Airgas' Puritan Medical Products Opens Medical Gas Facility in Oklahoma City.

Business Editors

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2002

Puritan Medical Products, an Airgas (NYSE:ARG) company that specializes in medical gas distribution nationwide, today announced that it recently opened its 33rd medical gas cylinder filling facility in Oklahoma City, OK. The new facility fills oxygen and liquid nitrogen containers for more than 350 hospitals and home health care customer accounts within a 50-mile radius of Oklahoma City.

"This facility enables us to efficiently meet customers' medical gas requirements in the Oklahoma City area," said William Fettes, vice president of operations for Puritan Medical Products. "Puritan Medical Products is solely dedicated to the medical and home health care industry, and customers in the Oklahoma City area now receive responsive, personalized service and reliable delivery to meet their specialized needs."

Puritan Medical Products operates 33 branches nationwide in metropolitan areas with strong medical and home health care customer bases. The branches serve hospitals, home health care organizations, managed care groups, rehabilitation centers, independent labs and other health care facilities. When Puritan Medical Products' business is combined with the 12 Airgas regional companies that serve other markets, Airgas is the largest medical gas distributor in the United States.

The Oklahoma City filling facility is an example of the close relationship Airgas has forged with Air Products as a result of Airgas' recent acquisition of Air Products' U.S. packaged gas business. The new branch shares space with Air Products' KeepCOLD(R) facility, which provides hospitals with liquid helium and nitrogen to keep the magnets of MRI machines cold.

Puritan Medical Products plans to open new medical gas filling facilities in Madison, Wis., Bakersfield, Calif. and Palm Springs, Calif. in the first quarter of 2003.

About Puritan Medical Products

Puritan Medical Products, based in Overland Park, KS, is a primary supplier of medical gases and equipment to the home health care and hospital markets. It is the only national gas distributor in the continental United States that specializes strictly in the medical gas distribution market. Puritan Medical Products has 33 gas branches located in major metropolitan cities around the United States. For more than 80 years, its customers have included hospitals, home health care organizations, managed care groups, rehabilitation centers, independent labs and other health care facilities. For more information, please visit www.puritanmedicalproducts.com.

About Airgas, Inc.

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding, safety and related products. Its integrated network of nearly 800 locations 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 Statement for Airgas, Inc.

This press release contains 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: the Oklahoma City's facility ability to efficiently meet customers' medical gas requirements; the service and delivery available to customers in the Oklahoma City area; and Puritan Medical Products' plans to open new filling facilities during the first quarter of 2003. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations regarding important risk factors and should not be regarded as a representation by the Company 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 the Company's ability to supply a sufficient amount of medical gas in a timely manner to customers in the Oklahoma City area; the ability to open and successfully operate the new filling facilities; increased cost pressures; an economic downturn (including adverse changes in the Oklahoma City market); increased competition; and other factors described in the Company's reports, including Form 10-K dated March 31, 2002 and Forms 10-Q dated June 30, 2002 and September 30, 2002, filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.