Airgas, Inc. Appoints Jim Muller Senior Vice President - Specialty Gases & Life Sciences.

RADNOR, Pa. -- Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) today named James A. Muller, currently regional company president of Airgas East, to the new role of senior vice president - specialty gases and life sciences, effective immediately.

Muller will report to Mike Molinini, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and head a new corporate department that will integrate specialty gas operations and marketing to support sales of specialty gases and equipment through the 13 regional companies within Airgas.

The operations team will include Airgas Specialty Gases, which manages eight national specialty gas facilities, the Airgas Research & Development Center in Cheshire, CT, and the Specialty Gas Equipment Center in Taylors, SC. In addition, the operations team provides support to more than 50 regional specialty gas laboratories operated by the regional companies. Also reporting to Muller will be a team based in West Chicago, IL, which manages internal quality programs, the certification of more than half of Airgas' specialty gas facilities to ISO 9001:2000 standards, and the accreditation of three laboratories to the ISO 17025 standards for analytical standards.

The marketing team will include professionals in charge of life sciences, specialty gases and equipment for analytical sciences, environmental gases and EPA protocols, rare gases, and an export sales team.

"In the past five years, our specialty gas business has grown substantially, with infusions of new talent and resources through acquisitions and investments in our infrastructure," said Molinini. "Now, this new organization will bring all these resources together in one department to help us reach our full potential and enhance our customer service. Jim is the best choice to lead this initiative."

For the past decade, Muller has been the president of Airgas East, which serves customers in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhodes Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and northern Virginia. It is not only one of the largest regions within Airgas, but also one of the strongest regions in specialty gas and life sciences.

"His tenure as a regional company president, one with deep experience in these strategic categories, will help ensure that the new organization is best positioned to help our regions grow our specialty gas business," said Molinini.

Muller has been in the packaged gas industry since 1980, beginning with WESCO, an independent gases and welding distributor in the Greater Boston area. In 1989, he joined Linde Gases of New England, which was sold in 1991, renamed Presto Technologies, and subsequently acquired by Airgas in 1993. After joining Airgas, he was appointed general manager of Northeast Airgas, one of the hub companies that became Airgas East in 1996. He has served as president of Airgas East since 1997.

Muller received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. A resident of Andover, MA, Muller will be based in Greater Boston in his new role.

About Airgas, Inc.

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, welding, safety and related products. More than 11,000 associates work in more than 900 locations nationwide, includes branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities and distribution centers. Airgas also distributes its products and services through eBusiness, catalog and telesales channels. Its national scale and strong local presence offer a competitive edge to its diversified customer base. For more information, please visit www.airgas.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain statements that are forward looking, as that term is defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or by the Securities and Exchange Commission in its rules, regulations and releases. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: our new corporate department integrating specialty gas operations and marketing to support specialty gas sales; the formation of the new department helping us reach our full potential and enhance our customer service in the specialty gas sales area; and the expectation that James Muller, the new head of the department best positioning the department for growth of our specialty gas business. We intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations regarding important risk factors and should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the results expressed therein will be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement include: our ability to satisfy the needs of our current and future specialty gas customers; our ability to retain James Muller as head of the new specialty gas department; an economic downturn; increased competition; customer acceptance of our specialty gas products; adverse changes in customer buying patterns; adverse changes in general economic conditions; political and economic uncertainties associated with current world events; and other factors described in our reports, including Form 10-K dated March 31, 2006, subsequent Forms 10-Q, and other forms filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission.