Airgas, Inc., Radnor, PA, has agreed to acquire the assets and operations of Airtec Inc., an industrial gas and welding supply distributor with six locations in Wisconsin and one in Minneapolis, MN. The acquisition is expected to close by April 1, 2006, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Altoona, WI-based business, which generated around $13 million in annual sales in 2005 and employs about 60 people, will be integrated into Airgas North Central, one of Airgas' 13 regional companies.

'The Airtec operations will add to our service capabilities, strengthen our presence in Eau Claire, Wausau and Fond du Lac, and add new branch locations in Hudson, Sheboygan, North Milwaukee, and Minneapolis,' said Ron Stark, president of Airgas North Central, which is headquartered in West Chicago. IL.

Airgas North Central operates 64 branches in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, north-central Illinois, including the Chicago metropolitan area, and parts of Nebraska, and North and South Dakota.