The industrial gas and hardgoods distribution business across the United States has been searching for growth since the economic downturn that began with the recession in late 2008. Welding and Cutting (W&C) gases and hardgoods are at the heart of the US distributor business.
The 2016 market for the welding industry is keeping pace with key welding and cutting sectors within Industrial Production (IP), with revenue growth results differing for gases versus hardgoods.
W&C gases have fared better during the economic slump over the past few years primarily because of the contribution of cylinder rental and welding specialty gases to revenues. Hardgoods growth has been down reflecting the downturn in fabricated metals, machinery, aerospace, and energy sectors and the appearance that companies are holding off on capital expenditures in an election year. Distributors’ W&C business has been additionally affected by the increasing use by customers of online stores such as Amazon, Fastenal, and Grainger.
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