Airgas Receives IS0 9001:2000 Certification for 20 Specialty Gas Facilities Nationwide.

Business Editors

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2003

Airgas, Inc. today announced that 20 of its specialty gas facilities nationwide 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.

The ISO 9001:2000 certifications replace ISO 9002 certifications formerly held by Airgas facilities. Also, when Airgas acquired Air Products' U.S. specialty gas facilities in 2002, the IS0 9002 registrations for the acquired facilities were continued until the current audits were completed.

"Our registration of four national facilities and 16 regional specialty gas laboratories gives Airgas an extensive network of facilities that have met the highest standards for quality management," said Bill Russo, vice president and general manager of Airgas Specialty Gases. "We pursued IS0 9001:2000 certification for those facilities that serve the highest concentration of specialty gas customers that value this level of quality commitment."

The ISO 9001:2000 certifications were awarded to Airgas' national specialty gas facilities in Cheshire, CT; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; and Mobile, AL. The following regional specialty gas facilities also were awarded certifications: Airgas East's facilities in Camden, NJ; Bladensburg, MD; Cheshire, CT; Elmira, NY; Latham, NY; Rochester, NY and Salem, NH; Airgas Mid America's Kingsport, TN plant; Airgas Northern California & Nevada's San Leandro, CA plant; Airgas North Central's facility in West Chicago, IL; Airgas South's Jacksonville, FL facility; Airgas Southwest's Dallas, TX and La Porte, TX facilities; and Airgas West's plants in Long Beach, CA; Phoenix, AZ; and San Marcos, CA.

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.