Airgas to Ring The Closing Bell (SM), Celebrating "20/20" - 20 Years on NYSE, with 20% Growth Rate.

RADNOR, Pa. -- Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG), the nation's largest distributor of industrial, specialty, and medical gases and related products, will ring The Closing Bell(sm)at the New York Stock Exchange on December 19, 2006 to celebrate 20 years as a public company, with a 20 percent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) since 1986.

Airgas Chairman and CEO Peter McCausland, who founded the company in 1982 and took it public on December 19, 1986, will ring the bell along with several original employees and others representing associates nationwide who have helped achieve this noteworthy growth.

"Our '20/20' vision would not have been realized without the commitment of each and every Airgas associate," said McCausland. "At the time of our IPO, we were a company with just 850 employees at 40 locations in 14 states. Today, we have nearly 11,000 associates working in 900 locations nationwide. Their talent and determination has created value for our customers, our communities and our shareholders."

Airgas went public nearly five years after it was founded with the acquisition of Connecticut Oxygen Corporation on February 23, 1982. In May 1986, U.S. Airgas, which had $37 million in annual sales, completed a reverse merger with Werco, Inc., a $68 million supplier to the industrial gases industry. That combination provided sufficient scale to go public.

Airgas completed its initial public offering of 600,000 shares on December 19, 1986, closing at $8.72, or on a split adjusted basis, just $1.09. Currently trading in the low $40s, the stock hit an all-time high of $43.43 on December 4, 2006.

Ringing the bell with McCausland will be Kathy Helmberger, branch manager of Corpus Christi, TX; and Buzz Larson, branch manager of Faribault, MN. The two were 2006 National Branch of the Year trophy winners. Also on the podium will be Del Walton, manager of the Airgas Nitrous Oxide plant in Yazoo City, MS, which has the best safety record of all Airgas facilities with more than 17 years without a lost work day accident, and four Airgas East employees from Stratford, CT: Tom Berube, driver; Chuck Figlar, cylinder repair operator; Gary Kay, account manager; and Vic Swaller, inside sales. All four joined Airgas in 1982 with its initial acquisition.

Mike Molinini, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Robert McLaughlin, senior vice president and chief financial officer, will also appear at the podium, along with Todd Craun, vice president and associate general counsel, who was involved in the initial public offering in 1986.

A live video feed of the Airgas ceremony will be available beginning at approximately 3:55 p.m. ET via fiber line at Ascent #1630 and on the NYSE.com home page.

The Airgas "Future" Chopper, custom-designed and built by Orange County Choppers (OCC) using Airgas gases and hardgoods, will be on display outside of the NYSE on Wall Street. The "Future" Chopper, with its sleek, streamlined frame, represents the bright future of Airgas, the nation's largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding supplies, safety products and other products.

For a $5 donation, attendees can have a photograph taken with the Chopper as part of Airgas' national partnership with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, for which Airgas has raised more than $220,000 in 2006.

About Airgas, Inc.

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG), through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, and related hardgoods, such as welding equipment and supplies. Airgas is also the third-largest U.S. distributor of safety products, the largest U.S. producer of nitrous oxide and dry ice, the largest liquid carbon dioxide producer in the Southeast, and a leading distributor of process chemicals, refrigerants and ammonia products. More than 10,000 employees work in about 900 locations including 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.