Airgas, Inc., Radnor, PA, distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, welding, safety, and related products, reported sales in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2007, were up 14% to $854 million. Acquisitions accounted for 9% of the growth. Same-store sales increased 5%, with hardgoods up 6% and gas and rent up 5%.
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Sales in fiscal 2007 increased 13% to $3.2 billion, with same-store sales growth of 8%.
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We capped the most successful year for acquisitions in our 25-year history. The quarter included the acquisition of CFC Refimax in January and the March 9 acquisition of Linde’s divested bulk gas business, bringing our year-end total to 13 acquisitions with more than $335 million in acquired revenue,” said Airgas Chairman and CEO Peter McCausland.
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Airgas credited non-residential construction and energy markets for helping to sustain growth in fiscal 2007.