Central Welding Supply: A History of Service
Central Welding Supply was born in a very small building in Lynnwood, Washington in 1975. Much like many other small start-up businesses, it was started on mostly guts and determination, and with what at the time was a substantial initial investment of $10,000.00, requiring Mickey Wilton and his business partner to put up nearly everything they owned as collateral for rent, overhead, and inventory. There is much more to the story than just initial investments and opening a store, and much more to our history and focus on SERVICE that we were founded on.
In the early 1970's Mickey returned from serving his country in Vietnam, and also returned to his route driving and route sales job at Adams Welding Supply. At the time Adams Welding Supply was a family-owned company based in Everett, Washington, operated by Carl Adams, a veteran of the welding supply and gases business. Mr. Adams was a humble, caring man who took great pride in his work, his company, and his staff, all of whom he treated like family. As is the story with many businesses, however, shortly after Mick's return Mr. Adams decided to sell his store to a larger Seattle-based company. Difficulties with new management and the loss of the tight-knit family feel drove the two partners to strike out on their own and create their own business, based largely on the skills, business philosophies, customer service approach, and mentoring they received at Adams Welding Supply, and from Carl Adams directly.
In 1975 the Puget Sound Region and the greater Seattle area, was far more sparsely populated than it is today. Most industrial suppliers of the era were based either in the industrial core of Seattle or in the aging mill town of Everett with few services or suppliers in-between. Mickey and his partner believed that the growing area south of Paine Field and the Everett Boeing manufacturing facilities and north of Ballard and the marine trade of Seattle, could potentially support a full service welding supply and industrial gases store. They found and rented a very small building on heavily-traveled Highway 99 at 208th Street in Lynnwood, Washington and gave their company a simple name based on it being located centrally in-between Seattle and Everett: Central Welding Supply. Though the showroom floor was little more than a sales counter and a small office, and the “yard” was no more than a 10 ft by 10 ft cylinder exchange dock, with a little paint and a lot of hard work they opened for business.
Many scratch start companies barely survive the first few months (if they survive at all), but Central Welding Supply's first month of business was a success. Their concept of providing better customer service and a more convenient location proved a simple but winning formula. Despite no direct manufacturer product lines and competitors eager to add them to the list of failed ventures, Central Welding Supply tallied first-month sales of over $20,000.00 and never looked back.
The first 8 years of Central Welding Supply saw quite a bit of growth and expansion. The little 208th Street location that served the first years so well was quickly rendered inadequate, so in 1977 a new much larger building at 202nd Street off of Highway 99 became the new home. In 1980 they launched a second store, based across town from the old Adams Welding Supply in Everett Washington that they used to work at, and in 1983 the company made its very first acquisition - Skagit Valley Welding Supply located in downtown Burlington, Washington.
The mid to late '80s were spent growing and developing business between north Seattle and the Skagit Valley, and allowed the company and management time to acclimate what was new computer technology, and to find ways to better manage the multiple stores as one company. This was also the beginning of heavy consolidation of the welding supply and gases businesses throughout the United States by major corporations. Great regional suppliers such as Welders Supply Company, Northwest Welding Supply, Industrial Welding Supply, and others, were slowly but systematically being acquired and consolidated into much larger national (or international) operations.
In 1990 Mickey Wilton became the sole owner of Central Welding Supply, choosing to buy out his partner's shares rather than sell the entire company to one of those large multinational corporations. His drive to continue to grow and cultivate a family atmosphere as he had experienced at Adams Welding Supply and his belief that a locally-owned welding supply would provide better service to local customers made keeping Central Welding Supply together an easy choice.
The years and decades following that 1990 buy-out has been marked by consistent growth and expansion, scratch start retail locations, the introduction of several divisions, and a number of acquisitions that added branch locations and opened up new regions and new opportunities throughout the Northwest and Alaska.
Though the company has grown from one small store to a much larger regional distributor serving Washington, Oregon and Alaska, Central Welding Supply has stayed true to its initial objective: Provide the region’s most responsive customer service along with convenient locations and the best products, while holding on to the core values and traditions of a family-owned, family-run, local business.
Central Welding Supply is owned and operated by the Wilton Family, led by Dale Wilton, CEO, and Mickey Wilton, Founder.
Acquisitions & New Store Openings Since 1990:
1994
Purchased Ark Welding Supplies of Ballard, Washington
1995
Bellingham, Washington location opens
1997
Purchased Issaquah Welding Supply based in Issaquah, Washington
1999
Opened South Seattle branch on 4th Avenue South in Seattle, Washington
2001
Acquisition of the Bellingham, Washington branch of Air Liquide Corporation
2003
Acquisition of Key Electric, based in Port Townsend, Washington
2005
Acquisition of Air Liquide Tacoma, Washington business
2005
Woodinville, Washington location opens
2006
New Smokey Point Corporate Offices, Fill Plant, and Distribution Facility constructed
2007
Purchase of D & B Welding Supply of Renton, Washington.
2008
Smokey Point Retail Store opens
2009
Acquisition of Compressed Gas Western Inc of Seattle Washington
2009
Redmond, Washington location opens
2009
Purchase of Pacific Welding Supplies LLC adding locations in Tacoma, Auburn, Olympia, Bremerton and Chehalis, Washington
2009
Acquisition of A-L Welding Products of Tukwila, Washington
2010
Anacortes, Washington location opens
2010
Purchased Precision Welder & Engine Repair of Seattle, Washington
2010
Acquisition of Everett Carbonic in Everett, Washington
2014
Kelso, Washington location opens
2014
Vancouver, Washington location opens
2016
Acquisition of United Welding Supplies Inc, located in Portland, Oregon
2017
Wasilla, Alaska location opens
2018
Purchase of Noble Gases LLC in Portland, Oregon
2018
Acquisition of Axium Gases & Welding Supplies in White City (Medford), Oregon
2019
Purchase of Coastal Containment & Welding Supplies in Aberdeen, Washington
2019
Purchase of Sunset Wirerope business, Port Angeles, Washington
2019
Acquisition of Matheson Fife, Washington business
2020
Purchase of Willamette Welding Supply in Albany, Oregon
2021
Acquisition of WRT Repair (Medford, Oregon)
2022
Fairbanks, Alaska location opens
2022
Anchorage, Alaska location opens
2023
Acquisition of Weldor’s Equipment Repair in Milwaukie, Oregon
2024
Purchase of A-Z Balloon Company (Everett, Washington)
2024
Acquisition of American Equipment Services in Fife, Washington