In the past, many of our sustainability efforts were carried out at the local level. Airgas is a company that has grown rapidly through acquisitions and we encourage our associates to embrace an entrepreneurial approach as they work closely with customers in their local communities. As our organization grew, we began to coordinate our company-wide sustainability efforts to accelerate what is being done locally and expand our impact.

In 2014, we created the Airgas Sustainability Committee. The committee includes members from all key functional areas, from product stewardship and gas production to talent management and safety and compliance. Driven by the committee—with guidance and oversight from the Governance and Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors—we are becoming more proactive, accountable, data-driven and transparent about our sustainability aspirations, activities and progress.

One example of our sustainability evolution is the release of our first-ever Airgas Sustainability Report, titled "With Great Growth Comes Great Responsibility."

The report provides metrics, case studies, best practices, principles and forward-looking goals for key sustainability focus areas: energy efficiency, emission and waste reduction, supplier compliance, workplace and driving safety, community engagement and associate development.

We understand that our sustainability principles and practices must be aligned with Airgas' business-building strategies. At the end of the day, we are a company that must grow revenues and create value for our shareholders to survive and thrive. But we are determined to do that responsibly, because we know our success at integrating sustainability into all parts of our operations and culture can only make us a stronger company that is positioned for even greater growth in the future.

To see the 2015 Airgas Sustainability Report, visit:
airgas.com/sustainability