Author: Steve Guglielmo

By Steve Guglielmo and Brian Beaulieu ITR Economics CEO Brian Beaulieu is GAWDA’s Chief Economist. He and his team of economists produce the ITR Quarterly Report for each issue of Welding & Gases Today. Brian also gives a presentation at the GAWDA Annual Convention each year. ITR produces an annual  webinar describing how to use the data in the ITR Quarterly Report. GAWDA members can access this webinar on the GAWDA.org members section. This year, Brian was kind enough to discuss a wide-ranging of topics with Welding & Gases Today, including his expectation for the economy going forward, his take…

Despite calls for a slow first half of the year, GAWDA distributors look ahead to 2020 with confidence. Each year in the 1st Quarter Issue of Welding & Gases Today, we survey the industry to try to determine what can be expected from the economy in the coming year. To do this, we have solicited not only distributor and supplier member expectations, but also spoke with the Chief GAWDA Economists at ITR Economics to hear their perspective (page  68.) These three perspectives, combined with the in-depth ITR Quarterly Report (page 72-83), all help paint a picture of what the economy…

A roundtable discussion with GAWDA Members who find value in the ITR Report By Steve Guglielmo, Mark Raimy, Bob Ewing, Bill Visintainer, Brad Armstrong and Pete Anderson Each issue of Welding & Gases Today contains the ITR Quarterly Report. This issue’s report can be found on page 72. GAWDA members who attend the Annual Convention are very familiar with Brian and Alan Beaulieu, ITR’s CEO and President respectively, who give a presentation each year discussing the economic trends and what GAWDA members can expect going forward. So how should GAWDA members be using the information that the Beaulieus present and…

Consistent with what the GAWDA distributors projected, GAWDA suppliers are also predicting modest growth in store for 2020. While the disparity of answers varied a little bit more widely among the suppliers, the consensus was for continued, albeit slowing growth in store for 2020. Also consistent with the distributors projections was a fear of election year softness and the continued impact of trade barriers and tariffs. However, even with those fears looming over 2020, most suppliers still projected growth ahead. The following are responses from GAWDA suppliers across North America about what they expect to see in 2020. Thank you…

One of GAWDA’s charter members, Purity Cylinder Gases, has built its business on five core values. The evolution and growth of Purity Cylinder Gases (Grand Rapids, MI) is closely aligned with the evolution of GAWDA. Purity was a charter member of the association, attending the first ever National Welding Supply Association (NWSA) meeting at the Hotel Van Cleve on November 13, 1945. However, the genesis of Purity goes back even further than that, when founders Edward Butterfield, Glenn G. Garman and Howard Sweet organized the company in 1938. Purity was incorporated into the state of Michigan in October of that…

Signal Hill based Encore Welding Supply has kicked off 2020 with a new name and a newly articulated mission for the future. The company – now called Encore Gas & Supply – has undergone significant growth over the past five years, and the new name is a reflection of Encore’s evolution during that period and the growing number of diverse industries it serves. “When we started this business in 2014, we catered almost exclusively to welding and construction, particularly to those companies serving infrastructure and energy,” said Encore’s co-founder and president, Ben Anderson. “Since then, while our commitment to and…

WestAir Gases & Equipment provides industrial and specialty gases and welding supplies to a wide variety of businesses throughout the southwest and beyond. It has a deep background of combining high quality gases with unmatched customer service since its founding in 1970. The acquisition of Desert Fountain’s assets will further strengthen the company’s capacity to serve customers, new and old, throughout the region. “We’re thrilled about our recent acquisition of Desert Fountain.” said WestAir General Manager, Andy Castiglione. “This new location will not only empower us to provide more and better services to our customers in the Coachella Valley, but…

Holston Gases, Inc. announced that it has opened new distribution facilities in Huntsville, AL and Owensboro, KY. Holston Gases president Robert Anders said, “We are very excited about expanding further into Alabama and Kentucky. Our new store located at 1104 Putman Drive NW, Huntsville, AL 35816 will allow us to better serve the rapidly expanding North Alabama economy. The new Owensboro, KY store located at 7549 Iceland Rd, Maceo, KY 42355 now allows us to distribute product throughout the entire state of KY and southern Indiana. We look forward to being a part of Owensboro’s expanding business community.” Holston Gases…

Chemical Safety Board Issues Final Rule on Release Reporting.  Just two months after issuing a proposed rule, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has published a final rule for reporting of accidental releases of a regulated substance or other extremely hazardous substances into the ambient air from a stationary source. The rule includes releases of petroleum products, including biofuels. Stationary sources would exclude trucks or other motor vehicles. The CSB estimates that 200 releases per year will be subject to its new reporting requirements. The rule creates a new Part 1604 of title 40 CFR.  It requires reporting any accidental release from a…

One of the largest trends in American consumerism is the rise in direct to doorstep food delivery services. Companies like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh are popular meal kit services and now even Amazon is promising two-hour grocery delivery. As Americans get busier and the “Amazon Effect” continues to take hold, more and more we’ve grown accustomed to being able to get goods brought directly to our home at the click of a button without ever having to leave the couch. According to Statista, the fresh-food meal kit industry was valued at $4.65 billion in 2017. By 2022, it’s projected…