Airgas to Build Two Production Facilities in California

• New Liquid Carbon Dioxide Facility in Stockton, California
• Air Separation Unit Expansion in Etiwanda, California

RADNOR, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Airgas USA, LLC, an Air Liquide company, today announced plans to
increase its presence in California with the construction of a
new liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) production
facility in Stockton, CA and the expansion of an air separation unit
(ASU) in Etiwanda, CA. Once on-stream, the two facilities will
significantly increase the company’s merchant gas capabilities in the
state.

The new facility in Stockton, CA will produce liquid CO2 and
support the manufacturing of dry ice used in a variety of customer
applications, from water treatment and food chilling to freezing systems
and brewing and winemaking. The plant’s process will use CO2 by-product
from Pacific Ethanol’s nearby ethanol production facility. With the
additional plant in Stockton, Airgas will have three strategically
located CO2 plants in Northern, Central, and Southern
California.

The expansion of the existing air separation unit in Etiwanda, CA will
increase available supply of industrial gases to customers throughout
Southern California. The expansion will produce cryogenic liquid
nitrogen and oxygen to support the region’s merchant bulk gas market supplying
a range of industries including healthcare, chemical, food and beverage,
steel, glass, electronics as well as oil and gas industries.

The ASU expansion will be constructed within the existing facility, an energy-efficient
ASU first inaugurated in 2011 by Air Liquide. This ASU benefits from
Air Liquide’s innovative, cutting-edge technologies to operate
efficiently, enabling Airgas to minimize power consumption and overall
production costs.

Following the acquisition of Airgas by Air Liquide in May 2016, Airgas
is now the leading U.S. supplier of industrial, specialty, and
medical gases. The company’s full range of gas supply modes – from
cylinders and dewars to MicroBulk, bulk and on-site – enables customers
to optimize production processes with selection of the gas supply mode
that most effectively and efficiently meets their needs.

Pascal Vinet, Airgas Chief Executive Officer, commented: “With
these two new production facilities in California, we are continuing to
bolster our network of Airgas production facilities throughout the
region in this important and growing market. The facilities will enhance
our gas supply chain output and fortify long-term reliability for our
packaged and merchant gas customers throughout the western United
States.”

Airgas, Inc.

Airgas, an Air Liquide company, is the leading U.S. supplier of
industrial, medical and specialty gases, 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.

Dedicated to improving the performance of its more than 1 million
customers, Airgas safely and reliably provides products, services and
expertise through its more than 18,000 associates, over 1,100 locations,
robust e-Business platform, and Airgas Total Access® telesales channel.

As an Air Liquide company, the world leader in gases, technology and
services for Industry and Health, Airgas offers customers an unrivaled
global footprint and industry leading technology and innovations.

For more information, please visit www.airgas.com.
The
world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and
Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 65,000
employees and serves more than 3.5 million customers and patients.
Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life,
matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and
have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in
1902.

Air Liquide’s ambition is to lead its industry, deliver long term
performance and contribute to sustainability. The company’s
customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable growth over
the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective
investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by
the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its
people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes
in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its
stakeholders.

Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to € 20.3 billion in 2017 and its
solutions that protect life and the environment represented more than
40% of sales. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange
(compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good
indexes

Contacts

Airgas Communications
Kim Menard, 610-902-6233
[email protected]
or
Air
Liquide U.S. Communications
Michael Rosen, 713-624-8023