Change is coming to Holston Gases.
Effective September 1, 2024, Joe Baxter will become company president, succeeding Robert Anders who has been president since 1997. Anders will continue as CEO, approving all major decisions on the direction of the company. Joe’s father, Bill Baxter, will continue as board chair.
Joe Baxter has been with Holston Gases for 15 years, starting in sales in Kentucky in 2009, then manager of the Lexington branch, then regional vice president for the state of Kentucky. Upon his return to Knoxville in 2022, he assumed the role of executive vice president of the company, directing the sales of multiple regions and becoming involved in operations.
“We are all so proud of how hard Joe has worked to put himself in the position to lead the day-to-day operation of Holston Gases. We are extremely excited about the future under Joe’s direction,” said Anders.
Holston Gases was founded in 1958 by Pat Baxter and Bob Walsh in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1976, Baxter bought out Walsh and in 1981, Pat’s son, Bill, joined the company. Robert Anders joined in 1990 to add management depth.
Holston Gases is one of the largest independent suppliers of industrial, medical, propane and beverage gases in the United States. The company has 42 locations in six states: Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, and serves customers in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Mississippi, Illinois and Indiana.
The corporate headquarters is at 545 W. Baxter Ave., in Knoxville. The original plant, still in operation, is off Sevier Avenue in south Knoxville with considerable frontage on the Tennessee River.
