General Welding Supply

What General Welding Supply does

General Welding Supply Corp. is a family-owned industrial gas distributor founded in 1923 and headquartered in Westbury, New York. The company supplies industrial, medical, specialty, cryogenic, and food-grade compressed gases to customers across Long Island and the Greater Metro New York area, serving clients ranging from local body shops to large hospital systems. It operates two physical retail and distribution locations in Westbury and Holbrook, NY, with a workforce of 11-50 employees across four generations of family ownership.

The product portfolio is organized around four core gas categories — medical (FDA-registered USP Oxygen, nitrogen, blood gas blends, lung diffusion blends), industrial (acetylene, argon, hydrogen, propane, breathing air), specialty (Ultra High Purity 5.0 gases, laser gases, calibration gases), and food/beverage (CO2, nitrogen, beer gas blends under the BevCO2 sub-brand) — supported by welding equipment and consumables from Miller, ESAB, Hobart, Harris, and Honeywell. Its delivery infrastructure is built around the CryoTech microbulk platform, which uses stainless-steel Perma-Cyl tanks (230L–5,500L) filled onsite in 2–6 minutes, supplemented by web-based telemetry monitoring, a Trackabout barcode cylinder-tracking system, and locked fill-boxes for unattended after-hours delivery. The Regional Emergency Supply Program (RESP) provides continuity-of-supply service for medical gas customers during disasters, validated by zero supply interruptions during Hurricane Sandy.

Commercially, GWS generates revenue through product sales, recurring cylinder rental and microbulk delivery contracts, equipment sales through retail and field channels, and technical services including hydrostatic testing, manifold and piping installation, regulator and welding machine repair, and safety training. Pricing is quote-based, with usage-based microbulk contracts reportedly delivering an average 20% reduction in liquid gas costs versus cylinder supply. The company holds FDA and NYS Board of Pharmacy registrations required to supply medical gases, maintains 24/7 emergency service for medical customers, and is a member of the IWDC buying cooperative for independent welding distributors.

Name

General Welding Supply

Legal name

General Welding Supply Corp.

Website

https://gwsco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family-owned industrial gas distributor founded 1923, supplying medical, industrial, specialty, and food-grade compressed gases across Long Island via two retail locations, microbulk delivery, and 24/7 emergency service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Gas Distribution

NAICS

Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing (333992)

SIC

Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding, Joining & Soldering Equipment (Arc, Resistance, Friction, Brazing) (IMAHADAH)

Keywords

• Industrial gas distribution
• Welding supplies
• Medical gas supply
• Cryogenic gas delivery
• Specialty gas supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Westbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial and Specialty Gases: Sale and delivery of compressed industrial gases including acetylene, ammonia, argon, helium, hydrogen, and specialty gases (ultra high purity 5.0, high purity 4.8). Gases supplied in cylinders, microbulk tanks, and cryogenic containers. Revenue generated through product sales, cylinder rental, and delivery charges.
2. Medical Gases: FDA and NYS Board of Pharmacy registered supplier of medical gases including USP Oxygen, nitrogen, blood gas blends, lung diffusion blends, helium, carbon dioxide, and medical air. Supplies hospitals, nursing homes, home care providers, and emergency responders.
3. Food and Beverage Gases: BevCO2 division supplying CO2, nitrogen, beer gas blends, nitrous oxide, and argon for food and beverage production. Includes beverage system installations and microbulk systems.
4. Welding Equipment and Supplies: Sale of welding equipment, consumables, safety gear, and accessories from partner brands. Revenue from both retail store sales and equipment installations.
5. Technical Services: Services including safety seminars, welding machine and regulator repairs, manifold and piping installations, cylinder maintenance, hydrostatic testing, telemetry monitoring, and cylinder tracking solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

General Welding Supply Corp. is a fourth-generation, family-owned distributor of industrial, medical, specialty, and cryogenic gases along with welding equipment and supplies, serving Long Island and the Greater Metro New York area since 1923. The company operates retail/walk-in locations in Westbury and Holbrook, NY, and supplies hospitals, manufacturers, beverage producers, research labs, and body shops with cylinder, bulk, and microbulk delivery formats. Value-added services include microbulk delivery, telemetry monitoring, hydrostatic cylinder testing, welding equipment repair, manifold and piping installation, and 24/7 emergency response.

Product overview

General Welding Supply is a family-owned industrial gas and welding supplies distributor operating since 1923, serving Long Island and the Greater Metro area. The company offers a portfolio of four core gas product lines—Medical Gases (FDA and NYS Board of Pharmacy registered), Industrial Gases, Specialty Gases, and Beverage/Food Gases (BevCO2)—along with the CryoTech Microbulk delivery system as a sub-brand for bulk liquid gas storage. Supporting services include welding equipment and supplies, telemetry monitoring for tank levels, a Trackabout cylinder tracking system, hydrostatic testing, manifold installation, safety training, and the RESP emergency supply continuity program for medical gases. The company operates from two locations (Westbury and Holbrook, NY) and provides next-day and 24-hour emergency delivery services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BevCO2: Food and beverage gases division offering CO2, beer gas blends, and related supplies for beverage and food production.
• CryoTech

Products and services

• Medical Gases
• Industrial Gases
• Specialty Gases
• BevCO2 Food and Beverage Gases
• CryoTech Microbulk Delivery
• Welding Supplies and Equipment
• Hydrostatic Cylinder Testing
• Welding Machine and Regulator Repair
• Manifold and Piping Installation
• Regional Emergency Supply Program (RESP)
• Safety Seminars and In-Service Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Microbulk customers average 20% reduction in liquid gas costs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Miller WeldsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquipment supplier brand featured on General Welding Supply website with direct links to Miller Welds product pages. Miller Welds provides welding equipment, MIG welders, TIG welders, and welding calculators/tools for rod and wire selection.
• TrackaboutcoreTechnology or IntegrationCylinder tracking technology provider. Trackabout barcode tracking system is the only compressed gas cylinder tracking system on Long Island. Each cylinder has a barcode linked to a unique serial number stamped into the cylinder shoulder, generating detailed asset history.
• HobartminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelding equipment and filler metals supplier brand. Hobart Brothers Company manufactures welding equipment, filler metals, and accessories.
• ESABminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal welding and cutting equipment manufacturer. ESAB offers welding equipment, consumables, and automation solutions.
• Harris ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGas distribution and delivery equipment manufacturer. Harris Products Group provides gas regulators, torches, and related equipment.
• Honeywell Safety (Fibre Metal)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSafety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) supplier. Fibre Metal brand under Honeywell provides welding helmets, gloves, and protective gear.
• PraxairminorOthersReferenced for Safety Data Sheets (SDS) resource library and product catalog. Praxair is an industrial gas supplier.
• IWDC (Industrial Welding and Distributing Co-op)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry cooperative organization featuring General Welding Supply as a member. IWDC is a buying cooperative for independent welding distributors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Air Liquide USA: Global industrial and medical gas major with a substantial U.S. footprint supplying industrial, medical, specialty, and food-grade gases plus welding products. Directly comparable to General Welding Supply on product breadth and customer verticals, but operates at national and multinational scale rather than regional.
• Linde plc: World's largest industrial gas company formed from the Praxair-Linde merger; supplies industrial, medical, specialty, and food gases plus welding equipment globally. Comparable product portfolio and end markets to GWS, including reference to Praxair as a supplier relationship; competes as a national consolidator rather than a local distributor.
• Air Products and Chemicals: Global industrial gas company with U.S. operations supplying industrial, medical, and specialty gases to healthcare, manufacturing, and food customers. Highly comparable product mix and customer segments to General Welding Supply, operating as a much larger national player.
• Messer Americas: Privately held global industrial gas company operating across the Americas, supplying industrial, medical, specialty, and food-grade gases. Comparable to GWS in product portfolio and customer verticals; competes at a multi-state regional scale rather than local Long Island footprint.
• Matheson Tri-Gas: U.S. subsidiary of Nippon Sanso Holdings supplying industrial, medical, specialty, and electronic gases to manufacturing, healthcare, and research customers. Directly comparable product lines to GWS, but operates at national scale across multiple U.S. regions.

Direct peers

• nexAir: Regional industrial and medical gas distributor serving the Southeast U.S. with welding supplies, microbulk delivery, and specialty gases. Closest business model match to GWS as a regional, independent distributor offering gas, welding equipment, and on-site delivery solutions to similar customer segments.
• Roberts Oxygen Company: Family-owned regional industrial and medical gas distributor serving the Mid-Atlantic U.S. with compressed gases, welding supplies, and microbulk delivery. Highly comparable to GWS in private family ownership, regional focus, and product mix across industrial, medical, and specialty gas.
• Holston Gases: Independent regional industrial and specialty gas distributor in the Southeast, member of the IWDC cooperative like General Welding Supply. Comparable independent distributor profile with welding supplies, microbulk delivery, and specialty gas offerings to similar end markets.
• Indiana Oxygen Company: Midwest regional industrial and medical gas distributor and welding supplies retailer with multiple locations and microbulk delivery capabilities. Closely comparable regional independent gas and welding supply distributor serving similar industrial, medical, and food/beverage customers.

Others

• Chart Industries: Manufacturer of cryogenic equipment, including bulk and microbulk storage tanks used in the industrial gas supply chain. Comparable in supporting the cryogenic distribution infrastructure that GWS uses for Perma-Cyl microbulk delivery, though Chart is an equipment manufacturer rather than a direct distributor competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gwsco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/general-welding-supply-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about General Welding Supply