In 1975 at the time of startup, the four founders of Sims Orange Welding Supply, Wesley Brown, Kelly Sims, Bob Marshall, and Bill Higham were already 20 year veterans in the welding supply industry. Kelly Sims and Bob Marshall owned Sims Welding Supply in Los Angeles. Wes Brown and Bill Higham were two top performers as outside salesmen at V.B. Anderson, (now Praxair) Santa Ana, Ca. The name "Sims Orange Welding Supply" was created for customers to understand Sims Orange Welding Supply was its own entity in the county of Orange California. From 1975 to 1988 Mr. Brown purchased or bought out the other founders stock of Sims Orange. Wesley worked along side with his wife Mickie, (who took care of the books while Wesley worked the sales side). None of this was easy, as they both put in countless hours at the business and borrowed against their house and mountain cabin to finance Sims Orange.
In 1988 their son Neal Brown joined the company. Neal brought valuable experience with him. Neal spent 11 years in Houston, Texas learning the industry. Neal was a welding technician at Magnolia Welding Supply in Houston, Texas and a part time welding instructor at North Harris County College in Humble Texas, and Airco Technical Institute in South Houston, Texas. Neal also started Kontrol Weld Products of Texas and sold Kontrol Weld after 8 years of successful business. In 1989 Lisa Alvarado started working at Sims Orange Welding as a receptionist and data entry clerk. Lisa became familiar with all the aspects of running the office, and became one of the top accounts receivable collection agents in the industry. Through time, Lisa has become not only the vice president of Sims Orange Welding but also Neal's wife! Sims Orange Welding has had many hard working, good people employed through the years. It is with much gratitude and thanks for their dedication!
Sims Orange Welding is "Generation Strong", and it is my hope to continue serving the welding industry for another 40 years and beyond!
Thank you,Neal D. Brown
A Note About My Father,
Wesley Lyle Brown, an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts as a teenager and a cub reporter for the local newspaper, put himself through college, (took five years), and earned a degree in metallurgy at the University of Utah. In 1945 after serving on the USS Cabot, an American Aircraft carrier in World War II as an Ensign in the United States Navy in charge of bomb disposal, he joined General Welding in Great Falls Montana to begin his career in the welding supply industry. In the late 1950s Dad started Northwest Oxygen in Spokane Washington, as well as Pasco Welding Supply and Yakima Welding Supply. In the mid 60s and at the urging of his wife Mickie, Wesley sold those companies to Linde, Union Carbide so he could relocate his family to Southern California. Dad worked for "the other guy" for ten years, but being the entrepreneur that he was, he started Sims Orange Welding Supply. Dad passed away at the age of 79 in Dec. of 2000. The business he created in 1975 is still going strong 40 years later, I am honored to continue to operate Sims Orange Welding Supply with the same mission of treating people with respect and dignity ,and carrying on a legacy of a great man, my father.
Thanks Dad, you made a difference!