Kobelco Welding of America, Inc. (KWAI) was established in Houston, Texas in 1990 as a wholesale company owned by Kobe Steel USA Holdings for marketing Kobelco welding consumables in North America and Latin America.

Since KWAI launched its business. It has worked closely with all of its customers through quality services both in sales activities and technical support. Because of its outstanding business attitude, KWAI has earned rapid growth led by its excellent reputation and the distributor’s sales network expansion nationwide. Today, more than 300 distributors are stocking Kobelco welding wires, mostly flux-cored wires, supplied from KWAI. KWAI’s stainless steel flux cored wires have earned the largest market share, 40%, in the North American market.

KWAI has been pursuing customer satisfaction, through activities based on the business slogan QTQ (Quality products, Technical support and Quick delivery), targeting a higher market share. KWAI expanded its sales network by opening Cincinnati Distribution Center (1996), Chicago Distribution Center (1999), Salt Lake City Distribution Center (2002) and Birmingham, Distribution Center (2006).