Recent Posts
- Industrial production declines
- Three men arrested in attempted copper theft
- Copper theft continues to soar
- Bailey’s proposal gets unanimous agreement
- It pays to listen to your employees
- Construction spending drops again
- Manufacturing continues to drop
- Tidbits from NAHAD meeting
- Growth in Canadian housing market
- Strong market forecast for welding equipment
Recent Comments
- Victor on M&A activity heated up in 2005
- Lissa on A lesson in customer service
- Diamond Davo Supremo on Grainger expands in Pittsburgh
- David on Stimulus tax bill and small business
- Jack Keough on Non-commissioned sales force: good or bad idea
Most Commented On
- A lesson in customer service (8)
- After 80 years of cooking, she’s burned out (4)
- Can you hear me now? (4)
- Skilled labor shortage is still major concern (4)
- Myths about China and U.S. manufacturing (3)
Archives
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- March 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- January 2006
- September 2005
- August 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
Blog
“Get what you pay for”
March 6, 2007
Airgas, the nation’s largest distributor of industrial, specialty and medical gas and related products is celebrating its 25th anniversary of its first acquisition. Since that first acquisition, Airgas has been one of the leading acquirers in the industry, adding 349 more companies over the 25 years.
Airgas Chairman and CEO Peter McCausland founded the company, then known as U.S. Airgas with the acquisition of Connecticut Oxygen corporation on Feb. 23rd, 1982.
The growth of Airgas has truly been amazing. Only a little more than 20 years ago, U.S. Airgas, as it was then known, had $37 million in sales. In 1986, U.S. Airgas, according to a company release, in 1986 ompleted a reverse merger with Werco, Inc., a $68 million supplier to the industrial gas industry. As a result of that merger, the newly-renamed Airgas then had more than $100 million in annual sales and sufficient scale to take the company public.
How Airgas has grown so successfully through the years is a subject of an article in SmartBusiness Phildelphia.
The article, written by Erik Cassano in the March issue of SmartBusiness says McCausland’s acquisition strategy is guided by five words: "Get what you pay for.”
Posted by Jack Keough on March 6, 2007 | Comments (0)