First and foremost, I would like to thank all of you for making us a successful and viable business, which enables the company to support all of the wonderful families that work here at Sims Welding Supply.

Secondly, I would like briefly to tell you about the history of this independent family business.

In 1941 my father, Milt Sims, started a welding fabrication shop and named it Absco at the outbreak of World War II. Previously he was a salesman for the Linde Company, a division of Union Carbide, selling industrial gases and supplies. At the end of the war in 1945, he went back to his first love and changed Absco into a welding supply distributor. As the years went by, Absco became the largest independent distributor in the country. In 1965, dad decided to retire and sold the business. I had been working as a salesman for the company and decided to stay on for about 6 years and in 1971, along with Bob Marshall, started Sims Welding Supply Co.

My son Kelly, Executive Vice President and David Johnson, Vice President of Sales are today responsible for making us successful and the independent distributor of choice for our many fine customers. We remain committed to the spirit of independence and with that, the ability to service our customers with the best on-time delivery and the best products available at competitive prices.

Thanks to all of you, our customers, for making this all possible.

M. Kelly Sims