Year: 2022

Al Mazoch began his career in the gases and welding industry working as a sales representative for Linde Air Products Company, a division of Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation in Houston, Texas. In 1963, Al decided to venture out on his own, when he began Coastal Welding Supply in Beaumont, Texas.  Nearly 60 years later, the company continues to thrive under the leadership of Al’s son, J.C. “Chuck” Mazoch. The company has grown and evolved from a single service location in Beaumont to 200 associates and 13 distribution sites located along the Gulf Coast Petrochemical and Metal Fabrication corridor of…

CGA and GAWDA recently partnered again to host the 3rd annual Young & Emerging Professionals Summit. Sponsored by Weldcoa, this year’s program featured a series of eight technical webinars which followed air gases from production to end use.  More than 700 industry professionals joined us for the Summit, which has gained a reputation as a one-of-a-kind technical training event. The sessions, which included presentations, case studies, and panel discussions, were led by 25 industry subject matter experts.  Throughout the Summit, one point became abundantly clear, prioritizing the development of young and emerging professionals doesn’t just benefit CGA and GAWDA –…

Ask Your Board is a feature that runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Quarter Issues of Welding & Gases Today. The purpose of Ask Your Board is to ask common business questions that all GAWDA members might be dealing with and to see how GAWDA’s Board of Directors are dealing with these issues within their own companies. To submit a question for GAWDA’s Board Members to consider, please email [email protected]  THE QUESTION The theme for this year’s GAWDA Annual Convention is “Building a Bridge for Future Leaders.” How does your company do a good job of identifying and preparing…

The GAWDA Consultant Program is a GAWDA member benefit that is included as part of your member dues to the association. It is consistently rated as one of the most valuable member benefits that GAWDA provides. Between the four of them, GAWDA’s consultants bring more than 100 years of industry-specific experience to the association. In the first three issues of 2022, we spoke with the consultants about a variety of topics that impacted businesses in 2022. From recently passed or upcoming legislation, to the continued impact of COVID, to an increased frequency of inspections. For our final issue of 2022,…

During World War II, Leonard Hein trained American pilots to fly and fight. Due to his German descent, he wasn’t allowed to fight during the war, but he was able to contribute to the Allied cause by helping to train other pilots. Following the war, Leonard and his wife, Trudy, decided to open a boat and welding supply business. For a long time, Leonard and Trudy were the sole employees of the company that would become Bemidji Welders Supply. Seven days per week, the two would do all of the sales, service, pickups,  and deliveries themselves. Eventually, the company sold…

By Ken Thompson Kudos to GAWDA President Bob Ewing and his SMC organizing partners for a solid Indianapolis Spring Management Conference! GAWDA’s value is defined by its business-related content and the amazing networking opportunities that allow the content to be discussed, exchanged, and absorbed by so many. Three subjects quickly surfaced as the “hot button” topics that appeared in every distributors’ note pads.  First, the rapidly expanding space in which the distributor manages the wide horizon of gases from atmosphere to user. Next, solutions surfacing that permit distributors to level the field in the electronic paths to markets for their…

GAWDA’s first ever online Women of Gases and Welding Roundtable event was a smashing success. This new virtual offering provided an opportunity for women in the industry to network, learn, engage, and connect with one another. The event started with a brief introduction on what WGW entails, followed by an overview of the opportunities available to GAWDA members. The large audience then transitioned into a small group breakout session, allowing participants to introduce themselves, and share their roles within their company and their goals they are currently striving for. The audience then returned back together to participate in an open…

By Ken Thompson CYLINDERS – they are heavy, hard to safely manipulate, often need a fresh coat of paint, and do little more than ‘house’ gaseous goods that are so extremely important to mankind, that we cannot do without them. The distribution of gases absolutely demands their presence. Some of us choose to be in that business! First of all, cylinders cost a lot of money, and more frequently than not, are ‘worth’ far more than the gases they contain. It’s not unusual that a $300 cylinder is required to deliver $2.00 worth of oxygen. Consider for a moment that…

Congress Reinstates Hydrocarbon Taxes – As directed by congress, the Internal Revenue Service has reimposed excise taxes on certain hydrocarbons that have not been collected since the mid-1990s. These Superfund Chemical Excise Taxes were reinstated on chemicals and substances by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law November 15, 2021. The Superfund Tax is effective as of July 1, 2022 and will remain in effect until the end of 2031. The first payment is due October 31, 2022 for the calendar quarter ending September 30, 2022. The IRS has published a detailed set of Frequently Asked Questions that provide…

Airgas, an Air Liquide company, formally opened a new, state-of-the-art center outside of Cleveland, in Twinsburg, Ohio. The multi-faceted, functional ALTEC Engineering Solutions Center brings the company’s ALTEC Engineering Solutions and Advanced Fabrication teams together to innovate, create and accelerate solutions for customers across a range of industries, including Manufacturing, Metal Fabrication, Construction, Food Production, Heat Treating, and more.  Thirty-five onsite and 45 remote employees will be based at the 42,000 square feet facility. They will host both internal collaborators and customers for interactive training sessions, product development and research projects. With dedicated lab space and industrial testing capacity, this…

Middlesex Gases, a leading supplier of specialty, medical, and industrial gases in New England, now has the capability to manufacture medical-grade, FDA-approved CO2 in-house at its Everett, Massachusetts, headquarters and filling plant. Medical CO2 is a gas widely used throughout the medical, health care, life sciences, and biotech industries for everything from minimally invasive surgeries and cryotherapy to helping maintain the sensitive environment of lab incubators. However, over the past two years, supply chain issues have made it increasingly difficult for Middlesex to secure this essential gas on a reliable basis for its customers. In April 2021, the company decided…

Holston Gases completed the acquisition of Alpine Gas Company with operations headquartered in Carrolton, GA. Holston Gases will consolidate their operation into the Holston Gases facility located at 25 Brightwave Blvd, Carrolton, GA 30117. Holston Gases President Robert Anders said, “We are very pleased to add the 3100 propane customers of Alpine Gas to those of Holston Gases. Alpine Gas Inc. has been servicing the north Georgia area for over 58 years and has a great reputation and loyal customers that we are excited to bring into the Holston family.” The owner of Alpine Gas Inc. agreed that the consolidation of…

When Steve Guglielmo advised that this was Welding and Gases Today’s anniversary edition, I was excited. As it happens, the magazine’s landmark issue coincides with an anniversary of my own. I started my career in the gases and welding business 50 years ago on June 1, 1972. From Floppy Disk to the Cloud My long and fulfilling career has been punctuated by the digital changes that have transformed society. I still have my first calling card that bears the title, “Sales Engineer, North Texas, Airco Welding Products.” In that position, I called on distributors. As part of my training, I…

By Mike Marks, Indian River Consulting Group As we’re all aware: The supply chain is no longer as dependable as it used to be. It’s now the equivalent of a wild pendulum with sporadic oscillations.  Demand is also fuzzy and seems to be ever-changing. Think about the start of the pandemic, when there was a massive shortage of masks and gloves. People were doing some really interesting things to find and stockpile these supplies. Now, companies give away masks and gloves because they have so much backstock. It’s the same scenario that is going to play out in the automotive…

Many small to medium-sized B2B companies deal with the same problem, day after day, year after year. They’ve long understood the value of marketing and its role in helping gain exposure for their brands, drive traffic to their websites, and generate leads for their sales teams.  But they often lack the financial backing to do it right.  Any good marketing program requires an investment on three primary fronts: labor, technology, and advertising.  Let’s review how SMBs can get the biggest impact from lean marketing budgets.  Vision vs. Reality What should your marketing budget be?  That’s an age-old question, but important,…

Ask Your Board is a new feature that will run in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Quarter Issues of Welding & Gases Today. The purpose of Ask Your Board is to ask common business questions that all GAWDA members might be dealing with and to see how GAWDA’s Board of Directors are dealing with these issues within their own companies. To submit a question for GAWDA’s Board Members to consider, please email [email protected] . THE QUESTION How has your company changed its marketing strategy over the last 5-10 years? Have you found the increase in reach has translated to an…

The past three years have been difficult for all of us. From the depths of the pandemic, we returned to in-person business, but the “new normal” changed the way we worked. And now, as we deal with the fallout from the pandemic, including unprecedented inflation, supply chain issues, and labor shortages, it has, at times, been difficult to find things to celebrate. But through the gloom, GAWDA members have continued to persevere and thrive. This year, we recognize those GAWDA members who are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2022. Reaching these incredible milestones is impressive at any time. But it’s especially…

Jack Van Steenburg, Chief Safety Officer for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, set out the agency’s agenda and priorities in a presentation at a recent trucking industry meeting. He started by noting that there were 38,824 highway fatalities recorded in 2020, including 5,125 fatalities involving heavy trucks and buses. Both of these numbers are expected to increase when the 2021 numbers are final. In addition, some 831 large truck occupants were killed in crashes in 2020, and 43% of them were not wearing seat belts.  Van Steenburg noted that the number of new motor carrier entrants has risen dramatically…

By Paul Bernier, ASP There are real dangers of heat stress in the workplace, and it can happen quickly to anyone working in hot, humid conditions. A worker may suffer cramps, dizzy or fainting spells, or even more serious issues such as heat stroke, or even death. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of about 45 workers die each year from heat stress in the U.S. Although there is not a specific federal standard addressing heat stress, employers are more aware than ever, looking to protect their workers from heat related illness while keeping them as…

By Tom Badstubner, Marilyn Dempsey, Michael Dodd, Rick Schweitzer and Steve Guglielmo The GAWDA Consultant Program is a GAWDA member benefit that is included as part of your member dues to the association. It is consistently rated as one of the most valuable member benefits that GAWDA provides. Between the four of them, GAWDA’s consultants bring more than 100 years of industry-specific experience to the association. In the first two issues of 2022, we spoke with the consultants about a variety of topics that will impact your business in 2022. From recently passed or upcoming legislation, to the continued impact…