Author: GAWDA MEDIA

ILMO Products Company 110 Year Anniversary Like most companies that have lasted for 110 years, ILMO Products Company bears little resemblance to the company founded in 1913. When D.O. Floreth and his father, Henry Floreth, decided to open their doors, the company was a wholesaler of automobile accessories called Illinois Tire and Vulcanizing Company. Later, as the company evolved, it began going by Illinois Tire & Battery. It was through the automobile industry that today’s ILMO Products entered the gas business.  “[ILMO] got into the gas business through the carbide acetylene headlights for automobiles,” says Executive Vice President Liz Standley. “We…

GAWDA Members Commemorate Milestone Anniversaries in 2023 Congratulations to all GAWDA members celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2023. GAWDA members represent the best-of-the-best companies in the gases and welding industries. Each year in the Summer issue, we recognize those GAWDA Members celebrating milestone anniversaries. In the Q3 issue’s President’s Column, GAWDA President Robert Anders explored the three C’s of longevity. We want to add a fourth C for this column: Congratulations to all those GAWDA members celebrating anniversaries this year! And if you have a milestone anniversary coming up in 2024 and would like to be featured in this column next…

Norton Abrasives In 1858, Franklin Norton and his older cousin, Frederick Hancock opened a pottery shop in Worcester, Massachusetts, called the Water Street Pottery Shop. In 1873, one of the employees of the shop invented a grinding wheel that would set in motion the next century and a half of history. In 1885, seven Worcester entrepreneurs bought the patent for the grinding wheel as well as the company name and so, Norton Company was born. The founders purchased land in the city’s Greendale section, which was then farmland, and built their first grinding wheel plant. Norton has occupied that land…

The 2023 GAWDA Annual Convention Gala Photobooth Sponsored by Astaras

GAWDA’s Board and Volunteer Committees Meet Ahead of the AC The GAWDA Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Committee chairs arrived early for a full day of planning meetings ahead of the official start of this year’s Annual Convention. The Board and Committees continue to work relentlessly on behalf of GAWDA members to ensure that you receive the maximum benefit and value for your GAWDA membership. This meeting saw John Tapley named as the co-chair of the Member Services Committee, while Liz Letke was named co-chair of the industry’s insurance committee.

Business of Convention Begins with Full Day of Networking Following a wildly successful welcome, the business of the 2023 GAWDA Annual Convention kicked off with the return of the Networking 360 event. The event featured 150 GAWDA members (100 suppliers and 50 distributors) meeting in a “speed dating” format, as members met in 5-minute sessions. The event took place in the Haleakala Pre-Function area, just outside the Ballroom, as members were able to soak up some of the beautiful Hawaiian sunshine while meeting new potential partners. Then, the networking kept on rolling right into the Contact Booth Program, which took…

Opening General Business Session an Emotional Affair The first general session of this year’s Convention packed an emotional punch. First, it saw GAWDA President Robert Anders took the stage to recount all that has been accomplished during this past year. He reflected on the goals that he set out when he first took the stage in San Diego and beamed with pride when recounting all that GAWDA and our industry has achieved since then. But before that, Robert acknowledged the unbelievable tragedy that Maui suffered in August. He then welcomed Zeke Kalua, executive assistant to the Mayor’s office, to the…

Business of Convention Concludes With Thank You’s and The Changing of the Guard The Closing General Business Session kicked off with the Industry Keynote presentation, as Linde CEO Sanjiv Lamba addressed the crowd. He discussed the historic evolution that Linde has gone through over the past 144 years, including the recent merger with Praxair and acquisition of nexAir. He then shared some of the exciting initiatives that Linde has in the process as well as his perspective on the impending energy transition. Lamba was followed by a presentation from Will Bowen, the world authority on complaining. Will talked about how…

Convention Closes With “Blowout Party” Over a Year in the Making The Convention concluded Wednesday evening with an unforgettable President’s Farewell Gala. It was the “blowout party” that Robert promised when he took the stage in San Diego, complete with majestic views of the ocean and mountains, dinner, dancing, and a fire-dancing show. Thank you to all GAWDA members who attended and made this a night to remember!