vfraza@reedbusiness.com

Welding and gas distributor Airgas, Inc. is sharpening its focus on the medical gas industry with the formation of Airgas Puritan Medical, a division that will offer bulk and cylinder medical gases, medical gas equipment and related supplies to hospitals, medical institutions, and other medical businesses. The venture combines the power of the company's relatively new Puritan Medical Products business with its other medical gas offerings.

"Since acquiring the Puritan Medical business in 2000, Airgas has operated it as a separate medical gas business, which now has 35 medical-only branches nationwide," said Airgas chairman and CEO Peter McCausland. "We also continued to sell medical gases through our Airgas regional companies nationwide. Now, we can leverage all of our expertise within these integrated divisions, focused exclusively on the medical markets."

Airgas is forming Airgas Puritan Medical divisions within each of its regional companies. The divisions will be headed by vice presidents-medical, reporting to their respective Airgas regional company presidents. Each division will include existing Puritan Medical branches within the region, as well as all existing Airgas medical resources, facilities and personnel.

In other news, Airgas announced two acquisitions in late February. The company acquired Littell Industries, Inc. of North Hollywood, Calif., a distributor of medical gas, equipment and piping installations for the medical, dental and veterinary professions. The firm also said it has agreed to acquire the assets of Interstate Welding Sales Corp., a Wisconsin-based distributor of welding equipment supplies; industrial, specialty and medical gases; and fire protection systems. The Interstate acquisition was expected to close in late March and will enhance Airgas' presence in northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Distributor alliance IBC announced that its 2004 IndustrialSupplyPlus National Meeting will be held in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 25-27…Tool-maker Black & Decker Corp. reorganized its power tool and accessories business into two groups. The company says the effort will help streamline the worldwide organizational structure of the business and sharpen its focus on the Black & Decker and DeWalt brands. Thomas D. Koos will lead the Black & Decker Consumer Group and John W. Schiech will lead the DeWalt Professional Group…Hand tool maker Klein Tools, Inc. will sponsor Michael Mancuso Airshows of Long Island, N.Y., for the fourth year. Michael Mancuso Airshows is the official airshow of the Indy Racing League and will perform at the pre-race festivities for select races during the 2004 season.

Reading, Pa.-based distributor C.H. Briggs acquired the assets of two Atlantic Plywood branches, located in Quakertown, Pa., and Baltimore… Tooling manufacturer Kennametal, Inc. completed the acquisition of Conforma Clad, a maker of engineered components for a range of industrial applications. The deal was valued at approximately $65 million…Valve manufacturer Conbraco Industries, Inc. completed the sale of its RP&C forged steel valve division to Bonney Forge Corp. of Mt. Union, Pa.

German manufacturer Henkel Technologies was certified to the ISO/TS 16949:2002 standard. In North America, the certification includes the Madison Heights USA headquarters, and production facilities in Warren, Mich.; Oak Creek, Wis.; St. Louis; Calhoun, Ga.; Delaware, Ohio; Homer, N.Y.; and Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada… Bearing manufacturer RBC Industrial Tectonic Bearings was named a Gold Level Preferred Supplier to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla….The Flexaust Co., a manufacturer of hose and tubing products, celebrates its 65th anniversary this year…Manufacturer Chicago Rawhide received a 2003 Vendor of the Year Award from distributor Applied Industrial Technologies…Hernon Manufacturing, a maker of adhesives, sealants and precision dispensing solutions, announced that its Quality Management System achieved ISO-9001:2000 certification.

Richard P. Harper, president of the Safety Marketing Group, died March 6 at his home. Harper was a former president of the Safety Equipment Distributors Assn. He was well-known and well-respected by those in the safety industry.