About Us
General Distributing Company (Gendco) is Montana’s leading wholesale distributor of industrial, welding, medical, beverage, agricultural, and specialty gases, supplying the gases, equipment, and expertise businesses rely on every day. We also provide professional‑grade welding and cutting equipment, industrial tools, safety products, and medical equipment and supplies.
Family‑owned and operated since 1948, Gendco is a fourth‑generation Montana company proudly serving communities throughout Montana and neighboring states. With convenient locations in Great Falls, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Helena, and Glendive, we combine local service with the scale and reliability our customers depend on.
We support a wide range of industries including manufacturing, fabrication, healthcare, beverage production, agriculture, and construction, with dependable gas supply solutions and hands‑on technical support tailored to each operation.
Deeply rooted in Montana, Gendco is committed to long‑term partnerships—not just transactions. We invest in our people, empower growth, and help our customers succeed through personalized service, expert technical advice, and a steadfast commitment to excellence.
Our Story
The Early Years
General Distributing Company, also known as Gendco, is a family-owned business that has been serving Montana since 1948 when Glenn E. Bliss purchased a financially challenged tire and battery company, gradually shifting the focus to welding supplies and industrial gases. Now, over 75 years later, General Distributing Company has grown into Montana’s largest family-owned welding and supply company.
From 1948 until 1980, the company operated out of a 2,500-square-foot building, bringing in pre-filled compressed gas cylinders from a major supplier via railcar from the West Coast. In 1970, Glenn F. Bliss moved back from Washington and acquired a minority interest from a non-family member, becoming the second-generation owner. He took over as President in 1976 and led the company until 2001.
In 1981, Glenn F. purchased three acres of land and constructed a 20,000-square-foot building, which included offices, a warehouse, a showroom, a 3,000-square-foot truck garage, and a 2,500-square-foot cylinder fill facility where the company still operates today. He invested in a fill plant, allowing Gendco to fill its own oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, and argon mix gases. This was a significant turning point in the company’s history, enabling it to become much more competitive in the marketplace. At that time, branch locations included Great Falls, Butte, Bozeman, and Helena.
Growth and Expansion
In 1995, Glenn W. Bliss returned from Seattle to join the family business, becoming President in 2001 and marking the third generation of the Bliss family involved. Eric Bliss, his brother, joined the company in 1999, serving as Vice President.
Since 1995, the company has continued to grow, establishing facilities in Billings and Glendive, while also developing markets in Alberta, Canada. Significant investments have been made in the business, including a new semi-automated fill facility in 2011 that allows for faster cylinder fill times. The company also invested in a specialty gas fill facility to produce high-purity helium, argon, and nitrogen for analytical and research lab applications. During this time, the company expanded its involvement in the medical gas sector, supplying hospitals and home health companies across the state with medical liquid and high-pressure medical oxygen products.
In 2019, Glenn “Austin” Bliss joined the team after graduating from Gonzaga University with a degree in accounting and working in the Seattle area. He is based in the Great Falls office, representing the fourth generation of the Bliss family within Gendco. Austin is responsible for preparing financial reports, managing company credit cards, and tracking key sales metrics through Power BI, as well as overseeing complex inventory adjustments.
Moving into the Future
In 2021, we launched a new e-commerce platform, making it easier for customers to do business with Gendco. The platform allows customers to research and order products 24/7, manage their accounts, and find products seamlessly. This initiative aimed to enhance customer efficiency, productivity, and profitability by leveraging technology.
Building on our mission to help customers grow and succeed, we introduced two new divisions in 2024: a fully operational logistics division and an expanded safety division. By being able to transport our own oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, we can source products more reliably and cost-effectively. Additionally, we formally entered the safety business by hiring a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience. He is leading our safety initiatives, collaborating with our sales team statewide to provide this offering to our customers.
Our goal for the future of Gendco and generations to come is to continually find innovative ways, including technology such as AI, to help our customers thrive. At General Distributing Company, we remain dedicated to investing in, inspiring, and empowering people so that, together, we succeed and grow.
Commitment To The Community
At General Distributing, we are committed not only to our customers and our employees, but also to the communities in which we live. With six stores located throughout Montana, our employees take our core values and live them, providing countless hours of support to local and national organizations and non-profit groups.
It is one of our values to take a leading part in helping numerous community services, local schools, and non-profit organizations. Our employees volunteer hundreds of hours of service to these various organizations by working on boards and committees, organizing and working events, fundraising, collecting food and donations, and other activities.
We support many service organizations and local events, including the following:
Our Core Values
We Value Relationships
- People come first in everything we do.
- We are focused on solving problems and providing solutions.
- We make it easier for people, both internal and external, to do business with us.
We Do What It Takes
- We are passionate about achieving excellence.
- We go above and beyond for our team and our customers.
- We are united in supporting each other no matter what it takes.
We Do the Right Thing
- We create a safe working environment for everyone, emotionally and physically.
- We do not cut corners for our own personal gain.
- We make decisions and act with honesty and integrity.
We Develop Our People
- We invest in our employees through continuous education, training, and empowerment.
- We create a corporate culture that inspires and rewards individuality, creative thinking, innovative ideas, courage, teamwork, and fun in the workplace.
- We lead by example.
We Are Results-Driven
- We set strategic goals and objectives and track them regularly.
- We implement processes to guarantee future success.
- We look for ways to improve our customers’ efficiency, productivity, and profitability.