Keen Compressed Gas Co.

Keen Compressed Gas Co. is a third-generation, 100-year-old locally owned and operated company. It is the mid-Atlantic’s leading supplier of welding equipment and supplies and industrial, medical, specialty and cryogenic gases. Keen represents a network of quality-conscious vendors, backed
up by extensive store inventories and a delivery fleet capable of providing next-day service throughout its operating area.

Keen adopted the slogan “Total Customer Satisfaction” in the early 1990s as part of a companywide quality-management program. 

“We realized that as markets changed and competitors challenged us with a variety of tactics, we could remain successful by sticking to our core value of putting the customer first,” says President Bryan Keen.

The company today has more than 20 employees who have been with Keen for more than 30 years and another 20 who have been with the company for more than 20 years. Keen’s 14 branch managers have been taught to run their branches like their own business, and their compensation is tied to the store’s performance. Most managers have been promoted into their position after years of service within the company.

The company has lost a lot of experienced employees to retirement in recent years. Leadership embarked on a path to have candidates ready to step in and accept the challenges of replacing them when the time came. 

Keen said the true measure of a person is the legacy they leave, which is not always appreciated until many years have passed.

“My father was a dynamic leader and an outspoken person. He ran our company with his own style and was very successful,” Keen said. “I would like to think we — my brother, sister, and I — have left a legacy of success that others could learn from. Our formula is not complicated. It’s based on hard work and valuating the people and customers around you that have allowed you to be successful.”

Headquarters:
Wilmington

Founded:
1919

Industry:
Industrial chemicals and equipment

Full-time employees:
124

Family members:
8

Website:
keengas.com

We like to have fun outside of work. Eagles and Phillies games, bowling parties, go-carting, and our signature “Springfest” employee party are popular events that have helped us build and maintain our family.