Airgas Receives IS0 9001:2000 Certification at Five More Specialty Gas Facilities; Now Has 24 Nationwide.

Business Editors

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2004

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) today announced that five more specialty gas facilities in its network have been certified to the ISO 9001:2000 standard for quality management systems by Quality Systems Registrars, Inc., an accredited third-party registrar. The scope of the three-year registration is for the manufacture and sale of specialty gas at the approved sites.

In April 2003, Airgas announced that more than a third of its 50 specialty gas facilities had been certified to the ISO 9001:2000 certification, which replaced the ISO 9002 certifications formerly held by the Airgas facilities. The five added specialty gas facilities are located in Piscataway, NJ; Allentown, PA; St. Louis, MO; San Jose, CA; and Salt Lake City; UT. All five plants produce a range of pure gases and specialty gas mixtures.

"These five regional specialty gas laboratories join four national facilities and 15 more regional specialty gas laboratories, which means that almost half of our extensive specialty gas infrastructure has met the highest standards for quality management," said Bill Russo, vice president and general manager of Airgas Specialty Gases. "Airgas has continued to pursue IS0 9001:2000 certification for those specialty gas facilities that serve the highest concentration of customers that value this level of quality commitment."

In 2003, Airgas achieved ISO 9001:2000 certifications for its national specialty gas facilities in Cheshire, CT; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; and Mobile, AL; and the following regional specialty gas laboratories: Bladensburg, MD; Camden, NJ; Cheshire, CT; Dallas, TX; Elmira, NY; Jacksonville, FL; Kingsport, TN; La Porte, TX; Latham, NY; Phoenix, AZ; Rochester, NY; Salem, NH; San Leandro, CA; San Marcos, CA; and West Chicago, IL.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from more than 140 countries, one from each country. Its ISO 9001:2000 standard specifies requirements for a quality management system for any organization that needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction. Independent third-party registrars, like Quality Systems Registrars, Inc., conduct audits and grant certifications based on the ISO 9000 series standards. QSR is accredited by RAB (United States) and RvA (Dutch).

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.