Longtime Minnesota gas and welding supply distributors Central McGowan and Minneapolis Oxygen on Monday announced that they had merged in a bid to create “a stronger, more dynamic company.”
Central McGowan, headquartered in St. Cloud, operates six total facilities in its home state, as well as branches in North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa. MO2, meanwhile, has five Minnesota locations and serves the Twin Cities, western Wisconsin and Northeast Minnesota markets. The company is also the partial owner of the Absolute Air plant in Faribault, Minnesota.
“This merger marks a historic milestone for both of our companies,” Central McGowan CEO Joe Francis said in a statement. “Together, we’re uniting our shared values of family ownership, community involvement, and a relentless focus on delivering exceptional service.”
“We’re excited for our teams to come together under a new roof and build a new legacy together based on our shared commitment to our employees and customers,” added MO2 President Kevin Falconer.
Both companies will continue to operate under their respective names in the first year following the merger to preserve day-to-day operations and customer service. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.
