Author: GAWDA MEDIA

Arcos started in 1919 as the R.D. Thomas and Company. Until 1931, electrodes were imported from Arcos S.A. in Brussels, Belgium. In 1931, the first heavy coated hand-dipped electrodes for welding stainless and other specialty steels were manufactured in the U.S. In 1936, R.D. Thomas and Company merged with the world’s most advanced producer of coated electrodes, Arcos Belgium. Six years later, the company developed the first 307 stainless steel electrode to weld armor plates instead of the then scarce and expensive stainless 310. In the pinch of war time shortages, this was a real advantage, as the war created…

The American Welding Society was founded in 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a mission to meet a national need to support welding during World War I. President Woodrow Wilson had asked Harvard Professor Comfort Avery Adams to chair the Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corp., which was merged with the National Welding Council to form AWS. Adams served as the first president of the Society. The objectives of the newly formed society were, “To advance the science and art of welding in all the branches. To afford the members the opportunity for the interchange of ideas with respect to…

In 1944, Lawrence Amzy Morgan purchased the Brian Battie Company, a soda fountain service company, established in 1909, that distributed carbon dioxide gas and fountain syrup to drug stores, restaurants and taverns. In 1946, Morgan changed the company name to City Carbonic Sales & Service and incorporated the company in 1964. For the next 53 years, City Carbonic continued to focus on the food service industry, distributing CO2 in high-pressure cylinders that needed to be requalified for continued service every five years. As this became cost-prohibitive with their current vendor, City Carbonic invested in the equipment to provide its own…

Federated Insurance was founded in 1904 by a group of equipment dealers seeking better value for their premium dollar. In the early 20th century, the company began providing property coverage to auto dealers, machine shops, petroleum marketers and contractors throughout the Midwest. From the beginning, Federated’s relationships with associations like GAWDA have strengthened its understanding of the industries it helps protect. Those relationships and input from association members have played a key role in the evolution of Federated Insurance. Industry insights help shape the products and services that Federated offers. “Our growth into a national organization with 35,000+ policyholders can…

Oscar Kjellberg founded ESAB — Elektriska Svetsnings AtkieBolaget (Swedish for Electrical Welding Limited Company) — on September 12, 1904 in Gothenburg, Sweden, a port city. Trained as a ship engineer, Kjellberg developed the world’s first coated electrode to solve contamination and embrittlement issues in ship building, laying the foundations for a totally new epoch of welding, as his invention made it possible to exclude the oxygen in the air surrounding the workpiece. ESAB’s biggest accomplishment is to have established a track record of innovative solutions, whether through internal R&D efforts, acquisitions or collaborations which created entire process and product categories…

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The 2019 Annual Convention Contact Booth Prize Program 00Days 00Hours 00Minutes 00Seconds Wait ‘til you see these prizes! Check out the list of GAWDA suppliers signed up for this year’s prize program. Distributors can drop their business card in the container at booths that are offering prizes to enter for a chance to win! Convention Info Submit a Prize Kalas Wire $100 Amazon Gift CardBooth 500 Electronic Fluorocarbons Fossil Sport Touchscreen SmartwatchBooth 306 Mercer Industries Deluxe Barfly Set with Antique Copper finishBooth 417 Cyl – Tec Bose SoundLink around-ear wireless headphones II, BlackBooth 304 Chemweld Yeti ThermosBooth TT4 AmWins $100…

A-L Compressed Gases Hosts Miller Roadshow A-L Compressed Gases hosted the Miller Roadshow on Tuesday, June 25, and Wednesday, June 26, at their Pasco, Washington, and Spokane, Washington, locations respectively. The event ran each day from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Attendees were treated to a free hot dog and hamburger lunch. Miller Electric brought their Roadshow semi-truck with several different machines set up for customers to demo. Attendees were able to weld their own A-L or Miller Electric hitch covers to bring home as a souvenir. A-L also had Metabo, Magna Lift and Falltech reps on hand with booths…