Author: Steve Guglielmo

In the 4th Quarter 2019 issue of Welding & Gases Today, we debuted a new feature called “Search Engine Trends for the Gases & Welding Industry.” This feature is designed to help readers understand the terms and searches that are ranking highly in Google Trends. Part of developing a comprehensive digital marketing campaign is understanding how customers and potential customers are using the Internet to find your products and your website. The graphs and information below all come from Google Trends, which analyzes the popularity of search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The graphs scale “Interest…

The federal government has updated its extensions of a number of COVID-related waivers.  Many of these affect GAWDA member companies and their commercial motor vehicle drivers. Emergency Declaration. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has further extended its emergency declaration through December 31, 2020; this exempts drivers and carriers from the hours of service regulations and all of 49 CFR Parts 390-399 when transporting certain emergency relief products in response to COVID-19 crisis.  The exemption applies to transporting: medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and…

There is a school of thought that COVID-19 has not so much created new business trends and norms, as much as accelerated trends that were already coming. One of those trends is the importance of having a comprehensive digital strategy. With state and local governments across the country shutting down businesses and unnecessary travel, it became paramount for customers to be able to find distributors and buy goods and services online. While not universal, a very common theme among companies who were forced to shut their doors for good was that they did not have a strong and strategic plan…

By Steve Guglielmo, John Ospina, Abydee Butler Moore, Bob Ewing, Gary Halter and Robert Anders We have spent 2020 celebrating GAWDA’s 75th Anniversary. We have shared fun memories, reflected on GAWDA’s founding, its road to independence and everything in between. But 75 years is not the end of GAWDA’s story. Not by a long shot. As we near the end of 2020, we asked GAWDA’s current President Abydee Butler Moore, Executive Director John Ospina, and the next three presidents in line, to answer some questions about GAWDA’s history and what they expect to see as we continue our march forward.…

Oxygen Service Company was founded in 1959 as Wagner Welding. The company was founded by a group of owners including Bill Lund and Bill Huber. In 1965, the ownership group decided to go their separate ways with Lund and Huber taking full ownership of the company and rebranding it as Oxygen Service Company. More than 60 years later, the foundational tenets that Lund and Huber put in place still carry through today. “I think the philosophy that our original owners had has carried through the 60 years of being in business,” says Ryan Diekow, President and CEO of Oxygen Service…

Weldstar Company, headquartered in Aurora, IL, is announcing their newest store in Kenosha, WI. Weldstar Company 5416 46th Street Kenosha, WI 53144 Phone: 262-771-1177 Fax: 262-771-1178

FMCSA Publishes Resources on Driver HOS Changes.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has developed a new web-based template called Educational Tool for Hours of Service (ETHOS) to help motor carriers and drivers understand and comply with the new driver hours of service regulations. According to the webpage, “When drivers and carriers enter their duty statuses into the web-based log below, ETHOS will identify where potential violations of the following rules may have occurred: 11-hour driving limit (property) or 10-hour driving limit (passenger) 14-hour driving window (property) or 15-hour on-duty limit (passenger) 30-minute break (property) Sleeper berth provision.” Drivers may…

The Morris Gold Award was presented to Nancy Brochu of Air Liquide Canada Inc., during the CGA Canada Annual Meeting Kick-off held virtually on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. The award was presented in recognition of Nancy’s outstanding and long-term contribution and leadership to the compressed gas industry and CGA Canada. Since 2004, Nancy has been participating and actively contributing to many CGA Committees including the Canadian Cylinder Specifications Committee (chair 2017-2019); Cylinder Valve Committee; Cylinder Specifications Committee; Canadian Pressure Vessels and Piping Systems Committee; Canadian Health, Safety, and Environment Committee; Canadian Transportation Committee; Canadian Medical, Food, and Beverage Gases and…

FMCSA Extends Waivers for CDLs, CLPs,  Medical Certificates Through December 31 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted a further extension of its waiver of the validity of CDLs, Commercial Learner’s Permits and Driver Medical Certificates that expired on or after March 1, 2020.  The current waiver is now set to expire on December 31, 2020. State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs), CDL holders, CLP holders, and interstate non-CDL CMV drivers are covered under this waiver without further action unless the driver’s privileges have been suspended or withdrawn for traffic offenses. The waiver issued by FMCSA: Extends until December 31,…