Year: 2020

By Steve Guglielmo and Brian Beaulieu ITR Economics CEO Brian Beaulieu is GAWDA’s Chief Economist. He and his team of economists produce the ITR Quarterly Report for each issue of Welding & Gases Today. Brian also gives a presentation at the GAWDA Annual Convention each year. ITR produces an annual  webinar describing how to use the data in the ITR Quarterly Report. GAWDA members can access this webinar on the GAWDA.org members section. This year, Brian was kind enough to discuss a wide-ranging of topics with Welding & Gases Today, including his expectation for the economy going forward, his take…

GAWDA’s Spring Management Conference (SMC) will take place April 5-7, 2020, at the JW Marriott Austin in Austin, Texas. This year, the association has opted for a new format that we hope will be more inclusive for management at all levels of the company. As this is the first year of the new format, we have received questions from the membership about the new-look SMC. 2020 GAWDA President Abydee Butler Moore addressed these FAQ’s below. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to GAWDA headquarters or visit gawda.org/spring-management-conference. What was the reason for the change…

Despite calls for a slow first half of the year, GAWDA distributors look ahead to 2020 with confidence. Each year in the 1st Quarter Issue of Welding & Gases Today, we survey the industry to try to determine what can be expected from the economy in the coming year. To do this, we have solicited not only distributor and supplier member expectations, but also spoke with the Chief GAWDA Economists at ITR Economics to hear their perspective (page  68.) These three perspectives, combined with the in-depth ITR Quarterly Report (page 72-83), all help paint a picture of what the economy…

A roundtable discussion with GAWDA Members who find value in the ITR Report By Steve Guglielmo, Mark Raimy, Bob Ewing, Bill Visintainer, Brad Armstrong and Pete Anderson Each issue of Welding & Gases Today contains the ITR Quarterly Report. This issue’s report can be found on page 72. GAWDA members who attend the Annual Convention are very familiar with Brian and Alan Beaulieu, ITR’s CEO and President respectively, who give a presentation each year discussing the economic trends and what GAWDA members can expect going forward. So how should GAWDA members be using the information that the Beaulieus present and…

2020 is a milestone year for GAWDA. It is the year we celebrate our 75th Anniversary. The association has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1945. And while we celebrate our storied history, GAWDA continues to look forward to ensure that the next 75 years are as successful and prosperous as the first. Much of that success begins with the GAWDA Board of Directors. These association leaders are on the front lines of the industry and are able to take the issues facing our industry and help to craft an effective strategy for the association. Members of…

Consistent with what the GAWDA distributors projected, GAWDA suppliers are also predicting modest growth in store for 2020. While the disparity of answers varied a little bit more widely among the suppliers, the consensus was for continued, albeit slowing growth in store for 2020. Also consistent with the distributors projections was a fear of election year softness and the continued impact of trade barriers and tariffs. However, even with those fears looming over 2020, most suppliers still projected growth ahead. The following are responses from GAWDA suppliers across North America about what they expect to see in 2020. Thank you…

One of GAWDA’s charter members, Purity Cylinder Gases, has built its business on five core values. The evolution and growth of Purity Cylinder Gases (Grand Rapids, MI) is closely aligned with the evolution of GAWDA. Purity was a charter member of the association, attending the first ever National Welding Supply Association (NWSA) meeting at the Hotel Van Cleve on November 13, 1945. However, the genesis of Purity goes back even further than that, when founders Edward Butterfield, Glenn G. Garman and Howard Sweet organized the company in 1938. Purity was incorporated into the state of Michigan in October of that…

The following is from the GAWDA December 2019 Monthly Safety Organizer. Frequently Asked Questions – Electronic Tracking of Lot Numbers Q – I input the medical and food gas lot numbers into my accounting software. Do I also need to have a paper record of the lot number distribution? A – Not necessarily. If you intend to use your accounting/cylinder tracking software to manage your medical/food gas lot number distribution, you need to validate that software. If your software vendor does not have a validation package, contact [email protected]. We have sample procedures that may be able to help. Frequently Asked…

A moderated discussion between Tom Badstubner and Michael Dodd By Tom Badstubner, Michael Dodd and Steve Guglielmo As members close the book on 2019 and look forward to continued success in 2020, GAWDA Consultants Tom Badstubner and Michael Dodd have some advice on annual compliance measures that should be taken during the strategic planning process. GAWDA membership includes access to these consultants at no additional expense. Members should make sure that they’re taking full advantage of that! These consultants are ready and willing to help members be proactive in ensuring they are in compliance so that when federal auditors come…

Signal Hill based Encore Welding Supply has kicked off 2020 with a new name and a newly articulated mission for the future. The company – now called Encore Gas & Supply – has undergone significant growth over the past five years, and the new name is a reflection of Encore’s evolution during that period and the growing number of diverse industries it serves. “When we started this business in 2014, we catered almost exclusively to welding and construction, particularly to those companies serving infrastructure and energy,” said Encore’s co-founder and president, Ben Anderson. “Since then, while our commitment to and…

WestAir Gases & Equipment provides industrial and specialty gases and welding supplies to a wide variety of businesses throughout the southwest and beyond. It has a deep background of combining high quality gases with unmatched customer service since its founding in 1970. The acquisition of Desert Fountain’s assets will further strengthen the company’s capacity to serve customers, new and old, throughout the region. “We’re thrilled about our recent acquisition of Desert Fountain.” said WestAir General Manager, Andy Castiglione. “This new location will not only empower us to provide more and better services to our customers in the Coachella Valley, but…

Holston Gases, Inc. announced that it has opened new distribution facilities in Huntsville, AL and Owensboro, KY. Holston Gases president Robert Anders said, “We are very excited about expanding further into Alabama and Kentucky. Our new store located at 1104 Putman Drive NW, Huntsville, AL 35816 will allow us to better serve the rapidly expanding North Alabama economy. The new Owensboro, KY store located at 7549 Iceland Rd, Maceo, KY 42355 now allows us to distribute product throughout the entire state of KY and southern Indiana. We look forward to being a part of Owensboro’s expanding business community.” Holston Gases…

Chemical Safety Board Issues Final Rule on Release Reporting.  Just two months after issuing a proposed rule, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has published a final rule for reporting of accidental releases of a regulated substance or other extremely hazardous substances into the ambient air from a stationary source. The rule includes releases of petroleum products, including biofuels. Stationary sources would exclude trucks or other motor vehicles. The CSB estimates that 200 releases per year will be subject to its new reporting requirements. The rule creates a new Part 1604 of title 40 CFR.  It requires reporting any accidental release from a…

A few years ago, my digital marketing agency audited the internet marketing programs of over 175 distributors and manufacturers and found that only 3.4% had a marketing plan. That’s not to say the companies without a plan weren’t spending money on marketing. Rather, they were letting marketing happen instead of creating a list of objectives, dedicating the necessary resources (internal labor, vendor support and advertising dollars) and establishing a system of measurement to allow for an assessment of progress toward specific goals. As you might imagine, that’s not a great situation. For those committed to taking digital marketing seriously, you’ll…

End User Safety Communications For the first 100 years of the Compressed Gas Association’s history, our members’ products were used almost exclusively in heavy industry – steelmaking, chemical production, food freezing – as well as in medical gas applications. But, in recent years, we have seen a growing number of these products used in applications that are either very close to, or at the consumer level: from retail shops selling liquid nitrogen ice cream, to marijuana processing for CBD oil extraction, to patients’ in-home use of medical oxygen. While we can’t tell individuals how to use our products for specific…

Congress, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have all been active in considering the regulation of products containing cannabidiol (CBD). Drivers of commercial motor vehicles, and their employers, should not assume that these products are legal, safe or harmless, however. In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress removed hemp (defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC) from the list of Schedule I controlled substances and made it an ordinary agricultural commodity. The recently passed 2020 Agriculture Appropriations Bill gave the FDA $2 million for research, policy evaluation, market surveillance and issuance of…

One of the largest trends in American consumerism is the rise in direct to doorstep food delivery services. Companies like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh are popular meal kit services and now even Amazon is promising two-hour grocery delivery. As Americans get busier and the “Amazon Effect” continues to take hold, more and more we’ve grown accustomed to being able to get goods brought directly to our home at the click of a button without ever having to leave the couch. According to Statista, the fresh-food meal kit industry was valued at $4.65 billion in 2017. By 2022, it’s projected…

AWISCO is excited to ring in the New Year with a brand new website! The company’s redesigned website now includes product information, the history of AWISCO, and lots of photos of the AWISCO team. Visit awisco.com for more information. Other February 1 Connection News and New Products: In Memoriam: Linda J. Rosenthal Next Century Growth: New Automated Fill Plant – KEEN Compressed Gas Bug-O Systems Adds G&E Welding Supply As Distributor Ketvertes named new Marketing Manager at Western Enterprises Harris Products Group Helps Grayson County Students with Brazing and Soldering Skills Training Airco Gases/Big 3 Gas and Supply Announce First…

Big 3 Southwest, LLC., the Texas operating company of Big 3 Gas and Supply, has hired Craig Hartberger as their Chief Operating Officer.  In this role, Craig will help the company develop and implement processes and business structures that facilitate market share growth and financial performance. Marvin Rodgers, III, president of Airco Gases and the Big 3 Subsidiaries stated, “ Craig was a key performer when he worked with me at Alliance, and when he became a redundancy in the Airgas/Techair integration, I knew I would want him to have a role in any of my future efforts. I am…

The future need for qualified HVACR techs is outpacing the demand for other skilled trades. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for skilled HVACR technicians is projected to grow 13 percent from 2018 to 2028. While this is a big concern for the industry, the good news is that many school districts are seeking to help fill this gap by provided hands-on vocational learning for their students. One such school district lies in Grayson County, Virginia, in the southwestern part of the state. A small community surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Grayson County High…