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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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 CE August 15-16 Watertown, SD Cindy Day Smith Equipment 605-882-8268 CE August 16 Fort Wayne, IN Ken Flora Welder Services, Inc. 260-750-7705 SW August 20-21 Kansas City, MO David Hanchette Kirk Welding Supply 816-221-3040 CE August 21 Merrimac, WI Brad Peterson Mississippi Welders Supply Company 507-454-5231 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

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.

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. 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.

GAWDA HEADQUARTERS
100 North 20th Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1443
phone 215.564.3484 - fax 213.963.9784
gawda@fernley.com