Benefits and Compensation
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Give Me A Break
When employees request extra vacation time, distributors must be prepared. -
Controlling Workers’ Compensation Claims and Costs
Workers' compensation is a difficult coverage in the gases and welding industry. Article outlines 6 practices for limiting work comp claims in the gases and welding industry. By Tony Hopkins, CPCU and Dan Horton. -
Employee Benefits In 2008
Outlines the employee benefits in 2008, focusing on health insurance trends in the gases and welding industry. By David A. Proctor. -
Your Experience Modification Factor
Understanding the Workers’ Compensation Experience Modification Factor, or mod factor, can help reduce work comp premiums. By R. Scott Wolff. -
Preparing A Benefits Statement
Distributing a list of benefits to employees has several advantages. These include communication, employee retention and recruiting. Compares GAWDA member benefits with non-GAWDA distributors. -
The New Overtime Rule And Application
The New Overtime Rule And Application. New labor laws enacted in 2004 under the Fair Labor Standards Act detail overtime regulations, wage laws and salary regulations. By Bart A. Basi and Marcus S. Renwick. -
Ending The Employment Relationship
A release agreement is a contract between an employer and a terminated employee that states the employee will not pursue litigation upon his or her termination. By Lisa Callaway, JD, SPHR.
Developing Management
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Twelve Ways To Power
Networking is the contact sport of the millennium. If change is inevitable and growth is optional, I wish someone had told me that in school before I embarked on Real Life 101. I did not go to an institute of higher learning filled with entrepreneurial studies, nor was I born with a silver spoon in my [...] -
It’s Okay To Be The Boss
The truth behind seven common management myths. By Bruce Tulgan -
The Art And Science Of Motivation
TWSCO’s formula for measuring employee performance produces real results. By Wes Morris, SPHR -
Leadership For A New Economy
Distributors can motivate employees during unstable times through encouragement, optimism and honest communication. By Joe Takash. -
Mentor/Mentee Relationships
Mentoring relationships are a unique way for up and coming industry members to learn from more seasoned veterans. These relationships come in all shapes in sizes and have different outcomes depending on the people involved. A successful mentoring relationship requires willingness and perseverance on behalf of the mentor and the individual who is being mentored [...] -
Building Peak Performance Teams
trategies for team building in the welding and specialty gases industry. Tips to help build a successful gases and welding team. By Herbert M. Greenberg, Ph.D. -
First-Time Managers
Lessons on developing first-time managers in the gases and welding industry. Learn to develop inexperienced managers into gases and welding professionals. By Eileen Krantz. -
Engaging Your Workforce
Steps to engage employees in the gases and welding workplace. Engaged employees are more efficient and productive. By Mary Lynn Fayoumi. -
How Emerging Managers Will Alter Gases & Welding’s Leadership Paradigm
Management is transitioning from the Baby Boomer generation to the Generation Xers. This provides opportunities in the gases and welding industry for young professionals. By Robert W. Wendover. -
The New Breed Of Managers
The New Breed Of Managers. By William Sitter. -
The Torn Manager
Middle management often finds itself torn between executives and employees. Gases and welding managers must walk the thin line between the two. By Terri Levine. -
Identify, Develop And Promote Leadership Talent
It is critical to develop a process for management leadership in the gases and welding industry. Article outlines steps to identify, recruit, manage and maintain talented employees in the gases and welding industry. By Lance A. Berger.
Hiring
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Distributors Take The Wrench To Their Service Departments
Distributors weigh in on the ways they put their service departments together. -
Hiring A Salesperson, Part II: Welding Skills Required
Industry members respond to claims that welding skills do not impact sales success. -
Hiring A Salesperson: No Welding Skills Needed
Industry insiders argue that welding is not a skill required for sales success. -
How To Hire Successful Managers
Learn how to avoid hiring the wrong person for a gases and welding management position. By Kurt G. Helm, Ph.D. -
Hiring Salespeople
Hiring gases and welding salespeople is difficult. The dos and don'ts of hiring salespeople in the gases and welding industry. By Joe Ellers. -
The Personality Of A Top Salesperson
A description of the qualities of top gases and welding salespeople and what can be done to develop other gases and welding salespeople. By Herbert M. Greenberg, Ph.D.
Military
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Take Your Boss To Work Day
Wisconsin distributor sees firsthand the quality and professionalism of National Guard and Reserve members. Recently, employers throughout Wisconsin embarked on a mission they would not soon forget. The Wisconsin Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) invited 54 employers to participate in the annual Boss Lift event at the naval base in Norfolk, [...] -
Gases And Welding On The Front Lines
Welding & Gases Today salutes the brave and generous men and women of GAWDA who serve their country. -
On The Homefront
GAWDA Members with employees overseas do more than just tie a yellow ribbon. -
Doing Business With Uncle Sam
Gases and Welding Distributors Association members work with the U.S. military to provide specialty gases, gas cylinders, welding equipment and other gases and welding services to the troops. -
How I Learned To Salute My Customers
Chronicles a parallel career between gases and welding distribution at Praxair and service in the U.S. Navy. Describes similarities between industrial and specialty gas and welding industry and U.S. military. By Captain John S. Gilsenan, USN (Ret.). -
Put America’s Best To Work For You
Employees with military service experience have excellent work ethic and useful skills in the gases and welding industry. Many have hands on experience with welding or gases. -
Leadership Lessons From The Industry’s Front Line
Leadership Lessons From The Industry's Front Line. Employees with military service experience have excellent work ethic and useful skills in the gases and welding industry. Many have hands on experience with welding or gases.
Training
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What High-Performing Salespeople Have That Others Don’t
Research study shows selling is a learned intellectual skill. Professional selling is a learned intellectual skill where more knowledgeable sales personnel should be expected to be more productive due to their superior client interaction and persuasion skills. Learned largely through direct-selling experience and training, these superior skills would be expected to enable high-performing salespeople to more [...] -
Training For Dollars
When is the last time you read the user’s manual? You just purchased a new smartphone. What do you do next? Turn it on and start using it, of course. In fact, you are so fascinated with all the things your new smartphone can do that you try them all out as fast as you can. [...] -
Distributors Take The Wrench To Their Service Departments
Distributors weigh in on the ways they put their service departments together. -
Sales Skills vs. Technical Skills
Does a salesperson need welding skills in order to successfully sell welding equipment? -
Do You Know What Your Employees Need?
"Mechanic for a Day" Jeff Schmeck shares some lessons learned. -
Tech Air Takes Training To The Next Level
Train the trainer program brings additional trainers on site. By Marilyn Dempsey -
Do The Ys Have It?
Generation Y brings a unique set of skills…and a unique set of challenges. -
U Text, I Type
Today’s generations approach workplace communications in different ways, between phone calls, texting and email. By Robert Wendover. -
Training For Dollars
In the gases and welding industry there is always more to learn. Supplier-sponsored training is one of the most effective ways for distributors to gain knowledge. These gases and welding training success stories offer examples of how training can make the cash register sing. -
Creating A Totally Accountable Work Environment
GAWDA SMC Speaker Mike Scott outlines three key factors for gases & welding distributors to implement in their businesses to hold people accountable. -
Behind The Wheel
Distributors discuss the ins and outs of finding and retaining the best drivers. -
Finding A Way
Earlbeck Gases & Technologies talks about what it takes to become an AWS-accredited testing facility. By Jim Earlbeck and Jesse Mayne. -
University of Industrial Distribution
The University of Industrial Distribution is an educational program for professionals in the specialty gases and welding industry. -
Six Steps To Better Sales
Six Steps To Better Sales. By Bruce Belk. -
Confronting The CDL Driver Shortage
CDL drivers are typically in short supply. Offering CDL training for back-up drivers saves time and money. By Jim Earlbeck. -
An Educated Customer Is The Best Customer
Providing customer training for gases and welding equipment is just as important as employee training. Gases and welding distributors benefit from educated customers. By James M. Earlbeck.
Young Executives
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New Mission For Young Professionals
GAWDA’s next generation of leaders spent the last year soul-searching and came up with a new mission, focus and drive to be the best. When we took over the Young Professionals Committee in 2013, neither of us were aware of the mission of the group. We had a general idea of what the group did (socialized [...] -
So You Want To Be President?
GAWDA Edge talks to two distributors to find out what it takes to make it in this industry. -
All In The Family
South Jersey Welding Supply's David Thornton discusses growing up in a family welding business. By David Thornton -
Zap The Gap!
Tips for training and managing New Millennium Generation employees. NMG job training and innovation leads to more efficient NMG employees. By Meagan Johnson. -
Getting Millennials To Engage
Steps on how to engage young employees in the gases and welding industry and transform these young employees into valuable workers. By Robert W. Wendover. -
Managing The New Generation Of Employees
Tips for managing employees from the new generation. Employee training and innovative employee benefits increase employee loyalty. By Kathryne A. Newton, Ph.D. -
40 under 40
40 outstanding gases and welding leaders under 40 years old. The 40 represent the future of the gases and welding industry -
The Pervading Work Beliefs Of Different Generations
Generation X and Generation Y employees are soon going to take over as leaders in the specialty gases and welding industry. It is important to understand the work beliefs of these two generations in the specialty gases and welding industry. By Robert W. Wendover.
