Airgas to Acquire Safety West, Inc. in California.Business Editors RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 2003 Airgas, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :ARG See argument. arg - argument ) today announced that it has acquired the assets and operations of Safety West, Inc., a safety products distributor based in City of Industry, CA. The acquisition closed on November 26, 2003. Safety West, a regional safety products distributor with annual sales of about $5 million, has been in business for more than 40 years and has built a solid reputation in the business community. The acquired business will be integrated into Airgas West, one of 12 Airgas regional companies, which is headquartered in Lakewood, CA. Safety West operations will be consolidated into nearby Airgas West facilities and the distribution center in Whittier, CA. Airgas is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, specialty and medical gases, welding welding, process for joining separate pieces of metal in a continuous metallic bond. Cold-pressure welding is accomplished by the application of high pressure at room temperature; forge welding (forging) is done by means of hammering, with the addition of heat. supplies and related safety products. Nationally, it offers safety products through branch-based sales, telesales telesales Noun the selling of a commodity or service by telephone telesales npl → televentas fpl telesales npl → , catalog and eBusiness channels. As part of the acquisition, Airgas West has offered employment to most of the 11 employees of Safety West and will immediately begin marketing to Safety West customers under the Airgas brand. "We look forward to welcoming the Safety West associates to our team. We also are excited about offering Safety West's customers a broader array of products to meet their needs," said Max Hooper, president of Airgas West. Airgas President and Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. Glenn Fischer commented: "Safety West's acquisition, following the Delta Safety acquisition in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern earlier this year, is an example of an opportunistic acquisition that supports our national strategies. Airgas is a leading distributor of safety products field and these acquisitions add to our strong field safety sales capabilities." 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 A network that supports both data and voice and/or different networking protocols. See converged network and new public 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 forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. This press release may contain statements that are forward-looking, as that term is defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and 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 Company's plans to integrate the assets of Safety West, Inc.; offering a broader array of products to Safety West's customers; and strengthening the Company's field safety sales capabilities through acquisitions. Airgas intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. created thereby. 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 inability to successfully integrate the Safety West operations; the Company's inability to retain the former Safety West employees; customer acceptance of the Company's products; and other factors described in the Company's reports, including other factors described in the Company's reports, including Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. dated March 31, 2003 and Forms 10-Q dated June 30, 2003 and September 30, 2003, filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
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