The gas supplier’s quick guide to excelling and surviving in the upcoming high-speed race for change and perfection.
By Robert Gerry, CRO, Lampton Welding Supply
During the 2025 GAWDA Annual Convention in Tampa, Lampton Welding Supply CRO Robert Gerry took part in the industry panel during the closing General Business Session. During that session, Robert alluded to the pace of change in our industry as “approaching light speed” and compared it to Star Wars and the Millenium Falcon. Following the Convention, Robert sent over the article below to discuss that point further.
If you dare to reach forward to hit that “Light Speed” button for your business, per the Star Wars hero escape scene, you had better be prepared in advance of that launch, or your high speed remains will be strewn across the galaxy like the shattered dreams and dust of those who aim high without the proper planning and execution to support the mission.
Just like the movie, as that moment arrives when the fearless freedom fighters smash the go button… when suddenly the windshield turns from little motionless tiny white dots into streaming lines of high-speed light, splashing past the horizon and hurling the Millennium Falcon forward at a velocity that can best be described as, “Wicked fast”… you better be prepared!
The first order of business is to ensure that you have the right people leading the mission. Talent is critical and you’ll need the best of the best at the helm. You’ll need durable, malleable, energetic and high Emotional IQ people, that can operate under the pressure of swift change and lead maneuvers through minefields of doubters and naysayers. These high talent people keep you free from exploding at impact of tiny hidden objects in space while you lurch forward. Do not go to lightspeed without these people or you shall perish… you’ll be toast, stardust in space, lights out!
You’ll need a crystalized target and mission so that there is no possibility of missing the target as you enter dangerous speeds that would simply cripple the unorganized and fearful. There needs to be a specific outline and design of where to land that is connected to where the launch point is. You need to be able to connect the known with the unknown, when in reality the unknown is simply “the tomorrow” of things, which you can plan for if you’re diligent and creative, and you must do so. It’s not enough to say, “Do better” when you are at dangerous high rates of change, the better has to be extremely well defined. You have to express specific levels of expansion, targeted markets, specific technical enhancements desired, customer outcomes, employee expectations, measured accountability, etc.; you must be able to see the landing before you launch.
You’re going to need that spaceship tuned up to handle the speed ahead. The proper organizational structure, the proper departmental leaders, a solid grasp on the equipment needed, physical requirements, systems and processes designed, and a giant pile of cash for capex, will all need to be implemented and ready to roll! It is impossible to have 100% of that already done prior to entering light speed but the point is having enough vision and planning and structure in place to avoid obstructions and black hole galaxies (lost time, wasted resources, weak players, etc.) along the way, which will ruin your trip through light speed.
Lasty, you need begin planning a really big and bad ass party! Because when you finally get through that light speed warp and you land at your destination as Best in Class, Top of the Heep, King of Hill, etc., and your business is completely transformed into a high output machine, you’re going to want to boogey all night long !
Robert Mohr Gerry
Chief Revenue Officer and “Pilot” of the Lampton 2.0 light speed mission !
