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- The Recovery...Really! [Second Quarter 2010]
Economist Alan Beaulieu analyzes economic trends that signal a turnaround for the gases and welding industry and encourages distributors to start spending again.
- The Siren Song of Inventory Reductions [First Quarter 2010]
Reducing investment in inventory during an economic slowdown can be risky., gases and welding distributors association, GAWDA, data key communications
- Fiscal Fitness [Third Quarter 2009]
Gases and welding suppliers and distributors discuss innovative steps taken to survive in a difficult gases and welding economy
- GAWDAwiki: Keeping You Connected [Third Quarter 2009]
GAWDAwiki is a resource for the gases and welding industry designed to keep gases and welding professionals informed and updated on gases and welding news and information.
- Lessons Learned [Third Quarter 2008]
Acquisitions are common in the gases and welding industry, and understanding the process makes for a more successful acquisition.
- Is Your Company Ripe For Embezzlement [Fourth Quarter 2008]
Employee schemes and methods of stealing and embezzling to protect against in the gases and welding industry.
- Managing The Cultural Transition of An Acquisition [Third Quarter 2008]
Managing The Cultural Transition Of An Acquisition.
- The Other Part Of The Economic Stimulus Act Of 2008 [Third Quarter 2008]
Not all provisions of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 have been well-publicized, including the Section 179 Deduction and Bonus Depreciation segments.
- Why Are Wire Rod Prices Increasing [Second Quarter 2008]
Prices of steel wire rod for welding have increased dramatically due to the unstable economy and increased costs of raw materials for steel wire rod in welding wire mills.
- Avoid Creative Constipation [Fourth Quarter 2007]
Many business owners in the gases and welding industry are trained to think traditionally, but in order to survive, businesses must be innovative and creative when developing new ideas.
- The Art Of Acquisition [Third Quarter 2007]
Gases and welding distributors discuss the process of an acquisition and what makes for a successful acquisition in the compressed gas and welding industry.
- Seller Beware [Second Quarter 2007]
Buyers frequently take advantage of company’s looking to sell by purchasing the stock rather than the assets and taking over operations. Steps to protect against these buyer scams.
- The Price Of Success [Fourth Quarter 2006]
Gases and welding manufacturers discuss reasons for price increases, including rising prices of fuel and steel.
- Surcharging Into The Future [Fourth Quarter 2006]
The rising cost of fuel has a large impact on sales calls and compressed gases and welding equipment delivery, and has forced many gases and welding distributors to enforce surcharges.
- Broad Demographic Trends Look Good For The Economy [Fourth Quarter 2006]
Consumer spending can be broken down by generational differences, with Baby Boomers and Generation Yers leading in consumption.
- The Growth Of Employee Ownership [Fourth Quarter 2006]
Employee stock ownership plans are increasing in popularity due to benefits such as increased morale and efficiency. Most ESOPs include stock options for all employees.
- The Price Is Right? [First Quarter 2006 ]
Rising expenses such as oil prices and delivery costs are forcing distributors of compressed gases and welding equipment to raise prices and reevaluate pricing models.
- Liquid Oxygen Saves Trout Fishery [First Quarter 2005]
Linweld Oxygen supplies compressed gases and industrial gases to government-owned fisheries and used an oxygen contract to save a trout fishery.
- Total Upstream Process Improvement [Fourth Quarter 2004]
Welding equipment distributors have an opportunity to work with customers to lower the cost of welding by improving efficiency and material flow for the welding process.
- Fraud Protection [Fourth Quarter 2004]
Credit card fraud affects millions every year. Following basic guidelines can help prevent you from being a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft.
- Doing Business The Customer's Way [Third Quarter 2004]
Traditional sales methods in the gases and welding industry must be changed in order to compete with online sales methods and a new type of gases and welding customer.
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- The Datings Games [Second Quarter 2009]
Al Bates examines the issues of cash discounts and datings.
- Expense Leveraging and Gross Margin Management [First Quarter 2009]
Gases and welding distributors can increase profitability by focusing on leveraging expenses and gross margin management. Small changes in either of these will result in much higher profits.
- Let's Make Things Worse [Fourth Quarter 2008]
Cutting prices during slow economic times can be disastrous for a compressed gases and welding equipment distributor because it negatively impacts the bottom line.
- The Sales To Payroll Delta [Third Quarter 2008]
It is critical to companies in the compressed gases and welding equipment industry that the sales to payroll delta be kept constant to ensure profitability.
- All Sales Volume Is Not Created Equal [Fourth Quarter 2007]
The impact that a sale has on expenses determines whether it is a good sale or a bad sale, which is caused by the creation of new customers versus selling to existing ones.
- All Customers Are Not Created Equal [Third Quarter 2007]
Customer profitability affects their importance within a gases and welding distributorship. Unprofitable customers should be let go to increase profitability.
- Hey, The Truck Is Going Right By There Anyway! [Second Quarter 2007]
Incremental sales volume can be a good way to earn supplemental profit by employing services like invoice loading, product line extensions and direct shipments.
- Sales Force Pricing: The Stockholm Syndrome [Third Quarter 2006]
Gases and welding distributors are often swayed by customers to lower prices out of empathy and end up decreasing profitability.
- Distributor Profitability Trends [Second Quarter 2006]
A report on trends in distribution and distributor profitability as measured by all distribution versus Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) members.
- Remembering The Mistakes Of The Past [First Quarter 2006]
Following a recession, managers in the gases and welding industry often increase payroll expenses and inventory investments, allowing uncontrolled growth.
- Making It Up With Volume [First Quarter 2005]
The unique structure of expenses in the compressed gases and welding equipment industry makes price cutting very unprofitable without significant increase in sales volume for GAWDA members.
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- Avoid Leaky Contractor Policies [Second Quarter 2010]
Best practices for insurance and indemnification requirements in a gas and welding distributorship
- Insuring Success [Fourth Quarter 2006]
Members of the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) confront issues pertaining to welding fume litigation and insurance coverage for welding fume litigation.
- Distributor Risk Management Plans [First Quarter 2006]
A successful risk management program for a gases and welding distributor includes safety, security, regulatory compliance, quality, operational integrity, insurance, and plans for preparation and recovery.
- A Near-Term Solution For Health Insurance Costs [Fourth Quarter 2005]
Health care insurance costs are a major concern for employers in the compressed gases and welding equipment industry. Health savings accounts (HSAs) may be a solution.
- Ride The Consumer-Driven Health Care Wave [Third Quarter 2005]
Consumer driven health care (CDHC) allows customers to determine health benefits versus HMOs or PPOs. HSAs are an example of CHDC.
- Are You Properly Communicating The Other 25% Of Compensation [Third Quarter 2004]
25% of an employee’s compensation is in benefits, so it is important to develop a communication system to communicate these compensation benefits to employees.
- Are Your Employees Underinsured? [Fourth Quarter 2003]
Life insurance often is overshadowed by health insurance for employee insurance providers in the gases and welding industry. GAWDA employers need to ensure sufficient life insurance coverage for employees.
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- The Patient Protection And Affordable Health Care Act [Third Quarter 2010]
The law changes everything involved with health care costs, including some hidden tax laws.
- What In The World? [Third Quarter 2010]
Now would be a good time to see your favorite tax advisor while the economy is starting to recover from the recession.
- Personal Goodwill [Fourth Quarter 2007]
Personal goodwill is the intangible value a specific person brings to a company, and is important for legal reasons for federal tax ramifications, capital gains, stock sales and special considerations for C corporations.
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- Yes We Can [Second Quarter 2009]
How distributors are weathering the economic downturn.
- Fueling Your Company [Fourth Quarter 2008]
Gases and welding distributors struggle to save money on delivery costs for welding equipment and compressed gases as fuel prices rise.
- Discontinued/Isolated Product Liability Risks [Third Quarter 2008]
Distributors of specialty gases and welding equipment must be sure they are insured and protected for discontinued products by creating a run-off infrastructure.
- Managing Interruptions [Second Quarter 2008]
Seven tips for managing minor interruptions during the work day to allow a manager to increase efficiency and maximize productivity.
- Total Quality Management [First Quarter 2008]
The Total Quality Management philosophy is to create a culture of “quality consciousness” in all aspects of a gases and welding business in order to improve methods and increase efficiency.
- Avoiding Fraudulent Credit Card Transactions [Third Quarter 2007]
Credit card fraud has increased dramatically in the welding industry. Recent credit card scams include relay calls, internet inquiries and cross-country shipments.
- Reduce Printing, Handling And Postage Costs [Third Quarter 2007]
Taking simple steps allows a distributor in the compressed gas and welding equipment industry to reduce overhead costs and reduce printing, handling and mailing expenses.
- Branching Out [Third Quarter 2007]
The pros and cons of opening a new branch location for a gases and welding distributorship, as well as some advice for opening a new branch.
- A Tale Of Two Facilities [Third Quarter 2007]
Gases and welding distributors share similar experiences moving into new branch location or fill plant facilities and offer advice on what to look out for with a new gases and welding distribution facility.
- Change Your Corporate Culture To Enable Change [Second Quarter 2007]
Innovation is critical for survival in the gases and welding industry. The culture of a corporation must be receptive to change and condone new ideas and innovation.
- Strength In Numbers [Fourth Quarter 2006]
Cooperatives within the gases and welding industry help a distributor to increase purchasing power and be a competitor in the gases and welding industry.
- Give Your Company Away [Fourth Quarter 2006]
Employee stock option programs (or ESOPs) serve as an employee benefit as well as an incentive for employees to be more productive.
- Saving Money With Used Equipment [Third Quarter 2006]
Buying used equipment for the storage and transport or compressed gases and other industrial gases can save a company money.
- Emergency Planning For Businesses [First Quarter 2006]
Forty percent of all businesses hit by a disaster close within five years, so it is imperative that gases and welding companies have an emergency plan if they want to sustain business.
- Forces That Create Competition [Fourth Quarter 2003]
There are a number of forces that create competition in the gases and welding industry, including supplier bargaining power, competitive rivalry and customers.
- Do Small Companies Fare Better Than Big Companies In Tough Times? [Third Quarter 2003]
Small companies have an advantage over large companies in difficult economic times because of the speed of operations in implementation and proximity of key personnel.
- Does Company Size Really Matter? [Third Quarter 2003]
Four distributors in the industrial gases and welding equipment industry discuss the impact of company size on change and innovation.
- Flexibility And Speed Are SMALL BUSINESS Hallmarks [Third Quarter 2003]
Flexibility is the number one advantage that small gases and welding distributors have over large distributors of industrial gas and welding equipment.
- It's The Best Of Both Worlds For MID-SIZED COMPANIES [Third Quarter 2003]
Mid-sized compressed gases and welding companies enjoy advantages over small and large companies, including strong buying power and involved management.
- More Begets More For LARGE COMPANIES [Third Quarter 2003]
Large gases and welding distributors enjoy the advantages of strong buying power combined with vast resources and a large customer base.
- Three Steps For Keeping Your Employees' E-mail From Landing Your Business In Court [Third Quarter 2002]
Improper use of a gases and welding company’s email system can land that company in legal troubles, facing litigation, lawsuits and heavy fines.
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- The Great Wail Of "China" [First Quarter 2008]
U.S. manufacturers of welding equipment are moving operations overseas, causing many distributors of welding equipment to buy imports from China and others.
- Globalization Ups Ante For Product Liability [Fourth Quarter 2005]
Globalization Ups Ante For Product Liability.
- The Global Marketplace [Third Quarter 2002]
Offshore manufacturers of welding equipment use American technology to manufacture goods of equal quality at a lower price, leading to a more diverse global market for the gases and welding industry.
- An American Welding Manufacturer Responds To Offshore Competition [Third Quarter 2002]
Imported welding equipment and other gases and welding products tend to be of lower quality than domestic products, but offer a lower price.
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