A Year in Review Gas and Welding Report

As we begin a new year here at CK Supply, we cannot help but be thankful to our employees, customers and vendors which helped contribute to a great 2019.  Overall our business experienced strong growth primarily coming from bulk gases tied to light manufacturing and metal fabrication.  Our rental and repair facility saw an increase in activity as a few of the sizable construction projects have begun coming online.  Large equipment purchases also remained strong this year as customers look to improve efficiencies and automate their manufacturing processes.

Last year’s changing business landscape also brought challenges and opportunity internally at CK.  With employment at historic lows we held onto job openings longer but were able to keep our pipeline full with quality candidates while continuing to expand into new opportunities.  We had good numbers in our seasonal equipment sales showing the strength of small business and local consumers wanting to make new investments.  We therefore plan to hold these events again in 2020 offering the chance to obtain equipment as the lowest prices of the year.

We at CK believe that continued investment back into our business makes us a stronger partner and we have continued in this tradition making several improvements last year.  Our tech center got a face lift including televisions for demonstrations, the addition of “Pyatt’s corner” with a welding arm from WeldPro 360 and the newest version of Koike’s cutting tables.  In April, we expanded our dry ice manufacturing and distribution footprint into Kansas City, MO and surrounding areas with a new location.  In October, we completed a remodeling project at our Woodriver, IL retail showroom, which I invite you to stop by and take a look out our team’s hard work!  We then closed the year rolling out a brand-new Nitrogen Gas Express truck that has greatly increased our on-site fill times.

In regards to community events we were excited to participate in both Manufacturing Days events at St. Charles Community College and Warrenton and enjoyed watching the young student’s interest in our industry as well as the virtual welding machine from Miller.

Overall, we hear positive reports from our vendor partners and local business leaders about the upcoming year and CK remains optimistic about the potential opportunities for our customers.  We thank you for your business in 2019 and wish you and your business success in the coming decade. We invite you to “Discover the Difference” with CK Supply when facing any of the welding and gas related challenges that come your way in 2020.

Brad Dunn is Vice President for CK Supply and can be reached at [email protected] or 314-221-2861