Airgas to Acquire Airtec, Inc.

Staff -- Industrial Distribution, 4/1/2006

Airgas, Inc. announced plans to acquire Airtec, Inc., an industrial gas and welding supply distributor with six locations in Wisconsin and one in Minneapolis.

The deal was expected to close by April 1.

Airtec, based in Altoona, Wis., had roughly $13 million in annual sales last year and employs 60 people, according to an Airgas statement. The firm will be integrated into Airgas North Central, one of Airgas' 13 regional companies.

"The Airtec operations will add to our service capabilities, streng-then our presence in Eau Claire, Wausau and Fond du Lac, and add new branch locations in Hudson, Sheboygan, North Milwaukee, and Minneapolis," Ron Stark, president of Airgas North Central, said in a prepared statement.

Airgas North Central has 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.

"I am pleased to reach this agreement with Airgas," Chip Lewis, Airtec's CEO, said in a statement. "Airtec will work closely with Airgas in the coming weeks to make this a smooth transition for our people and customers."