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Audio
Recording of Compliance Teleconference
An audio recording of the GAWDA Compliance Update Teleconference
presented by GAWDA Consultants on January 26 is available
on the Podcast
page of GAWDA's Web site.
NEW
MEMBERS
GAWDA
welcomes new Associate Members Alumig Wire Company, Inc.
of Traverse City, MI, Americana Program Underwriters
of Charlotte, NC, Liberty Cryogenics, LLC of Aurora,
CO, and Merit Abrasives of Stephenville, TX.
INDUSTRY
BEAT
(what
people are talking about)
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| Arco
Welding Supply's renovated store |
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Arco
Welding Supply Renovates Store (Malden,
MA) Arco Welding Supply finished the renovation of
its 1,500 sq. ft. store January 15, including new shelving,
lighting, counters, ceiling and flooring. The store also now
features a flat screen TV behind the counter to entertain
customers while they are waiting. "It was time for an
upgrade," says General Manager Thomas Crowley.
"The visual stimulation when customers walk in makes
a big difference. Now, it's bright and cheery."
Harris
Industrial Gases Adds Fill Plant
(Citrus Heights, CA) Harris Industrial Gases' new fill
plant became fully functional in mid-January, completing the
half-million-dollar, yearlong project to enable the company
to fill rare and special gases. The company added 2,000 sq.
ft. to accommodate the new fill plant and is in the process
of building a new warehouse to house inventory. Fourth-generation
Harris family member Aaron Haupt serves as the project
coordinator for the fill plant.
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| Richard
Green |
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CONCOA
Appoints Green
(Virginia Beach, VA) CONCOA appointed Richard Green
manager of business development, assuming responsibility for
identifying and marketing CONCOA's gas control technology
to new business segments and managing the laser and blender
product lines. Green previously served as product manager
for 4 years and territorial manager for a 9-state region.
Muller
Named Senior VP
(Radnor, PA) Airgas named James A. Muller, formerly
regional company president of Airgas East, to the position
of senior VP specialty gases and life sciences. Muller
will report to Mike Molinini, executive VP and COO,
and head a new corporate department, integrating specialty
gas operations and marketing to support sales of specialty
gases and equipment through the 13 regional companies within
Airgas.
 |
| Steve
Varga |
|
Western
Names Marketing Manager
(Westlake, OH) Steve Varga joined Western Enterprises'
industrial team as product marketing manager. Varga is responsible
for product development, marketing and management activities
related to core industrial product lines.
Lincoln
Reorganizes Customer Service Department
(Cleveland, OH) The Lincoln Electric Company underwent
a reorganization of its customer service department to include
a wide range of best practices from a variety of service industries.
The yearlong process incorporated operating practices from
Six Sigma, training principles from Dale Carnegie, as well
as a host of leading procedures, methods and measurable reliability
standards.
In
Sympathy
John
W. Blake,
79, co-founder of Colony Inc., died January 27 after a
long illness. Born in Boston, Mr. Blake graduated from
Phillips Academy in Andover in 1945 and from Harvard University
in 1951. He was also a graduate of the New York Maritime
Academy and served in the U.S. Navy. After Mr. Blake's
service, he worked as treasurer for his father's Boston
business, Blake and Company. In the early 1960s, he and
his brother Gary co-founded Colony Inc., a distributor
of industrial gases and welding supplies. Mr. Blake was
a longtime member of NWSA (now GAWDA) and an active community
member who felt a responsibility to give back to the community
in any way that he could. |
GAWDA
NEWS
Attention
GAWDA Distributor Members
Did you receive the GAWDA 2007 Profit Survey that was e-mailed
to you on Monday, February 5? If you did not receive it, please
request a copy by e-mailing Malvenia Avery at mavery@fernley.com,
or download the survey at www.gawda.org.
GAWDA encourages all distributor members to participate in
the survey. The Profit Report is the best source for financial
benchmarking information in the industry. However, only members
who participate in the survey will receive the final Report.
Nonparticipating members WILL NOT be allowed to purchase the
Report.
WORKSHOPS,
WEB CONFERENCES & SEMINARS
The
Habit of Selling
March 20-22, Dayton, OH
This seminar, presented by Don Buttrey, is co-sponsored
by GAWDA with AEA to offer a sales training opportunity for
distributor salespeople and sales managers. Learn while networking
with distributor salespeople from a variety of industries.
Cost is $895 per person (includes 2 1/2 days of sales training,
work binders, tools, worksheets and most meals). Download
the program details and the registration form here.
2007
GAWDA University Compliance Update Seminar
March 27-30, Indianapolis, IN
GAWDA University announces its 2007 Compliance Update
Seminar. This year's session features a new seminar on crisis
management and emergency planning, as well as our industry-leading
compliance update training. Space is limited, and the last
two seminars have sold out completely, so register early to
reserve your space. Online registration is available at
this link. Program details and the registration form can
also be found at www.gawda.org.
Demonstrating
Total Cost Savings
March 28, 1:00 p.m. ET
In this webinar, co-sponsored by GAWDA with AEA,
Tim Underhill of Strategic Business Solutions LLC will show
you why customers need suppliers that can reduce their total
operating costs, why you need to show your value, and how
you can document your value quickly and easily. Registration
is $149 per site. Online registration is also available. For
more details, visit www.gawda.org.
|
NAW
SmartBriefs
Top Stories from around the industry.
To
subscribe to free editions of NAW SmartBrief,
go to www.smartbrief.com/naw.
| (Click
on title to read full story.) |
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GAWDA
HEADQUARTERS
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