Holston Gases announced today the promotion of several employees to key management positions all effective September 1, 2025.
Phil Kirby has been promoted to Executive Vice President. In his new position, Mr. Kirby will oversee the sales and branch management of the six geographic regions of Holston Gases and will report directly to President/CEO Joe Baxter.
Mr. Kirby has worked for Holston Gases for over 38 years, joining the company right out of high school. He has excelled at every assignment given to him, moving through the ranks from truck driver, outside sales, branch management, and then regional management. "There is no one at Holston Gases that has more credibility and respect than Phil Kirby. We are confident that Holston will continue to thrive and grow under Phil’s leadership," said CEO Joe Baxter. "We are so proud of Phil and congratulate him on this important promotion."
Scott Ford will step into the role of VP of the East Tennessee region previously held by Phil Kirby. Mr. Ford joined Holston Gases through the acquisition of his family business in 1998 and served as a sales representative in the Athens, TN location before taking over the management responsibilities in 2002. "Scott consistently exceeded yearly targets building the Athens location into one of our strongest performing operations years after year," commented EVP Phil Kirby. "He was the clear choice to take over our largest region."
Following the retirement of VP Troy Brown on September 1, John Anders has been promoted to East Region VP, overseeing the company's operations in North and South Carolina. Mr. Anders previously served as the Spartanburg, S.C. Manager after a successful startup of Holston's operation in Orangeburg, S.C. Prior to Orangeburg, Anders spent time in outside sales in both Charlotte, N.C and Spartanburg, S.C. "Troy Brown developed our east region from scratch and grew it to six locations serving the Carolinas and he will be greatly missed, yet we are confident and excited about the future of this important region under John’s leadership," said Phil Kirby.
Holston Gases is a regional distributor of industrial, medical, specialty, and propane gases as well as welding, safety, and industrial supplies. Holston has been in business for over 67 years. Its headquarters are in Knoxville, TN, and it now has 45 locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
For further information, please contact:
Joe Baxter, President
Holston Gases, Inc.
545 W. Baxter Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37921
PH: 865-573-1917
FAX: 865-573-0063
joe.baxter@holstongases.com
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Thank you,
Frank Kasnick, President & CEO
Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative
317-562-1483