Air Liquide Japan Ltd. is pleased to announce that it will establish a new company, Air Liquide Kogyo Gas Ltd. on March 1, 2009 to reinforce its Cylinder and hardgoods business activity by consolidating all the related businesses within its group.
The new company will be created through the consolidation on March 1st of 7 group companies, which are focusing on local customers in each territory: Air Gases Hokuetsu, Air Gases Tokyo, Air Gases Tokai, Air Gases Hanshin, Air Gases Yamaguchi, Air Gases Welding and Daisan Gas Center, and transfer on June 1st of all the industrial Cylinder business that is currently conducted within Japan Air Gases.

Industrial gases are supplied to customers under different supply chains depending on the customer’s specificities: size, consumption volume and frequency, type of gas, etc., Cylinders remains the most suitable form of gas supply applying to delivery to customers who consume relatively smaller volume of gases, and filled either in liquid or compressed form in different types of containers. By nature, cylinder gas business requires a specific organization and marketing to ensure strong local presence and customer intimacy - especially to welding and laboratories segments - efficient supply chain and detailed and fine-organized service. For instance, Air Liquide Kogyo Gas will cover more than 10,000 customers nationwide.

Focusing on Industrial Cylinder and hargoods gas business, Air Liquide Kogyo Gas aims at growing its business and improving its efficiency through a nationwide market coverage and dedicated organization. The new company will also develop and launch new innovations to provide higher safety, easier cylinder handlings and cost effectiveness to our customers. Taking advantage as a member of Air Liquide Group, the leading company in industrial and medical gases, it will make most of its worldwide network and available technologies, and will closely cooperate with Japan Air Gases, in charge of other industrial, electronics and medical gas businesses, with the support of its strong network of about 250 partner dealers nationwide, to bring customers higher values and better services.

Air Liquide Kogyo Gas Ltd.

Head office: 9-1, Shinonome 1-chome, Koto-ku, Tokyo
          (legal head office: 3-23, Minami-tsukaguchi-cho 4-chome, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo)

President: Masakazu Tanaka

Business domains: Sales of industrial gases filled in cylinders
                                     and smaller storage tanks, and welding hardgoods.

Regions: Kitanihon, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chu-shikoku, Kyushu
                  # of employees: about 290