Indianapolis, IN – June 5, 2018 – IWDC enjoyed record attendance
as 121 Member Companies and 111 Vendor Partners totaling over 560 participants
joined in support and commitment to growth at IWDC’s annual convention held
from May 15 – May 17 in Indianapolis, IN.
This year’s “Together We Grow” theme was a hit from the Tuesday
evening opening reception at the Hyatt Regency downtown Indianapolis to
Thursday’s closing dinner and awards ceremony. Members gained valuable product
knowledge from Vendor sponsored presentations and workshops. A new “Focus on
Gases” day delivered informative gas application and growth segment
content. Member-Vendor relationships were strengthened
during numerous networking events and IWDC’s traditional Vendor Show Specials
brought significant savings to Members and multi-millions in sales to
participating Vendors.
“As a result of our
continued Member- Vendor Relationships, we are happy to
report that May 2018 is new record as IWDC Member Companies’ spend
through their co-op was $24.9 million,”
stated Frank Kasnick, CEO of IWDC. “We
thank our Vendor Partners
for their support and we look forward to raising the bar higher ,” commented
Keith Werkley, IWDC Director of Sales & Vendor Management.
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 $2.3B 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.