Red Ball Oxigen
Since 1930, Red Ball Oxygen has supplied the SBC and surrounding areas with a stellar selection of industrial, medical, and specialty gases. They offer various industrial supplies, safety supplies, construction site services, welding equipment, and technical services to several industries nationally and internationally.
Over the years, they’ve expanded to 21 locations, four-cylinder fill plants, and two specialty gas labs with 250 employees across four states. They strive to offer each customer the perfect order on time and with accurate delivery every time.
In 1969, Craig Kennedy bought Red Ball Oxygen and passed the company down to his sons, Larry and Gary Kennedy, in 1987. Today, Larry and Gary’s sons have begun the company’s 3rd generation of family ownership. Alex and Quinn Kennedy, 39 and 29, respectively, grew up in the Red Ball business.
Alex began running the Shreveport location in 2008, and Quinn began working there in 2013. They’ve both worked in multiple capacities with Red Ball since their beginnings. In 2015, Alex took over his father’s, Gary, shares of the company and became CEO of Red Ball Oxygen. This year, Quinn, Business Development Manager for Red Ball, took over his father’s, Larry, shares, making the cousins owners of the family business.
Many aspects of Red Ball Oxygen allow them to shine brighter than the rest. They service over 5,000 customers and supply most of the nuclear power plants in this region, in addition to hospitals, construction sites, and refineries. This technologically capable, customer-driven, open-books company is one of the largest hydrogen providers in the area. Red Ball offered oxygen services to hospitals during the trying times of COVID.
When the snowstorm of 2021 hit our area, Red Ball delivered hydrogen with the assistance of state police and the National Guard. Their three ISO accreditations are a testament to their dedication to unsurpassed service. In addition, the Red Ball Oxygen specialty gas division is growing by leaps and bounds. “We have a whole division that makes incredibly technical specialty gases and sells EPA protocol gases. We send These emissions monitoring gases to power plants and refineries to monitor greenhouse gas emissions to help keep our climate goals in mind, “says Alex.
April 2024 marked the opening of a new customer service location in Port Arthur, TX. Red Ball is also completing construction on a 10-acre, state-of-the-art industrial and specialty gas plant in Friendswood, TX, and adding another liquid hydrogen facility in Grand Prairie, TX. The opening of the new hydrogen facility, in addition to the existing hydrogen facility in Shreveport, cements Red Ball as one of the leading hydrogen providers in the area. Alex says, “The estate planning that we’ve done and transitioning to the 3rd generation solidifies our position. It gives us a long-term, big-picture outlook for the company now that we’re firmly solidified into the 3rd generation of young owners”.
609 N Market St, Shreveport, LA 71107
318-425-3211
