BOC Launches Next-Day Delivery Service at Its Reading Distribution Center.

Business Editors

MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 2003

BOC has enhanced its capabilities and instituted new ordering and fulfillment procedures at its Reading, Pennsylvania distribution center. The center serves welding equipment customers and company-owned retail outlets within a 75-mile radius of Reading.

Tony Simonetta, regional sales manager, BOC, says, "As a result of BOC's investment into the welding equipment business, we are now able to offer guaranteed next-day delivery of in-stock items, and expedited service of not-in-stock items to our customers in the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition, we will be able to commit to a fixed delivery date - something that we had not been able to do in the past."

In addition to the expanded capabilities at Reading, BOC has dedicated welding equipment and purchasing specialists in its Lebanon, New Jersey customer service center to assist customers in the Mid-Atlantic region when placing orders. The specialists will be available to help customers through the order process, and answer any questions they might have about welding products. "Their expertise will facilitate accurate, on-spec order processing and invoicing," says Simonetta, who also noted that the addition of two new box trucks to the fleet will improve the safety of product handling and provide added capability to meet delivery guarantees.

The BOC Group (NYSE:BOX), the worldwide industrial gases, vacuum technologies and distribution services company, serves two million customers in more than 50 countries. It employs 46,000 people and had annual sales of some $6 billion in 2002. Further information about The BOC Group may be obtained on the Internet at http://www.boc.com.