CK Supply
CK Supply is an employee-owned industrial gas, welding equipment, and dry ice distributor headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, serving manufacturers, metal fabricators, food and beverage, cannabis, and research customers across nine Midwest retail locations and via bulk delivery.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CK Supply does
CK Supply, Inc. (operating also as Cee Kay Supply) is a privately held, employee-owned industrial gas and welding supply distributor headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1948, the company supplies compressed industrial gases (acetylene, argon, carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, propane), specialty gases and hydrocarbon refrigerants, welding and metal fabrication equipment, and dry ice through nine retail locations across Missouri and Illinois, complemented by bulk delivery trucks and a B2B online portal (MyCK Account). Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring bulk and micro-bulk gas subscriptions (Gas Express System), transactional cylinder and dry ice sales, one-time welding equipment sales and rentals, and managed services including vendor managed inventory, welder repair, and welding training.
The company's technology backbone centers on proprietary logistics and tracking assets: the TraCKer system provides 100% barcoded, closed-loop cylinder tracking with utilization reporting; wireless weight and pressure sensors stream near-real-time tank data via cellular signal; and an automated St. Louis fill plant plus analytical laboratory supports high-volume cylinder processing and specialty gas quality assurance. CK Supply is a member of the IWDC cooperative, granting access to Purity Plus specialty gases and 12 ISO 17025 certified laboratories, and maintains ISO 9001 compliance for its R744 CO2 supply chain. The customer base spans metal fabrication, general manufacturing, food and beverage, cannabis and extraction, healthcare and research laboratories, construction and mechanical contractors, refrigeration and HVAC, scrap metal, government and municipalities, and fire suppression, served via direct field sales, retail counters, and a Shopify e-commerce storefront.
CK Supply firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CK Supply
- Legal name
- CK Supply, Inc.
- Website
- https://cksupply.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CK Supply is an employee-owned industrial gas, welding equipment, and dry ice distributor headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, serving manufacturers, metal fabricators, food and beverage, cannabis, and research customers across nine Midwest retail locations and via bulk delivery.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CK Supply industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Gas Distribution and Welding Supply
- NAICS
- Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512), Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423730)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Welding & Cutting Gases (IMAEACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Gas Handling Equipment & Storage (Cylinders/Tanks/Valves) (IMAEACAL), Specialty & Calibration Gas Mixtures (IMAEACAE), Food & Beverage Gases (Carbonation/Freezing/Packaging) (IMAEACAI)
Keywords
Where CK Supply is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
CK Supply business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Industrial Gas Sales: Sale of industrial, medical, atmospheric, and specialty gases in cylinder, micro-bulk, and bulk form. Includes pure gases (argon, oxygen, nitrogen, acetylene, hydrogen, helium, CO2, propane), specialty gases, and hydrocarbon refrigerants.
- Welding Equipment and Consumables: Sale of welding machines (MIG, TIG, multi-process, stick welders), plasma cutters, engine drives, welding robots, cutting torches, and consumables from partner brands including Lincoln Electric, Miller, and ESAB.
- Dry Ice Products and Services: Commercial dry ice, retail dry ice, dry ice blasting, insulated shippers, and packaging solutions ranging from 10-lb retail purchases to thousands of pounds weekly for industrial customers.
- Service and Maintenance: Welder rental, welder repair, equipment troubleshooting, welding training, industrial vending solutions, inventory management, and CO2 tank/vaporizer maintenance plans.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cylinder and small-scale gas purchases |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
CK Supply product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CK Supply sells and distributes industrial compressed gases (acetylene, argon, CO2, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, propane), welding and cutting equipment (MIG, TIG, plasma, multi-process, robotic welding), and dry ice products. It delivers these through 9 retail branches, a bulk gas delivery fleet, direct field sales, and a B2B ordering portal, supported by proprietary cylinder tracking, telemetry monitoring, welder rental/repair, and welding training services.
Product overview
CK Supply is the largest independent supplier of compressed gases, welding and cutting equipment, and dry ice in the Midwest. The company operates as a single unified product/service portfolio with three interconnected core offerings: Industrial Gases (pure gases like argon, acetylene, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, CO2, helium, propane in cylinders and bulk), Welding Supplies (MIG/TIG/plasma equipment, welding robots, metal fabrication equipment), and Dry Ice products. These are supported by proprietary tracking and monitoring services (TraCKer cylinder tracking, Gas Express System, wireless monitoring), Specialty Gases for lab/research applications, Hydrocarbon Refrigerants for commercial refrigeration, and services including welder rental, repair, and training. The portfolio includes Gas Distribution Equipment (regulators, flow meters, analyzers) and Temporary Gas Supply solutions as add-on offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TraCKer: Proprietary cylinder tracking system using 100% barcoded cylinders to identify cylinder location, ownership, and usage.
- Gas Express System
Products and services
- Industrial Gases Pure industrial gases including acetylene, argon, carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, propane, and propylene for welding, manufacturing, cutting, and industrial applications, sold in cylinders ranging from small disposables to large industrial tanks.
- Bulk Gases Bulk and micro-bulk supply of argon, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and helium delivered via the Gas Express System with remote telemetry monitoring of customer stationary liquid containers.
- Specialty Gases High-purity and custom-mix specialty gases including rare gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon), calibration standards, EPA protocol gases, and custom specialty gas mixtures for laboratories and research facilities.
- Hydrocarbon Refrigerants High-purity hydrocarbons including butane (R600a), propane (R290), R744 CO2, ethane, ethylene, methane, and hydrocarbon propellants for commercial refrigeration, air conditioning, and industrial propellant applications.
- Welding Supplies and Equipment Full line of welding equipment including MIG, TIG, multi-process, and stick welders, plasma cutters, engine drives, welding robots (fixed automation, flexible automation, cobots), laser cutting consumables, cutting tables, welding tables, metal fabrication equipment, and cutting torches and burning bars from partner brands such as Lincoln Electric, Miller, and ESAB.
- Dry Ice Commercial and retail dry ice for food distribution, labs and medical use, dry ice blasting, Halloween applications, safety storage, insulated shippers and packaging, and design/consulting for dry ice applications.
- TraCKer Cylinder Tracking System Proprietary 100% barcoded cylinder tracking system that identifies cylinder location, rental assignment, and return verification using closed-loop scanning, providing customers with cylinder utilization reports and inventory data.
- Gas Express System Bulk Delivery Proprietary bulk gas delivery service that delivers gas directly from CK Supply trucks to customer stationary liquid containers, using cellular monitoring to alert when product is low and automatically scheduling next-day delivery.
- Welder Rental and Repair Welding equipment rental and repair services including troubleshooting and tech center training programs for industrial and fabrication customers.
- Welding Training Classroom and hands-on welding training programs covering MIG, TIG, and other welding techniques at the CK Supply Tech Center, for manufacturing personnel, welders, and trainees.
- Temporary Gas Supply Short-term and emergency gas supply including tube trailers and emergency bulk supply for onsite welding, maintenance, and pipeline operations.
- Extraction Gases CO2 and hydrocarbon extraction gases for the cannabis industry including butane extraction (BHO) products with 99.5%+ purity.
- Gas Distribution Equipment Complete range of gas handling equipment including regulators, flow meters, gas analyzers, gas cabinets, manifolds, switchover systems, cryogenic dewar changeovers, gas heaters, hydrogen generators, industrial gas detectors, and protocol stations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Gas Express System eliminates cylinder handling, change-outs, and employee injuries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CK Supply
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
CK Supply technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CK Supply partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- IWDC CooperativecoreCK Supply is a member of the IWDC cooperative, which provides access to Purity Plus specialty gases. Through this cooperative, CK Supply has access to 12 ISO 17025 Certified Laboratories for rare and specific gas mixes and cryogenic equipment, enabling timely and efficient fulfillment of specialty gas orders.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CK Supply competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Air Products and Chemicals: Major global industrial gas supplier with significant U.S. merchant gas, hydrogen, and helium presence. Competes with CK Supply in cylinder and bulk gas supply for Midwest industrial and manufacturing customers, particularly on hydrogen and helium where CK Supply partners with national suppliers.
- Matheson Tri-Gas (Nippon Sanso Holdings): U.S. subsidiary of Nippon Sanso, providing industrial, medical, and specialty gases with national distribution. Directly comparable on bulk/cylinder merchant gas, specialty gas, and welding supply categories, with broader geographic reach than CK Supply.
- Linde plc: World's largest industrial gas company following the Praxair–Linde merger. Directly competes with CK Supply on merchant industrial gases, bulk supply, and specialty gases, with extensive bulk delivery and cylinder tracking infrastructure. Operates broad portfolio including healthcare, electronics, and welding gases at national scale.
- Air Liquide: Global industrial gas major with comprehensive gas, welding, and related services portfolio. Overlaps directly with CK Supply on industrial gas, welding supply, and specialty gas offerings, but operates at national/global scale across all of North America and competes principally on scale and pricing power rather than local service density.
Others
- IWDC (Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative): Buying cooperative of independent welding and gas distributors of which CK Supply is a member. Provides shared sourcing, Purity Plus specialty gas program, and ISO 17025 laboratory access. Relevant as ecosystem participant that shapes CK Supply's supply economics and specialty gas capabilities.
- Chart Industries: Manufacturer of cryogenic equipment, bulk gas storage tanks, and gas distribution infrastructure used by industrial gas distributors. Adjacent supplier to CK Supply's bulk tank fleet (450L–15,000 gallon range) and cryogenic dewar changeover equipment line.
Direct peers
- American Welding & Gas: Independent regional industrial gas and welding supply distributor operating across the central U.S. Most direct comparable to CK Supply: similar product mix (industrial/specialty gases, welding equipment, dry ice in some markets), independent ownership, multi-branch retail model, and reliance on cooperative buying groups for specialty gas access.
- Norco Inc. Privately held industrial gas, welding, and safety products distributor serving the western and central U.S. with branch-based retail and bulk delivery. Closely parallels CK Supply's operating model — independent ownership, multi-state retail footprint, cylinder/bulk/specialty gas offering, and welding equipment distribution.
- National Welders Supply Company: Independent industrial gas and welding supply distributor serving the southeastern U.S. Direct competitor analog to CK Supply: cylinder and bulk gas, welding equipment, specialty gases, and branch retail model targeting manufacturing, metal fabrication, and construction end markets.
- Roberts Oxygen Company: Independent regional industrial and medical gas distributor with branch-based operations across the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. Comparable product mix (industrial, medical, specialty gases), cylinder tracking, and bulk delivery — directly analogous to CK Supply's business model in a different geography.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CK Supply social profiles
Digital presenceCK Supply compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CK Supply financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CK Supply leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CK Supply funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CK Supply M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CK Supply
What does CK Supply do?
CK Supply sells and distributes industrial compressed gases (acetylene, argon, CO2, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, propane), welding and cutting equipment (MIG, TIG, plasma, multi-process, robotic welding), and dry ice products. It delivers these through 9 retail branches, a bulk gas delivery fleet, direct field sales, and a B2B ordering portal, supported by proprietary cylinder tracking, telemetry monitoring, welder rental/repair, and welding training services.
When was CK Supply founded?
CK Supply was founded in 1948. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CK Supply based?
CK Supply is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does CK Supply make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Industrial Gas Sales are the primary driver. The others are welding Equipment and Consumables, dry Ice Products and Services and service and Maintenance.
Who are CK Supply's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Air Products and Chemicals, Matheson Tri-Gas (Nippon Sanso Holdings), Linde plc and Air Liquide. Others are IWDC (Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative) and Chart Industries. Direct peers are American Welding & Gas, Norco Inc., National Welders Supply Company and Roberts Oxygen Company.
Does CK Supply have an API?
No public API is recorded for CK Supply.
What industry is CK Supply in?
CK Supply's product category is Industrial Gas Distribution and Welding Supply. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEACAH, Welding & Cutting Gases, with a secondary code of IMAEACAL, Gas Handling Equipment & Storage (Cylinders/Tanks/Valves). Its NAICS code is 32512 and its SIC code is 5084.