Breaking News
  GAWDA Lowers Cost
  Cell Phones Banned
  Business Ethics

Quality Nickel and Stainless Welding Wires and Electrodes

BREAKING NEWS

GAWDA Lowers Cost of Medical Gas Program
to Give Industry Greater Access

In anticipation of the publication of FDA's new cGMP guidelines, GAWDA has decided to lower the cost of its Medical Gas Program and SOP Manual to allow more of its members to purchase this essential compliance solution at this critical time. Effective July 1, the cost of renewing a subscription to the SOP Manual, and its support consulting and automatic update services, has dropped from $2,995 to $1,200. In addition, GAWDA has reduced the cost of the one-day on-site implementation training in Year 1 to $800, plus reasonable travel expenses. (Members who are in Year 2 of their subscription and have not yet received on-site implementation training may take advantage of this special price at any time during Year 2.) The cost of receiving the SOP Manual in Year 1 is unchanged at $2,995. B&R Compliance Associates, with Bob Yeoman and Ron Ball as its principals, remains as the cornerstone of GAWDA's Medical Gas Program, providing ongoing consulting support and guidance, plus manual updates and a full range of additional medical gas compliance services. GAWDA members who have already renewed their subscription to the Medical Gas Program will receive a pro-rata credit that will be applied to their Year 3 renewal.

The GAWDA SOP Manual for Medical Oxygen, supplemented with modules for other medical gases and equipment, creates for GAWDA members and the industry a common compliance platform recognized by the FDA and recommended by major gas companies.

Recently, GAWDA launched the Partners in Compliance Program that authorizes its Medical Gas Program subscribers to offer the same program to their home healthcare, EMT and DME customers, who also need compliance guidance. The cost, including the SOP Manual and support services by B&R Compliance Associates, is $1,600 per company. For more information and to subscribe, contact GAWDA Medical Gases Consultant Bob Yeoman at 610-837-6782.

Handheld Cell Phones Banned

It's Ethics! Ethics! Ethics!

Former Enron Corp. CEO Ken Lay was indicted on 11 counts for allegedly conspiring to deceive shareholders, regulators and the public by providing them with a false picture of the company's financial status, which eventually led to the fall of Enron and its auditor, Arthur Andersen. Lay pleaded not guilty to the charges. On July 16, Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of house arrest as punishment for her own lack of ethics. An article in the Spring issue of Welding & Gases Today explored ethics in business and in our own industry. To read what distributors say about doing the right thing and advice on developing an ethics code for your company, please click here. And come to GAWDA's Annual Convention on October 3-7 to hear Harvin Moore's sobering presentation entitled, "Are You the Next Enron?"

SAFETY & COMPLIANCE NEWS

MAKING THE SALE

Airgas-Sacramento Floats Above It All

Airgas-Sacramento does a lot of helium business. One of its largest customers for helium brings in 180 tanks to be filled at a time. Jim Gindt, operations manager, says this customer is not unusual. “They need a lot of tanks, and they want them filled quickly.”

The single stage diaphragm compressor boosts ground storage.

When the Airgas helium compressor went down, Gindt was in a bind. He called longtime supplier Bob O'Brien, vice president of sales & marketing for Gas and Air Systems, and asked for help. “We were limping along without a compressor,” says Gindt, “and our customers were not getting serviced properly.”

Gas and Air Systems provided Airgas with a single stage, Burton Corblin diaphragm compressor. Now Gindt can offload his helium supply tube trailer and boost the gas to his ground storage. The new compressor's fill rate of 995 cfm is a far cry from the old one's 28 cfm. Says Gindt, “The numbers speak for themselves, and we're able to serve our customers better.”

INDUSTRY BEAT
(what people are talking about)

Twin State Hosts Seminar (Lebanon, NH) • More than 100 people attended an educational program hosted by Twin State Welding Supply. The MIG and wire feeding seminars were designed for the beginning and advanced welder. The company teamed up with Thermadyne's Thermal Arc to provide hands-on demonstrations. Twin State offers two seminars per year, each centering on a specific welding application. "It was a good turnout," said President John Brockway. "The welders learned new skills, and we even sold some equipment."

(l-r) Michael Keen, mechanic; Bryan Keen, president; Richard Keen, inventory manager (seated); Kim Keen, secretary/ office manager; Jon Keen, gas sales specialist; and Willard Keen, VP of sales/marketing.

Keen Turns 85 (Wilmington, DE) • Keen Compressed Gas Co. celebrates its 85th anniversary this year. Founded in 1919 by Stanley Keen as a small garage and auto parts business, it is now run by the third generation of the Keen family. Merrill Keen, the youngest of Stanley's 13 children, took over the company after his father's death in 1965. In the 1980s, Merrill's children began working in the business full time. Bryan Keen, the youngest of Merrill and his wife Linda's three children, is now president. "It's an honor to continue on with what my grandfather and my dad built," Bryan says. "We take great pride in running the company they started." Keen has grown with 12 locations in four states and 95 employees.

A Mid-Summer Thrill (Hershey, PA) • The first hydraulic-launch roller coaster, Storm Runner, is powered by nitrogen and giving visitors at Pennsylvania's HERSHEYPARK the thrill of the summer. The 60-second coaster ride, filled with dramatic loops, rolls and flips, travels from 0-72 mph in two seconds and dives down from 180 feet in the air. Praxair Services supplies the nitrogen to pressurize the coaster's accumulators that provide the pressure to start and run it, which relies on hydraulics and pneumatics to accelerate. Praxair filled the four high-pressure tanks using high-pressure nitrogen-filling equipment and will provide additional nitrogen as needed. To take a virtual ride on Storm Runner now, please click here.

Weldship Receives Certification (Bethlehem, PA) • Weldship Industries was approved for 4G certification of its ISO Container line. Certification is based upon a rigorous impact testing agenda and supporting Finite Element Analysis, and is required for the transport of Multi Element Gas Containers by the current international regulations.

Kolasa Wins National Award (Cleveland, OH) • Joseph Kolasa Jr., welding instructor at The Lincoln Electric Company, received the Private Sector Instructor Membership Award from the American Welding Society. The award recognized Kolasa's advancing the knowledge of welding to students through apprenticeship programs, internal corporate training programs and similar non-public activities. Race teams, including NASCAR, The Indy Racing Leagues and Indy 500, consult with Kolasa to refine their welding skills, do trackside repairs and build more competitive race cars.

Canterberry Promoted at Hypertherm (Hanover, NH) • Hypertherm, Inc. appointed John Canterberry as manager, North American OEM and Integration Sales. Canterberry will bring new focus and commitment to Hypertherm's mechanized systems, automation products and laser businesses. He is currently the leader of the North American Sales Team's Continuous Improvement Activities Team.

Linweld Acquisitions (Lincoln, NE) • Linweld Inc. acquired Red Oak Industrial Products based in Red Oak and Carroll, IA. The acquisition increases the number of Linweld retail locations to 27.

In Sympathy
Richard J. Scarnati, 65, New England district sales manager for Harris Calorific Division of The Lincoln Electric Company, passed away July 11. Mr. Scarnati started a family business in New York and worked in sales for Smith Equipment before joining Harris Calorific. Known as a dedicated salesman who worked long days, he was someone who cared about the person as well as the company. Mr. Scarnati offered priceless advice and support to those who knew him. His ability to make others smile with his jokes and friendship will be missed. GAWDA extends its condolences to his wife of 43 years, Patricia, and his daughters, Denise Scarnati, Christine Scarnati and Janet Byard.

GAWDA NEWS

Convention • Registration opens soon for GAWDA's 60th Annual Convention October 3-7 at Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino. Don't miss this high impact, high value education and event-packed agenda in the premiere entertainment destination in the world. From its A+ speakers to the best networking opportunities in the industry, GAWDA's Convention is not to be missed. Book your hotel room at Caesars for five nights and register for the Convention to be eligible for outstanding prizes, including a free stay at the hotel during Convention. To view a schedule of events, please click here.

Keeper of the Knowledge Where can you find the latest news on regulatory issues from the DOT, EPA, FDA and OSHA all in one place? Where can you go to find out how welding fume litigation is affecting GAWDA members and what you can do to protect your business? You can find the answer to these questions and many more online at www.gawda.org. You will also find: Safety & Compliance Updates from the DOT, EPA, FDA and OSHA Welding Fume Litigation Library Archived, searchable copies of every issue of Welding & Gases Today, our official member magazine Information on free safety and technology teleconferences Quarterly Industry Trends Reports Browse the new Online Store for safety literature and business services for members Search the Online Membership Directory Buy and sell surplus inventory with the GAWDA Clearinghouse. Any employee of a GAWDA member company can access the password-protected areas of the Web site with a personalized user name and password. This allows your key people to access the information they need to stay current with safety and compliance, new technologies, industry trends and so much more. The bottom line is that www.gawda.org helps your company stay in touch with the industry. If you do not have a user name and password or have forgotten it, please contact GAWDA headquarters by phone at 215-564-3484 or by e-mail to gawda@gawda.org.

    WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS

cGMPs for a New Era
August 9, Chicago, IL
Co-sponsored by the FDA, this workshop addresses drug quality issues. Discussions include the risk-based approach to compliance the FDA introduced in 2002 and the integrated approach to compliance management. FDA speakers include David Horowitz, director of the Office of Compliance, and Joseph Famulare, director of the Division of Manufacturing and Product Quality. Mail-in registrations are due August 5. To view the brochure, please click here.