Nine New Vendors Introduced at Linde Distributor Association Meeting

Nine new vendors participated in a trade show for the more than 40 industrial gas distributors who attended the 16th annual meeting of the Linde Distributor Association (LDA) held in Las Vegas, Nevada in late October. The annual meeting provides the opportunity for LDA members to share ideas for business improvement and to network with preferred vendors.

The trade show event allowed the new vendors to introduce their products and services to LDA distributors, as well as to discuss individual member company needs. The new vendors are: Aztec Coatings, B & R Compliance Associates, Chart Industries, Cyl-Tec, Dynaflux, Gas Innovations, H & H Sales, Norris Cylinders and Safe-T-Cart.

During the two-day meeting, 18 vendors participated in breakout sessions to discuss product lines, promote rebate programs and introduce special sales available only to meeting attendees.

Terry Hall, LDA co-chairman and Linde distributor consultant, opened the meeting with a brief history of the LDA and how it has evolved into one of the largest buying groups in the U.S industrial gases industry. Hall also welcomed the nine new vendors, several of whom provide marketing and other business services. "We're very excited to add these new suppliers to our list of preferred vendors. They expand LDA's offering to member companies beyond the traditional welding and gases equipment. This is good for the LDA, good for the vendors and good for Linde."

Bob VanKirk, head of key customers and distributors for Linde North America, spoke to the group about Linde's business and product supply and opportunities presented by the mid-market business segment in the U.S. "These companies have annual revenues between $50 million and $1billion and are the engines of economic growth and employment. They represent a huge growth potential for our distributors."

Since its inception in 1993, LDA has enabled independent distributors to leverage the purchasing power of an association to achieve volume discounts and earn rebates. Linde North America, a member of The Linde Group, a world-leading gases and engineering company, provides administrative support to the LDA.

LDA has 70 member companies who have over 400 retail locations throughout the U.S. Together, LDA members have made over $1 billion in annual purchases and have earned some $25 million in rebates since the group was established. Products purchased include welding and cutting equipment, consumables, and gas containment and handling equipment.

Based on service, delivery and sales communication, Direct Wire and Cable, Inc., of Denver, Pennsylvania, was chosen vendor of the year for the second year in a row. The company manufactures welding cable, custom welding cable assemblies with connectors and power products.

This year's LDA meeting was sponsored by preferred vendors Aztec Coatings, Bernard, B & R Compliance Associates, Chart Industries, Cryovation, Direct Wire and Cable, Dynaflux, Flame Technologies, Gas Innovations, H & H Sales, Hypertherm, Metabo, Norris Cylinders, Norton Abrasives, ORS Nasco, Ratermann Manufacturing, Safe-T-Cart, Smith Equipment Company, Thermal Dynamics, John Tillman Company, Tweco/Arcair, Victor Equipment Company, Washington Alloys, Weldcote Metals, Weldcraft, Worthington Industries and 3M Hornell.

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 50,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 12.9 billion (USD 17.9 billion). The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.