Airgas, an

Air Liquide Air Liquide S.A. (; ; literally "liquid air"), is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, after Linde it is ...

company, is an American supplier of

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

, medical and specialty gases (delivered in packaged or

cylinder A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...

form), as well as hardgoods and related products; one of the largest U.S. suppliers of safety products; and a leading U.S. supplier of ammonia products and process chemicals. The company is headquartered in

Radnor Township, Pennsylvania Radnor Township, often called simply Radnor, is a first class township with home rule status in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2019 United States census estimate, the township population is 31,875. Radnor Township is the largest mun ...

Business Activities

Airgas, an Air Liquide company, is a supplier of gases, welding equipment and supplies, and safety products. With more than one million customers, Airgas sells the following: * Industrial, medical and specialty gases * Welding equipment and supplies * Safety products * Atmospheric gases * Carbon Dioxide * Dry Ice * Nitrous Oxide * Ammonia * Process Chemicals The company has 18,000 employees in the following industries: * Manufacturing and metal fabrication * Non-residential construction (energy and infrastructure) * Energy and chemicals (upstream, midstream and downstream) * Life sciences and healthcare * Food, beverage and retail services * Materials and power * Government, defense and aerospace Its integrated network of about 1,400 locations includes branches, cylinder fill plants, production facilities, specialty gas laboratories, and regional distribution centers. Airgas markets through multiple channels, including its own branches and outside sales force, a Strategic Accounts Team focused on large customers, distributors and resellers, telesales, catalog and e-Business channels.

History

Airgas was founded by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter McCausland in 1982, and became a publicly traded company in 1986. Through more than 500 acquisitions and internal growth, Airgas built the largest national distribution network in the packaged gas industry. One of these acquisitions is Red-D-Arc Welderentals which was acquired in 1995 for an undisclosed fee. On September 8, 2009, Airgas replaced

Cooper Industries Cooper Industries was an American worldwide electrical products manufacturer headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1833, the company had seven operating divisions including Bussmann electrical and electronic fuses; Crouse-Hinds and CEAG ex ...

in the S&P500 index. In October 2009, John McGlade, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Products, a competing concern, privately asked McCausland whether he'd be interested in merging the two companies. McCausland rejected the idea. In February 2010, Air Products initiated a public tender offer for Airgas. The offer was extended, and the price increased, throughout the subsequent year. Air Products abandoned the effort on February 15, 2011, after a decision by the

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

Chancery Court that upheld Airgas's extensive use of a " poison pill" defense. In November 2015, Airgas agreed to be acquired by

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

’s

for a total of $13.4 billion. This deal was approved by the Airgas Board of Directors and shareholders. Airgas had previously avoided a $5.9 billion hostile takeover by Air Products and Chemicals. The acquisition was finalized and announced on May 23, 2016 and Airgas is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Liquide. In 2019, Airgas signed a definitive agreement to acquire TA Corporate Holdings, Inc. (“Tech Air”), a large independent distributor of industrial gases and welding supplies serving various geographies in the United States.

References

{{Philadelphia Corporations Air Liquide Industrial gases American companies established in 1982 Chemical companies established in 1982 2015 mergers and acquisitions Companies based in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange Transportation companies of the United States Chemical companies of the United States 1982 establishments in Pennsylvania American subsidiaries of foreign companies Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Transportation companies based in Pennsylvania