC 654(a)(1), requires employers to furnish to each worker “employment and a place of employment, which are free…

How COVID-19 has impacted GAWDA members and what will need to be done as businesses reopen. By Steve Guglielmo, Tom Badstubner, Marilyn Dempsey, Michael Dodd and Rick Schweitzer By the time that this issue hits your desk, it might feel like the COVID-19 pandemic has lasted forever. It may even be that the economy in your state has largely reopened. But the fallout from this crisis will last far beyond the initial lockdown and reopening. And, though businesses may have returned to some semblance of normalcy, the virus has not been eradicated. We may deal with a “second wave” or,…

By Dylan Sherwood Educators always want to learn what they can do better in the classroom for their students. Salina Tech and Airgas is making that possible for agriculture and technology teachers by offering a free two-day welding class for those teaching that subject. Educators as far west as Colby to as south as Sublette and as far east as Bonner Springs made the trek to Salina. Click here to read the full article from The Hutchinson News. Other August 15 Connection Items: In Memoriam: James McGarry McKenna Jim O’Connor Retires from Norton Company EspriGas Promotes Schrantz, Expands Role of…

A-L Compressed Gases of Spokane A-L Compressed Gases of Spokane is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2020. The company was founded in 1990 by Shan and Barbara Bush. The company began when Air Liquide divested its retail hardgoods and small cylinder business and established the ALNET distributor network. Shan Bush had held several positions with Air Liquide throughout the 80s and decided to go into business for himself. “A-L Compressed Gases has grown through the hard work and dedication of all of our employees, both past and present,” says President Brady Bush. “This includes Ken Wilson, our longest tenured employee.…

EQUIGAS EQUIGAS was founded 35 years ago in Venezuela by Antonio Arvelo. Antonio was working in the Lubricant and LP-Gas distribution business when he identified the need for a more reliable equipment distributorship. He founded EQUIGAS as a way to help provide that reliable equipment to the industry. As time went on, Antonio added a separate division devoted to service, delivery, technical training and engineering projects. Rafael Arvelo joined the company in 1990, at the age of 20, as a sales representative. At the time, it was just his father, Antonio, a secretary and Rafael. Rafael worked his way up…

Worthington Industries Worthington Industries is celebrating its 65th Anniversary in 2020. The company came from humble beginnings. Founder John McConnell saw an opportunity for custom-processed steel and purchased his first load of steel by borrowing $600 against his 1952 Oldsmobile, and then used that money to start Worthington Industries in Columbus, Ohio. Today, Worthington is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WOR). But from its humble beginnings through its continued run of success, Worthington has always operated on the Golden Rule. Its mission statement says, “We treat our employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders as we would like to…

Mathey Dearman, Inc. When Mathey was established in 1935 by Frank Mathey, the company not only did pipe beveling machines, but also wireline units and measuring tools that would be used in the drilling and exploration of well sites. The company prides itself on being the world’s foremost authority on preparing pipe for joining together by welding. Mathey was a family-owned business until 1985, when it was purchased. However, the company still operates as a family-style business. In 1997, the company purchased Dearman Products, becoming Mathey Dearman and expanding its portfolio to include the clamping and fit up of pipe.…

Generant Company Generant was founded in 1930 by Albert Simon, an engineer and business owner. He started the company with a line of needle valves, filters, lubricators and pressure regulators. Generant held the original patent on the Air Pressure Regulator and began to assemble and market these products to industry. In 1966, Albert retired and sold the business to his accountant, Paul Buren. In 1968, Buren acquired Generant’s largest supplier, Reliable Screw Machine Products. Reliable was a job shop screw machine company. Then, in 1972, the company further expanded the Screw Machine business with the acquisition of Automatic Screw Machine…