| Murray Hill, New Jersey, U.S., October 27, 2008 –Over 40 distributors attended the 13th annual meeting of the Airco Distributor Association (ADA), held in Las Vegas, Nevada. ADA members use the meeting to share ideas for business improvement and to network with preferred vendors.
Since its inception in 1993, the ADA has enabled independent distributors to leverage the group purchasing power of a respected association to achieve volume discounts and earn rebates. Linde North America, a member of The Linde Group, provides marketing and administrative support to the ADA.
This year’s meeting was held during the first week in October. Mark Falconer, president of Minneapolis-based Minneapolis Oxygen Company and newly elected co-chairman of the ADA, opened the meeting by introducing the new leaders of ADA executive board.
They include: Gary Lichtenheld, president, Terrace Supply Company of Villa Park, Illinois, and Kelly Root, vice president of sales for Capitol Welders Supply, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The ADA’s three new board alternates are: Emmett Aldredge III, vice president of planning and finance for Machine and Welding Supply of Dunn, North Carolina; Bob Iverson, president of Springfield, Massachusetts -based Ivey Industries, Inc., and Lloyd Robinson, president of AWISCO, New York Corp., based in Maspeth, New York.
Falconer also recognized the dozens of Linde and independent distributor employees who contribute their time to the committees that make the ADA a success.
Throughout the three-day event, 20 vendors participated in breakout sessions to discuss product lines, promote rebate programs and introduce special sales available only to meeting attendees.
“I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of the buyers and vendors and the great interaction between them throughout the meeting,” said Falconer. “It definitely had a positive impact of my already strong feelings for this organization. A lot of new ideas were also discussed during the meeting that should bring additional benefit to all ADA members,” he said.
Direct Wire and Cable, Inc., the Denver, Pennsylvania, manufacturer of welding cable, custom welding cable assemblies with connectors and power products, was chosen as ADA’s vendor of the year, based on service, delivery and sales communication.
Eric Laubach, vice-president of Direct Wire and Cable, said, “We are very proud and honored to receive this award. All of our employees have worked very hard to provide the high quality products and services to meet the needs of ADA members. The relationships we've made with ADA members over the years are invaluable.”
This year’s ADA meeting was sponsored by ADA preferred vendors Bernard, Direct Wire and Cable, Flame Technologies, Hypertherm, Label Solutions, Metabo, Norton Abrasives, ORS Nasco, Ratermann Manufacturing, Smith Equipment Company, Taylor Wharton International, Thermal Dynamics, John Tillman Company, Tweco/Arcair, Victor Equipment Company, Washington Alloys, Weldcote Metals, Weldcraft, Worthington Industries and 3M Hornell
Bob VanKirk, director of key accounts and distributors, Linde North America, and ADA board member, spoke to the group about Linde’s business and the industrial gas industry. He addressed the group on Linde’s distributor strategy and competitor’s presence in U.S. market.
Terry Hall, Co-Chairman of ADA, closed the meeting by reminding the members of their commitment to the preferred vendors’ programs and to generating new ideas.
The ADA has 75 independent members who have over 400 retail locations throughout the U.S. Today, the members represent approximately $1 billion in annual purchases and, through compliance with their vendors, have earned about $24 million in rebates since ADA’s inception, achieved.
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with more than 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2007 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 12.3 billion (USD 18.7 billion). The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards earnings-based and sustainable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.
Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group web site at www.linde.com
Contact:
Peter Gavigan
Linde corporate communications
908-771-1512
Peter.gavigan@linde.com |
