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1 December 2014

BOC launches IWS - a new name in the industrial and welding supplies sector

BOC, the UK's leading industrial gases business and the largest welding products distributor in Europe, has announced that it has united its 14 individual hardgoods branches from across the UK under one single new brand - IWS (Industrial & Welding Supplies).

The consolidation of the many separate legal entities into IWS (they had previously traded independently under their own name, and were commonly referred to as the Leengate group of companies) means that the branches will benefit from being unified as well as being part of the major BOC brand. As the hardgoods arm of BOC and the largest supplier of industrial and welding products in the UK, IWS will be offering a separate - and different - service to that offered by BOC.

Under the unified new brand IWS branches will continue to offer customers unrivalled scale, choice and product availability. They will now have access to a nationwide supply network and be able to offer customers more products from all the major brands, including BOC's own brands than any other welding products distributor at very competitive prices.

Andrew Bridger, Operations Manager, IWS, said: "I am delighted that all the branches are now unified under the IWS brand. Reaching this key milestone means that we can now combine our two greatest strengths; we will offer customer-focused local branches that are in business purely to satisfy customers, backed by the biggest brand in the welding business. The consolidation under one name also means we can now offer our customers a combined IWS product catalogue and on-line offer for the first time."

With technical experts always at customer disposal and a hire service covering all recognised brands available in every outlet, IWS aims to provide the highest possible levels of quality and assurance.

Among the brands that will be consolidated into IWS are Leengate, Gaffney, Rock and Future. The IWS brand was rolled out to all branches across the UK in October and November and will be completed with a major Supplier Open Day in December. Symbolically, the roll out commenced with the Leengate branch in Nottingham, where the Leengate Group was established in 1957. BOC acquired a majority share in Leengate Welding Supplies, an arm of the Leengate Group, in 1997.


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