Indianapolis, IN – June 5, 2024 – Just over three decades ago the Independent Welding Distributors Association (I.W.D.A.) formed the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative (IWDC) and shortly afterwards merged with the Key Distribution Group (KDG).
"We had a great starting point to build off of," stated Frank Kasnick, CEO of IWDC. "Over the
last 30 years the co-op has grown significantly as Membership's combined sales more than tripled. Since formation, we opened an Indianapolis, Indiana distribution center and added a second distribution center in Reno, Nevada to serve Members out west. We built out a gas program and a branded specialty gas initiative, our PurityPlus® program, launched an online university and expanded our Weldmark® brand, to name a few milestones over the years."
"Like all companies we must continue to evolve and change with the times. Most recently our Membership addressed private equity ownership and voted to amend our bylaws to create an Affiliate Membership, allowing companies owned by private equity to participate in our co-op. These companies are former independents who value participating in our purchasing and marketing programs and together with our Regular Members, we all benefit. This change was approved in April 2024, and we have signed on five Affiliate Members with more to come."
The IWDC is a cooperative, formed in 1994, which leverages the strengths of its independent welding distributor Members across North America. IWDC Member companies collectively represent over $4.5B in sales, serving a wide range of industries. The common denominator is that these industries look to them for industrial, specialty, and medical gases as well as related equipment, welding hardgoods, and consumables. End-use customers served by IWDC Members benefit from having the unparalleled expertise of a local Member distributor who has access to national-scale purchasing and marketing programs. You can learn more about IWDC at www.iwdc.coop.
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