American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc., an Air Liquide affiliate, has agreed to buy Scott Specialty Gases, Inc., an international producer and supplier of mixed and pure high specialty gases to the analytical, medical and electronics sectors, and of gas handling equipment and specialty gas delivery systems.
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Headquartered in Plumsteadville, PA, Scott employs 450 people with annual sales of $88 million. It covers the U.S. market with centers in the Northeast, Midwest, Gulf Coast, Rocky Mountain and Pacific. Internationally, Scott is in the UK and the Netherlands as well as Europe, India, Africa the Middle East and Taiwan.
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The combined Air Liquide and Scott operations in the high-growth market for specialty gases will provide Air Liquide with a new platform for growth and a nationwide U.S. presence, notably in the Middle Atlantic and North Central areas. This acquisition will also reinforce Air Liquide’s business in Europe, Taiwan and the Middle East.
Air Liquide reports the U.S. market for specialty gases has been growing at an annual rate of 6% and represents $1.3 billion in sales (of which $725 million are sales to the laboratory and analytical sector), out of an estimated total market of $4.5 billion for all packaged gases. Specialty gases are primarily used in laboratories and for analytical protocols; other sectors include gases for the manufacturing of electronics components and gases used as calibration standards.
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American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. is the subsidiary of Air Liquide Group responsible for its North American operations. In the U.S., with more than 200 locations, it offers industrial gases and related services to a variety of customers in the large industry, industrial merchant, electronics and healthcare markets.
