Air Liquide Debuts Lenoxe 2008.05 LENOXeTM, the first xenon-based anesthetic to be marketed in Europe, has now been used in several anesthesia procedures in Europe. LENOXeTM, is composed of xenon, a gas present in very small quantities in the air and one that contains anesthetic properties. Because it is a normal component of air, it can be discharged into the atmosphere without any risk. LENOXeTM is administered in a mixture containing oxygen, with the FELIX DUALTM anesthesia workstation. LENOXeTM acts on central cerebral receptors. As an inert gas, xenon is not metabolized; it is flushed, unchanged, through the lungs, and its quick elimination from the body facilitates the patient's post-operative recovery.
As Professor Jacques Ripart, Head of Anesthesia & Pain treatment at the Nmes Teaching Hospital explains, "LENOXeTM is a true innovation in the field of anesthesia, particularly during long procedures. Xenon's unique pharmacological properties really offer us new perspectives. I have observed how this product [LENOXeTM] leads to a very rapid recovery, even after a several-hour anesthesia. In addition, xenon's hemodynamic effects on patients are particularly limited. This molecule is now available for normal use and represents an added benefit to the safety and comfort of patients."
Air Products 2008.05 Air Products announced its board of directors has elected John E. McGlade as Chairman of the Board effective, April 1, 2008. McGlade, currently President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeded John P. Jones as CEO on October 1, 2007 upon his retirement. Jones continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until John E. McGlade March 2008 to insure an orderly transition. McGlade is currently a member of the board of directors and will carry the titles of Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President.---McGlade joined Air Products in 1976 in the company, career development program and subsequently held various positions within its Gases business, including both domestic and international assignments. He was named GM of the Chemical and Process Industries Division in 1994 and VP of the division in 1996, where he led the growth of the company, premier position in hydrogen. In 2001, he became GM and VP of the Performance Materials Division. He became Group Vice President for the company, worldwide Chemicals Group in 2003, was named President in 2006, and assumed his current position in 2007. Cryotech International, Inc. has hired Tom Divird as Chief Administrative Office/CFO. Divird has held senior management positions and comes to Cryotech with an extensive background in operations, Tom Divird finance and general management. As CAO/CFO of Cryotech, Divird will be responsible for Finance, Human Resources and Legal operations and will report directly to Gary Sandercock, President.
Airgas Goes Overseas 2008.05 Airgas, Inc has acquired A&N Plant, a European-based supplier of new and reconditioned rotating, positioning, and welding equipment for sale and rent. The business generated approximately $20 million in revenues for the year ended June 30, 2007. The acquisition, effective April 4, 2008, creates a new business unit of Red-D-Arc Limited, an Airgas company, which is the largest provider of welding, positioning, and related rental products and services in North America.
A&N Plant has an office in Old Amersham, Buckinghamshire, and facilities in St. Helens, Merseyside, England, and in Stellendam, The Netherlands. It operates in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, serving a diverse customer base in offshore and onshore oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, environmental, industrial plant, and steel fabrication industries.
"We are delighted to welcome A&N's founder, Alaster Dibbo, his partner, Rob Damstra, and all 28 A&N Plant associates to the Red-D-Arc team," said Mitch Imielinski, President of Red-D-Arc. "I am pleased to announce that Andre Frenette, Vice President of Sales for North America, will relocate to oversee the integration as Red-D-Arc's Vice President of European Operations. Our goal is that A&N will serve as an important base as we expand our operations."
"We are very excited to join forces with Red-D-Arc and Airgas," said Dibbo, who established A&N Plant in 1985. "The added resources now available to us will help our people serve customers wherever specialized equipment is needed. In addition, our companies share a commitment to engineering the right specialized equipment and solutions for our customers' unique needs."
Red-D-Arc, which began in 1955, became an Airgas company in 1995. It offers rental welding, positioning, and related equipment and services through more than 40 service centers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as through Airgas construction stores in the US, and through a joint-venture operation in the United Arab Emirates.
Airgas Specialty Gases Expands with First Nano 2008.05 Equipment Corporation (CVD) completed the acquisition of a new 13,000 square foot building to facilitate the scale up and commercialization of new products for the nano, solar, energy and semiconductor fields.
"We have completed the acquisition of the new facility where we will be relocating and expanding our First Nano laboratory," stated Leonard Rosenbaum, President of CVD. "The expansion and relocation will allow us to expand our installed equipment options to serve more customers, as well as to install and operate a range of pilot production equipment to accelerate the commercialization of novel nano and solar technologies. We see an increased need for commercialization help in the Nano, Solar, Energy and Semiconductor fields from university/research, startup and established companies. The relocation of our First Nano laboratory into larger quarters enables us to perform on multiple projects and to expand the capabilities of our current in-house process and equipment research."
"As part of this expansion, we have also expanded our growing marketing and OEM supply relationship with Airgas Specialty Gases, a division of Airgas, Inc. We welcome the technical support and commitment of Air-gas to help First Nano and our customers reach the commercialization stage faster. This is in line with our mission of enabling tomorrow's technologies, today.
"Early involvement in the pilot production stage of a new commercialization effort helps to identify cost-saving opportunities and lower the risk to commercialization," stated Todd Morris, Business Manager for analytical markets and specialty gas equipment for Airgas, Inc. "We will help ensure that key gas supply sources and custom-developed process equipment are qualified and optimized together. The collaboration with First Nano is a further expansion of the successful ongoing marketing and OEM supplier-distributor relationship between Stainless Design Concepts, another division of CVD, and Airgas. The combined SDC/Airgas experience in designing and installing custom-engineered specialty gas distribution systems will be used to support emerging technology market segments."
AL Raises Price of Silane 2008.05 Air Liquide Electronics announced price increases for its silane products, effective immediately or according to the terms of customer's contracts. Due to market conditions and economic factors that include increased demand, tightening worldwide silicon sources, and other related matters, silane users can expect pricing for silane to increase up to 20 percent.
Christophe Fontaine, Group Vice-President of Electronics for Air Liquide, commented, "Silane's booming demand is fueled by the market growth of flat panel display and photovoltaic applications. In spite of new capacity investment underway, in the short term, the existing silane worldwide merchant capacity will be challenged by high demand, leading to some serious tensions in the supply chain." Air Liquide says it has the largest dedicated merchant silane production facility and strategic sourcing ability in the world. It is expanding its supply capabilities to meet customer demands in semiconductors, TFT-LCD flat panel display, and photovoltaic manufacturing industries.
AL Wins NASA Contract 2008.05 NASA's Kennedy Space Center-Cape Canaveral Air Force Station gaseous nitrogen supply and services contract has been awarded to Air Liquide Large Industries of Houston. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract has an estimated valued of $47.5 million over a five year period, including a three-year base period and two, one-year option periods. The contract will provide the continued supply of gaseous nitrogen for Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, including the continued operations and maintenance of the Kennedy pipeline system. The contract requires Air Liquide Large Industries to provide personnel, materials, and the gaseous nitrogen production facility necessary to support current and future NASA launch programs and activities at the Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Alliance for Annual Exhibition 2008.05 The three organizers of the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show [the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International (FMA) and the American Welding Society (AWS)] and the organizer of METALFORM [the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA)] will join forces to organize a combined annual exhibition.
While the first official combined exhibition will take place in November 2009, the partners have agreed to a "soft start" at the 2008 FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show, to be held October 6-8, 2008, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. The Vegas show will include a METALFORM pavilion, displaying innovations in stamping technology. An estimated 20,000 people from around the world are expected to visit the show, which will feature more than 800 exhibits.
"This alliance will deliver the broadest array of metalforming, fabricating, cutting and joining technologies for manufacturing," said Mark Tomlinson, SME Executive Director. "Manufacturers need comprehensive exposure to every one of these technologies to compete in the global marketplace, and now they only have to go to one show to find them."
Combining these shows creates unique opportunities for networking, interaction and learning that won't exist at any other industry event. In addition to the expanded show floor, FABTECH International, AWS and PMA will also conduct independent, but complementary, professional conferences and technical education programs during the 2009 show.
BOC Acquires Chlorine Business 2008.05 BOC, a member of the Linde Group, purchased Runcorn-based INEOS ChlorVinyls' packed chlorine business, pending the neces,ary approvals from the Office of Fair Trading. The value of the sale has not been disclosed. The packed chlorine business is a niche market, which involves the packaging and delivery of chlorine liquefied gas in drums and cylinders. INEOS ChlorVinyls' staff associated with the business will transfer to BOC as BOC will continue to fill cylinders at the INEOS site at Runcorn.
Mike Huggon, Head of BOC's Regional Business Unit UK and Ireland said: "This is an excellent opportunity for BOC. The acquisition allows us to extend our service offer to the important water treatment sector. BOC already has existing relationships with many of these customers and we look forward to working more closely with them."
Key to this deal is the enhanced service BOC will be able to offer its customers, including improved delivery through its local stocking of product and its national delivery fleet. BOC will continue to multi-source from continental Europe. The combination of a European supply chain and the storage capacity of Ineos will offer customers enhanced business continuity for this critical chemical. The arrangement will bring significant benefits to water utility companies who require chlorine for water disinfection.
CGA Presents Annual Safety Awards 2008.05 The Compressed Gas Association held its 95th Annual Meeting on March 16-19 at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A major highlight of the meeting was CGA's annual awards banquet. Awards were presented to honor those that have shown extraordinary dedication in making the industry safer for employees, distributors and the public. CGA's awards program has been active since 1978.
The Fleet Safety Excellence Awards were presented by James J. Fuchs, President, NA Industrial Gases, Praxair, Inc. Sponsored by Praxair, Inc., the Fleet Awards were created in 1988 to recognize outstanding safety performance among the industry's bulk and cylinder truck delivery fleets. The award is based on a CGA Member Company's total Vehicle Accident Frequency Rate. There are two categories for this award, with two awards given in each category. The Bulk Gas Transportation Award, for fewer than 20 million miles, was awarded to Western International Gas and Cylinders, Inc. Praxair, Inc. won this award for more than 20 million miles. In the Cylinder Gas Transportation category, Western International Gas and Cylinders Inc. won for fewer than 3 million miles, while Linde Gas North America LLC received the award for more than 3 million miles.
Thomas J. Ward, Vice President, North America Gases, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. presented the Leonard Parker Pool Safety Awards. Sponsored by Air Products and Chemicals, the awards are in memory of Leonard Parker Pool, the founder and former chief executive of Air Products. Awards are presented annually to participating CGA member companies recording the greatest improvement in safety performance during the previous two years, and are based upon the total recordable case incidence rates as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Awards were presented for Group 1 and Group 3 only. The Group 1 award went to Praxair, Inc., for over 5 million employee exposure hours. The Group 3 award, for under 1.5 million employee exposure hours, was awarded to Scott Specialty Gases.
The Chart Industries Award, presented by Samuel F. Thomas, CEO, Chart Industries, Inc., recognizes significant and dedicated service to the Compressed Gas Association. It is presented to an individual who best exemplifies the character, commitment, and excellence prevalent in the volunteers from CGA member companies and who has consistently and tirelessly taken on the responsibility to uphold and further the mission of the CGA — to develop and promote safety standards and safe practices for the industrial gas industry. This year the award was presented to John Anicello, Airgas Inc.
The Charles H. Glasier Safety Award, sponsored by Air Liquide America Corporation, was presented by Kimberly K. Denney, President, Air Liquide America LP. The award is in memory of Charles H. Glasier, a leader in the industry, a strong supporter of safety, and a former CGA chairman (1980) and active participant in the CGA for more than 40 years. The award is presented annually to an individual in recognition of his or her safety leadership in the industrial gas industry, and this year its recipient was William P. Schmidt, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Patrick F. Murphy, President, RBU North America, Linde Gas LLC, presented the Environmental Recognition Awards. Spon,ored by Linde Gas LLC, the program enables CGA to identify and share good environmental practices as well as promote environmental awareness and improvements within companies and the industry. The awards are presented annually to deserving individuals, teams, or facilities that have conducted activities that meet identified "environmental excellence" criteria. The recipients this year are: Air Liquide America LP, Jacksonville Lime Pond to Stormwater Basin; Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Baytown Plant Ammonia Stripper; Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Morrisville Greenhouse Gas Reduction; Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Hometown Painting/Shrink-wrap Initiative; Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., Pipeline Load Following Systems and Strategies.
The H. Emerson Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement is presented periodically to an individual involved in CGA activities in recognition of leadership in standards development, safety procedures, and/or regulatory affairs. This award is based solely on the individual's record of achievement on behalf of CGA and the industry; the individual's reputation in the industry and recognition by other authorities; and his/her professional recognition over a lifetime. This year's award was presented to Roderic Fink of Acme Cryogenics. Conferences and Expositions
Chart Acquires Flow 2008.05 Chart Industries, Inc. announced that Chart Ferox, a.s., its wholly owned subsidiary in the Czech Republic, has acquired Flow Instruments & Engineering GmbH ("Flow") in an all-cash transaction. Details were not disclosed.
Flow, a closely held company based in Solingen, Germany, manufactures cryogenic flow meter systems for industrial gases and liquefied petroleum gas, distribution equipment for transport of CO2 and other gases, and provides calibration services. Its 2007 sales were approximately $9 million.
"We are very enthusiastic about the acquisition of Flow, which allows us to expand our product offering to customers through our global sales network," stated Hans Lonsain, Chairman and Managing Director of Chart Ferox. "Flow is located next to our existing operation in Solingen, which should make it convenient for our management teams to work closely together."
The Company will include Flow in its 2008 updated earnings outlook when first quarter earnings are released. Flow will be reported in the Company's Distribution and Storage segment.
In Memoriam: Ebbe Almqvist 2008.05 It is with great sorrow that we note the passing of Ebbe Almqvist, one of our industry’s leading technologists, author of History of Industrial Gases, and a great friend. Ebbe was a talented writer and readers of this magazine will remember Ebbe for his informative and excellent column, History of Industrial Gases and Technologies.
Ebbe was born in Frykeryd, Sweden, and earned a Master of Science degree in Engineering Physics at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg in 1966. Ebbe began his engineering career with Bofors in 1966, where he worked in advanced optical devices. He joined AGA AB in 1969 and worked in the development of AGA’s optics, infrared and laser technologies and businesses. Later, Ebbe worked on the development of AGA’s Geodimeter (Geodetic Distance Meter), an electrooptical distance meter, on gas and water pollution sensors, and with NASA on remote sensing and laser technology. In the 1980s, Ebbe shifted to AGA’s Innovation Department in cryogenics applications. Ebbe retired from AGA in 1997 to start his own consulting business.
During his career Ebbe was a prolific writer, publishing books and articles on topics as varied as welding and cutting, helium, lighthouse engineering, and AGA, as well as many features for the Swedish Museum of Technology Yearbook. In 2003 his landmark book, History of Industrial Gases, was published by Kluwer/Plenum and has enjoyed wide circulation in our industry and beyond.
In addition to being an engineer and author, Ebbe had a life-long interest in music. He was a choir member and played the organ at his parish, Swedish Covenant Church, and was active on the committee to build a new church. In keeping with his strong interest in history, Ebbe also served as a board member of the Dalén Society and was a founding member of the Dalén Museum, in Stenstorp, Sweden.
We at Cryogas International, together with Ebbe’s many gas industry colleagues and admirers, extend our deepest sympathies to Ebbe’s wife Gunnel, his sons Lars and Erik, and the entire Almqvist family.
Lincoln Electric Acquires Electro-Arco 2008.05 Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has acquired Electro-Arco, S.A., a privately-held manufacturer of welding consumables based near Lisbon, Portugal. Terms were not disclosed.
Founded over 70 years ago, Electro-Arco has been continuously owned and operated by the Rodrigues family. The company is a leading manufacturer in the Portuguese welding market and is a significant exporter to markets throughout Europe. Electro-Arco has sales of approximately $40 million and 165 employees. "This acquisition significantly expands our European consumables manufacturing capacity and widens our commercial presence in Western Europe," said John M. Stropki, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Linde Receives Intel Award 2008.05 Linde Electronics, a member of the Linde Group, received Intel Corporation's 2007 Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) award for outstanding performance in providing products and services deemed essential to Intel's success. Linde was awarded for excellence in supplying Intel with electronic gases and total materials management. Linde Electronics and 34 additional PQS award winners were honored at a celebration in Burlingame, California.
Noel Leeson, head of Linde Electronics, the global electronic gases business of The Linde Group said, "This is a significant event for Linde's business. Intel sets the highest supplier benchmarks in the semiconductor industry; achievement of PQS shows that our relentless approach to quality is in line with these benchmarks. We are, however, mindful that PQS is a milestone, not a destination. We challenge ourselves every day to make sure we perform with the same dedication and attention to detail that won us the PQS award, using processes that ensure our products and services meet Intel's strict reliability and repeatability standards."
"Linde Electronics earned a 2007 PQS award by providing exemplary materials and services. We value Linde Electronics' excellent support in meeting Intel's dynamic supply chain requirements and look forward to their continued success in 2008," said Jim Harrison, Director of Intel's Global Fab Materials organization. "Congratulations on a successful partnership and well-earned recognition."
Linde Signs Malibu 2008.05 Linde Nippon Sanso (LNS), part of The Linde Group, has signed an exclusive contract with Malibu GmbH & Co. KG in Bielefeld, Germany, to supply all of the gases needed to make photovoltaic modules. Malibu is a joint venture between energy service provider E.ON and Schüco, a major worldwide provider of building envelope systems. The long term contract comprises over-the-fence supply of nitrogen, hydrogen silane, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), argon, and helium. The turnkey installation includes a complete gas distribution network and gas leak detection system. LNS will also provide on-site gas and chemical management services.
Additionally, Linde and Malibu will jointly work on the development of advanced gas technologies to improve cell efficiency, throughput and yield. Using the innovative thin-film technology, Malibu will initially construct a 40 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic module production line in Osterweddingen, Germany, incorporating multi-layer cell technology for increased efficiency. As the plant is scheduled to increase in size, Linde will add N2, H2 and fluorine on-site plants.
"This contract will prove to be strategically invaluable for Linde's fast growing photovoltaic business," said Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the Executive Board of Linde AG. "The joint development program will allow us to further develop our gas technology and to contribute to reducing the cost per watt in solar cell production," added Andreas Günther, President of Linde Nippon Sanso.
Linde's Outlook is Positive 2008.05 The Linde Group achieved double-digit growth in both sales and earnings in the 2007 financial year and achieved its major objectives sooner than planned. "Our performance in the first full year after the BOC acquisition commands respect," said Professor Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG, at the press conference on the annual results. "We have made better progress than expected. The new Linde Group is a fast-growing global company which is highly profitable and very robust."
As a result, Linde is confident about the future. "At a Group level, we expect once again to achieve sales growth in the current financial year 2008 and to increase earnings at a faster rate than sales," explained CEO Reitzle. "We confirm our medium-term objective and are seeking to achieve Group operating profit of more than EUR 3 billion for the 2010 financial year. In terms of ROCE, our key performance measure, we want to achieve at least 13 percent in 2010."
In the case of ROCE, which was adjusted to reflect the new Group structure, Linde achieved a figure of 10.3 percent in the 2007 financial year (2006: 11.4 percent), reaching double digits, one year earlier than expected. The slight decline when compared with the prior year figure was due to a higher figure for average capital employed.
The Linde Group also made better progress with the repayment of its financial debt than originally forecast. It had originally budgeted for net debt of EUR 7.2 to 7.5 BIL, whereas actual debt at the year-end was EUR 6.427 BIL (2006: EUR 9.933 BIL). All the business units and business areas contributed to the good business performance of the Group. The Gases Division achieved sales growth of 9.4 percent in the 2007 financial year, in a seamless continuation of the positive trend from 2006. Linde expects average annual growth in the world gases industry of around seven percent in the next few years. The engineering business of The Linde Group continued to be profitable in 2007. Sales increased in 2007 by 40.4 percent, while operating profit rose by 39.5 percent. Global economic conditions continue to favor international plant construction and Linde anticipates sales growth in the Engineering Division in the next few years of 8 to 10 percent per year.
MTG Acquires Five Star Gas & Gear 2008.05 Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. has successfully completed the purchase of Five Star Gas & Gear, Inc. of Los Nietos, CA. The purchase will add five new branches to the MTG network, and the acquired company will become a part of the MTG Industrial Gas Group business unit. The transaction involves all of Five Star's assets and employees. Kirk Merica will retain his general management responsibilities for Five Star Gas & Gear, now as part of MTG.
William J. Kroll, Chairman, President and CEO of MTG, Inc. and Executive Director of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, parent company of MTG, Inc. stated, "This acquisition is consistent with Taiyo Nippon Sanso's and Matheson Tri-Gas' focused strategy to expand our presence in the US Market. Proactive acquisition of strong distribution channels like Five Star is clearly one of the ways we intend to do this. This acquisition highlights our position as a vertically integrated supplier of bulk, packaged and specialty gases in this market and supports our recent investment in our new air separation unit for bulk liquid at Vernon, CA."
According to Steve Foster, Vice President for Corporate Business Development at MTG, "The acquisition of Five Star is important as it provides us with needed distribution capabilities for packaged and specialty gases throughout Southern California. We believe that the acquisition will benefit the customers of both organizations."
Jack Renouf, President, Five Star Gas & Gear, Inc. added, "We were not actively pursuing a sale but are excited to become part of the Matheson Tri-Gas organization. Matheson Tri-Gas will build on the success of the Five Star brand through continued investment of expertise and resources and bring the business to the next level of achievement."
MTG Builds 4th Helium Transfill 2008.05 Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., under the name Matheson Tri-Gas Global Helium, plans to build its fourth helium transfill facility in Newark, CA, by mid-September 2008. The Newark transfill will be capable of supplying bulk gaseous helium and liquid helium to end customers and distributors, primarily in the Northern California market.
According to John Bigham, Director Product Management and Global Logistics, Matheson Tri-Gas Global Helium, "The Newark site was selected due to its close proximity to existing and potential Matheson Tri-Gas helium customers. We look forward to building our presence in this market."
In September 2006, TNSC acquired the majority of the helium assets that Linde AG was required to divest by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the European Commission as a condition for regulatory approval of Linde AG's acquisition of The BOC Group, plc. The FTC's Consent Order required that Matheson Tri-Gas build helium transfills in Northern California and Southern California by September 15, 2008. Matheson Tri-Gas previously announced construction of a helium transfill in Irwindale, CA. This will be TNSC's fourteenth helium transfill facility.
Norris Cylinder Wins AL Contract 2008.05 Norris Cylinder, of Longview, TX, has been awarded a two-year supplier agreement by Air Liquide America L.P. Norris will supply high pressure cylinders to Air Liquide's North American market and has established a strong relationship with a world leader in industrial and medical gases.
Pittcon Attracts 20,000 2008.05 Pittcon 2008 was held in New Orleans in March. The six-day Conference and Exposition was attended by conferees and exhibitors representing 85 countries. Pittcon places attendance figures at 19,536, including 10,677 non-exhibitor and 8,859 exhibitor attendees. The Exposition included 1,110 exhibitors occupying 2,457 booths.
The comprehensive Technical Program featured more than 2,200 individual presentations distributed among Invited Symposia, Organized Contributed Sessions, and Poster presentations. The 2008 Technical Program opened with a Plenary Lecture presented by Dr. Leroy Hood to a capacity crowd of over 1,000 attendees. Twelve symposia were dedicated to award ceremonies acknowledging the accomplishments of outstanding scientists. The American Chemical Society, Divi,ion of Analytical Chemistry expanded this year's co-programming to include eight Invited Symposia, six Organized Contributed Sessions, and one Poster Session. This partnership between The Pittsburgh Conference and ACS-DAC will continue for the third year at Pittcon 2009. The Conferee Networking Sessions, which premiered in 2007, were expanded from 8 to 27 sessions this year with many additional topics and were attended by more than 500 participants.
Red Ball Oxygen Acquires WiN Welding Supply 2008.05 Red Ball Oxygen Company, of Shreveport, LA, has acquired WiN Welding Supply of Fort Worth, TX. The expansion allows Red Ball Oxygen Company to service North Texas through any one of its eight Texas locations.
"In our view, the market indicates steady economic growth in Texas despite national trends. Red Ball Oxygen will be a part of that equation," says Larry Kennedy, Co-Owner, Red Ball Oxygen. "As a value-added supplier, our goal is to provide customers with exceptional service and bring them years of experience in the industrial gas and welding supply industry. For this reason we have retained the experienced team already in place at WiN Welding. Their knowledge and skill are a true asset to Red Ball. We are staged to grow our business in the dynamic Dallas/Fort Worth market and, more broadly, in North Texas."
To compliment its already established satellite location in Balch Springs (Dallas), Texas, Red Ball Oxygen will now be able to offer its customers a full-service retail store and service center in its second location in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
Thames Cryogenics Wins Biobank 2008.05 Thames Cryogenics of Oxfordshire, UK, has completed installation of one of the most ambitious cryogenic storage projects in Europe. The UK Biobank is recruiting 500,000 Britains ages 40 to 69 to track their health over the next 30 years. Thames Cryogenics will design, supply, install and maintain the Stockport, UK facility that will store the blood and urine samples that will be used for future scientific research.
Approximately 40 percent of the sample aliquots will be stored in vapor phase liquid nitrogen freezers. The installation consisted of 30 high efficiency vapor phase freezers, inventory systems, LIN distribution piping, oxygen depletion monitoring, remote temperature monitoring and alarm status, and a complete extraction system. Thames Cryogenics is one of Europe's leading manufacturers and installers of cryogenic distribution systems.
Union Engineering Celebrates 75 Years 2008.05 From producing carbon dioxide and dry ice in 1933 to producing CO2 plants for modern beverage and industrial gases companies, Union Engineering has developed into a world leader in its field. This year, Union Engineering celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Union Engineering was founded in 1933 as a carbon dioxide and dry ice factory. In 1966 it built its first CO2 plant based on a newly developed production process: The plants were based on combustion of heavy fuel oil and CO2 absorption in a monoethanolamine (MEA) solution with direct heating in the boiler. This was a break-through technology, giving a capacity of 1000 kg CO2 per hour. In 1971 a second plant was built, having a capacity of 1500 kg/h and being based on combustion of propane/butane gas.
At the request of various companies wanting to establish CO2 plants of their own, Union Engineering started developing a standard range of CO2 plants in 1972. The first plant exported was bought by a soft drink bottler in India in 1973. It had a production capacity of 200 kg/hour and a delivery time of 12 months. Today the same plant size can be produced in 4–6 months. Union Engineering’s initial business was a success and the company continued to expand the product capacity of its plant. Today Union Engineering can extract, recover and produce CO2 from many different sources using many different technologies, and has sold more than 600 CO2 plants worldwide.
Union Engineering’s main activities are worldwide sales, engineering, installation and commissioning of modular and individually designed CO2 plants for beverage and industrial gases companies. The organization is structured in two industry groups, the Beverage Group and the Industrial Gases Group, and it delivers CO2 plants according to customer needs. Union Engineering has delivered CO2 plants for customers in 110 countries around the world.
Union Engineering has 160 employees, 115 of which are based in its headquarters in Fredericia, Denmark. It has 45 employees in subsidiaries, and it has agents all over the world. In the US, it currently has a presence in New Jersey and Georgia. It also has a sales company in Shanghai, China, and a subsidiary in Curitiba, Brazil. This year Union Engineering will open in Ningbo, China.
Western Enterprises on YouTube 2008.05 YouTube Western Enterprises has launched a new product video for its Magnetic Activated Ground, the MAG-450. The Magnetic Activated Ground can handle up to 450 amps continuously (100 percent duty cycle) on a clean flat surface. Up to 600 amps can be handled at a 20 percent duty cycle on a clean, flat surface, accommodating most welding processes. The ground promotes better weld quality by providing a physically stable, strong ground that often can be closer to the weld than an alligator clamp. The video is available at www.westernenterprises.com enterprises and www.YouTube.com (search "MAG-450").
Air Products Elects Chairman of the Board 2008.05 Air Products announced its board of directors has elected John E. McGlade as Chairman of the Board effective, April 1, 2008. McGlade, currently President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeded John P. Jones as CEO on October 1, 2007 upon his retirement. Jones continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until March 2008 to insure an orderly transition. McGlade is currently a member of the board of directors and will carry the titles of Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President.
McGlade joined Air Products in 1976 in the company’s career development program and subsequently held various positions within its Gases business, including both domestic and international assignments. He was named GM of the Chemical and Process Industries Division in 1994 and VP of the division in 1996, where he led the growth of the company’s premier position in hydrogen. In 2001, he became GM and VP of the Performance Materials Division. He became Group Vice President for the company’s worldwide Chemicals Group in 2003, was named President in 2006, and assumed his current position in 2007.
Cryotech International, Inc. Hires New CFO 2008.05 Cryotech International, Inc. has hired Tom Divird as Chief Administrative Office/CFO. Divird has held senior management positions and comes to Cryotech with an extensive background in operations, finance and general management. As CAO/CFO of Cryotech, Divird will be responsible for Finance, Human Resources and Legal operations and will report directly to Gary Sandercock, President.
Edwards has appointed Michael Allison as Sales and Service Director, Semiconductor and Solar. Michael was previously worldwide Vice President of Business Operations at KLA-Tencor Corporation. This new position within Edwards will focus on the needs of customers in the semiconductor vacuum and abatement market and the rapidly expanding solar industry. “Michael has extensive senior level experience in the semiconductor capital equipment industry covering the US, Europe and Asia. His knowledge and experience of managing change and developing successful sales and service businesses will make a significant contribution to our growth strategy,” said Nigel Hunton, Chief Executive Officer, Edwards.
Red Ball Oxygen Makes Promotions 2008.05 Red Ball Oxygen Company has promoted Bob Ewing to President and Jarrod Lipsey to Vice President of Sales. Ewing joined the company in 1995 as logistics coordinator and quickly rose into the ranks of management, most recently as Vice President Sales and Operations. “We are lucky to have a person of the quality of Bob Ewing with our company.
Bob exemplifies honesty, loyalty, and patriotism, and his intelligence and leadership have helped to emphasize those core values as a part of Red Ball’s culture,” said Gary Kennedy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Red Ball Oxygen Co., Inc. /> As Vice President of Sales, Lipsey will be responsible for leading the outside sales force in Red Ball Oxygen’s eighteen locations. “As East Texas Regional Sales Manager, Jarrod led his sales team to consistent double digit growth. I am excited in seeing Jarrod apply that same formula for success in all of the markets we serve,” said Bob Ewing, President of Red Ball Oxygen. Lipsey joined the company in 1993 as a part of the sales team and has held several management positions.
