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| A Semi-Monthly Newsletter for the Gases and Welding Distributors Association |
April 8, 2008
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BREAKING NEWS MembersOnly Buyers Directory is In the Mail The GAWDA MembersOnly Buyers Directory08 is now available! The MembersOnly Buyers Directory08 contains contact and product information for GAWDA manufacturers, suppliers and service providers, sorted by company name, geographic location and product category. A free copy was mailed last week to all key contacts, CEOs and branch locations, and the online edition is available at www.gawda.org under the "Resources" tab. Companies also will be able to keep their listings current in the online edition.
Elkem Metals Sells Assets To Carbide International LLC On April 1, Elkem Metals Company-Pryor L.P. was acquired by Central Carbide LLC, a privately held company of Carbide Industries LLC (Louisville, KY). Ara Hacet, president of Carbide Industries and the affiliate company, Central Carbide, says, "The result of this new venture will be a much stronger, reliable company which can offer our customers geographic diversity with three locations to better serve their requirements." Hacet indicates that the acquisition will allow Carbide to better manage future market swings and assure customers of a secure product source. Welding Fume Case Dismissed Due to Plaintiff Fraud On March 28, lawyers for Mary Lopez, a plaintiff in a Louisiana welding fume case, moved for dismissal after evidence of fraud emerged. The evidence suggested that Ms. Lopez had falsely claimed six individuals as dependent grandchildren on her U.S. income tax returns. The Lopez case is the fifth welding fume case that has been dismissed after being set for trial due to fraud by the plaintiffs. To read more on the case from Mike Degan, GAWDA's Joint Defense Fund Coordinating Counsel, visit this page.
SAFETY & COMPLIANCE NEWS April Safety & Technology Organizer Online • The April Safety & Technology Organizer is now available at www.gawda.org. Topics include Portable Ladder, Shipping Papers – Frequent Citations, FDA Enforcement Trends, and OSHA General Industry Standard 1910.253 Cylinders on Welding Carts. New CGA Safety Alerts Available • The Compressed Gas Association has released a number of new or recently revised safety alerts that may be of interest to GAWDA members. These alerts are: SA-11 "Safety Alert, for Hidden Cryogenic Liquid Cylinder Contamination", SA-2 "Safety Alert for Acetylene", SA-16 "Safety Alert, Blended Breathing Air Fatalities", and SA-17 "Safety Alert, Hazards of Nitrogen/Inert gas creating an Oxygen deficient atmosphere". All safety alerts are available from the CGA Web site at no charge to GAWDA members. If you have questions related to these safety alerts please contact GAWDA OSHA and Safety Consultant Tom Eynon at (252) 745-7391 or via e-mail at tom.eynon@brcompliance.com.
NEW MEMBERS GAWDA welcomes Distributor Member Weld-Mart USA of Wheeling, IL, and Supplier Members Electronic Sensors of Wichita, KS, and Servomex Company of Sugar Land, TX.
INDUSTRY
BEAT
Americana Program Underwriters Changes Name (Charlotte, NC) • Americana Program Underwriters changed its name to AmWINS Program Underwriters. The company is part of the AmWINS group, and the name change is a reflection of the added strength gained from that relationship. Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. Acquires Five Star Gas & Gear (Basking Ridge, NJ) • Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., purchased Five Star Gas & Gear, Inc. of Los Nietos, CA. The purchase will add 5 new branches to the Matheson Tri-Gas network, and the acquired company will become a part of the Matheson Tri-Gas Industrial Gas Group business unit. The transaction involves all of Five Star's assets and employees. Kirk Merica will retain his general management responsibilities for Five Star Gas & Gear now as part of Matheson Tri-Gas. Jack Renouf, president of Five Star Gas & Gear, says, "We were not actively pursuing a sale but are excited to become part of the Matheson Tri-Gas organization. Matheson Tri-Gas will build on the success of the Five Star brand through continued investment of expertise and resources and bring the business to the next level of achievement."
MWS Regional Sales Manager To Chair AWS Subcommittee (Winona, MN) • Tom West, regional sales manager for Mississippi Welders Supply, was named chair of the American Welding Society's Subcommittee on Welding Sales Representatives, which reports to the Personnel & Facilities Qualification Committee. West will also serve on this committee. Chart Acquires Flow Instruments & Engineering (Garfield Heights, OH) • Chart Ferox, a.s., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chart Industries in the Czech Republic, has acquired Flow Instruments & Engineering GmbH of Solingen, Germany. “We are very enthusiastic about the acquisition of Flow, which allows us to expand our product offering to customers through our global sales network," says Hans Lonsain, chairman and managing director of Chart Ferox.
ABICOR Adds 2 District Sales Managers (Frederick, MD) • ABICOR Binzel named Dustin Gordon and Tommy Scott as district sales managers. Gordon will be responsible for overseeing sales activity in Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, the Cincinnati, Ohio area and a small section of southern Indiana. Scott will be responsible for sales activity in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and the majority of Georgia.
GAWDA NEWS
Young Distribution Professionals Conference—Register Today! • The 2008 Young Distribution Professionals Conference, sponsored by GAWDA and other members of the Association Education Alliance, will be held August 3-6 at Eaglewood Spa & Resort in Itasca, IL. Attendees will examine many areas of effective distribution, from sales and marketing to human resources and operations. Last year's event was well-received by attendees, as well as those from GAWDA, including GAWDA President Gary Stoneback and 1st Vice President Jenny McCall. "The YDP conference allows you to learn from and share skills with peers from a very diverse professional background," Stoneback, operations manager of Metro Welding Supply Corp. (Detroit, MI), says of the conference. "We may not be from the same industry, but we certainly have similar problems and challenges." Adds McCall, president of WESCO Gas & Welding Supply (Pritchard, AL), “This conference gives you insights and strategies for personal and professional success.” For more information, to view the conference brochure or to register, visit this page. GAWDA Clearinghouse Updated • The GAWDA Clearinghouse has been updated for the month. For more information, check out this page.
WORKSHOPS, WEB CONFERENCES & SEMINARS Distribution Inventory Seminar
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The
GAWDA Connection is distributed on the 8th and 23rd of each
month to all GAWDA members as GAWDA
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