The
United States Welding Works Company began as a partnership in 1924 by
Charles Lofgren and Adam Schmick.
The original, small store was located in downtown Denver.
The two men specialized in welding, which at that time included
anything from difficult welding jobs to receiving parts and machinery
in need of repair from all over the Rocky Mountain Region.
From time to time customers asked if they would stock oxygen
and acetylene to aid them in their welding jobs.
Recognizing this opportunity, United States Welding Works
Company was formed in 1928 as a supply house for atmospheric gases and
welding supplies.
The
company continued to grow prior to and during World War II.
In 1947, the founders decided to retire and sold the company to
the sons of Charles Lofgren - Robert Lofgren Sr. and Walter Lofgren. At
that time, the operation included truck routes over the entire state of
Colorado, western Kansas and Nebraska with a branch in Casper Wyoming.
In the early 1950’s, Robert Lofgren Jr. was brought onboard as
a salesman. In 1954,
Robert Sr. suffered a stroke and his son Robert immediately took over
management of the company and remained the CEO until 2000.
Under
Robert Lofgren Jr’s tenure, the company accomplished significant
growth. He used the momentum started by the founders of the company,
and the growth of the nation as a whole, to propel United States
Welding Works forward. He
established a new branch in Sterling, Colorado in 1956; in 1959, a
branch was opened in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Acquisitions
and growth brought a new name in 1965 and we became United States
Welding, Inc. In
Denver, a new facility was built at 600 South Santa Fe Drive as the
company outgrew it’s original Market Street location.
This
prime industrial real estate, with easy access to the interstate
system, significantly aids our ability to meet the demands of all of
our customers located throughout the entire 6 state operating area - Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.
We currently have 17 branches strategically located in the
Rocky Mountain Region assuring product availability and quick delivery
to our customers.
We
continue to evolve as our customer demands require.
We remain a welding and atmospheric gas provider, but also have
expanded into a key supplier of liquid nitrogen used in tertiary oil
and gas recovery in our region. We
recently purchased Mountain Aire Medical, and have become a nationwide
provider of durable medical goods as well as a major supplier of medical
oxygen for regional home health care providers.
We anticipate monumental growth in the medical goods market, and
are well placed to take advantage of that growth.
We are the first company to institute a “quick-fill”
process for medical oxygen trucks enabling our home health care
customers significant cost savings in reduced time at our site.
As
a high quality specialty gas provider, we have the capacity to rapidly
fill even the most sophisticated of gas mixtures - either in house or by
using outsourced quality providers.
We recently made an even greater commitment to the
expansion of that portion of our business.
We will continue to focus on our specialty gas customers as a
growth area.
Today,
we remain a family owned business. In the year 2000, Rick Lofgren,
Robert’s son, purchased the company.
Rick’s belief in flawless execution of customer service is
the backbone of our growth. We continue to be vigilant in meeting the
demands of our diversified customer base. Our focus on customer needs
is the foundation to delivering unmatched customer service as we plan
for and move toward the future.
