Author: Steve Guglielmo

Click here to learn more. The AWS Foundation is dedicated to increasing the welding workforce by providing grant funding to secondary, post-secondary and welder training facilities that seek to enhance and improve their welding education programs. Grant funding of up to $25,000 per location is awarded for facilities to make improvements, invest in capital items such as welding or metalworking equipment, or purchase/upgrade computers or computer-based training systems. The following nine schools were recently awarded the Welding Workforce Grant: Botetourt Technical Education Center – Fincastle, Virginia Brunswick Community College – Bolivia, North Carolina Dixie Technical College – Saint George, Utah…

GAWDA extends its condolences to the friends and family of Rick Blair, who passed away on Christmas Day, 2021. Rick worked for Weldstar for 34 years. He was a fun, loyal, hardworking, passionate, co-worker and friend. He was loved by all who knew him and he will be missed dearly. The following is an obituary that ran in the Pharos Tribune: Ricky Scott Sebastian Blair, 61, of Logansport, Indiana, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, at home, surrounded by his daughter, Hayley, girlfriend, Jamie, and best friend, Klink. Born Oct. 14,1960 in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was the son…

Meritus Gas Partners announced that it has entered into a partnership with Mitchell Welding Supply Co., a leading independent distributor of industrial gases, welding and safety supplies headquartered in Terrell, Texas.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1964, Mitchell operates four locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including its headquarters and primary cylinder filling plant in Terrell and retail stores in Garland and Seagoville.  Mitchell is led by principal owners and siblings, Rodney Wray and Jane Lucas, who will remain with the business following the transaction and maintain significant equity ownership in Meritus. “Our father Benson Mitchell and his brother-in-law James Briggs founded and grew the Mitchell business on…

In a letter to CGA Members, President & CEO Rich Gottwald laid out the CGA’s plan for 2022: Here’s hoping you have all enjoyed a safe and relaxing holiday. We will return to our regular biweekly newsletter publishing schedule with a full issue of CGANEWS next Friday, January 14, 2022. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you here a few highlights of the coming year: CGA’s Virtual, In-Person, and Hybrid Events Will Continue to Evolve in 2022 CGA staff have developed another full calendar of virtual, in-person, and hybrid events for this year. These events will again focus…

In January 1922, the American Welding Society (AWS) published the Proceedings of the American Welding Society, which over the years has been transformed into what is now the Welding Journal. This month, the Welding Journal celebrates its 100th year of continuous publication. Readers can look forward to an honorary column that will celebrate the past of our flagship magazine, a special 100-year anniversary issue in April, and more announcements to come. As part of a strategic company objective, AWS has been implementing digital transformation initiatives throughout the organization. The editorial and publishing staff used this digital transformation and the Welding…

According to a press release from the IWDC, Airco Gases Southwest acquired the assets of Welders Mart in Caddo Mills, TX, effective January 1, 2022. Airco will be operating from Welders Mart’s former location along the I-30 corridor East of Dallas to support their strategic growth goals in Northeast Texas and Southern Oklahoma. Located just outside of Greenville, TX, this new location is well-positioned to cater to, and support, the rapid growth in this area. Marvin Rodgers, III, CEO of Airco noted that, “by combining Airco’s local service focus with inventory and technology support from our other DFW locations, this…

According to a post on the company’s LinkedIn, American Welding & Gas is allocating $15,000 to foodbank in Kentucky. The post says: The recent storms devastated many communities near or adjacent to AWG locations and brought injury, damage and stress to thousands. AWG is fortunate that our teammates and locations are safe. However, many on our team have friends, family and customers that are impacted. The Commonwealth of Kentucky is very important to us. We are pleased to share that AWG is allocating $15,000.00 to local foodbanks working in these communities which we both serve. We are thankful for our teammates on the…

The state of West Virginia has certified Butler Gas to distribute medical gases from its Morgantown location. Now credentialed to distribute medical gases from its Pennsylvania and West Virginia locations, Butler Gas supplies medical bulk and microbulk oxygen systems, oxygen USP (United States Pharmacopeia) cylinders, nitrogen NF (National Formulary) cylinders, and medical nitrous oxide cylinders to licensed medical facilities. Compressed medical gases are used in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease in human beings and animals. Butler’s medical gas supply network delivers medical gases like oxygen to piped distribution systems at health care facilities. Oxygen USP and medical air…

Mississippi Welders Supply Co. (MWSCO) believes that everyone interested in welding and metal fabrication should have the opportunity to learn. The Spark Young Minds grant program was developed to help support our community educators who inspire young students through hands-on programs. This year, in partnership with Miller Electric, MWSCO was able to award three High Schools with a Millermatic 211 MIG welder with running gear, a Miller F-Series ArcStation Workstation table, 125 cu/ft Argon/CO2 Gas Cylinder, Digital Performance welding helmets, and Indura cloth welding jackets. We received 53 applications and the MWSCO team found it challenging to choose only three…