Succession challenges, uncertainties surrounding the economic outlook, rising taxes, and the coronavirus pandemic. Those are just some of the strains that independent distributors have been grappling with lately in the US. But in 2020 a new opportunity emerged for those business leaders in the space that were looking for a way out that doesn’t mean selling to the majors or otherwise being swallowed up.
Meritus Gas Partners says it doesn’t want to see the pool of family-run independents shrink in the US industrial gases market. Instead, the packaged gas distribution platform has developed a proposition that can nurture these businesses under one umbrella and support growth plans, along the way establishing a powerhouse grouping of regional operators.
It’s a unique proposition in the market today. The firm was born from a working relationship between Rob D’Alessandro, Vice-Chairman, and Scott Kaltrider, Chairman, who first met when serving at Praxair Distribution. Upon retirement, the duo linked up with a plan to fill a gap in the market – and it’s convinced a good few business owners to take the plunge in a few short years.
When gasworld sat down to look further into the Meritus model, it made sense to hear the personal experiences from players that have joined the platform and present their stories.
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