Airgas Acquires Union Industrial Gas Group In Louisiana, New Mexico, And Texas
Radnor, PA - Airgas, Inc. recently announced it has acquired most of the assets and operations of Dallas, TX-based Union Industrial Gas Group (UIG), including 14 branches in Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas. The operations that were acquired effective November 1 had annual sales of $38M, according to the company.
Airgas is integrating most of the operations into two of its regional companies: Airgas Southwest has assumed operations of four locations near Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso, TX, doing business as Gulf Oxygen, Union Industrial Gas, and Valley Gas; as well as five locations in Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Alamogordo, and Santa Fe, NM, doing business as Valley Gas. Airgas Gulf States has assumed operation of four locations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Houma, LA, doing business as Doussan.
Airgas also is integrating the high-purity hydrocarbon gas business of Pearland, TX-based BTU Gases, LLC, into its national Airgas Specialty Gas operations. The balance of BTU Gases' business, which wholesales propylene nationwide, will remain with UIG.
"We welcome UIG associates to Airgas and look forward to improving our ability to serve customers with a broad product range to meet their gases, welding and safety product needs," said Mike Molinini, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Airgas. He noted that Airgas successfully acquired parts of UIG in Florida, Georgia, and California in 2003.
"We reached a similar transaction with Airgas in 2003 and it has worked out well for our associates and our customers. We are very pleased that our people in New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana and our customers will go forward with the nation's largest packaged gas and welding distributor," said Jeff Ellis, president and CEO of UIG.
"This acquisition is the fifth completed so far this fiscal year, including the previously announced transactions with Airtec and Aeriform," said Airgas Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter McCausland. "Total acquired annual sales have now topped $100 million for the year, as we continue to pursue core and related acquisitions that fit our growth strategies."
SOURCE: Airgas, Inc.