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GAWDA Gives Back Surpasses All Goals At this year's Annual Convention in Las Vegas, GAWDA presented a check in the amount of $53,000 to Golden Rainbow, a local charity that provides housing and financial assistance to individuals and families living with HIV and AIDS. This amount was the largest ever contributed by GAWDA members to a needy service in the host city. Representatives from Golden Rainbow were surprised and thrilled at the generosity of GAWDA members. You can still make a contribution to GAWDA Gives Back and this year's very worthy charity by contacting GAWDA Headquarters. Started at the 2000 Annual Convention, GAWDA Gives Back has contributed a total of over $193,000 to local charities. Congress Extends Driver Hours of Service Rules Congress has passed and President Bush has signed into law a provision extending the application of the current driver hours of service rules for up to one year. The rules, 49 CFR Part 395, which went into effect January 4, 2004, were invalidated by a July 16 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Public Citizen et al. v. FMCSA, No. 03-1165. Under the congressional act, the new rules will remain in effect until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration completes a rulemaking that addresses the issues raised in the court's decision, or until September 30, 2005, whichever is earlier. NAW Challenges Drop-Shipment Tax The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) filed an amicus brief with the California appellate court in a case that could affect wholesaler-distributors nationwide. Under current California statute, a wholesaler-distributor who drop-ships material goods to a consumer in California may be held responsible for the payment of use taxes that would normally be the responsibility of the retailer. The case in which NAW has become involved, Mason Shoe Mfg. Company v. State Board of Equalization, challenges that statute. Read how this California law works and whether you might be affected by it. Linweld Hooks a Plan to Save Fish Lake Ogallala is a premier trout fishery located adjacent to Lake McConaughy in central Nebraska that attracts a number of visitors each year. Decreasing water and oxygen levels caused by statewide drought conditions were threatening the trout population. With the help of a Nebraska congressman, the state secured funding for the lake's aeration. The congressman's office contacted Linweld, Inc. (Lincoln, NE) in March. "They wanted to know what we could do to increase the oxygen levels in the water," says Mark Bell, Linweld vice president of sales.
Last April,
Linweld worked with officials to develop a plan for a 67-acre section
of Lake Ogallala known as the North basin. The following month,
two 1,500-gallon liquid stand tanks were placed across the lake
from one another to supply a gaseous oxygen line to a pump house
that collects water from the bottom of the lake. The water is supersaturated
with the oxygen and redistributed to the lake through approximately
3,000 feet of perforated piping. "We came up with an economical
solution by working together and keeping it simple," explains
Bell. Aquatic Eco-Systems, a Florida-based distributor of aquatic
equipment and supplies, provided the piping after working with Linweld
on design and calculations. Don Gabelhouse Jr., Fisheries Division
administrator for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, was instrumental
in project advancement and completion. "It's uncommon to pump
liquid oxygen into a public lake, but it's that type of creativity
we needed to provide a refuge for trout in a time of unprecedented
low water levels in Lake McConaughy, the impoundment that supplies
water to Lake Ogallala," he says. Adds Gabelhouse, "Federal
and state agencies and Linweld worked together to get this project
up and running within three months of the time it was conceived."
GAWDA welcomes new Active Members Pacific CA Systems Inc. of Union Gap, WA, and Sharp Welding Supply Inc. dba Blanks Welding Supply of Fort Worth, TX, and Associate Members Gas Innovations/WWS of La Porte, TX, and Weld Mold Company of Brighton, MI. INDUSTRY
BEAT
New
Appointments at Wichita Welding Supply
(Wichita,
KS) •
On October 1,
Wichita Welding Supply Inc. named the following company officers:
J. Carter Frick, CEO; Robert Zollinger, president;
Yvette Zollinger, vice president; and Susan Owens,
secretary/treasurer. Frick has served as company president since
1986, Robert Zollinger most recently served as vice president, and
Yvette Zollinger most recently served as a manager. Owens has been
secretary for two years. The company has two stores in Eldorado
and Hutchinson, KS.
Miller Welding Hosts Open House (Grand Rapids, MI) • "Manufactured with Pride in Michigan" was the focus of the open house and high tech seminars hosted by Miller Welding Supply and Miller Industrial Gases. "With so many jobs leaving Michigan and manufacturing plants closing regularly, we wanted to put a positive light on those companies that have chosen to stay in this area," says President Michael Clay. The open house was trade-show style, and Miller's top 30 vendors answered questions, provided solutions and performed live demonstrations. Featured were safety training seminars, a CNC plasma burning table demonstration and an introduction to competitive manufacturing concepts. The event was attended by 300 people, including politicians and local trade publication reporters. Stropki
Named Chairman
(Cleveland, OH) •
Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.'s Board of Directors elected John
M. Stropki chairman of the board. Stropki, Lincoln Electric
president and CEO, succeeds Anthony A. Massaro, who is retiring
at the end of the month after more than 11 years with the company.
Massaro is also retiring from the board. Stropki is only the seventh
chairman to be named in the company's 109-year history. Cavagna Promotes Ellis (Somerset, NJ) • Cavagna North America Inc., a division of the Cavagna Group S.p.A. (Brescia, Italy), promoted David S. Ellis to director of sales and marketing. Ellis is responsible for directing sales and marketing activities for the Cavagna Group's LPG and Industrial Gas Equipment Divisions comprehensive product lines within North America.
RSC Named Supplier of the Year (Detroit, MI) • Roy Smith Company (RSC) was awarded the 2004 Class III Supplier of the Year award by the Michigan Minority Business Development (MMBDC) Council at the October 5 annual award dinner, which was attended by Michigan business leaders for local and global companies who build wealth in minority communities. The award for Class III is made up of companies that do $10-30M in sales. This is the second consecutive year RSC has received the award. Praxair Acquires German Business (Danbury, CT) • Praxair, Inc. reached an agreement with Air Liquide to purchase industrial gases assets and related businesses in Germany for about $600M. Subject to regulatory approval, the purchase is expected to close by the end of 2004. The agreement includes certain assets required to be sold by Air Liquide from its purchase of Messer Griesheim in Germany. The business comprises the southern portion of the Rhine/Ruhr pipeline and the Saar pipeline, plus bulk distribution and packaged gas businesses.
Convention Photos • View photos from Monday's rafting trip down the Colorado River, which took place during GAWDA's Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Plan Now for Hawaii Convention • GAWDA members are already planning for next year's Convention, September 20-24, at the Grand Wailea Spa & Hotel in Maui, HI. Stay tuned for information in the GAWDA Connection and reserve these dates in your calendar now. Register to Vote • Be sure you and your employees are registered to vote, and are familiar with your state's early voting and absentee ballot requirements. Take advantage of voting and registration information, and request an absentee ballot if you will be traveling by visiting this page. Business Coalition Seeks to Hold Fax Bill • Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has concerns and objections to legislation that would allow businesses to send out unsolicited commercial faxes under an "established business relationship" exemption, possibly dooming the bill this year. A rule adopted by the FCC last year would require all businesses to obtain written consent forms for each fax machine before sending out any unsolicited commercial fax. Although unsolicited faxes are prohibited under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, the previous FCC regulations created an exemption for customers with whom the company had an established business relationship. After significant outcry from the business community, which argued that the new rule would be too expensive and burdensome to administer, the FCC stayed the new rule until January 1, 2005. Recently, the FCC extended the stay until June 30, 2005, to give Congress time to consider pending legislation. Welding
Fumes Litigation Update Subscription Offer •
HarrisMartin Publishing, publisher of Litigation Watch: Welding
Rods, a monthly update of news involving welding fume litigation
around the U.S., is offering GAWDA members a one-year subscription
for the charter rate of $395, a $200 discount off the regular price.
To take advantage of this offer, please call HarrisMartin Publishing
at 1-800-496-4319 or log on to www.harrismartin.com
and mention you are a GAWDA member to get the discounted rate. GAWDA
is not recommending this purchase. We are simply advising the availability
of this publication for those interested. Members will continue
to be updated on this issue by GAWDA's Government Affairs Consultant
Rick Schweitzer through normal GAWDA channels in the GAWDA
Connection and Welding & Gases Today. Members should
contact Rick at 202-223-3040 or rpschweitzer@rpslegal.com
for answers to specific questions about this issue, and to notify
him about litigation in which their company is involved.
Cast Iron
Welding
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