In April 1994, the IWDC was formed by the Independent Welding Distributors Association (IWDA), a western geography buying group. Less than a year later, the Key Distribution Group (KDG), an eastern geography buying group, merged with IWDC to almost double its size.
IWDC’s original mission, leveling the playing field for the independents to compete with national chains, is even more relevant in today’s dynamic industry fraught with consolidation of both welding supply vendors and industrial gas companies.
To understand IWDC’s DNA requires an even farther look back to its roots – the 1948 genesis of IWDA, a west coast group that was formed by what is affectionately known as “The Forty Thieves”.
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