Mississippi Welders Supply Co.

Mississippi Welders Supply (MWS) is your best choice for welding supplies, cryogenic gases, analytic gases, industrial gases, metal fabricating equipment, industrial supplies, PPE and fire safety equipment. With eleven locations to serve our growing customer base throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, we can deliver quickly. Our tenacity in following sound business practices and sticking to our mission ensures strong relationships between our employees, manufacturers we represent, and loyal customers. MWS is a certified Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB).

There’s a reason why the most challenging jobs require our assistance…our people are committed to be the best. MWS employees are trained to offer our expertise in solving problems, improving productivity, and implementing process cost reductions. When it comes to having the products you need to get the job done, we maintain an extensive inventory. Our eleven strategic locations distribute the supplies you depend on -- from our door to your door -- quickly and accurately.

HISTORY BEHIND MISSISSIPPI WELDERS SUPPLY

Serving our customer’s needs since 1939

The Mississippi Welders Supply Company that you see today was born in 1939 in Mondovi, Wisconsin. From this original location, a network of dedicated Driver-Salesmen served customers in southeastern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northeastern Iowa. With so much territory to cover, it eventually made sense to add another location and the company was expanded to include a Winona, MN store in 1966. The Winona location serves as the company headquarters and includes the central warehouse, gas filling plant and main office, in addition to a 2,000 square foot retail store.

In the summer of 1973, Don Peterson bought the company with two partners. He and Donna moved their family to Winona to take the helm of MWS. Don ended up buying out both partners, and under his leadership, stores were added in Rochester, MN, Red Wing, MN and La Crosse, WI. The Driver-Salesmen were then able to cover an even broader territory and an expanding network of local stock points was also implemented.

In the fall of 1991, the Peterson’s oldest son Brad joined the company. Brad had worked in the business while in high school and college, but had taken 4 years to get his degree, and another 8 in the US Navy, serving as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer. Under his leadership, the MWS tradition of growth and expansion not only continued, but accelerated.

A period of rapid growth and expansion followed in 1992. Having outgrown its original building in Winona, the store and warehouse were moved to the current location. The Rochester store moved to its current location in 1993 with additional warehouse space added in 2001 to better serve customers in that region.

La Crosse and Red Wing branches were also bursting at the seams and followed suit. The La Crosse store moved to its current address in 1997. In 1999, a new building was constructed to house the Red Wing store. Later that year, the decision was made to open a brand new store in Decorah, IA due to customer demand in our southern territory.

A year later, a similar situation with our customers to the north lead to the opening of a store in Hudson, WI in the fall of 2000. This store was expanded and a dramatic face-lift done in 2014, greatly expanding the store and warehouse.

In keeping with the family orientation of the business, the Peterson’s youngest son, Jeff, joined the company in 2001. He took on the day-to-day operation of the Fill Plant and overseeing the design and building of a new industrial gas filling facility, which was completed in Winona in 2004. Jeff was mobilized as a US Navy Reservist in 2011 through 2015. In 2015, one more sibling, Jane, joined MWS as IT Director.

Additional locations were added in Marshfield, WI in 2004, Altoona (Eau Claire), WI in 2006, Rothschild (Wausau), WI in 2008, Mankato, MN store in 2012. The most recent branch opening occurred with the opening of Madison, WI in 2015.

We have an On-Line store that sells product throughout the world, operating from a 20,000 square foot warehouse in Winona. MWS employs 150+ people at our eleven locations.

Since 1939, this second generation family-owned business has maintained a tradition of healthy growth in the number of services offered, product lines carried and customers satisfied. Today, as always, our first priority is providing top quality services and products to you, our valued customers.