Portland Welding Supply "Cements" Its Position in Maine

Portland Welding Supply – PWS – participates in the traditional gases and welding distributor markets, but isn't afraid to branch into unexpected areas.

Pete Nofel, Editor

Dave MacDonald didn't want to be in the gases and welding distribution business. He'd set his sights on a career as a scientist. But, at his parents' urging, he joined the family-owned company and agreed to try the business for a year. After 35 successive annual tries, he's come to enjoy his position as president of Portland Welding Supply in Portland, Maine.

PWS now has nine locations 100 staff positions, 16 delivery trucks, two tractor-trailers, and a 460-mile market radius. About 60 percent of PWS' business is in welding hard goods and power tools and 40 percent in gas sales.

PWS was started in the waning days of World War II by Dave MacDonald's father, LeRoy J. "Roy" MacDonald and Dave's uncle Clarence R. "Mac" MacDonald. The MacDonald brother worked at a South Portland shipyard during the war. Both were moved into management positions while there.

At "liberty"
After the war, as the need for "liberty ships" disappeared, work became scarce. The brothers decided to make their own employment opportunities by starting a welding repair and supply business. PWS was born in an unheated garage on Forest Avenue in Portland in 1945.

The MacDonald brothers' prior experience and contacts helped them become an Air Reduction Co. – later called Airco and eventually becoming BOC Gases – hard-goods distributor. PWS' early business consisted of selling hard-goods and doing welding repairs.

Mac was the arc welding expert and outside salesman and Roy used his prior experience as a bookkeeper to handle the company books . . .

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