JW Goodliffe & Son of New Jersey will celebrate 80 years as an independent distributor in 2018. A family-owned and operated business since its inception, JW Goodliffe sold the gas distribution side of its business to Tech Air in 2016 and became an entirely online seller doing business as Cyberweld.
Today, fourth generation family member Bob Goodliffe is President of the company, which retains the name JW Goodliffe & Son, Inc., and licenses its use to Tech Air.
So how did a very traditional gases and welding distributor become a successful online seller of welding and gases hardgoods? Someone was paying attention. Prior to the introduction of the internet, JW Goodliffe had a hardgoods to gases ratio of 70/30. The distributorship was top-end loaded with mechanical contractors, companies that are extremely sensitive to any type of US economic cycle. As business manager at JW Goodliffe during the recession of 1991, Bob witnessed the negative impact it had on his company. He began to look for markets that would help level out sales during big economic downturns.
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