BOC Wins CO2 Supply Contract In Thailand; Strengthens position in Asia's fast-growing food and beverage markets.

MURRAY HILL, N.J. -- BOC (NYSE: BOX) has won a multi-year, liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) supply contract, worth some US $2 million, with the poultry processing arm of the GFPT Group in Samuthprakarn, Thailand.

GFPT is the main supplier of raw chicken to McKey Food Services Limited (McKey), a joint venture between Keystone Food Corporation and GFPT in Thailand. McKey produces and markets fully processed chicken to leading fast-food retailers in the Asia-Pacific region.

The win comes on the heels of several other BOC CO2 successes in Asia, including: the installation of a newly developed proprietary freezer at a seafood processing plant in Thailand; the construction of the region's first International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT) - compliant CO2 production facility in Multan, Pakistan; and the subsequent signing of several Pakistani bottlers to long-term CO2 supply agreements.

Bill Baker, vice president, global food market sector, said, "BOC has an extremely strong CO2 and nitrogen supply position around the world and an extensive history of working with food and beverage processors to develop solutions that enable them to compete more effectively in the marketplace."

As the world's leading solutions provider to the food industry with the broadest offer of equipment, customer process knowledge, and gas supply, BOC is well positioned to take advantage of the poultry industry's growth. BOC is the world's leading supplier of carbon dioxide and liquid nitrogen for the cryogenic chilling and freezing of processed poultry. BOC can design, deliver and service a wide range of freezing equipment and technology to customers located around the world.

To supply GFPT, BOC installed a new 17-ton liquid CO2 storage vessel on site at GFPT's poultry processing plant and constructed a 150-meter pipeline to GFPT's Samuthprakarn plant. BOC supplies CO2 from two plants in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, which are the only Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and HACCP accredited CO2 facilities in Thailand.

Colin Isaac, PGS business unit head, South and South East Asia, BOC, said, "This contract further strengthens our global relationship with Keystone Foods and our position in the fast-growing Asian food markets. Our ability to transfer global expertise to local, emerging markets was key to this win. GFPT and McKey can now be confident in the quality and reliability of their CO2 supply and service to ensure the highest quality food for consumers."

Jedsada Sirimongkolkasem, manufacturing director, GFPT, added, "BOC has established an excellent relationship with Keystone/McKey companies here in Thailand and also in Malaysia. They have proven their willingness to work with us to ensure our customers continue to receive only the highest quality chicken products."

The GFPT Public Company Limited, parent company of GFPT, is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the largest fully integrated poultry businesses in Thailand. The Group's integrated operation covers the complete chicken production chain, from hatcheries to breeder and broiler farms, feedmills, and processing plants. GFPT products are sold under "GFPT" brand name and under private labels. Through the benefit of its full integration, the Group has enhanced its competitiveness in the world poultry market and has become a major producer in Thailand for export which supplies to Japan, EU, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Middle East countries and many more.

Food processors look to BOC for its knowledge, skill and experience in delivering reliable engineered solutions to address their atmosphere, microbe and temperature control requirements. BOC provides a range of offerings that help customers consistently deliver the highest quality food to their customers, including ozone and UV light anti-microbial systems, chilling and freezing technologies, modified atmosphere packaging, state-of-the-art food monitoring and control technologies, and water management services. BOC will present an exciting array of technologies, products and services for ready-to-eat (RTE) and other poultry industry segments at the International Poultry Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., Jan. 26 - Jan. 28, 2005 in booth 124.

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 43,000 people and had annual sales of over $8.3 billion in 2004. Further information about The BOC Group may be obtained on the Internet at http://www.boc.com.