Linde, 6701 Saint John Ave, Kansas City, MO 64123, US

David Breslow founded Linweld in 1945 as the Lincoln Welding Supply Company with the purpose of providing welding supplies and industrial gases to customers in Lincoln, Neb., and the surrounding rural communities. The company has become one of the largest welding supply distributors and independent processors of industrial, medical and specialty gases. The company now has opened store and plant locations in over 20 cities. Today, it has a fleet of transport and delivery vehicles as well as more than 400 employees. In addition to its sales and service locations, Linweld operates its own distribution center, air separation plant, acetylene plant, specialty gas department, and training and automation center. Linweld is also one of the few distributors in the country able to produce oxygen, nitrogen and argon via its own air separation plant. The acetylene plant converts over 40,000 pounds of calcium carbide each week in supplying cylinder acetylene to all Linweld locations and customers. This office is a branch of the corporate office, and it is located in Kansas City, Mo.