Your GAWDA Connection | August 15, 2018
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FEATURED NEWS
The annual convention is right around the corner!
Have you registered yet?

The Annual Convention is Sept. 9–12 at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. To register, click here.

The Sheraton Seattle Hotel is now completely booked, and the Contact Booth Program is nearly sold out. If you have not yet secured your hotel, GAWDA has secured an overflow room block at the Motif Seattle about a block away. For more information, visit the Annual Convention homepage.

The Contact Booth Program will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11. To reserve space for the Contact Booth Program, contact Stephen Hill, membership services manager, at [email protected] or 954-367-7728.
New for AC 2018 — Use the GAWDA App to Compete for a FREE Convention Delegate Registration!
In addition to the hugely popular Contact Booth Prize Program, this year we are offering a new competition through the GAWDA app. Download the GAWDA event app (called Attendee Hub in the app store) and search for the GAWDA 2018 Annual Convention. 

Every activity you perform on the app racks up points: from reviewing the schedule and speakers to uploading photos during the convention. The top three suppliers and distributors with the most points at the end of the AC will win a FREE DELEGATE REGISTRATION for the next convention! 

Track your points (and the competition!) by clicking on the Game icon in the app. Play EARLY and OFTEN — current GAWDA Member leaders include:
DISTRIBUTORS:
  1. Brad Peterson – Mississippi Welders Supply Company, Inc.
  2. Abydee Butler Moore – Butler Gas Products Company
  3. Tom Klemz – Baker’s Gas and Welding Supplies, Inc.
 SUPPLIERS:
  1. Derek Kuhnle – Prism Visual Software, Inc.
  2. Eric Wise – Wise Telemetry, LLC
  3. Zane Butler – TOMCO2 Systems
Stay tuned for updated leaderboard standings in the Connection newsletters from now until the end of the AC!
A video explaining how to download the GAWDA 2018 AC app can be found here.
Registration Open for Supplier Prizes for AC 2018 Contact Booth Program 

Everybody loves prizes, and if you’re a supplier, they’re a proven way to boost distributor member interest in your products and services. Contact Tim Hudson at GAWDA Media ( [email protected] or 315-445-2347, x114) today to register your prize offering.
Making the Most of Your Time in Seattle 
GAWDA has partnered with a local company to offer you the following tours and activities during your stay: 
  • Seattle City Tour
  • Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour
  • Snoqualmie Falls Viewing and Wine Tour
  • Seattle Lakes Cruise with Space Needle Visit

There are also several post-convention tours available. Click here for details and registration.
One Regional Remaining in 2018
Registration is now open for the final Regional Meeting of 2018. Click on the link for the latest schedule of events.

Wed., October 3 – Fri., October 5 
Hershey, PA Regional Meeting
The Hotel Hershey
100 Hotel Road
Hershey, Pennsylvania 
Bryan Keen, meeting planner

SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE
Here are the Safety and Compliance headlines for August 15th. Click the button below to read the full updates.

  • PHMSA Hazmat Incident Reporting Back Online
  • HAZMATICS Video Tutorials
  • FMCSA Withdraws Proposed Enhancements to Safety Measurement System
  • FMCSA Issues SMS Corrective Action Plan
  • DOT to Launch Pilot Program to Allow Ex-Military to Drive CMVs
  • House Members Introduce Driver Hours of Service Relief Bill
NEWS FROM GAWDA
GAWDA Warns About Phishing Emails

GAWDA has received notice about multiple email scams offering access to the contact information for GAWDA Annual Convention attendees. Rest assured, these companies do NOT have the actual list of attendees and members should treat this as a fraudulent phishing attempt. If you receive an email of this type, delete it. 
Distributor Member:

Southern Oxygen & Welding Supply
EL-GA-GS-MG-PG
129 Carmalita Street
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941-639-5245 FAX 941-575-1761

Robert Wrenn, president

Eugene Laforet, co-manager

Ryan Morazes, co-manager

Southern Oxygen & Welding Supply offers a complete selection of industrial, medical, food and beverage and specialty gases. They also sell welding supplies and safety equipment.


Supplier Member:

CIMC ENRIC
4502 Riverstone Blvd Ste 201
Missouri City, TX 77459-5213
346-304-2135

David Barr, vice president

Cindy Feng, director of business development

CIMC ENRIC manufacturers a complete line of cryogenic and high-pressure gas products for the industrial gas and energy marketplace.
THE HR CORNER
We recently launched a new HR feature in the newsletter and are using this section to explore the topics of employee hiring, engagement and retention. Check it out, and if your company has a unique approach to any HR topic, please send it to [email protected].
  • CGA Announces New Certification Program for Gas Industry Personnel
  • CGA Webinar Series: Acetylene: History, Properties and Best Practices
LINKS YOU’LL LIKE 
In our communications with members and research for the GAWDA publications, we often come upon links that are worth sharing. Check them out, and if you come across any links you like, please send them to [email protected].

EOS Online: Additional information on the Entrepreneurial Operating System presented at the SMC, which combines timeless business principles with a set of real-world tools to help entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses.

Seattle Weekly ‒ Local News & Events: Explore the news, art, culture, music and restaurant scene in this vibrant host city.
MEMBER NEWS
  • Chemweld USA Announces New Vice President of Sales and Marketing 
  • Computers Unlimited Celebrates 40th Anniversary
  • DataOnline Completes Acquisition of Independent Technologies
  • AWISCO Acquires New York Welding Supply
NEW PRODUCTS
  • Cryovation Offering Three New Products
GAWDA MEMBER POLL
This poll is to gather data for an upcoming Welding & Gases Today article.
How do you track your cylinders?
Barcode
RFID
Manual (unit size and type)
Other