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Follow-On™
Tracking
Gas
distributors sell commodity products against direct
competitors. This leads to competition on price.
Value-added services can differentiate your company's
capabilities and drive competitive advantage.
TrackAbout's
Follow-On Tracking is
an extension of a distributor's asset tracking
and management service
that lets distributors share cylinder information
with end customers. Customers can use it to view
cylinder information online and (with permission)
move cylinders around internally.
Gas
distributors are using Follow-On Tracking as a
value-added service to forge tighter relationships
with existing customers and win sales with new
customers
Case
Study 1: Avoiding Disputes and Tracking Customer
Projects
A gas distributor using TrackAbout services a
large university whose gas contract was up for
bid against fierce competition. A major competitor
was offering free rent on the thousands of cylinders
at the university. However, rather than lose their
rental revenue, the distributor brought TrackAbout
in to educate the customer on the benefits of
tracking. The university realized that the shared
tracking data could help avoid future disputes.
The customer also wanted to use the shared tracking
data to tie each cylinder to specific professors'
grant numbers.
Using
a third-party hosted tracking solution, such as
TrackAbout, which does not reside within the walls
of the gas distributor, allowed the customer to
feel more confident about the distributor's tracking
data. With TrackAbout, both the gas distributor
and the customer can trust the system because
neither can make changes without leaving an audit
trail.
The
university was sold. Follow-On Tracking allowed
the distributor to keep this major account...
and their rental revenue.
Case
Study 2: Replacing Internal Tracking Systems
The staff of a large research lab was spending
30 hours a week managing their cylinders internally.
This was time intensive and frustrating. Though
under contract with their current gas supplier,
the lab was willing to consider a solution from
a new gas supplier if it could solve their cylinder
tracking problems. The lab reviewed a tracking
system from their current vendor. It was slow
to use and did not provide the reports they needed.
It also would be hosted by their current gas distributor
rather than a third-party tracking service. A
joint presentation was made on how the shared
TrackAbout cylinder tracking data could effectively
replace their internal tracking systems and represent
a single version of the truth between
the distributor's and the laboratory's tracking
data. As a direct result of
the value-added cylinder tracking information,
the lab gave their business to the TrackAbout-enabled
distributor. The lab's employees are now only
spending 2 hours (instead of 30 hours) a week
managing cylinders.
TrackAbout
TrackAbout's industry-leading Follow-On Tracking
module integrates with your current systems and
allows end customers to view cylinder balances
online. According to Doug O'Dell, technology director,
Linweld, "We
use Follow-On Tracking with our
major university and manufacturing accounts. Allowing
our customers to use the tracking information
creates real value and sets us apart from our
competitors."
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BREAKING NEWS
Register
Now for Convention and Save $50
Registration
fees for the meeting and Contact Booth Program will increase
by $50 after August 13. Register quickly and easily online
for the meeting, golf and Contact Booth Program. Just go to
www.gawda.org,
click on the Register Online link, and enter your GAWDA username
and password. You can also make your individual donation to
the GAWDA Gives Back program online. For corporate donations,
please download
the donation form on the Current Events page.
Additional
Hotel Rooms Available
The official
GAWDA hotels are sold out for the 63rd Annual Convention in
San Francisco. As the conference dates approach, please check
with the Westin St. Francis and the Grand Hyatt San Francisco
for availability. Rooms may open up due to cancellations.
GAWDA group rates will be subject to availability.
Rooms
are available at the hotels listed below. Both hotels are
within two blocks of the Westin St. Francis. Please call the
hotels directly to book your sleeping rooms. Note that the
hotels are not part of the official GAWDA room block and no
group rates are being offered. As of July 27, room rates were
quoted at $199 per night. Room and rates will be subject to
availability.
Sir
Francis Drake Hotel
450 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Reservations: 800-795-7129
Hotel: 415-392-775
Fax: 415-391-8719
www.sirfrancisdrake.com
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Hotel
Nikko San Francisco
222 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Reservations: 800-248-3308
Hotel: 415-394-1111
Fax: 415-394-1106
www.hotelnikkosf.com
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Click
Here |
An
Invitation from President Ames
GAWDA's 63rd Annual Convention will offer attendees "A
Golden Opportunity to Bridge New Partnerships." In
an exclusive video, GAWDA President Bob Ames explains
the timeless allure of San Francisco and the exciting
educational offerings at the Annual Convention. Follow
this link to view the video. |
Scaling
New Heights
The latest
issue of GAWDA Edge, the e-magazine for young professionals
in the gases and welding industry, is available at www.gawdaedge.org.
Learn how to hone your management skills to become a top-notch
leader, discover how GAWDA got its start, and view a special
video invitation from President Bob Ames, explaining
the many opportunities you have to look forward to at the
Annual Convention in beautiful San Francisco. Plus, find out
how you can deepen your knowledge of the gases and welding
industry, even at the ballpark! GAWDA Edge is also
available in mobile and dial-up versions. And don't forget
to visit the GAWDA
Edge Forums to network with other up-and-coming industry
professionals.
SAFETY & COMPLIANCE NEWS
August
Safety & Technology Organizer Online
• The August 2007 Safety & Technology Organizer
is now available at www.gawda.org.
Topics include Cylinder Handling, DOT Filing System, Issuance
of Alert: Abusive Use of Nitrous Oxide, and Improper Uses
of Gaseous Oxygen.
NEW
MEMBERS
GAWDA
welcomes new Active Member Advanced Welding & Industrial
Supply LLC of Greenville, MS, and new Associate Members
Cyltex LLC of Houston, TX, Mid-West Instrument
of Sterling Heights, MI, Precision Specialty Gas Products
of Aurora, IL, Ranch Cryogenics Inc., of Wilmington,
IL, and Technifab Products Inc., of Brazil, IN.
INDUSTRY BEAT
(what
people are talking about)
Tri-County
Acquired
(Alvin, TX) • John Hutchings, president of Welders
Choice Warehouse, purchased Tri-County Industrial Supply in
Alvin, TX. The company's new management team includes Jason
Hendrickson as sales manager. Tri-County founder John
Watts will stay on as managing consultant. "Our team
is now positioned to provide our clients with even better
service and more choices of items that are needed in an ever-evolving
industry," says Hutchings.
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Kevin Lynch |
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Ted Schwarzbach |
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Matheson
Names VPs (Basking
Ridge, NJ) • Matheson Tri-Gas appointed Kevin Lynch
as executive VP, Electronics Gas Group, responsible for all
Electronics Gas Group operations, sales and marketing. Lynch
joined Matheson Tri-Gas as director of marketing and global
logistics for Matheson Tri-Gas Helium in September 2006. Ted
Schwarzbach was named executive VP, Global Engineering
and Construction, responsible for all global engineering and
construction projects, with particular emphasis on the Matheson
Tri-Gas plant in Asan, Korea. Schwarzbach has been with Matheson
Tri-Gas since 2001.
FIBA
Adds Personnel
(Millbury, MA) • David Wimberley joined FIBA Technologies
as plant foreman at FIBA's Rayne, LA, manufacturing and requalification
facility. Wimberley brings over 12 years of management experience
as a facilities coordinator as well as in quality assurance.
Carl Gordon was hired as corporate safety officer to
oversee safety programs at all FIBA facilities.
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National
Standard Reorganizes Sales Team
(Niles, MI) • National Standard reorganized its sales
team to enhance its market coverage, development of relationships
and to address the requirements of its market share growth initiatives.
The sales team comprises the following members: Strategic Accounts
Manager Doug Cowan, responsible for North American strategic
distributor and end-user accounts and the Canadian region; South
Region Manager Mike Welborn; District Sales Managers Mark
Wesenberg (MI, northern OH), Phil Hensley (eastern MO,
southern IL, southern IN, southern OH), Ron Christenson (SD,
NE, western IA, KS, western MO), Kelly Biggs (KY, TN), Ted Turner
(TX, OK, AR, northern LA), Darryl Fuhrman (AL, MS, southern
LA), Keith Shaver (SC, GA, FL) and Brad Lockey (ON,
Canada); and Manufacturer Representative Wade Wohlford (western
Canada).
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Glen Borders |
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Donna Assef |
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New
Hires at Tregaskiss
(Windsor, ON, Canada) • Glen Borders joined Tregaskiss
as new strategic accounts manager, and Donna Assef joined
as customs logistics specialist. Borders has worked in the welding
industry for more than 25 years as a welding instructor, welding
engineer and senior process engineer. Assef joins Tregaskiss with
over 20 years' experience in customs, combined with 10 years' experience
in logistics in an industrial setting.
GAWDA NEWS
Additional
Exhibit Space May Become Available
•
Booth and Tabletop space sold out last week for the convention's
Contact Booth Program. We are working with the hotel to acquire
additional space. If your company has not registered for exhibit
space, please contact GAWDA headquarters at 215-564-3484 and place
your name on a waiting list. Thank you for your interest in the
GAWDA Contact Booth Program.
Help
Wanted: GAWDA Group Life Insurance
•
MetLife, GAWDA's insurance provider, currently has funds available
to be disbursed to Ossawana Hudson's beneficiary, Tonya
Hudson. GAWDA is seeking assistance in locating her contact
information. Ossawana Hudson was an employee in the mid-1980s of
the former Milwaukee Brush Manufacturing Co. (Menomonee Falls, WI),
which is now a subsidiary of PFERD Inc. GAWDA contacted PFERD, but
they have no records available at this time to help locate Tonya
Hudson, and longtime employees do not know where Tonya is presently
residing. Please forward any helpful information to Malvenia
Avery at mavery@fernley.com.
Thank you.
Who
Produces High Profit and Why?
•
The just-completed 2007 GAWDA Profit Report provides the
most comprehensive set of benchmarks available on financial performance
in the industry. The report suggests that there continue to be major
differences between the typical firm and the high-profit firm. The
differences are significant for both planning and control purposes.
Read more at www.gawda.org.
HR
Report Available •
The August 2007 HR Manager's Legal Reporter and supplemental
QuikStep Trainer are now available for download at www.gawda.org.
Clearinghouse
Updated •
The GAWDA Clearinghouse has been updated for August. For more information,
visit www.gawda.org.
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2007 Regional Meetings
Register
now for a Regional Meeting near you! Meet with
customers and suppliers, network with your peers,
and get some insight on the industry. It's an
unbeatable value!
Do
you live in the Western Zone and would like to
receive announcements for Regional Meetings in
the Eastern Zone? To fill out the form to receive
additional announcements to meetings outside your
zone, visit www.gawda.org.
The
regional
calendar will be updated as new meeting dates become
available.
| 2007
Regional Meeting Dates |
| ZONE |
DATE |
LOCATION |
REGIONAL
CHAIR |
PHONE |
| SE |
August
12-13 |
Birmingham,
AL |
Gregg
Waltman
Linde Gas |
205-322-9990 |
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| CE |
August
15-16 |
Watertown,
SD |
Cindy
Day
Smith Equipment
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605-882-8268 |
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| CE |
August
16 |
Fort
Wayne, IN |
Ken
Flora
Welder Services, Inc. |
260-750-7705 |
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| SW |
August
20-21 |
Kansas
City, MO |
David
Hanchette
Kirk Welding Supply
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816-221-3040 |
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| CE |
August
21 |
Merrimac,
WI |
Brad
Peterson
Mississippi Welders Supply Company
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507-454-5231 |
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| EA |
August
28 |
Gettysburg,
PA |
Doug
Morton
Harsco GasServ |
717-443-0752 |
| W |
October
5 |
Lodi,
CA |
Rob
Kinney
Airgas |
916-759-6445 |
| W |
November
1 |
Orange
County, CA |
Paul
Cramer
Cramer Decker |
714-566-3850 |
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WORKSHOPS,
WEB CONFERENCES & SEMINARS
Lawson
Presents: Growth Strategies in Wholesale Distribution
Thursday, August 23, 1:00 p.m. EDT
This interactive webinar with Dr. Adam J. Fein of
Pembroke Consulting and other industry experts will teach you about
the barriers wholesale distribution companies are facing today and
the steps they are taking to overcome them. Register online at
this link or over the phone at 888-742-5060. One week before
the event, you will receive an e-mail with dial-in instructions
and handouts. If you are unable to attend the live event, order
the CD here.
The event and CD are free of charge.
ASSE
6015 Training and Certification
October 2-5, Indianapolis, IN
This training and certification seminar for the new ASSE
6015 standard, which covers the professional qualification and certification
of bulk hospital medical gas system installers, will prepare attendees
to sit for the National Inspection and Testing Corporation (NITC)
6015 certification examination. The certification test will be offered
the last day of the seminar. A seminar agenda and registration packet
will be available soon. For more information, contact Bob Sutter
at 610-868-7184 or bob.sutter@brcompliance.com.
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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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The
GAWDA Connection is distributed on the 8th
and 23rd of each month to all GAWDA members as a membership
service of GAWDA, the Gases and Welding Distributors
Association, 100 N. 20th Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia,
PA, 19103-1443. Neither GAWDA nor Data Key Communications,
LLC, their officers, directors, members and staff
are responsible for contents or opinions other than
those concerning Association activities.
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If
you no longer wish to receive the GAWDA Connection,
please respond
here.
Privacy
Statement
GAWDA
HEADQUARTERS
100 North 20th Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1443
phone 215.564.3484 - fax 213.963.9784
gawda@fernley.com
Copyright
© 2007 Data Key Communications, LLC. All Rights
Reserved.
No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced in whole
or in part
without written permission of the publisher.
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