GAWDA and AWS Join Forces in Chicago President-Elect Wally Brant and his SMC Planning Committee are collaborating with the American Welding Society to launch an exciting new event that combines GAWDA University's 2004 Spring Management Conference with AWS's Welding Show. By joining the two Chicago events, both organizations are able to greatly enhance their value for members. The Chicago SMC will begin April 5 and end at 10 a.m. on April 6. Buses will transport GAWDA members to the AWS Welding Show, which runs April 6-8.
2004 SMC Dates Set Join GAWDA in
2004 for two exciting and informational Spring Management Conferences.
On April 5-6, GAWDA will convene at Chicago's Hilton Hotel &
Towers, going back-to-back with the AWS Welding Show. With proximity
to downtown Washington, DC, low room rate and other cost benefits,
GAWDA University will close out its 2004 SMCs at the Crystal City
Hyatt on May 5-6. Members can expect a fully packed 1½ days
of education, networking and Contact Booth Program. Take advantage
of this great opportunity for you and your management team to choose
from among 12 two-hour presentations on critical industry issues.
GAWDA Profit Report Reveals Differences The 2003 GAWDA Profit Report indicates major differences between the performance of the typical firm and the high-profit firm, especially in ROA. The following chart compares ROA for the typical GAWDA member and the high-profit one. The typical firm's ROA is 7.8%. High-profit GAWDA members produce an ROA of 16.1%. For a company with $8,703,092 in sales, the difference is a profit of just $356,827 for the typical GAWDA member versus $739,763 for the high-profit firm.
For more information, including how to improve your firm's profitability, read the Fall 2003 issue of Welding and Gases Today, available in September. GAWDA Online Contact Booth Program: It's Virtually Irresistible! The GAWDA Online Contact Booth program enters its third week with more Exhibitors, more online booths and more opportunities for GAWDA members to gain valuable information about Exhibitors before Convention even begins. Explore the Contact Booth Program floor plan to acquaint yourself with this year's Exhibitors and plan your strategies. The Online Contact Booth program is a valuable tool for Convention attendees and non-attendees alike. Visit the Online Contact Booth program by clicking here or click the Online Contact Booth program link on GAWDA's Web site. Additional Exhibitors are added weekly. Group Health Insurance Workshop Are you worried about the rising cost of group health insurance? If so, you should attend the Convention workshop on Tuesday, October 7 to learn about a revolutionary new approach to controlling group health insurance costs. Allen Wishner, CEO of Flexible Benefits Service Corporation, will conduct a 1½ hour interactive session on Health Reimbursement Accounts. To register for GAWDA's 59th Annual Convention, go to www.gawda.org, or call Headquarters at 215-564-3484. Go Loony in Canada! Need one more reason to make that trip to Vancouver? The exchange rate from U.S. to Canadian currency is very favorable right now, offering plenty of incentive to trade your dollars for Canadian dollars, also known as "loonies." At press time, the rate of exchange was $1 USD to $1.41 CAD. Visit www.xe.com for up-to-the-minute currency conversions.
Click here for a downloadable Convention brochure, including registration information, and visit www.gawda.org for more information, including special events, passport procedures and Vancouver tourism links. DOT Written Security Plan Deadline Is Sept. 25 • The deadline for writing your security plan is September 25 and the deadline for training your employees on the written plan is December 22. For more information on available programs and solutions or answers to questions, contact GAWDA DOT and Security Consultant Mike Dodd at 573-785-5111 or MLDSafety@hotmail.com. RSPA Issues Cylinder Advisory • DOT RSPA issued a safety advisory regarding high pressure cylinders requalified by Sooner Cylinder Services, Oklahoma City, OK. The cylinders are stamped with RIN C762. All high-pressure cylinders marked and certified as having been hydrostatically tested by Sooner since August 2000 may pose a safety risk to the public and should not be considered safe for use in hazardous materials service until retested by a DOT-authorized facility. This does not affect any acetylene cylinders marked and certified by Sooner. Click here for more information. Clean Sweep for Terrace Supply It can happen: a customer is so thrilled after a demonstration that he buys a product on the spot and takes it away with him that very same day. Such was the case when Jim Latz, industrial territory manager at Terrace Supply Co. (Wheeling, IL), and John Thompson, division sales manager at J. Walter Inc., introduced a weld cleaning system to Paragon Aquatech. For over 25 years, Terrace Supply has provided Paragon Aquatech with all of its welding and industrial gas needs during the design, construction and renovation phases of the company's facilities, pools and spas. Added to the successful mix is J. Walter's Thompson, who is always on the lookout for better, more efficient methods to get any job done. According to Latz, "Whenever new products come out, we can always rely upon J. Walter to bring them to our attention so that we can better serve our customers." When the Surfox Weld Cleaning System (model 101) from J. Walter was introduced, Latz remembered that Paragon Aquatech employees had struggled to clean the welds on a stainless steel pool during a recent project for a Chicago high-rise. Knowing the system could help reduce the labor intensive process, Latz quickly contacted Keith Fullerton, welding superintendent at Paragon Aquatech, to arrange a demonstration at Terrace Supply's facility in Wheeling, Illinois. He explained that because employees were cleaning the welds by hand with a stainless steel wire brush, they could literally cut their labor time in half with the Surfox system. After witnessing the system at work on the samples he brought to test clean, Fullerton was intrigued. He promptly purchased the $2,000 system, along with extra cleaning solution and a dozen insulating pads, on the spot, proving that this dynamic demo was one the customer just couldn't refuse.
GAWDA welcomes new Associate Member Global Payments of Atlanta, GA. INDUSTRY
BEAT Airgas Responds to Explosion (Tulsa, OK) • The Airgas Mid South facility in Tulsa, OK, experienced an explosion in its outdoor cylinder storage area on August 18. There were no reported injuries. Buildings on the site suffered only minor damage and the branch delivery vehicles were not affected. However, 4 nearby structures, approximately 64 employee and neighboring vehicles, and up to 5,000 cylinders were affected. "Our first priority was to assure the safety of our people – who were all accounted for last night – and the general safety of our community," said Airgas Mid South President Mike Duvall, who acknowledged the local fire department and other responders who helped to swiftly contain the accident. Following established emergency response plans, Airgas Mid South moved its IT operations to Oklahoma City, OK, and established extra phone lines for customers at its Broken Arrow, OK branch.
Sutton-Garten Expands (Indianapolis, IN) • Sutton-Garten Company completed an 8,000 sq. ft. expansion this month which provides warehousing, rental and repair areas, and a new training classroom. The company commissioned a metal sculpture in honor of the new facility and unveiled it at a dedication ceremony in May. Hypertherm Celebrates 35 Years (Hanover, NH) • Hypertherm welcomed a gathering of 500 at the formal celebration of the company's 35th anniversary in June. Special anniversary displays were set up in approximately 20 Hypertherm team areas, including historical photographs, early newsletters and advertising, and an original MAX20 system. The event was highlighted by a presentation of a plaque from The Principal Financial Group awarding Hypertherm their "Top Ten Best Companies for Employee Financial Security" distinction. The Principal presented a donation of $2,500 in Hypertherm's name to Hospice of New Hampshire.
NW Regional Meeting a Success • 130 people attended the 2003 GAWDA Northwest Regional Meeting in Coeur d'Alene, ID on July 23-25, representing an even mix of distributors and associate members. The meeting featured presentations by GAWDA President Jim Kissler, Duane Vaagen of Vaagen Brothers Lumber, Rich King of Acumen Development, John Stropki of Lincoln Electric and Larry Bowman of the Spokane Police Department. To see more photos of the regional meeting, click here.
HR Manager's Legal Reporter and QuikStep Trainer • The September issue of this valuable HR resource for GAWDA members is now available at www.gawda.org.
Comprehensive
Safety & Compliance Seminar Overcoming
the Expense and Margin Squeeze
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