BOC appoints Steve Hope vice president, global glass market sector.

Business Editors

MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 2003

BOC (NYSE:BOX) has named Steve Hope vice president of its global glass market sector.

Hope assumes responsibility for developing the global glass market sector strategy and for commercializing business opportunities that support BOC's long-term growth.

Neil Greenfield, senior vice president, business development, for BOC's Process Gas Solutions (PGS) line of business, said, "Steve brings to this position an extensive background in sales, marketing and technology program management. Over the past 15 years, he has held various leadership positions with suppliers to the global glass industry."

Hope's most recent assignment with BOC was as a major customer executive within the company's North American business unit. He is based in Murray Hill, New Jersey.

BOC's glass market sector is composed of combustion technology and glass process experts who have years of industry experience and who are focused on designing and delivering solutions that address our customers' productivity, environmental and economic challenges at their facilities worldwide.

Hope says, "Looking ahead, we will continue to support our customers around the world while increasing our emphasis on the use of our proprietary technology in oxy-fuel combustion to support BOC's leading market position in the Asian marketplace."

BOC's Process Gas Solutions line of business is a leading supplier of gas and related solutions to the glass, petroleum, chemicals, water services, electronic packaging, fiber optics, hydrogen energy, metals and food industries. BOC helps meet customer needs in a variety of ways, from the supply of a single gas or application through to designing, constructing and operating fully integrated gas and utilities schemes.

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 US$6 billion in 2002. Further information about The BOC Group may be obtained on the Internet at http://www.boc.com.