Wally Brant

BA 1971, History
President , Indiana Oxygen Company 

Indiana Oxygen Company is a third-generation family-owned company that manufactures and distributes industrial, laboratory, and medical gases as well as welding equipment and supplies. IOC has 10 locations in Indiana and Ohio,

Brant served 7 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Navigator on a B-52 Combat Crew serving in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. After completing his military service, and reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he had planned to attend law school but, when he learned that the family business was going to be sold, he came back to Indiana. He joined the family business and then borrowed money to purchase majority interest in it, then went on to become CEO in 1982.

Owning a company doesn’t mean you can successfully RUN one. After nearly losing the company due to poor leadership, Indiana Oxygen rebounded, through “corporate re-engineering” and with complete employee involvement, to its current profitability and a strong presence in Indiana and the surrounding states. This team approach is still present today through its “Kaizen” program for Continuous Improvement. Today, nearly 20% of its total revenue comes from internet sales to all 50 states and a dozen foreign countries. IOC’s revenues are 20 times greater today than in 1982. 

IOC has been a Brant family-owned and operated business since it’s founding in the early 1900’s. In 2005 Brant received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Manufacturing. The company has received the following awards: 

 2004 Westpoint Financial Group’s Blue Chip Company Award
 2005 BKD Indiana Award of Excellence
 2006 American Welding Society “Image of Welding” National Winner
 2007 Indianapolis Colts Community Service Award
 2009 “Best of Indianapolis” Award for Medical and Industrial Gases

Brant is a former president of several local and national Trade Associations and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Hoosier Motor Club (AAA), the International Oxygen Manufacturers’ Association, Best Buddies of Indiana, and numerous civic and non-profit associations.

Brant is married and has two children who joined Indiana Oxygen in 2010 to make it a four-generation family-owned business.