Year: 2022

How listings management can benefit your company By Steve Guglielmo By now, we are all aware of just how important having a strong internet presence is for our businesses. Even if you don’t have an e-commerce platform, it is important that your company be visible online. Think about it, as a consumer, what is the very first thing you do when you need to buy virtually any new product? You search for it online. But what if you can’t find the information you need when you search? Or, worse yet, you find some information, but it’s inaccurate? Chances are, you’ll…

In late 2021, the American Welding Society launched a new online course called “Solution Selling for Welding.” As the world of welding, manufacturing, and fabrication continues to evolve and become more competitive, the success of any organization often hinges on the strength of its salesforce. The Solution Selling for Welding Course was designed to help develop highly knowledgeable and effective sales personnel. Created in tandem with welding industry experts with decades of sales and engineering experience, this course focuses on two key aspects: foundational welding concepts and the “solution selling” methodology. Collectively, this provides welding salespeople with a strong, well-rounded…

Former GAWDA Presidents Share Advice on Getting the Most out of Convention and SMC Networking is one of the greatest benefits of being a GAWDA member. And the two national meetings each year provide the best opportunity to combine networking and education. However, attending these national meetings means time away from your business. It means paying for hotels and flights. 2021 GAWDA President Abydee Butler Moore stressed the importance of bringing real take-home value home from each meeting that would justify the time and money invested in the trip. We had the opportunity to speak with five former GAWDA Presidents…

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 quarter issue, 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 of COVID,…

According to an article in the Butler Gas company newsletter: The Butler Gas Family salutes industry visionary Ken Thompson, and we thank him for his decades of service as Facilitator of our Buying and Information Group (BIG). A special evening was enjoyed by all as three generations of Thompson Family joined BIG Members in Charleston, South Carolina to celebrate the career of our group patriarch, Ken. Pictured, Jack Butler, Butler Gas Chairman, gives a toast to Ken. BIG is a best-practices group of twelve independent companies across the country. Butler Gas and our eleven company peers gather multiple times each…

Sales is a team sport. Let that soak in and repeat, sales is a team sport. Just coming out of the 2022 Winter Olympics and watching solo events where individual members are competing, rest assured there is a strong team surrounding them. Coaches, trainers, parents, and more. Nobody reaches the pinnacle of their sport alone. It does take a village. And not to be swayed that selling is a solo event, you won’t be successful as an individual, but must embrace the whole team around you and the team will win or lose together, not the individual. So where do…

Holston Gases is proud to announce the following promotions. Joe Baxter has been appointed Senior VP, taking on company-wide responsibilities. Mr. Baxter spent the last four years as the Kentucky region VP and has been with Holston for over 12 years. Replacing Mr. Baxter as the Kentucky region VP is Jason Blair.  He is a 26-year Holston veteran who comes to the Kentucky region after a very successful stint as the VP of the Alabama region. Matt Bird has been named the Alabama region VP.  Mr. Bird has over 15 years of industry experience and has been pivotal in the…

Red Ball Oxygen hired Eric Clay and Kerry Spencer. Eric will join Red Ball’s Springdale, AR, team as an inside sales rep. Kerry will be a branch sales rep for Red Ball’s Oklahoma City location.



U.S.-Canada Border Restrictions Go Into Effect – According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, as of January 15, 2022, U.S. truck drivers entering Canada must show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID or they will be denied entry. Drivers must use the ArriveCan app to upload their vaccination information to enter the country. Drivers transporting oxygen and other medical gases into Canada are exempt from the COVID vaccine requirements and may enter the country without proof of vaccination or quarantining upon arrival into the country. Canadian border officers have been provided guidance consistent with this interpretation. In addition, as of…

Click here to learn more. The AWS Foundation is dedicated to increasing the welding workforce by providing grant funding to secondary, post-secondary and welder training facilities that seek to enhance and improve their welding education programs. Grant funding of up to $25,000 per location is awarded for facilities to make improvements, invest in capital items such as welding or metalworking equipment, or purchase/upgrade computers or computer-based training systems. The following nine schools were recently awarded the Welding Workforce Grant: Botetourt Technical Education Center – Fincastle, Virginia Brunswick Community College – Bolivia, North Carolina Dixie Technical College – Saint George, Utah…

GAWDA extends its condolences to the friends and family of Rick Blair, who passed away on Christmas Day, 2021. Rick worked for Weldstar for 34 years. He was a fun, loyal, hardworking, passionate, co-worker and friend. He was loved by all who knew him and he will be missed dearly. The following is an obituary that ran in the Pharos Tribune: Ricky Scott Sebastian Blair, 61, of Logansport, Indiana, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, at home, surrounded by his daughter, Hayley, girlfriend, Jamie, and best friend, Klink. Born Oct. 14,1960 in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was the son…

Meritus Gas Partners announced that it has entered into a partnership with Mitchell Welding Supply Co., a leading independent distributor of industrial gases, welding and safety supplies headquartered in Terrell, Texas.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1964, Mitchell operates four locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including its headquarters and primary cylinder filling plant in Terrell and retail stores in Garland and Seagoville.  Mitchell is led by principal owners and siblings, Rodney Wray and Jane Lucas, who will remain with the business following the transaction and maintain significant equity ownership in Meritus. “Our father Benson Mitchell and his brother-in-law James Briggs founded and grew the Mitchell business on…

In a letter to CGA Members, President & CEO Rich Gottwald laid out the CGA’s plan for 2022: Here’s hoping you have all enjoyed a safe and relaxing holiday. We will return to our regular biweekly newsletter publishing schedule with a full issue of CGANEWS next Friday, January 14, 2022. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you here a few highlights of the coming year: CGA’s Virtual, In-Person, and Hybrid Events Will Continue to Evolve in 2022 CGA staff have developed another full calendar of virtual, in-person, and hybrid events for this year. These events will again focus…

In January 1922, the American Welding Society (AWS) published the Proceedings of the American Welding Society, which over the years has been transformed into what is now the Welding Journal. This month, the Welding Journal celebrates its 100th year of continuous publication. Readers can look forward to an honorary column that will celebrate the past of our flagship magazine, a special 100-year anniversary issue in April, and more announcements to come. As part of a strategic company objective, AWS has been implementing digital transformation initiatives throughout the organization. The editorial and publishing staff used this digital transformation and the Welding…

According to a press release from the IWDC, Airco Gases Southwest acquired the assets of Welders Mart in Caddo Mills, TX, effective January 1, 2022. Airco will be operating from Welders Mart’s former location along the I-30 corridor East of Dallas to support their strategic growth goals in Northeast Texas and Southern Oklahoma. Located just outside of Greenville, TX, this new location is well-positioned to cater to, and support, the rapid growth in this area. Marvin Rodgers, III, CEO of Airco noted that, “by combining Airco’s local service focus with inventory and technology support from our other DFW locations, this…