BREAKING NEWS

LIFO Repeal Included in Obama Proposal

President Obama is proposing full LIFO repeal for all businesses regardless of industry or size in his proposals for revenue increases. Repeal would be effective in 2012, with carry back taxes to be paid on LIFO reserves over 8 years. The proposal is "scored" as a $61 billion tax increase, but there are different assessments of how much revenue the repeal would actually raise.

The LIFO Coalition (of which GAWDA is a member) is urging members to set up meetings with targeted House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee Members during the last week of May and tell them voting for LIFO repeal would be a potentially damaging anti-business vote. Read the full e-mail from the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors' Jade West to LIFO Coalition members here. The list of targeted Committee Members is available here.

Help Tip: Adding a Term If you want to add a term on GAWDAwiki, make sure you're logged in. After that, there are a few simple steps to follow, which can be viewed and printed off here. An archive of GAWDAwiki Help Tips is available here. GAWDAwiki has over 1,300 terms, but there are still plenty of terms that can be added. Log on to GAWDAwiki to add terms, and help this industry resource grow.

INDUSTRY BEAT
(what people are talking about)

Alliance Acquires Atlas (San Jose, CA) • Alliance Welding Supplies completed the asset purchase of Atlas Welding Supply (Berkeley, CA) and its dba, Contra Costa Welding Supply (Concord, CA), making Alliance the largest independent industrial gas, specialty gas and welding supply distributor in the San Francisco Bay Area. "This acquisition will allow both companies' customers to more effectively source product throughout the Bay Area," says Marvin Rodgers, III, president of Alliance Welding Supplies. The combined businesses will operate as Alliance/Atlas Welding Supplies. Atlas employees will remain with Alliance.

LeeAnn Clay (second from left) and Sam's Club representatives present Hospice of Michigan representatives with a $1,000 donation.

Miller Welding Holds Benefit BBQ (Grand Rapids, MI) • Miller Welding Supply and Miller Industrial Gases held its 8th annual BBQ to benefit Hospice of Michigan on April 24. The event, which was held at Miller's main office in Grand Rapids, MI, raised $10,000, including a $1,000 donation from Sam's Club. "Given the current economic climate, the amount we raised really speaks volumes for Hospice of Michigan and the work they do in our community," says LeeAnn Clay, treasurer of Miller Welding and Hospice of Michigan Foundation Board member. "The cookout was a fun and easy way to say thank you."

Air Products Sells Healthcare Operations (Lehigh Valley, PA) • Air Products sold all of its U.S. home infusion therapy services business and some elements of its respiratory and home medical equipment business to OptionCare Enterprises, a subsidiary of Walgreen Co. The transaction includes Air Products' ownership interests in companies previously operated as part of the Air Products Healthcare LLC Group, including American Homecare Supply, Georgia; Ultra Care; Dependicare; Rx Pharmacy Services; Mosso's Medical Supply Company; Collins I.V. Care; and Air Products Healthcare Pharmacy. The transaction represents nearly 50% of the remaining Air Products Healthcare Group portfolio and includes 15 locations with 550 employees serving about 25,000 patients.

Michael Brown

Acme Appoints President (Lehigh Valley, PA) • Michael Brown was promoted to president of Acme Cryogenics. Formerly director of sales and marketing and general manager of the company's cryogenic vessel repair and refurbishment facility, he has been with Acme since 2006 and has 30 years of experience in the industrial gas industry. President and CEO Thomas Blackburn will retain the title of CEO.

American Welding & Gas Acquires 2 Companies (Billings, MT) •  American Welding & Gas acquired Inweld Corp. (Indianapolis, IN) and S&D Welding Supply (Menominee, MI), bringing 6 branches and 2 standalone propane locations to American Welding & Gas. The acquisition of Inweld marks American Welding & Gas' first foray into Illinois and Indiana. "The Midwest is a great place to do business," says Ron Adkins, president of American Welding & Gas. All Inweld and S&D employees will continue working with American Welding & Gas.

Dave Mahoney on the Capital Region Miracle League Jaime M. Adams Field

Mahoney Helps Build Special Needs Field (Albany, NY) • GAWDA 1999-2000 President Dave Mahoney, president and CEO of AWESCO, raised over $300,000 to build the Capital Region Miracle League Jaime M. Adams Field, designed to be accessible for physically and mentally handicapped children. Mahoney worked with Burke Adams, whose daughter Jaime has Rett syndrome. "I told Burke I knew about fundraising from my experience with GAWDA Gives Back," says Mahoney. Positions on the baseball field were sold to companies to raise the money, with AWESCO purchasing the pitcher's mound. View a video clip of Mahoney talking about the field on Albany's Fox 23 by going to "Miracle Field" under the "Mornings" section here.

Ken Halpin

FIBA Hires Halpin (Millbury, MA) • Ken Halpin joined FIBA Technologies as senior director, human resources. With 17 years of HR experience in manufacturing/engineering environments in a range of industries, he will assist FIBA by driving HR programs and services and helping position the organization for future growth.

Lincoln Launches Educational Campaign (Cleveland, OH) • Lincoln Electric launched a campaign to educate employers and the welding community about the new OSHA regulations, including the hexavalent chromium standards going into effect on May 31, 2010. The "Are You Ready?" campaign promotes effective welding fume control and safety practices, offering access to reference materials, tools and product solutions. To access the "Are You Ready?" press kit, visit this page.

GAWDA NEWS

GAWDA President Britt Lovin (right) and John Norton (second from left) mingle with Southeastern Regional Meeting attendees.

Southeastern Zone Meets in Birmingham, AL • Bill Visintainer and James Cain of Atlas Welding Supply (Tuscaloosa, AL) and John Norton of nexAir (Memphis, TN) hosted a Southeastern Zone Regional Meeting on May 3-4. A total of 76 distributor and suppliers met at the Eagle Point Golf Club in Birmingham, AL. A cocktail networking reception was held on the Perimeter Hilton pool deck. The business session was enjoyed by members, who found the presentations relevant, informative and very interesting.

(l-r) Ryan Boyd, Dave Cobb, James Cain and Jimmy Walker Jr. were the golf outing winners. View More Photos

Speakers included Brian Barksdale from Carr, Riggs and Ingram, LLC, on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Bob VanKirk of Linde on the outlook of the industrial gas industry, Alistair Harding-Smith, CFA, from Morgan Stanley on credit, investing and retirement planning in the current economy, and GAWDA President Britt Lovin from Andy Oxy Company (Asheville, NC) with a GAWDA update.

A 50-50 raffle was held, with half of the proceeds going to GAWDA Gives Back. The raffle brought it a total of $780 and was won by Harding-Smith, who then donated his half of the money to GAWDA Gives Back.

Get Ready for the San Antonio Convention • Visit the Current Events page for the tentative schedule of events for GAWDA’s 65th Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX. Programming details and registration information will be available in early June.

Members can now book their hotel rooms at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, situated on the banks of the River Walk and adjacent to the San Antonio Convention Center. Register online here.

A special rate of $239, single or double occupancy, is available for Convention attendees. This rate is available 3 days prior to and 3 days after the conference, subject to availability. State and local taxes (16.75%) will be applied to the room charge. Please make your reservation directly with the Grand Hyatt San Antonio on or before August 21, 2009, by calling 1-800-233-1234. When making your reservation, remember to mention the GAWDA Convention rate. Reservations must be guaranteed with a major credit card at the time of reservation.

GAWDA Gives Back to WINGS • GAWDA President Britt Lovin and his wife Julie selected WINGS (Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing Inc.) as the 2009 Gives Back Recipient. WINGS, founded in 1999 by 2 breast cancer survivors, believes no one should die from breast cancer because they cannot afford the $98,285 average cost of full treatment. The program offers comprehensive breast cancer screening and treatment at no charge to the patient. Through their network of 240 physicians, labs, healthcare and related services, WINGS provides full care for $14,373. More details are available here.

GAWDA Gives Back, now in its 10th year, is an annual program that strives to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged members of communities in the host city of the Convention. Funding for GAWDA Gives Back comes directly from the membership and all donations are tax-deductible. To make a company or individual donation, download the donation form here.

Top 5 Most Searched for GAWDAwiki Terms in the Past 2 Weeks   Welding MIG (GMAW) Abrasive Argon Acetylene

GAWDA Compliance Update Teleconference Recording • Visit the GAWDA PodCast page to listen to a recording of the May 7 Compliance Update Teleconference, featuring GAWDA Consultants Tom Badstubner, Rick Schweitzer and Mike Dodd. A total of 120 members participated in the call. Topics included DOT, Homeland Security, OSHA, EPA, FDA, FMCSA and welding fumes.

Deadline Extended for Profit Survey • GAWDA is encouraging all distributor members to participate in the 2009 GAWDA Profit Survey, which is the best source for financial benchmarking information in the industry. The deadline has been extended to June 1. Download the survey and get more details here.

Take Advantage of GAWDA University Online • GAWDA U is an easy-to-use and inexpensive online training tool for your employees. The educational content of GAWDA U was developed to support GAWDA's primary mission of providing information to assist you in improving your company's safety and compliance.

GAWDA U Online is an ever-changing and growing program. We are conducting weekly webinars to introduce members to the functions and content of GAWDA U and to answer any questions. Please contact GAWDA Membership Director Kate Cole (kcole@fernley.com) to sign up for the introductory webinars or to find out more about this exciting opportunity!

View course listings here.

WORKSHOPS, WEB CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

Disaster Preparedness—What Executives Really Need to Know
June 12, 2009
GAWDA Co-Sponsored Webinar with AEA
Presented by Mike Foster
Organizations that are prepared for disasters such as hurricanes, floods, fires, chemical emergencies, massive power outages and even terrorism stand a much greater chance of survival. As an executive, protect the investment you have made in your organization by making a plan. This webinar explains exactly what you need to do to be prepared for a disaster. Fee is $149 per site. More information is available on GAWDA's Web site.

Dave Kahle's Sales Academy
June 18-19, 2009
William Tell Holiday Inn
Countryside, IL
The costs of an uneducated and unproductive sales force may be the biggest unseen expense in your company. Stop the bleeding by sending them to Dave Kahle's Sales Academy. Attendees will learn the Kahle Way Distributor Selling System. Call 800-331-1287 or visit this page for more information. GAWDA members are eligible for discounts.

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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