The Power Of Partnership

One of the primary benefits of membership in GAWDA is the opportunity to create strategic alliances or partnerships between suppliers and distributors. Each of our companies has either formal or informal partnerships with key suppliers, distributors or customers which are vital to the success of our operations.

GAWDA’s strategic partnerships are with our sister associations: Association Education Alliance (AEA), National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), Compressed Gas Association (CGA), Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee (WEMCO) and the American Welding Society (AWS).

The Association Education Alliance is a group of 43 industrial trade associations that have banded together to develop educational programs that are of value to their members. Many of GAWDA’s members send employees to the University of Industrial Distribution (UID), which is the major educational program developed, sponsored and organized by AEA. Members also participate in the quarterly webinars that focus on sales and operations.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors is a Washington, D.C.-based association whose primary purpose is to represent the wholesale distribution industry before Congress, the White House and the judiciary on issues that cross the industry’s many lines of trade. GAWDA has worked with NAW during the past year on issues such as Cardcheck, LIFO, healthcare and energy.

The Compressed Gas Association focuses on the development and promotion of safety standards and safe practices in the industrial gases industry. Many of GAWDA’s member companies are also members of CGA and participate in the committees and the review of standards. GAWDA’s FDA & Medical Gases Consultant Tom Badstubner serves on CGA’s Safety Committee and participates in several of the review panels.

The Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee represents manufacturers making products for welding processes and applications, and provides value-added information and services to end-users, distributors and manufacturers in the welding industry. Many of GAWDA’s supplier members are also members of WEMCO. GAWDA’s chair of the Industry Partnering Committee, Doug Morton, serves as the official liaison with WEMCO and, along with GAWDA’s President and Executive Director, attends their annual meeting.

The American Welding Society’s mission is to advance the science, technology and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes, including brazing, soldering and thermal spraying. AWS actively promotes careers in welding through education and scholarship programs. GAWDA and AWS already have a history of working together on programs to promote the growth and profitability of the welding industry.

GAWDA’s leadership has decided to partner with AWS for meeting, membership and back-office support services. GAWDA has developed a management contract that gives the Board direct control of executive management and provides the desired level of meetings, membership services and administrative support from AWS. AWS will be providing the Headquarters staff, which were previously provided through the contract with Fernley & Fernley.

The contractual relationship between AWS and GAWDA will strengthen existing collaboration as well as provide some additional synergies:
• Provide a unified voice for the welding industry
• Increase support for workforce development to address the shortage of welders
• Unified membership and program marketing
• Influence health and safety issues within government regulatory agencies
• Possible co-location of WEMCO, AWS and GAWDA meetings to reduce participants’ time and expense
• Create stronger links among manufacturers, distributors and end-users.

It is important to note that GAWDA is not becoming part of AWS or a committee within AWS, nor will GAWDA members become members of AWS and visa versa. GAWDA will remain an independent trade association with its own governance, membership, meetings and programs.

GAWDA’s partnerships with its sister associations within the industry enable us to provide more value to our members and result in a more unified and stronger welding and gases industry.

Meet the Author Jenny McCall is 2009-2010 GAWDA president and president of WESCO Gas & Welding Supply. She can be reached by e-mail at jennym@wescoweld.com or at 251-457-8681.