2015 Trends Snapshot: Gases & Welding Equipment Distribution - Modern Distribution Management

2015 Trends Snapshot: Gases & Welding Equipment Distribution

This article is part of MDM's 2015 Distribution Trends Special Issue. It provides a quick look at key trends affecting the gases & welding equipment distribution sector.

The annual feature was researched and written by MDM editors based on interviews with dozens of wholesaler-distributors, as well as industry experts and manufacturers. MDM also conducted a survey of its readers to uncover the trends outlined in this issue.

The full special issue is available to download in PDF format to MDM Premium subscribers. Subscribe below for full access. Or log-in if you are already a subscriber.

Trends outlined in the 2015 report include:

  • Good & Bad News for U.S. Economy
  • Distributors Get Back to the Basics
  • ‘Doubling Down’ on Distributor Relationships
  • Distributors Embrace, Expand Online Customer Base
  • Distributors Seeking ‘Lean’ Supply Chain
  • Distributors Adapt to More Sophisticated Supply Chain
  • Distributors Combine Traditional, New Means for Recruiting
  • Distributors Change Tune on Generational Shift
  • Trend Snapshots for 13 Sectors

The report also includes the following case studies and interviews:

  • 2015 MDM Market Movers
    • AJ Adhesives Takes Service to New Level
    • Plumbers Supply’s “Win-Win-Win-Win”
  • MDM Market Leader Profiles
    • Culture Drives Success for ERIKS North America
    • TTI’s Strategic Approach to Global Growth

This is a part of the 2015 Distribution Trends Special Issue. The annual feature was researched and written by MDM editors based on interviews with dozens of distributors, as well as industry experts and manufacturers. MDM also conducted a survey of its readers to uncover the trends outlined in this issue.


2015 Distribution Trends Special Issue


The FDA's involvement in food gases is a major development for the sector, says Tom Biedermann, president of Airweld Inc. and 2015 president of Gases and Welding Distributors Association. Any type of gas that goes into a food product, such as CO2 for beer kegs, is considered food and will be regulated as such. "It is a huge, huge issue especially when the FDA begins to measure what you're doing with it," he says. "You have to make sure you're compliant with all their food gas rules." Distributors who work with food gases will need to document their processes, keep facilities up to different standards and make sure labeling complies with the newly adopted Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. As Bob Yeoman wrote in a recent issue of Welding & Gases Today: "If you dispense food and beverage gases, you are no longer an industrial gas producer. You are a food processing plant. And there are consequences if you don’t know the rules."

The softening of the oil patch has the same effect here as it does elsewhere. Companies with heavy exposure to the industry – those that distribute products specifically to the oil & gas sector – are struggling. But other gases and welding distributors are benefitting from lowered oil prices through reduced transportation costs and even lower utility bills in the winter.

Consolidation in the industry rolls on, with some of the big players like Airgas and Tech Air getting bigger as they snatch up smaller distributors.

Share this article

About the Author
Recommended Reading
Leave a Reply

Leave a Comment

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

The MDM update newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

2

articles left

Want more Premium content from MDM?

Subscribe today and get:

  • New issues twice each month
  • Unlimited access to mdm.com, including 10+ years of archived data
  • Current trends analysis, market data and economic updates
  • Discounts on select store products and events

Subscribe to continue reading

MDM Premium Subscribers get:

  • Unlimited access to MDM.com
  • 1 year digital subscription, with new issues twice a month
  • Trends analysis, market data and quarterly economic updates
  • Deals on select store products and events

1

article
left

You have one free article remaining

Subscribe to MDM Premium to get unlimited access. Your subscription includes:

  • Two new issues a month
  • Access to 10+ years of archived data on mdm.com
  • Quarterly economic updates, trends analysis and market data
  • Store and event discounts

To continue reading, you must be an MDM Premium subscriber.

Join other distribution executives who use MDM Premium to optimize their business. Our insights and analysis help you enter the right new markets, turbocharge your sales and marketing efforts, identify business partners that help you scale, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!