Founded in 1945 as the National Welding Supply Association (NWSA), the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) has represented the distributors and manufacturers of welding supplies and materials for 66 years. The association was formed to facilitate the industry’s supply chain and to promote the value of distribution. Today, the GAWDA mission is to promote the safe operation and economic vitality of distributors of industrial gases and related welding equipment and supplies. www.gawda.org

Since 1913, the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) has been dedicated to the development and promotion of safety standards and safe practices in the industrial gas industry. With more than 110 member companies worldwide, CGA represents all facets of the industry; manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and transporters of gases, cryogenic liquids, and related products. www.cganet.com

The IWDC is a cooperative that was formed in 1994 to leverage the strengths of independent welding distributor members across North America. IWDC's roots go back even further to 1948, when an association of distributors (IWDA) was founded that decades later merged with another to become the cooperative from which we grew.

IWDC Member companies serve a wide range of industries. The common denominator is that these industries look to us for industrial, specialty, and medical gases as well as related equipment, hard goods, and consumables. End-use customers served by our Members benefit from having the unparalleled expertise of a local Member distributor who has access to national-scale purchasing and marketing programs.