nexAir

What nexAir does

nexAir is a privately held industrial and medical gases distributor combined with a welding supplies and automation solutions provider, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and operating since 1940. The company distributes atmospheric gases (argon, CO2, nitrogen, oxygen, helium, hydrogen), specialty gases, medical gases, and dry ice (nexAir Carbonic brand), alongside welding equipment and automation systems including the Miller OptX handheld laser welder, Vectis Cobot, Hercules Robotic MIG, and CNC plasma cutting tables. Underlying technology centers on the nexTrack platform — a proprietary integration of Roadnet real-time delivery tracking, Advanced Cylinder Management (ACM) barcode tracking, and TIMS Electronic Delivery (TED) paperless order management — paired with KnowHow technical advisory services that embed process optimization and automation consulting into the customer relationship.

The company monetizes through a mix of recurring gas supply contracts (bulk tank and microbulk delivery, cylinder rental, consumption-based pricing), welding equipment and consumables sales, automation hardware sales, dry ice production, and training/repair services. Go-to-market combines a Territory Manager field sales force targeting enterprise and mid-market accounts across approximately 80 sites in 10 Southeastern US states, with a self-serve e-commerce channel (nexAir Now / shopnexair.com) for SMB and individual buyers. Customer segments are diversified across manufacturing and metal fabrication (primary), healthcare (primary), food and beverage, chemical processing, construction, and aerospace. Growth has been driven by tuck-in acquisitions — Atlanta Medical Gases in 2020 for Georgia and WELSCO in 2024 for Arkansas and Oklahoma — combined with sequential product launches in welding automation and laser welding. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company qualifies for the Deloitte/WSJ US Best Managed Companies award, which requires minimum $250M annual revenue.

Name

nexAir

Legal name

nexAir, LLC

Website

https://nexair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Gas Distribution

NAICS

Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (325120)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Gas Handling Equipment & Storage (Cylinders/Tanks/Valves) (IMAEACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical & Healthcare Gases (IMAEACAF), Food & Beverage Gases (Carbonation/Freezing/Packaging) (IMAEACAI)

Keywords

• Industrial gas distribution
• Medical gas supply
• Welding equipment sales
• Welding automation systems
• Dry ice production

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Industrial and Medical Gases: Distribution of atmospheric gases (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, CO2, hydrogen, helium), specialty gases, medical gases, and fuel gases. Revenue generated through cylinder rentals, bulk tank systems, microbulk delivery, and consumption-based pricing.
2. Welding Supplies and Equipment: Sale and rental of welding equipment including MIG welders, TIG welders, plasma cutters, laser welders, welding positioners, and cobots. Consumables include welding wire, gases, nozzles, and protective equipment.
3. Automation Solutions: Sale and implementation of robotic welding systems, cobots, CNC plasma cutting machines, and welding positioners with associated training and support services.
4. Dry Ice Products: Production and sale of dry ice for food shipping, pharmaceutical logistics, and industrial cleaning applications through nexAir Carbonic brand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

nexAir is a Memphis-based industrial and medical gas distributor founded in 1940 that supplies atmospheric, specialty, and medical gases in bulk, microbulk, and cylinder formats to manufacturers, healthcare providers, food processors, and other industrial customers across the Southeastern United States. The company also sells, rents, and services welding equipment and metal-fabrication automation (laser welders, cobots, robotic MIG systems, CNC plasma cutters), manufactures dry ice through its nexAir Carbonic subsidiary, and supports customers with its in-house KnowHow expertise and proprietary nexTrack tracking platform.

Product overview

nexAir provides a comprehensive portfolio of industrial and medical gases combined with welding equipment, automation solutions, and delivery services. The core offering centers on industrial gases (argon, CO2, nitrogen, oxygen, helium, hydrogen, acetylene, specialty gases), medical gases, and dry ice products. Welding equipment includes Miller OptX laser welders, Vectis Cobot collaborative robots, Hercules robotic MIG systems, CNC plasma cutting systems, ALM welding positioners, and LightWELD compact welders. The nexTrack platform integrates Roadnet delivery tracking, Advanced Cylinder Management, and TIMS Electronic Delivery. KnowHow training services and bulk/microbulk gas delivery systems support operational efficiency. The portfolio operates across 10 states in the Southeastern U.S., serving aerospace, automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, and other industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• nexTrack: Combination of innovative technologies including Roadnet, Advanced Cylinder Management (ACM), and TIMS Electronic Delivery (TED) to increase efficiency and enhance customer experience.
• Advanced Cylinder Management (ACM)
• Roadnet
• TIMS Electronic Delivery (TED)
• nexAir KnowHow
• nexAir Now
• nexAir Carbonic

Products and services

• Industrial Gases Atmospheric, specialty, and process gases supplied to manufacturers and industrial buyers in bulk, microbulk, and cylinder formats, with recurring delivery and cylinder management.
• Medical Gases USP-grade medical gases and related supply services delivered to healthcare facilities with cylinder tracking and compliance support.
• Dry Ice Products (nexAir Carbonic) Dry ice manufactured and distributed by the nexAir Carbonic subsidiary for cold-chain, food processing, and industrial cooling applications.
• Welding Supplies and Equipment Welding consumables, machines, and metal-fabrication equipment from brands such as Miller distributed to industrial customers across the Southeastern U.S.
• Miller OptX Laser Welder Handheld laser welding system sold as part of nexAir's welding capital equipment line, targeted at manufacturers seeking higher productivity and easier operator adoption.
• Vectis Cobot Welding Tool Cobot welding tool sold by nexAir to bring collaborative automation to welding cells for manufacturers and metal-fabrication shops.
• Hercules Robotic MIG Welding System Heavy-payload robotic MIG welding system distributed by nexAir for industrial customers automating high-deposition welding.
• nexAir CNC Plasma Cutting System Computer-controlled plasma cutting system sold and supported by nexAir for industrial metal-cutting applications.
• ALM Welding Positioners Welding positioners distributed by nexAir to improve productivity and weld quality in manual and automated welding cells.
• LightWELD Laser Welding System Handheld laser welding system from IPG Photonics offered by nexAir as part of its laser welding and automation portfolio.
• Bulk and Microbulk Gas Delivery Services Recurring cryogenic gas delivery and on-site bulk/microbulk tank services provided to industrial and medical customers across the Southeastern U.S.
• nexTrack Tracking and Asset Management Platform Proprietary tracking and inventory management service integrating Roadnet, ACM, and TED for visibility of gas cylinders, equipment, and deliveries.
• KnowHow Training, Installation, and Repair Services Consulting, installation, training, and repair services bundling process expertise with nexAir's gas, welding, and automation product offerings.
• WELSCO Industrial Supply Distribution Industrial supply distribution arm offering welding and shop supplies as a complementary offering to nexAir's gas and equipment business.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-40% production throughput increase with welding positioners
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• WELSCOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 July 2024nexAir acquired WELSCO, an Arkansas-based supplier of industrial and welding supplies. This acquisition expands nexAir's reach into Arkansas and Oklahoma, complementing its existing Southeast US operations.
• Hercules (High-Deposition Automated Welding System)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Hercules to offer the High-Deposition Automated Welding System for robotic MIG welding applications. The system is designed for medium to large manufacturing operations to increase welding productivity without additional capital investment.
• Vectis (Cobot Welding Tool)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer the Vectis Cobot Welding Tool - a collaborative robot system designed for small to mid-size fabrication shops. Features include no programming experience required, quick deployment, and 25-40% lower cost than traditional robot cells.
• Miller Electric / IPG PhotonicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Miller Electric and IPG Photonics to offer the Miller OptX 2kW handheld laser welder. Miller provides welding innovation expertise while IPG supplies fiber laser technology.
• ALM PositionerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with ALM Positioners to provide welding positioners ranging from 1,000 lbs to 125,000 lbs capacity. Positioners help improve productivity, safety, and ergonomics for welding large workpieces.
• Roadnet TechnologiessupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of Roadnet technology into nexTrack platform for real-time delivery tracking and route optimization. Allows customers to see delivery ETAs, receive updates on delays, and confirmations.
• The Wall Street JournalsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the US Best Managed Companies program recognition awarded to nexAir in 2020.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Scott Specialty Gases: Specialty gas and calibration gas provider; partial overlap with nexAir on specialty gas mixtures for aerospace, electronics, and laboratory customers.

Broad incumbents

• Linde plc: World's largest industrial gas company with extensive U.S. bulk and cylinder distribution; overlaps with nexAir on medical oxygen, atmospheric gases, and welding gases across the Southeast.
• Air Products and Chemicals: One of the largest global industrial gas manufacturers with major U.S. distribution; competes with nexAir on atmospheric and specialty gases but operates across all 50 states and globally at a vastly larger scale.
• Air Liquide USA: Global industrial gas major with significant U.S. presence; competes on bulk gas, medical oxygen, and specialty gases, with broader geographic reach than nexAir.
• Praxair Surface Technologies (now part of Linde): Industrial gas and welding supply distributor with overlapping customer base in metal fabrication and automotive manufacturing; historically a direct regional competitor in gas and welding consumables.

Direct peers

• Messer Americas: Privately held global industrial gas company with a strong U.S. footprint; directly comparable to nexAir as a regional bulk and medical gas distributor serving manufacturers and healthcare providers.
• Weldstar: Independent welding supply and industrial gas distributor in the Midwest; closely comparable to nexAir in product mix (gases, welding equipment, automation) and mid-market customer focus.
• Genstar Gas (Matheson Tri-Gas): Industrial and specialty gas distributor serving similar manufacturing and welding customers; overlaps with nexAir on atmospheric gases, specialty mixtures, and bulk delivery models.
• Indiana Oxygen: Regional industrial and medical gas distributor with bulk delivery and welding supply offerings; comparable size, customer segments, and consultative sales model to nexAir.
• Norco (Norco Industrial Gases): Independent industrial gas and welding supply distributor with multi-state U.S. presence; comparable in offering breadth (atmospheric gases, medical, welding equipment) and mid-market/industrial customer mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nexairllc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBhTn6KFZZLosu9iH61-vKg
• Facebookfacebook.com/nexair-llc-174958532537668
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nexairllc
• Instagraminstagram.com/nexairllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about nexAir