Airgas, Inc. (www.airgas.com) completed on June 30 its acquisition of Linde Gas USA LLC, and with it most of the U.S. packaged gas business of Linde AG. Airgas announced its plans to acquire the Linde Gas packaged gas operations in late March, paid $310 million in cash in the transaction.

The acquisition involved 130 locations in 18 states, including branches, warehouses, packaged gas fill plants, and other operations that are involved in distributing packaged industrial and specialty gases and related equipment. In 2006, the business generated $346 million in revenue.

"We are pleased to welcome 1,400 associates and the packaged gas customers they serve," Peter McCausland, chairman and chief executive officer of Airgas said in a prepared statement.

McCausland added that the packaged gas locations his company acquired fills in its network in a corridor from Pittsburgh to Chicago, and in other geographies in the eastern United States.

The company said the people who work for the former Linde Gas operations will join its seven regional companies and National Welders Supply Company, while two specialty gas facilities in Maumee, Ohio, and Valley View, Ohio, will join the Airgas Specialty Gases national network. Some corporate functions that are based in Cleveland will join the appropriate Airgas corporate units.

However, Airgas said the acquired locations will operate under their existing business structures for a while as it completes systems conversions. Until then, Airgas said customers will see no changes in the way they order, take delivery, or pay for products and service from their current locations.

Separately, Airgas announced in early July that it and its partners in the National Welders Supply Company joint venture agreed to turn the joint venture into a wholly owned subsidiary of Airgas.

Airgas has owned all of the joint venture's common stock since 1996 and had a 50 percent voting interest in the company. The owners of National Welders preferred stock held the balance of the voting interest and received a 5 percent annual preferred stock dividend. Under the terms of the agreement to make the company a subsidiary of Airgas, the joint venture partners will exchange their preferred shares of National Welders Supply Company for approximately 2.47 million shares of Airgas common stock.

Airgas said it expects to see a one-time aftertax charge of approximately $3 million in its quarter ended September 30, 2007, as a result of the transaction.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Airgas, Andy Cichocki, president and chief executive officer of National Welders, will report directly to Mike Molinini, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Airgas, Inc. In other respects, National Welders will continue to operate with regional autonomy, very much like other Airgas regional companies do.

Finally, Airgas also announced in early July that it acquired Lehner & Martin, Inc., an industrial gas and welding supply distributor based in Santa Ana, Calif., that has branches in Placentia, Gardena, and Chino, Calif. L&M generated sales of more than $13 million in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, and its operations were integrated into Airgas West.

L&M was founded by Ken Lehner in 1975 and is currently managed by his son, Mark Lehner, who will join Airgas West as an area vice president.