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| A Semi-Monthly Newsletter for the Gases and Welding Distributors Association |
February 8, 2008
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BREAKING NEWS Airgas Aims to Double Market Growth In an interview with Reuters News on January 28, Airgas, Inc. Chairman and CEO Peter McCausland said that the company will continue to expand its U.S. market share in its core distribution business - packaged gas and welding supplies. "We think we can grow significantly from 23 to 25 percent, possibly as high as 40 to 45 percent of our market, without running afoul of any antitrust laws," said McCausland. According to Reuters, the company's core packaged gas market in the U.S. is currently worth about $11 billion to $12 billion annually and small regional players control about 45 percent of the market. Airgas has been acquiring distributorships throughout the United States. So far, in FY 2008, it has made 16 acquisitions, not including the one announced on February 4 (see story below in Industry Beat). "We're sort of acquisition junkies and we're good at it," McCausland said.
SAFETY & COMPLIANCE NEWS Posting OSHA Form 300A • This is a reminder that you should have posted your 2007 OSHA 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses by February 1, 2008. A company executive must certify the form as being accurate, and it must be posted from February 1 through April 30, 2008, at each location that is required to comply with the OSHA record-keeping requirements. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) • An owner of bulk installations at a customer site has a duty under EPA regulations (Section 312) to notify the customer of their obligation to file Tier Form reports for each hazardous chemical that meets or exceeds the threshold planning quantities. The reminder must be mailed to an appropriate customer representative by February 15, 2008. The supplier must document its efforts to notify its customers of these requirements. SARA Title III (EPCRA) Reporting • March 1 is the filing deadline for your Hazardous Chemical Inventory Report. This report usually is submitted on a Tier II Form. Keep in mind that your state may require its own special form. Your state may even have different reporting quantities. Check with your State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) if you have questions regarding what form to use or other possible state requirements. If you submitted this report last year, use it as a guide. The report(s) must be submitted to your Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), your SERC and the local fire department with jurisdiction over the facility. EPA has a Web site for Tier ll electronic reporting at: http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/ content/epcra/tier2.htm Compliance Teleconference Recording Available • There were 143 GAWDA members who participated in the GAWDA Compliance Update Teleconference presented by the GAWDA Consultants on January, 17, 2008. If you missed the teleconference, visit the Podcast page to listen to the recording. February Safety & Technology Organizer Online • The February Safety & Technology Organizer is now available. View it here. Topics include Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment, Railroad Crossings, Part 11, Electronic Records: Electronic Signatures (A series of articles), Part 3: FDA Compliance Policy Guide and Safe Movement of Compressed Gas Cylinders.
NEW MEMBERS GAWDA welcomes new Distributor Member US Gas & Equipment of Brisbane, CA; and Supplier Members DF Machine Specialties Inc. of North Mankato, MN; and Universal Industrial Gases Inc. of Easton, PA.
INDUSTRY
BEAT Airgas Acquires Merriam-Graves Corporation (Radnor, PA) • On Monday, February 4, Airgas, Inc. announced it had acquired Merriam-Graves Corporation, a distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases and related supplies operating in 25 locations in New England and New York. The acquired business generated $47 million in revenues in 2007. The acquired operations include a headquarters, industrial fill plant, specialty gas laboratory and central hardgoods warehouse in Charlestown, NH; plus 6 locations in New Hampshire, 6 in Vermont, 5 in Massachusetts, 5 in Connecticut and 2 in New York. The acquired operations have been integrated into Airgas East. RED BALL Aquires WiN (Shreveport, LA) • Red Ball Oxygen Company acquired WiN Welding Supply of Fort Worth. Larry Kennedy, co-owner, Red Ball Oxygen, says. "We are staged to grow our business in the dynamic Dallas/Fort Worth market and, more broadly, in North Texas." Adds WiN's Warren Hankammer, "We are delighted about our merger with Red Ball Oxygen. This gives us the resources to expand and improve our service and products without selling out to the big box impersonal corporate stores." Praxair Acquires Kirk Welding Supply (Danbury, CT) • Praxair Distribution, Inc. has acquired Kirk Welding Supply of Kansas City, MO. The acquired company had sales of $28 million in 2007 and 10 locations in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. "Praxair is the best operational and strategic fit for us," says Kirk Welding Supply President Rick Hanchette who, along with his 85 employees, has joined Praxair. This acquisition complements 11 other acquisitions and joint ventures Praxair Distribution has completed and integrated over the past 12 months in the U.S. and Canada. Weldship Promotions (Bethlehem, PA) • Richard Frederick was named vice president-finance of Weldship Corporation. Frederick joined Weldship in 1992. James Noyes was named controller. Before joining Weldship in 2005, Noyes was in the position of controller with a previous company. Microsoft Honors CU (Billings, MT) • Computers Unlimited was named a "Gold Certified Partner" in the Microsoft Partner Program. Gold Certified Partners represent the highest level of competence and expertise with Microsoft technologies and have the closest working relationship with Microsoft. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive top-level benefits, including advanced access to the latest development environments and Microsoft technologies. Computers Unlimited is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2008. UASI changes name to R3 Safety (Wilmington, OH) • UASI is changing its name to R3 Safety. Joseph Sodini, UASI vice president and general manager, says the name change better reflects the company's business model. R3 stands for "Reliable Redistribution Resources," a concept and focus for Bunzl, USA to consolidate all its redistribution businesses under one umbrella. AWISCO Hires New Credit Manager (Maspeth, NY) • Susie Klein was named credit manager at AWISCO Corp. Klein comes to AWISCO with more than 27 years of collection experience, including six in the welding supply and compressed gases industry. "With our recent rapid expansion, having a seasoned credit manager with experience in our industry is essential," says AWISCO President Lloyd Robinson.
Queen Cylinder Changes Name (Columbus OH) • Queen Cylinder Co. changed its name to Quest Cylinder Company. While the company has served the gas industry for 32 years as Queen Cylinder Company, the second-generation owner, Glenn Dugger, feels this change will better convey the company’s commitment to bringing world class gas cylinders and cryogenic services to the gas industry. ESAB Achieves OHSAS and ISO Certification (Florence, SC) • ESAB Welding & Cutting Products passed both the group OHSAS 18001:2007 certification and the ISO 14001:2004 extension certification for its Environmental Health & Safety Management system worldwide. The certification body, Det Norske Veritas, performed certification audits at 15 ESAB units throughout the world, including ESAB North America’s manufacturing plants. The audit included production and sales operations.
Chart Names Vice Presidents (Garfield Heights, OH) • Amato Spagnoletti was named vice president-North American sales for Chart Industries' Distribution and Storage Group. He will oversee the sales activity of the Industrial, Beverage and Engineered Systems Sales Groups. Spagnoletti joined Chart in 1998 and most recently served as director of sales, engineered systems. R. William "Bill" Kelly was named vice president of sales for Chart Asia, Inc. Kelly has worked for Chart since 1999 in various marketing and sales positions, most recently as vice president-D&S sales in the United States. NuCO2 and Aurora Agree to Merger (Stuart, FL) • NuCO2 Inc. signed a definitive merger agreement on January 29, to be acquired by an affiliate of Aurora Capital Group, in a transaction with a total enterprise value of approximately $487 million. Aurora will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of NuCO2 for $30 per share in cash. "We believe this transaction represents an exciting opportunity to continue the growth and development of the company in partnership with Aurora Capital Group," says Michael E. DeDomenico, NuCO2 chairman and CEO. Completion of the transaction is expected to occur in second quarter 2008.
FasTest Hires Grant Bistram as VP (Lewisburg, TN) • Grant Bistram was named vice president of marketing for FasTest Inc. He previously worked for TURCK Inc. in various positions from drafter to director of marketing. US Tank & Cryogenics Relocates to Tennessee (Miami, FL) • US Tank & Cryogenic Equipment recently moved into a larger facility in Lewisburg, TN. Founded in 1995 in Bradenton, FL, the company's first facility was 1,100 sq. ft. Since then, the company has moved into several bigger facilities to handle its rapid growth. Its new location is a 60,000 sq. ft. facility at 1000 Veterans Drive in Lewisburg, TN 37091. Americana Relocates (Charlotte, NC) • Americana Program Underwriters relocated its Charlotte, NC, office to 4725 Piedmont Row Drive, Suite 600, Charlotte NC 28210. Addresses for accounting and billing remain the same. The new telephone number is 704-749-2700.
GAWDA NEWS
A Greg Norman Signature Course, the 7,171-yard, par-72 Great White Course is the only golf course of its kind in the Southeastern United States that utilizes coquina – crushed shells – as the primary design element on every hole. In designing the Great White, Norman blended strategically demanding fairways with hundreds of palm trees and sporadic Scottish-style bunkers. He then laid out the course in a manner where water comes into play on 14 of the 18 holes, which makes for a challenging, but picturesque Great White Golf Course. The Great White was rated as the best new golf course of 2000 by the National Golf Foundation. Don’t miss your chance to play one of the premier golf courses in America! Visit www.gawda.org today and register for the golf outing and the Spring Management Conference in Miami on April 20-22.
HR Report Available • The February 2008 HR Manager's Legal Reporter is now available for download here. Clearinghouse Updated • The GAWDA Clearinghouse has been updated for the month. Visit this site to see the latest updates.
WORKSHOPS, WEB CONFERENCES & SEMINARS Zap The Gap! How to Solve the Multi-Generational Puzzle Education from the Comforts of Your Office! This live training session is simple to access. Visuals are delivered via the Internet, and audio is delivered via telephone. (Participating sites also receive hard copy of visuals.) What You Will Learn: If you think you have heard all there is to hear about the four different generations in the workplace, you have not heard Meagan Johnson’s hilarious spin on how to attract, train, market, manage and retain people from every generation and not strangle someone in the process. You get to laugh while acquiring tools you can use immediately to improve your multi-generational relationships with clients, customers and co-workers. Presenter: Meagan Johnson will be one of the speakers at the Spring Management Conference in Miami on Monday, April 21. This is your chance to preview her presentation and share her ideas with staff that are not able to attend the SMC. Visit this page for more information and to register. GAWDA Consultants Forum
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The
GAWDA Connection is distributed on the 8th and 23rd of each
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