Back in 1949 Harry S. Truman began serving his second term as President of the United States. The average cost of a new home was $7,450, the average cost of a new car was $1,420, a gallon of gas was 17 cents and minimum wage was 70 cents per hour. Postwar prosperity was starting to get underway. That year Middlesex Welding Supply was established as an independent distributor with Joseph Martin, Sr. as the founding father.

Joseph Martin’s vision for business was clear—to create and operate a strong, independent distributorship that would sell quality products at a fair price and back them up with excellent service. With humble beginnings that included an upside-down milk carton for a chair and a single pickup truck for deliveries, Joseph Martin, Sr. and his associate Tom Qualey began the Middlesex Welding Supply operation in Everett, Massachusetts.