Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW) is a diversified manufacturing company based in Chicago with more than 85 years of history. The Company has more than 500 decentralised business units located in 40 countries, and produces a wide range of industrial products and equipment for customers around the world. The company serves the construction, general industrial, automotive, food and beverage, industrial capital goods, paper products,consumer durables and electronics markets. The current operating revenues exceed 9 billion US$. With the backing of the parent company, ITW Welding Products Group offer the confidence that our customers demand. The welding consumable business is of growing importance for ITW and Elga will form the base for a continued expansion on the European market. Other important manufacturers of welding consumables belonging to ITW are Hobart Brothers in the US with Hobart, Tri-Mark, McKay and Corex brands as well as Tien-Tai of Taiwan, operating mainly on the Asian market. Other well-known units belonging to the ITW Welding Products Group are Miller Electric the worlds no 1 in arc welding equipment, Smith oxy-acetylene equipment, OXO Mig-Guns, WNI welding nozzles, NTT welding and cutting nozzles and Tempil temperature markers. The independent brands that comprise the ITW Welding Products Group offer the worlds most complete selection of welding and plasma equipment, consumables and related accessories for such diverse applications as metalworking, construction, shipbuilding, offshore, automotive, aviation maintenance and many others. From Europe to Asia and the pacific Rim, from North America to South America, in the arctic and in the desert, youŽll find ITW welding products being used.