February 1982
U.S. Airgas is formed and makes its first acquisition of Connecticut Oxygen, with over $3 million in sales

December 1983
Potomac Oxygen is acquired, creating second hub

March 1984
Acquisition of three distributors creates Michigan Airgas, the third hub

June 1985
Two more hubs, Southeast Airgas and Tennessee Airgas are created

August 1986
Airgas completes a reverse merger with Werco, Inc., a $68 million manufacturer serving the industrial gas industry

December 1986
With sales of $100 million annually, Airgas makes its initial public offering of stock and raises $5.5 million

September 1987
Secondary public offering of stock raises $15 million

January 1988
Moore Bros. is among 16 acquisitions in 1988; Airgas operates in 100 locations in 22 states, doubling its footprint from a year earlier

March 1989
Airgas completes 29 more acquisitions, topping $220 million in sales, with 2,200 employees and 200 locations nationwide

March 1990
Sales reach nearly $300 million, with 225 locations in 29 states and Canada

March 1991
21 more acquisitions, bring the total to 111 acquisitions, now operating as 24 hubs, with 1.3 million cylinders

June 1991
Airgas opens its first computerized fast-fill plant in Mobile, Alabama

March 1992
10-Year Milestones: 129 total acquisitions, $351 million in annual sales, 2,400 employees; a full-time SAFECOR organization to unify workplace safety and a small bulk gas program begin

November 1992
Airgas stock splits 2:1 for the first time

March 1993
Annual revenue reaches $411 million

October 1993
Stock splits 2:1 for a second time

March 1994
Sales top $500 million with 164 total acquisitions. “We can see a world-class distribution company with $1 billion in sales in four years,” Peter McCausland writes in his Letter to Shareholders

June 1995
Company expands product list with purchase of Red-D-Arc welder rental operation, one of 42 acquisitions in fiscal 1996

April 1996
Airgas acquires IPCO Safety, a $55 million safety products distributor; stock splits 2:1 for a third time

June 1996
Airgas enters into National Welders Supply joint venture with Turner family

March 1997
Airgas celebrates 15th year, by topping $1 billion in sales, a year ahead of its goal

June 1997
Carbonic Industries is acquired a few months after American Dry Ice, forming Airgas Carbonic; first Airgas Emergency Response Organization (AERO) team is formed in Houston

July 1997
Lyons is acquired and added to the safety business

January 1998
Airgas launches Repositioning for Growth to strengthen operating culture and support growth in key strategic products

September 1999
Airgas streamlines operations from 42 hubs to eventually 12 regional companies

January 2000
Airgas acquires Puritan Medical Products medical gas operations

May 2001
Airgas sets strategic goals of $2 billion in sales and 10% operating margin by end of 2005

October 2001
Air Liquide exits retail packaged gases business in the U.S., selling Airgas seven retail locations in Arizona and California while agreeing to purchase two nitrous oxide plants from Airgas; Airgas retains four other nitrous oxide plants

February 2002
Airgas acquires Air Products’ U.S. packaged gas business with $223 million in annual revenues

March 2002
20-Year Milestones: 309 acquisitions, 800 locations, 5 million cylinders, 8,500 associates and $1.64 billion in revenues

March 2003
Airgas acquires 14 branches in Florida, Georgia and California from Union Industrial Gas Group

May 2003
Board initiates quarterly dividend

November 2003
Airgas dedicates its new liquid CO2 and dry ice plant in Hopewell, Virginia

March 2004
Airgas integrates Airgas Puritan Medical into the regional companies and announces the Core Business strategy to refocus attention on small– and medium-sized industrial customers

July 2004
Airgas acquires BOC’s U.S. packaged gas business, with annual revenues of $240 million, adding 120 locations in 21 states including Hawaii

November 2004
New long-range goals set to reach $3 billion in sales, 10-11% operating margin, and 11-12% return on capital by end of fiscal 2008

March 2005
Fiscal 2005 results surpass $2.4 billion as BOC and 14 other transactions bring total to 334 acquisitions

June 2005
Airgas acquires LaRoche ammonia distribution business and forms Airgas Specialty Products; Gillette, WY and Keokuk, IA named first National Branch of the Year trophy winners

November 2005
Airgas opens first branch geared to construction contractors; increases long-term sales goal to $3.3 billion by end of FY08

February 2006
Two Airgas Choppers, designed and built by Orange County Choppers, begin to tour Airgas branches and help raise more than $220,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in first year

December 2006
Airgas rings Closing Bell to celebrate its 20% compounded annual return to shareholders for 20 years on the New York Stock Exchange

March 2007
Airgas purchases divested Linde bulk business, forming Airgas Merchant Gases, and then ends month by announcing plans to acquire Linde’s U.S. packaged gas business, its largest acquisition ever

April 2007
25-Year Milestones: Fiscal 2007 ends with $3.2 billion in sales, more than 11,500 associates working in more than 900 locations