Author: Steve Guglielmo

Holston Gases is proud to announce the following promotions. Joe Baxter has been appointed Senior VP, taking on company-wide responsibilities. Mr. Baxter spent the last four years as the Kentucky region VP and has been with Holston for over 12 years. Replacing Mr. Baxter as the Kentucky region VP is Jason Blair.  He is a 26-year Holston veteran who comes to the Kentucky region after a very successful stint as the VP of the Alabama region. Matt Bird has been named the Alabama region VP.  Mr. Bird has over 15 years of industry experience and has been pivotal in the…

Red Ball Oxygen hired Eric Clay and Kerry Spencer. Eric will join Red Ball’s Springdale, AR, team as an inside sales rep. Kerry will be a branch sales rep for Red Ball’s Oklahoma City location.



U.S.-Canada Border Restrictions Go Into Effect – According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, as of January 15, 2022, U.S. truck drivers entering Canada must show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID or they will be denied entry. Drivers must use the ArriveCan app to upload their vaccination information to enter the country. Drivers transporting oxygen and other medical gases into Canada are exempt from the COVID vaccine requirements and may enter the country without proof of vaccination or quarantining upon arrival into the country. Canadian border officers have been provided guidance consistent with this interpretation. In addition, as of…

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…