Milestones in the history of IWDC

• 1948 IWDA founded — 16 members
• 1976 Contract warehouse from members
• 1990 IWDA warehouse
• 1994 IWDC (cooperative) finalized April 8
• 1995 "Marriage" with Key Distributor Group finalized
• 1995 Relocate corporate facilities to Indianapolis, Indiana
• 1996 "Marriage" with Independent Distributors Group

While the welding industry has existed for many years, the history of the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative, Inc., dates back to the end of World War II.

Prior to World War II, welding gases and supplies were sold on a direct basis from manufacturers directly to end users. Following the war, however, large gas manufacturers tried to rid themselves of the cost and nuisance of selling directly to smaller customers, and "encouraged" customers to buy from warehouses, auto parts houses, farm equipment dealers, hardware stores, and many other suppliers.

As the dust settled and a distribution system grew, hard goods manufacturers also saw the value of such an arrangement and followed suit. However, they added a new twist - they wanted to hold on to their largest customers and forced distributors, by contract, to not sell certain businesses ("hold-out accounts") in the distributors' territories.

In 1948, a group under the leadership of Otto Koll and Andy Andrews sent letters to approximately 40 distributors in the western U.S. who were known not to have ties to major air separation companies.

The letters generated enough interest, and a meeting was held in Reno, Nevada, where it was decided that banding together might help enhance their competitive position. Under the leadership of Tom Kean and Otto Koll, a Nevada corporation comprised of fifteen companies was formed. These companies formed the basis of the Independent Welding Distributors Association in 1948.

The organization grew over the years and at one time during the early years of the I.W.D.A., all the independent distributors of welding and cutting gases in the western U.S., except three, were members. With this strong contingent, the organization could have easily devoted itself strictly to gas distribution. However, Otto Koll saw a bigger picture. Mr. Koll was the leader and guiding light in the early days of I.W.D.A. He was president of the organization for most of the decade of the 1950's and recognized the value of an expanded product line.

In the early years, members held one formal meeting each year, but there might also be one or two interim meetings during the year. All meetings were informal, with members seated around a large table so everyone could be seen and heard. Occasionally, speakers from outside the organization were invited in to explain and educate on legal and governmental issues.

The organization continued to serve only the western states; consequently about half the meetings were held on the Monterey peninsula. Attendance was almost always 100%.

Each I.W.D.A. member was assigned a territory, and no new member could over-lap without the existing member's permission. These rights to sales territories were carefully guarded.

I.W.D.A. overhead was not much of a financial burden to members in the early years. The only paid position was the Secretary, and he was paid only for his expenses and was given a free hotel room at meetings. There was a small membership fee to join and when the treasury went dry every two or three years, the members would vote to assess themselves a $40 fee.

Over the years, most of the members prospered in varying degrees. No member company ever filed for bankruptcy, and there always seemed to be a market for the sale of welding supply houses.

By the early 1980's, there were 54 I.W.D.A. members, which made it the largest unified welding distributor organization in the western U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Meetings were now scheduled for twice each year, one in August and another in February. The fall meeting was geared toward a family vacation and usually held at a resort with activities for the entire family.

Business meetings consisted of a roll call, minutes of the previous meeting, election of new officers, other official business, and then product presentations by vendors.

As I.W.D.A. membership grew, it was divided in to four areas, with some states split into two areas:

In addition to two general membership meetings, each area would have a meeting to discuss matters of their regions. This meeting was usually held in the fall.

During an annual meeting in the early 1970's, the idea was presented to open a warehouse for members. A Modesto, California, member offered part of his company's warehouse space, and arrangements were made for staffing, record keeping, purchasing, billing, and shipping.

Some years later, with the warehouse proving its value, a purchasing committee was appointed to contact manufacturers and negotiate better prices for I.W.D.A. members. In 1982, the Purchasing Committee organized a special Purchasing Agents Meeting in San Francisco to review and compare products, pricing, and service. These Purchasing Meetings became so important that they were scheduled annually for November, taking the place of the February membership meeting.

In early 1990, a new, larger warehouse building was rented in Modesto, and all inventory was moved, administrative equipment purchased, and employees hired.

At the 1992 annual meeting, the main topic focused on defining what I.W.D.A. needed to do to be most effective for its members. A steering committee reported on the concept of forming a "Cooperative", and a unanimous member vote gave the authority for the committee to proceed with their recommendations.

As a Cooperative, it became necessary to hire a Chief Operating Officer to oversee the business. Several candidates were interviewed, and Roger Bolenbaugh was offered the position, with employment to start January 15, 1994.

The Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative, Inc. was incorporated, and, on March 7, 1994, the membership voted to become a cooperative corporation retroactive to January 1, 1994. The purpose of the cooperative was stated as the furtherance of its membership through the manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution of welding and related industrial equipment and supplies.

Negotiations began early in 1994 to create a marriage between the newly formed Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative and the Key Distribution Group (KDG). Distributors in these discussions included Bob Jackson, Jim Madison, Joe Greco, Charlie Wright, Mike Beckley, and Rick Richardson.

The association effectively took place January 1, 1995, and added fifty members in the northeastern and midwestern United States. Soon after, the Independent Distributor Group joined the IWDC, and as of January 1, 2000, the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative included 142 members with 510 locations in the 46 states, Canada, and Mexico.

Recognizing the growth of members geographically throughout the United States and the need for a more centralized location, IWDC moved its headquarters and warehouse to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1995. Today's facility includes approximately 7,500 square feet of office space and 21,000 square feet of warehouse space.

With the substantial membership growth throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the IWDC was realigned into five geographical areas:

The IWDC is guided by a nine-member Board of Directors, all of whom are Owners of distributorships and represent the five geographic areas. The basic criteria still prevails: a member must be totally independent and in the gases and welding supply business.

**We would like to note our appreciation to W.V. Raymond, with editing assistance from R.F. Balaam, for the preparation of the IWDC history from 1948 through 1968, and to L.M. Willett, for the preparation of the history from 1968 through 1994.**