BREAKING NEWS

GAWDA Consultant Rebuts Misleading Article

Mike Degan, GAWDA's joint defense fund coordinating consultant, issued a response to a one-sided story published last month in the left-leaning magazine Mother Jones. The article, entitled "Toxic Smoke and Mirrors," attacked the welding industry's efforts to defend itself from the onslaught of welding fume litigation by falsely accusing the industry of manufacturing fake science, claiming that a study conducted by Jon Fryzek is an example of "industry buying science." Degan makes the point that meritless claims, not "bought" science, explains the industry's success in defending fume litigation.
Please click here to read Degan's full response.

Suppliers Hit the Road with Hydrogen

Air Products, Air Liquide America Specialty Gases and Linde North America are taking part in a national road tour designed to raise awareness of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel and the need to develop a U.S. hydrogen energy infrastructure. The National Hydrogen Tour '08, organized by the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the National Hydrogen Association, features hydrogen-fueled cars from automakers. The tour began on August 11 and will make 31 stops in 17 states plus Washington, D.C.

On August 13, the tour made a stop at Air Products’ headquarters in Allentown, PA, where cars from BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagon were fueled by the company’s new hydrogen fueling station. Air Products’ other hydrogen fueling stations located across the country will continue to support the tour as it moves along its path. The tour also made a stop at Air Liquide’s Delaware Research and Technology Center on August 14. Hydrogen-powered cars from Honda, Hyundai and Toyota took advantage of its hydrogen fueling station, which completes fill-ups in less than 5 minutes. Linde is supplying green hydrogen to fuel BMW’s Hydrogen 7 Series cars. Linde also developed and supplied the technology BMW uses to refuel the cars.

For more on the National Hydrogen Tour '08, visit DOT's website.

NEW MEMBERS

GAWDA welcomes new distributor members US Cryogenics Inc. of Washougal, WA, and Louisiana Industrial & Safety Supply Co. LLC of Covington, LA, and supplier member PHPK Technologies of Columbus, OH.

INDUSTRY BEAT
(what people are talking about)

One Million Clicks for Cyberweld.com (Linden, NJ) • Cyberweld.com, the retail Web site for J.W. Goodliffe & Son at www.cyberweld.com, was recognized by GoogleT for generating over 1 million clicks through AdWords, a pay-per-click advertising program. Cyberweld.com also added its 1,200th item for sale on August 4; when the site launched in June of 2000, 50 items were listed.

E.D. Shaw IV

Air Products to Supply Gases in China (Lehigh Valley, PA) • Air Products signed a long-term contract with Weihe Clean Energy Company Limited, a subsidiary of Shaan'xi Weihe Coal Chemical Group, one of China’s largest coal-based fertilizer and methanol producers, to supply gaseous oxygen and nitrogen for a coal-to-chemicals project. At the project site, Air Products will build, own and operate an air separation unit (ASU) expected to produce over 2,000 tons of oxygen per day. Liquid bulk gases will also be supplied by Air Products to the surrounding merchant market.

New Flux Plant for ESAB (Florence, SC) • ESAB Welding & Cutting Products opened its second flux plant. Located in Hanover, PA, the new plant provides a significant upgrade in manufacturing capacity and allows for the production of bonded subarc fluxes in North America, creating products for a variety of markets including shipbuilding, wind towers, structural steel construction and general fabrication. "The plant went through extensive testing to ensure that there is no difference from fluxes produced at our other facilities," says Chris Depew, product business manager for the flux product line.

Linde’s McGowan Named Chairman of NHA (Murray Hill, NJ) • Mike McGowan, head of hydrogen solutions for Linde, was named chairman of the National Hydrogen Association (NHA), the world’s largest hydrogen technology trade association. During his 2-year tenure as chairman, McGowan will be responsible for leading the NHA to create a shared vision for the deployment of hydrogen technologies and expanding hydrogen infrastructure. McGowan has served on NHA’s Board of Directors and its executive committee since 2003.

American Welding and Tank Acquires Certified Cylinder (Mechanicsburg, PA) • On August 1, American Welding and Tank acquired Certified Cylinder in Crossville, TN. The 39-year old company, which recertifies and refurbishes DOT cylinders, will operate as Certified Cylinder, a Division of American Welding and Tank.

Gary Kennedy, chairman and CEO of Red Ball Oxygen (left), is presented with the ISO:17025 Accreditation Certificate by Red Ball Technical Gas Director Mark Patten (right) and Operations Manager Craig Harris.

Red Ball Receives Accreditation (Shreveport, LA) • Red Ball Technical Gas Services, a division of Red Ball Oxygen Company, was accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 by Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation. "This accreditation attests to the technical capability of our laboratory," explains Red Ball Technical Gas Director Mark Patten. "It focuses on the technical competence, traceability of measurement and proficiency of our calibration lab." The accreditation is recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative, insuring credibility in all markets.

Norco Merges with Gases Plus (Boise, ID) • Norco purchased the majority-share of Gases Plus, a provider of welding, safety and janitorial equipment for over 30 years. The union will push Norco over the $200 million mark in annual sales, with over 900 employees in 56 locations. "Teaming up with Gases Plus to create 'Gases Plus Norco' will allow both firms to integrate technology and streamline production to better serve our markets," says Ned Pontious, president of Norco.

Tom Kairys

Kairys Promoted at Butler Gas (McKees Rocks, PA) • Having served on the sales team at Butler Gas for a year and a half, Tom Kairys was promoted to vice president of industrial gases. "Industrial gas is our fastest growing division," says President/CEO Jack Butler, "and Tom has the knowledge and passion to lead that division."

TW Cylinders Reinstates Surcharges (Mechanicsburg, PA) • TW Cylinders, a division of Taylor-Wharton International, reinstated surcharges on all invoices covering acetylene and high pressure cylinder shipments due to fuel surcharges charged by freight carriers and other suppliers. Beginning with orders received on or after October 7, 2005, Taylor-Wharton may assess surcharges on products manufactured at its Theodore, AL; Huntsville, AL; and Harrisburg, PA facilities. The complete text of Taylor-Wharton’s "Surcharge Acknowledgement" can be viewed and downloaded at www.TaylorWharton.com.

Sherwood Consolidating Facilities (Mechanicsburg, PA) • Sherwood Valve, a division of Taylor-Wharton International, is consolidating all manufacturing and assembly operations into its Washington, PA, and Cleveland, OH, facilities. The consolidation reduces Sherwood’s environmental imprint, with both energy consumption related to the valve business and waste generation expected to decrease by 30%. The consolidation will contribute to manufacturing efficiencies, streamlined administration and opportunities to leverage processes among Sherwood's multiple product lines.

This life size welding sculpture was created with welding equipment that Cee Kay distributes, repairs & rents. (L-R)Cee Kay Supply President Tom Dunn, Thermadyne EVP of Global Sales & Marketing Martin Quinn, sculpture artist Brother Melvin Meyer, Cee Kay President Ned Lane and Regional VP of Sales Heath Heath Wells stand with Thermadyne's gift in honor of Cee Kay's 60th anniversary.

Cee Kay Marks Anniversary with Unique Gifts (St. Louis, MO) • Cee Kay Supply celebrated its 60th anniversary at its headquarters on July 24 with the unveiling of a life size welding sculpture and a newly dedicated history room. The sculpture represents Cee Kay as a welding equipment supplier and was put together with welding equipment that Cee Kay distributes, repairs and rents. The history room displays the evolution of welding and industrial gas technology and pays tribute to employees who helped the company grow. Additionally, Thermadyne Industries presented Cee Kay with an abstract sculpture to honor of the anniversary.

GAWDA NEWS

Attention Volunteers • Interested in helping to grow our membership?  We are looking for volunteer leaders to be a part of the GAWDA Membership Committee. If interested, please contact Kate Cole, Membership Director, at 215-564-4672 or kcole@fernley.com. .

Western Zone Meets in Stevenson, WA • On July 23-25, Rick Henson of Oxarc, Inc. (Spokane, WA) hosted a regional meeting that included a total of 144 distributors and suppliers at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA. The meeting opened with an evening reception. The business program included speakers Jeff Hoffart, ESAB, "Competing in the 21st Century Welding Industry"; Jeff Hanna, Flexovit, "Safety"; Lisa Bordeaux, Blue Volt/Weld Train, "Online Training for the Welding and Safety Industry"; and Greg Snyder from the City of Spokane Valley Sheriff’s Office, “Violence in the Workplace.”
The golf outing was enjoyed by 72 players, including winners Ara Hacet, Carbide Industries, Jim Littrell, Genstar Technologies, Gary Degenhart, Chart, Inc. and Jim Miklandric, Weld Train. Twenty members played bocce ball; Airgas winners Tom Bailey, Sandy Bailey, Linda Tatro and Al Castrillo donated their winnings to a local charity.

Southeastern Zone Regional Meeting in Pinehurst, NC • On August 3-4, Kent Buzard, CTR, hosted a regional meeting for 57 distributors and suppliers, opening with a BBQ dinner. The business session included GAWDA President Elect Britt Lovin, Andy Oxy Company (Asheville, NC), who provided a GAWDA update, and speakers Steve Grimberg, "Bulk Tank 101" and Keith Carribine, "Inner World of Cryogenics."  Thirty-two members enjoyed a golf outing.

GAWDA Launches Online Career Center • GAWDA has launched its interactive job board, the GAWDA Career Center. With its focus on gases and welding distributor companies and professionals, the GAWDA Career Center offers members—and the industry at large—an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for online employment connections.
Members can use the GAWDA Career Center to reach qualified candidates. Employers can post jobs online, search for qualified candidates based on specific job criteria and create an online résumé agent to e-mail qualified candidates daily. They also benefit from online reporting, which provides job activity statistics.
For job seekers, the GAWDA Career Center is a free service that provides access to employers and jobs in the gases and welding distribution industry. In addition to posting their résumés, job seekers can browse and view available jobs based on their criteria and save those jobs for later review. Job seekers can also create a search agent to provide e-mail notifications of jobs that match their criteria.
Visit the GAWDA Career Center on our Web site at www.gawda.org.

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 will be an ever-changing and growing program. The initial course offerings will concentrate on training for new employees during their first 90 days. The second generation of content will focus on more advanced training that will build upon the earlier basic/elementary courses. This summer, we will be seeking training material from our members that can be adapted to the GAWDA U platform and will expand the program to include supplier-based training on company-specific products and services.

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!

Current GAWDA U Training Courses
Back Safety Indoor Air Quality Personal Protective Equipment –     Parts 1, 2, 3 Safety in the Workplace Forklift Safety Training – Parts 1, 2 Prevention of Vehicle Accidents Entry Level Driver Training	DOT Driver's Training – Part I, II, III Overview of Ergonomics Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors Hazard Communication CGMP Training Part A – Introduction to the FDA CGMP Training Part B – Definitions & Prohibited Acts CGMP Training Part C – Overview of CGMPS per 21     CFR

2008 REGIONAL MEETINGS Regional Meetings offer attendees a chance to see industry leaders speak about the industry, meet with GAWDA Consultants, Board Members and other association volunteers. Meet with customers, suppliers and network with your peers to get some insight on the industry. It’s an unbeatable value! Please click here for details. The regional calendar will be updated as new meeting dates become available.                2008 Regional Meeting Dates                ZONE DATE LOCATION REGIONAL CHAIR PHONE EA September 3 The Links at Gettysburg Gettysburg, PA Doug Morton Eleet Cryogenics, Inc. (330) 795-0154 EA October 14 Hampden Country Club Hampden, MA Robert E. O'Brien Gas and Air Systems, Inc. (610) 838-9625 or (610) 462-7979

WORKSHOPS, WEB CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

Developing an Inventory State of Mind (Webinar)
September 10, 2008
1:00 pm–2:30 pm (Eastern)
In this webinar, Jason Bader will teach participants how to introduce the cash concept to the people who manage the inventory asset every day. Several ways to prevent cash from leaking out of the business will be discussed. Registration fee is $149 (U.S.) per site, not per person. Register online. For more details, visit GAWDA News.

University of Industrial Distribution
December 2-5, 2008
The University Place Conference Center and Hotel
Indianapolis, IN
GAWDA is pleased to invite you to participate in the University of Industrial Distribution, December 2-5, 2008, at The University Place Conference Center and Hotel, Indianapolis, IN. This is the 15th year that UID has been serving the distribution industry. The University of Industrial Distribution is a concentrated educational program focused on the unique needs of the industrial wholesale distribution industry. The program will offer 25 classes, featuring some of the most accomplished experts in sales, finance, branch management, HR, distribution technology and the distribution channel.
For GAWDA members, the early registration fee is $995 if postmarked, faxed or submitted online by November 1, 2008—a savings of $100. You may register online at www.univid.org.
Get details on the speakers, program details registration and hotel information here.

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