Author: Steve Guglielmo

EspriGas, a technology-driven industrial gas company, today announced four additions to its Board. The board will work closely with the EspriGas executive leadership team to develop strategy and position the organization for continued growth. The four new members of the board are Jim Balkcom, former Chief Executive Officer of Techsonic Industries; David Cortese, the current Chief Commercial Officer at Simbe Robotics Inc.; Henry “Hank” Flint, former President and Chief Operations Officer of Coca-Cola Consolidated; and Brian Hamel, the current Executive Vice President of Field Operations for Veritas Technologies. “We are thrilled to announce these newest members of the EspriGas Board.…

Meritus Gas Partners (“Meritus”) announced that it entered into a partnership with Volunteer Welding Supply, Inc. (“Volunteer”), headquartered in Nashville, TN.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Volunteer is a leading independent distributor of industrial and specialty gases, welding and safety supplies, with four locations in Tennessee (Nashville, Tullahoma, Baxter, and Knoxville, the latter under the brand of its affiliate, A-Welders Supply & Medical Gases).  Volunteer has been owned and operated by the McMurtry family since its inception. Co-owners and brothers, David and John Mark McMurtry, will continue to lead the business while maintaining significant equity ownership in Meritus. “Our parents, Harold and Evelyn McMurtry,…

ILMO Products Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of Gano Welding Supplies, Inc., effective November 1, 2021. Gano Welding Supplies is a family-owned and operated business originally started by Ken and Oscar Gano. Headquartered in Charleston, Illinois, and serving the surrounding area since the 1920s, Gano carries a full line of welding equipment and supplies, and a wide range of industrial and medical gases. “ILMO Products Company is a great fit as another family-owned and operated business,” said Pat Slaughter, Gano’s principal owner. “Gano customers can look forward to an expanded service area and product offering through our combined…

Central McGowan (www.CentralMcGowan.com), a leading supplier of gases and state-of-the-art equipment/technology for the manufacturing, welding, medical, and food and beverage industries in the upper Midwest and a FANUC- and Lincoln-authorized integrator, announced it has completed the acquisition of Preferred Welder Sales in Mankato, Minn.—bringing its acquisition roster for 2021 to three. The company acquired Metro Welding Supply in Minneapolis, Minn. in April and Fessler Carbonic Gas in Des Moines, Iowa in March. According to Joe Francis, President/CEO, these acquisitions complement Central McGowan’s current business while strengthening its presence in key market areas. All three of these companies were independently operated,…

Haun Welding Supply and Specialty Gases is thrilled to announce that Josh Haun and Erich Haun will be jointly stepping into the role of Co‐President and officially making Haun a 4th generation owned and operated company. Josh and Erich have both served in multiple roles within the company, from store counters and sales, to inner office departments. They bring with them a fresh new perspective while preserving the company’s core values instilled in them by their father and grandfather. In regards to the upcoming promotion, Josh stated “It’s really exciting, for me, to now be in this position to be…

GAWDA extends its condolences to the friends and family of Victor Arthur Suhr who passed away on October 18, 2021. Vic, as he was affectionately called, was a kind, loving, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather to a large family who will miss him dearly. On June 14, 1932, Victor was born on the family farm in Cochrane, WI to Arthur and Julia Suhr. Vic spent his youth working on the farm where he learned the value of a strong work ethic that he carried throughout his entire life. There was never a more committed employee which he exemplified in…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect workers of employers with 100 or more employees from the risk of contracting COVID-19 by strongly encouraging vaccination. Under the ETS, covered employers are given two options: They must develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy; or They must adopt a policy requiring employees to either get vaccinated or elect to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work in lieu of vaccination. The ETS will be published in the Federal Register in the next several days. According to a…

FMCSA Directs States to Use DACH Data on CDL Records. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published a final rule directing State Driver Licensing Agencies to access and use violation information obtained through the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse to bar drivers from obtaining CDLs. 86 Fed. Reg. 55718 (Oct. 7, 2021). Specifically, the final rule provides that State Driver Licensing Agencies must not issue, renew, upgrade, or transfer a commercial driver’s license or commercial learner’s permit for any individual prohibited under FMCSA’s regulations from performing safety-sensitive functions, including driving a commercial motor vehicle, due to one or more…

When it comes to the welding industry, reports commonly cite outdated statistics or inaccurate information. To be the industry leader in statistical data, the AWS Foundation launched Welding Workforce Data, a website dedicated to sharing accurate welding workforce statistics and projections. Approved by the American Welding Society, the Welding Workforce Data website is powered by Emsi labor market data, CareersInWelding.com, and the U.S. Department of Education College Affordability and Transparency lists. The site shows projected welding needs and welder opportunities and is designed to become the trusted source for the industry as a whole. “WeldingWorkforceData.com will be the go-to source…

Red Ball Oxygen announced that Nick Brown has been promoted to Vice-President, Operations. Red Ball Oxygen is a distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, and welding supplies with 23 locations in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Mr. Brown, originally from Lufkin, Texas has been with the company since 2008.  He has served in a variety of roles, including Inside Sales Representative, Branch Manager, Area Manager, and has been a vital part of the Purchasing team. He has also provided essential leadership on the company’s safety, quality, and enterprise software teams. “As we continue to grow and add products and…