Central McGowan Expands its Fargo CO2 Distribution Hub to a Fully-Stocked Store & Distribution Site, Bringing its Total Number of Locations to Five

ST. CLOUD, Minn., Oct. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Central McGowan (www.centralmcgowan.com), a leading supplier of gases and state-of-the-art equipment/technology for the manufacturing, welding, medical, and food and beverage industries in the upper Midwest and a FANUC-authorized integrator of automation/robotic solutions, announced today that it is expanding its Fargo, N.D. CO2 distribution hub to be a fully-stocked retail store and distribution site. Central McGowan's Fargo store is located at 1226 38th St N, Fargo, ND 58102 (next to the newly painted water tower). The store officially opens today. Central McGowan has had a presence in the area since 2017, when it acquired Pro-CO2.

"We believe our wide array of products and services fill a need in the Fargo market," explains Joe Francis, CEO/President of Central McGowan. "Fargo is a thriving, growing area with a concentration of heavy industrial, automation, and food and beverage businesses. This is absolutely the right customer base for a nimble, independent distributor and automation integrator like us."

Adjacent to Northern States Supply (www.northernstatessupply.com), the new Central McGowan store furthers a building alliance with that company. The partnership with Northern States allowed Central McGowan to repurpose 1,500 square feet of warehouse space on the back of Northern States' building for its store. And, because the two companies serve a similar customer base and share the same service-minded culture, this creates a win-win-win for both of them and, most importantly, the customers they serve.

CO2 will continue to be a core offering at the Fargo site, along with a full portfolio of other industrial, welding, medical, and food and beverage gases, including dry ice. ColdZERO™ — Central McGowan's own brand of dry ice – is manufactured fresh daily at its St. Cloud and St. Paul locations. Customers will also have access to the 10,000+ welding, industrial and safety products that are stocked at its main St. Cloud warehouse or available for order through its system. "Central McGowan prides ourselves on being able to get our customers virtually anything they need in the timeframe they need it," adds Francis.

The company also offers certified servicing of welders, air tools, robot arms, and cutting tables and systems—both on-site and at its St. Cloud service center which is just a few hours away.

The new store will distribute to an area of about 100 miles around Fargo and has been staffed with seasoned sales professionals from the area. Store manager John Salter is the former owner of The Gas Guy—a local gas and welding supply business (a company which Central McGowan acquired when he was hired). Robb Peterson, the Central McGowan account manager for the Fargo area, has 20 years of inside/outside sales experience in distribution. The company is hoping to hire another sales person yet this year. "I've been in the market for a long time," Peterson explains, "Central McGowan's diverse offerings are a good match for the Fargo market, especially automation."

Anyone looking for more information can visit www.CentralMcGowan.com or call the Central McGowan Fargo retail store at 701-809-7426, 7:30 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. To celebrate the store opening, the company is giving away free orange camo hats to all visitors while supplies last. It is also planning to do monthly giveaways of some of the company's most popular offerings. A grand opening event will be held in the spring of 2021. A date is still pending.

About Central McGowan
Central McGowan is a third-generation, family-owned, diversified company founded in 1965 with the merger of McGowan Welding Supply of Little Falls (founded in 1947) and Central Welding Supply of St. Cloud. It has grown to include three distinct businesses: a FANUC-authorized automation and robotics integration division; a leading industrial, welding and medical gas & supply business; and a CO2 Solutions (beverage carbonation, water treatment, dry ice) division. It serves 20+ industries with customers spanning most of Minnesota and areas of N.D., S.D., Iowa & Wis.; and automation implementations across the U.S. and internationally. The company has 4 fully stocked retail stores in St. Cloud, Little Falls, Burnsville, Minn. and Fargo, N.D.; more than 70 Minnesota dealers; and CO2 distribution hubs/stores in St. Cloud and St. Paul, Minn. After decades of doing business, the company believes quality and integrity are the keys to success, as is always putting customers first. Central McGowan strives to be the everyday heroes who make life work better. Visit us online at WWW.CENTRALMCGOWAN.COM, on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

ColdZERO™ Dry Ice
ColdZERO dry ice is available by order for large customers and for pickup by the public at Central McGowan's four retail locations (St. Cloud, Little Falls, Burnsville & Fargo) and its CO2 distribution hubs/sites in St. Cloud & St. Paul, Minn. Available in blocks (multiple sizes), nuggets (approx. 3/4-inch pieces), and rice (approx. 1/8-inch pellets), Central McGowan offers same-day, convenient delivery and pickup for larger orders which are sold in returnable, rolling insulated totes. Dry ice is the common name for the solid form of CO2. It's used in more than 20 different industries. Applications include industrial cleaning and dry ice blasting, medical manufacturing, equipment cleaning, wood finishing, mold remediation, historic restoration; preserving food, fish and game; providing emergency refrigeration; and creating cool Halloween effects. Dry ice is safe to use when handled properly, is extremely cold -109.3°F (-78.5°C), and should not be touched with unprotected skin. It should be kept and stored in well-ventilated areas and containers that are not air-tight. It should never be ingested or used in drinks or beverages, and kept out of the reach of children and animals.

SOURCE Central McGowan

Related Links

www.CentralMcGowan.com