Year: 2020

Willard C. Starcher, Inc.  was founded by Willard Starcher in 1938. Prior to opening the company, Starcher had worked as a schoolteacher and then as a mechanic fixing generators and refrigerators. He opened Willard C. Starcher in his hometown of Spencer, West Virginia, in a garage behind his house. More than 80 years later, the company continues to operate out of Spencer. “We’re located in rural West Virginia, in a town of 2,600 people,” says John Hill, Starcher’s grandson and current company president. “And it probably had 2,600 people 82 years ago, when the company was started. But it’s our…

By Mike Marks, Managing Partner of Indian River Consulting Group Back in the day, the path to distributor growth was to sell service with excellent people. Sales reps sold themselves first and customers bought from reps that had earned their trust based on their past performance. A key driver in the customer value proposition was their relationship with their own sales rep, not the company. Supply chains were unreliable and heroic recoveries were visible and common. The reps were paid a commission on the gross margin they generated so they could “eat what they killed.” The sales force was self-directed…

This year’s Spring Management Conference was scheduled to take place Austin, Texas. Unfortunately, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we had to cancel this event. However, we look forward to the GAWDA Convention scheduled to take place September 25-28 in Phoenix, Arizona, which is sure to be three days of non-stop educational opportunities and takeaways. Those opportunities, combined with the unparalleled networking that GAWDA events facilitate, make the SMC and Annual Convention must-attend events for everybody in the gases and welding industry. But between all the professional development, GAWDA members have always known how to have a great time! Here is…

GAWDA Spring Management Conference is cancelled due to the growing COVID-19 threat. The GAWDA Spring Management Conference, which was scheduled to start on April 5th in Austin Texas, has been cancelled over COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic concerns. GAWDA has been monitoring the CDC, World Health Organization and John Hopkins websites for the past few weeks. During this time, we have been in communication with the facilities in Austin to assess what options we were available. Large conferences like the SMC are planned years in advance, with the facilities, as well as careful coordination with the city, after multiple inquires, we learned that…

A Generation X (born 1965-1985) sales rep asked me whether I thought social media was an effective tool for sales prospecting. He found his experience with Facebook, where he spent an inordinate amount of time reading about family and friends, to be counter-productive from a business perspective. As a Baby Boomer (born 1944-1964), I did not grow up with social media but I have grown along with it and could offer the rep some insights. I was recently reminded of social media’s critical importance to marketing when asked by Vicara Books, the publisher of my latest book, how many hits…

In the 4th Quarter 2019 issue of Welding & Gases Today, we debuted a new feature called “Search Engine Trends for the Gases & Welding Industry.” This feature is designed to help readers understand the terms and searches that are ranking highly in Google Trends. Part of developing a comprehensive digital marketing campaign is understanding how customers and potential customers are using the Internet to find your products and your website. The graphs and information below all come from Google Trends, which analyzes the popularity of search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The graphs scale “Interest…

This year is a milestone year for GAWDA as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary. Throughout 2020, we will be celebrating our roots, all while looking forward to ensuring that the next 75 years are as productive and impactful as the first. In the 1st Quarter 2020 issue of Welding & Gases Today, we ran a “Trip Down Memory Lane” 75 Years of GAWDA timeline on pages 50 and 51. In this issue, as we preview this year’s new and improved SMC, we look back on fun SMC moments from throughout our history on page 44. We also have made apparel…

Eleet Cryogenics, Inc. is excited to announce that Greg Patterson has joined the Eleet team as General Manager for the Willis, Texas facility. He and his wife Jodi are Ohio natives with two sons and three grandchildren. Greg spent the last sixteen years growing the business of an Ohio-based welding distributor where he served as Service Manager for 12 years, helping to grow the bulk business nearly seven times. Most recently, he served as the Operations Manager for the last four years. Greg is a certified Journeyman Machine Repairmen with extensive mechanical and electrical maintenance experience spending several years installing…

American Welding & Gas, Inc. (“AWG”) is pleased to announce the promotion of Jason Krieger to President and CEO of AWG. Jason joined AWG in March 2017 as Senior Vice President of the Central Region and in late 2018 was promoted to President & COO.  He brings over 25 years of industry experience and has been an invaluable asset to AWG in his role as President and COO. As Jason takes on this new role, AWG recognizes and thanks George Golliday for his superior leadership as President and CEO of AWG.  Since 2014, George’s stewardship of the organization and his…

Lisa A. Davis, a senior executive with more than three decades of leadership experience across energy and manufacturing industries, has joined Air Products’ (NYSE:APD) Board of Directors. Air Products’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Seifi Ghasemi said, “Lisa’s extensive, global experience is very much in line with our strategic focus, particularly world-scale energy and environmental projects. I know she will make significant contributions to our Board as Air Products continues to create value for shareholders by innovating alongside our customers to help make them more sustainable.” From August 2014 to February 2020, Ms. Davis served as a member of the…

TSA Shares Resources on COVID-19 Virus.  In a conference call this week with industry stakeholders, the Transportation Security Administration shared information on steps companies may take to address the threat of the COVID-19 virus. The resources include EPA guidance on disinfectants to use when cleaning rolling stock, guidance for businesses from the CDC website that may be useful when addressing this outbreak, and information on risk management from the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.  FMCSA Final Rule on Hours of Service Heads to OMB.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s draft final rule to amend the driver hours of service regulations has been sent to the Office of…

March 10, 2020 – The following is a letter from GAWDA President Abydee Butler Moore addressed to GAWDA Members. To read the letter in its entirety, click here.  At this point, our GAWDA Spring Management Conference is on schedule and on track. We are monitoring the COVID-19 national and international activity, working with the hotel and event facilities closely, and preparing a contingency plan in the event of worsening conditions in the weeks approaching our conference. Our SMC is still over 3 weeks out, and a lot can change in that time period. We have been assured by the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau…

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) recently visited SafTCart’s Clarksdale, Mississippi, Headquarters. Senator Hyde-Smith was visiting the Mississippi Delta with a breakfast at the Delta Blues Museum, then came to SafTCart for a plant tour. Engineer Reid Walker and CEO Jimmy Walker, Sr. escorted her throughout the plant, including the site of the expansion to the truck and trailer fabrication facility that SafTCart recently opened. “The Senator was most impressed with the operation not realizing what came out of the Mississippi Delta,” says Vice President Jim Herring. “The Senator had an impressive knowledge of steel fabrication and asked most pertinent questions.” Other March 1 Connection…

Air Products announced that the Air Products Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant, approximately 700,000 renminbi, to assist novel coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery efforts in China. “As the world navigates the challenges and threats from COVID-19, I want to express my full support—and the support and solidarity of all of Air Products—as many dedicated organizations and individuals continue their important work,” said Seifi Ghasemi, chairman, president and chief executive officer at Air Products. “I am very proud of our teams in China, across Asia and around the world who have been working hand in hand and supporting each other with one common…

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. announced that Vincent K. Petrella, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, will be succeeded by current Executive Vice President, Finance, Gabriel Bruno, effective April 22, 2020. Petrella will continue to serve as Executive Vice President to assist the Executive Team with the transition of the finance and corporate strategy organization until his retirement later this year. Petrella joined Lincoln Electric in 1995 and held various finance positions with the company before being appointed Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in 2004. During his twenty-five year tenure, he has been instrumental in shaping the Company’s global…

Tim Nesser retired from Chart Industries on Feb. 14 after nearly 40 years with the company. He started as an intern in 1980 and became a full-time product engineer right out of college in 1982. He said the company employed about 150 when he started and now has 5,000 employees and does $1.5 billion in sales worldwide.  He holds 25 patents and one of his early designs for a storage system for Coke syrup is still used by McDonalds today. Other March 1 Connection News and New Products: Butler Gas Wins 2020 Ethics Excellence Award Tim Nesser Retires from Chart…

Pittsburgh Rotary named Butler Gas the winner of the 2020 Ethics Excellence Award! Butler Gas owners Jack and Elissa Butler and Abydee Butler Moore, attended the Pittsburgh Rotary Ethics Excellence Award ceremony at the Omni William Penn Hotel on February 12th, anxious with anticipation of the pending awards announcements. Butler Gas had been a finalist alongside two outstanding organizations, wealth management leader Hefren-Tillotson and entertainment giant Topgolf. The event was a remarkable all-volunteer effort by the Pittsburgh Rotary and Pittsburgh Business Exchange. Funds generated at the awards ceremony benefited the ‘City of Champions Emergency Fund’. This fund is used to eliminate barriers to success for…

PHMSA Denies Reconsideration of California Meal and Rest Break Rules Preemption.  The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has denied a petition for reconsideration of the agency’s determination that California’s meal and rest break requirements are preempted under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act as applied to drivers of motor vehicles transporting hazardous materials.  85 Fed. Reg. 10216 (February 21, 2020). The petition for reconsideration, filed by the California Labor Commissioner, was denied on the grounds of mootness.  PHMSA reasoned that after it issued its preemption determination, and after the request for reconsideration was filed, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration…

Effective leadership starts at the very top of your organization and permeates down through the staff. Attitude reflects leadership. I can walk into a business and know within the first two-to-three minutes what kind of leader that company has. The leader sets the tone for the business and if I walk in the door and am instantly greeted by a smiling associate who says, “Thank you for coming in today, sir. We’ll be right with you!” I know that there must be a pretty effective leader. If you, as the owner or boss, come around the corner and find that…

In the 4th Quarter 2019 issue of Welding & Gases Today, we debuted a new feature called “Search Engine Trends for the Gases & Welding Industry.” This feature is designed to help readers understand the terms and searches that are ranking highly in Google Trends. Part of developing a comprehensive digital marketing campaign is understanding how customers and potential customers are using the Internet to find your products and your website. The graphs and information below all come from Google Trends, which analyzes the popularity of search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The graphs scale “Interest…