Airgas purchasing Associated Welding Products in Oregon

Just a quick welding business update today...the consolidation of welding supply business continues at a pretty quick pace. This can be good or bad for welding people. In a lot of cases, as these national chains can deliver pricing advantages. They can also water down competition.

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 2005--Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) today announced the completion of its fifth acquisition of fiscal 2006. The nation's largest distributor of packaged gases and related supplies has acquired the assets and operations of Associated Welding Products, Inc., (AWP), an industrial gas and welding supply distributor with one location on Columbia Boulevard, in Portland, OR, which generated more than $2 million in sales in 2004. This location will be integrated into Airgas Nor Pac, which is headquartered in Vancouver, WA, and one of 13 regional companies within Airgas.