In 2014, Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based Atlas Welding Supply Co., Inc. will celebrate its 70th anniversary. In 1944, Charles Temerson and Sons Scrapyard became an Airco distributor and launched its Welding Supply Division. Thirty four years later the name was changed to Atlas Welding Supply when it was sold to an employee, Jack Englebert, and a customer, Jimmie Cain, owner of Cain Steel & Supply.
In 2008, ownership changed to the current management team when James Cain and Bill Visintainer bought out Englebert and the heirs of Jimmie Cain.
“When we bought Atlas in 2008,” Visintainer says, “we were handed the keys and then promptly welcomed to the Great Recession.” In spite of the tough economic conditions, Atlas has enjoyed substantial growth over the past five years. The new owners initially grew the footprint from the single location in Tuscaloosa by adding locations in Fayette and Greensboro. In December, Atlas acquired a Birmingham gas distributor and increased its service area to include parts of Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi. The addition of the new locations and a focus on growing the gas part of the business has helped Atlas achieve its growth targets over the past five years.
That exponential growth, almost four-fold, has not changed the core values that have anchored Atlas over the years. Atlas and its associates are deeply involved in the communities that they serve. “Five years ago, we inherited an intensely loyal customer base,” Visintainer says. “They were loyal because they weren’t only customers; they were friends, neighbors, and associates in various community activities.” Today Atlas and its associates continue to serve on boards and serve in local charities, schools, churches, and clubs.
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