Rich Gottwald is the President and CEO of Compressed Gas Association (CGA).Before joining CGA, Rich served as President and CEO of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. He joined APSP in 2013 and realigned the organization to be a unified voice to protect existing markets and to grow new business for its members.Prior to APSP, Rich served as Executive Vice President for the International Sign Association, where he was responsible for providing oversight and leadership on the regulatory, legislative, and technological challenges and opportunities facing the sign industry across North America.
More than 180 companies worldwide are members of the Compressed Gas Association, from multinational corporations to family-owned businesses. These companies represent all facets of the industry: manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and transporters of gases, cryogenic liquids, and related products. Our sphere of influence encompasses industrial, medical, food, and specialty gases in compressed or liquefied form, as well as a range of gas handling equipment.
CGA’s mission is to promote ever-improving safe, secure, and environmentally responsible manufacture, transportation, storage, transfilling, and disposal of industrial, medical, and food gases and their containers.
Compressed gases provide the invisible ingredient in millions of products used in everyday life. Together, our members supply products to industries that account for nearly 30% of the U.S. gross domestic product. In fact, every job our industry creates generates 2.3 additional jobs elsewhere in the economy.
For more than 110 years, the Compressed Gas Association has been dedicated to the development and promotion of safety standards and safe practices for our industry. We use a committee system comprised of member volunteers to develop technical specifications, safety standards, and training and educational materials. We also work with government agencies to help formulate and promote compliance with responsible regulations and standards.