Doug Keitges has only been the branch manager for two years at Airgas in Lincoln, NE, yet he and his team have made a huge footprint in the Lincoln business community and surrounding areas. Don’t let his short amount of time as a manager raise an eyebrow though; Keitges has been in the industry for 16 years. He was the man you would go to when you needed to get the job done. Be it filling cylinders, shipping and receiving products, purchasing products and equipment, ensuring safety and compliance, being a driver for deliveries, as well as being an inside sales person, he has done it all.
Keitges started his Airgas career at the Omaha branch in 2011, where he and his team serviced from Omaha to Lincoln and everywhere in between. There, he did management training, spent time learning different tasks, and worked different positions throughout the store. When the Lincoln branch was newly constructed in January of 2012, Keitges took his fresh knowledge and management skills to the new location ready to serve Lincoln from much closer than the Omaha branch had been. The branch has been part of the Chamber of Commerce and the American Welding Society for the past year.
The Lincoln branch prides itself on what sets them apart from other companies. The Lincoln branch greatly values customer service and strives to make every customer experience a positive one. The branch has Medical, Specialty Gas, Safety, and Weld Process Specialists that focus only on those market segments, making it easy for customers to ask specific questions and get advice.
Although personal service seems to be becoming a rarity, the Lincoln branch in particular holds itself accountable to provide individual service at the highest level. The store follows specific principles to provide this service. The branch finds solutions and not excuses, ensuring that any problems are resolved in a respectable and timely fashion. The branch also works closely with customers, anticipating their needs and exceeding their expectations to guarantee excellent service. In addition to excellent service, the branch strives to drive decision-making authority as close to the customer as possible. Their principles have allowed Airgas to build a strong customer base in Lincoln.
Airgas has had many achievements in its 30 years of existence. From the first acquisition made, to today’s approximately 1100 locations and more than 15000 employees, Airgas has become a national leader in the U.S packaged gas industry. As a local accomplishment in Nebraska, the opening of the Lincoln store is certainly important for those in the community, as well as those in the gases, welding and safety supplies industry. Seeing the success and growth the store has had in their first full year has shown the need for the store in the Lincoln community. The community is benefitting from having a go-to store for welding and safety materials, placing gas orders, working with local specialists that can answer their questions right in the store, and more importantly having a store that is centrally located and easily accessible.
The Lincoln branch is still new to the Lincoln community and has lots of goals they hope to achieve. The main focus is continuing to provide outstanding customer service, making certain that each visit to the store is helpful and hassle-free while guaranteeing that all of the customers’ needs are being met. Keitges and his team make every effort to maintain these standards for their regular customers, and look forward to providing the same local service and expertise to
new customers.
Visit us today!
4016 Progressive Ave
402-466-3235 | www.airgas.com