Airgas and University of Missouri Sign Supply Agreement

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG), today announced it has signed a supply agreement with the University of Missouri, one of the nation's largest and most prestigious public research universities. Under the agreement, Airgas will provide specialty gases, equipment, safety products and services to the university system, which includes campuses in Columbia, Kansas City and St. Louis, MO, and the Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla, MO. The agreement, with estimated annual sales of $1 million, was facilitated by Airgas’ and the University of Missouri’s affiliation with E&I Cooperative Purchasing. Airgas has a national competitively awarded supplier contract with E&I.

“To meet these goals, we are implementing a SciQuest interface with their e-procurement system and we are putting our AIM™ (Airgas Inventory Management) programs in place at the university. All of this will streamline the supply chain and deliver total cost reduction.”

“We are pleased to be partnering with the University of Missouri to help optimize their overall purchasing process and track spending through more effective supply chain management,” said Todd Morris, Airgas director for laboratory markets. “To meet these goals, we are implementing a SciQuest interface with their e-procurement system and we are putting our AIM™ (Airgas Inventory Management) programs in place at the university. All of this will streamline the supply chain and deliver total cost reduction.”

“Airgas’ unique e-procurement capabilities will provide a seamless integration with our systems, enabling the university to operate at optimum efficiency and maximize budgets,” said David Silvey, University of Missouri System senior strategic sourcing specialist. “Keeping our laboratories and other university areas appropriately supplied with the right inventory can be challenging. Through our partnership with Airgas, we’ll benefit from our customized e-Business solution, Show Me Shop, the university’s system-wide eProcurement system.”

Airgas has developed a strategic organization focusing on specific market segments in order to fully understand customer challenges and provide custom-tailored solutions. Airgas market segment leaders work with account managers and teams within 12 Airgas regional organizations and more than 850 branch locations nationwide to provide the right solutions for a broad array of industries. The Airgas laboratories group, Airgas Mid America, and Airgas Mid South work with the University of Missouri.

About University of Missouri

The University of Missouri System has provided teaching, research and service to Missouri and the nation since 1839. The university was the first publicly supported institution of higher education established in the Louisiana Purchase territory. Its philosophy of education was shaped in accordance with the ideals of Thomas Jefferson, who was an early proponent of higher education. Today, the University of Missouri System is one of the nation's largest and most prestigious public research universities, with nearly 70,000 students on four campuses and hundreds of thousands served statewide through University of Missouri Extension and University of Missouri Health System.

About E&I

Established in 1934 by members of The National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP), Educational & Institutional Cooperative Purchasing (E&I) is a buying cooperative that serves colleges and universities. As the premier group purchasing organization for higher education, E&I uses the combined purchasing power of more than 1,700 member institutions to lower costs on a wide range of products and services. The organization provides members with access to a diverse portfolio of high quality national and regional contracts from best-in-class suppliers. E&I's member-driven competitive solicitation process has been validated by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP). For more information, please go to: www.eandi.org.

About Airgas, Inc.

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG), through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, and hardgoods, such as welding equipment and supplies. Airgas is also one of the largest U.S. distributors of safety products, the largest U.S. producer of nitrous oxide and dry ice, the largest liquid carbon dioxide producer in the Southeast, and a leading distributor of process chemicals, refrigerants, and ammonia products. More than 14,000 employees work in over 1,100 locations, including branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities and distribution centers. Airgas also distributes its products and services through eBusiness, catalog and telesales channels. Its national scale and strong local presence offer a competitive edge to its diversified customer base. For more information, please visit www.airgas.com.