Author: GAWDA MEDIA

American Gas Products is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2019. However, the company’s roots trace back to 1978, when Louis D’Auria purchased a local welding supply distributor and started American Gas Products. Together with his son, Mike D’Auria, Louis grew the company until 1999, when it was sold to BOC gases. “After we sold to BOC, I became the New England business manager for BOC,” says Mike D’Auria, president of AGP Helium. “I worked in that position for five years until 2004.” In 2004, American Gas products was reformed as a partnership between Louis, Mike and Jim Hermetet. “The original…

The core division of Ratermann Manufacturing is celebrating their 20th anniversary. Founded by George Ratermann out of the shed of his house, the company has now grown thanks to the support of customers and employees. Ratermann manufacturing opened its doors with two parts to sell and now houses over 20,000 individual parts and supplies for cryogenic and high-pressure gases. George reflects back on Ratermann’s growth, “It is hard to believe we are 20 years old. The only way this was able to happen is from the relationships and support of our great customers and the dedication from our employees that…

Hydrostat, Inc. was founded by Stacy Schraut in 1999 with three employees, a straight truck and approximately 7,000 sq. ft. of leased warehouse space. “The original employees were invaluable in the startup, as was the mentoring I received from my former employers, partners and the support of my family,” says Schraut. From the very beginning, Hydrostat has been careful to make sure that it has maintained a manageable growth plan. In the last two decades, the company has grown through expanding its territory and diversification. In 2008, Hydrostat expanded into an adjacent building, adding 20,000 sq. ft. of space to…

The Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative (IWDC) was officially formed on January 1, 1994. However, the IWDC’s story goes back much further than that, to the formation of the Independent Welding Distributors Association, which was formed in 1948. The I.W.D.A. was a buying group which, by the early 1980’s, became the largest unified welding distributor organization in the western United States, Mexico and Canada. At the 1992 annual meeting, the main topic focused on defining what I.W.D.A. needed to do to be most effective for its Members. A steering committee reported on the concept of forming a “Cooperative,” and a unanimous…

Trendex Inc. was started by Soumitra Mukherjee in 1984. Within a few months of the company’s founding, Soumitra’s brother, Bob Mukherjee, joined the company and the two began developing software for the wholesale distribution industry. Shortly afterwards, in 1985, they were asked to develop a system for the welding industry by several welding supply distributors who knew Soumitra. They decided to develop the software for the welding industry also. Unfortunately, in 1991, Bob passed away in a car accident. “We were just starting to expand into the U.S. with our software for the welding industry, Gastrend, and had to put that on hold…

Revco Industries was started in 1974 by Mitchell Chu.  C. Edward Chu, Mitchell’s brother, joined the company more than 39 years ago. In January 2017, Steve Hwang was named president of Revco Industries, with Ed Chu becoming CEO and chairman of the board.  “Steve has made numerous positive contributions and is a respected leader within the organization,” Ed Chu said at the time.  “With Steve as president, along with our experienced management team, Revco is ready to face all challenges and changes in our current business environment.” Also in 2017, Revco Industries announced that it would be doing business going…

Veite Cryogenic Equipment and Service was founded by Harry and Jim Veite in 1969. The company, formerly known as Cryogenic Equipment and Service, serves the U.S., Mexico and Canada from its 14,000 sq. ft. facility in North Ridgeville, Ohio. In 1969, distributors would typically lease fill plant equipment from their gas suppliers. Because of this, there was no incentive to upgrade equipment and no competitive element to gas pricing. The Veite brothers demonstrated to distributors how to increase profits by installing modern filling systems and the benefits that came from owning their own equipment rather than leasing it. That commitment…

The history of Saf-T-Cart can be traced back to April 1, 1969, when Jimmy Walker, Sr. opened Walker Welders in Clarksdale, Mississippi. While Walker Welders grew and expanded, Walker saw a need in the industry for a self-contained oxy/acetylene unit with the gauges completely enclosed. However, Walker was unable to find manufacturers to produce the cart, so he decided to buy used equipment from local auctions and build them himself. With that, in 1986, Saf-T-Cart was born. “Saf-T-Cart really grew out of Walker Welders,” says Jim Herring, vice president of Saf-T-Cart. “Part of the reason for it was that the…

Vern Lewis Welding Supply Inc. was founded in 1969 by Vernon F. Lewis. Prior to opening the company, Lewis served as a district manager for Forney Industries. The company began with Vern selling welders and Lincoln welding rods to farmers and welders in Avondale, Arizona and the surrounding west valley. He later added a business associate, Ron Ruch Sr.  Ruch Sr. has since started his own welding supply distribution business, but Vern and Ron remain close associates after all this time. From a store front in Avondale and a warehouse in Phoenix, Vern Lewis Welding Supply has since expanded to seven Arizona…

While Red Ball Oxygen technically incorporated in 1930, it didn’t begin to resemble the modern company until 1969, when Craig and Lorena Kennedy purchased the company. At the time, Red Ball Battery and Oxygen was a National Cylinder Gas distributor that focused on automotive batteries and tires. The Kennedys set about building an entirely new kind of distributorship with welding and expanded cylinder gas capabilities. Fifty years later, the second and third generation of the Kennedy family now run the distributorship, which has grown into a regional industrial gas and welding supply powerhouse. “I’m standing on the shoulders of what…