| Stronger position in a market growing above-average
Second acquisition in the specialty gas business within 12 months
Wiesbaden, December 21, 2005 - The technology group Linde has agreed to purchase the American specialty gases company Spectra Gases, Inc. (Branchburg, New Jersey) from the founding family Alvin and Andy Dietz. The contractual parties have agreed to maintain silence about the purchase price. The transaction is valid pending the approval of the relevant antitrust agencies.
"This acquisition helps us to add systematically to our product portfolio in the specialty gases market, which is growing at an above-average rate", says Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the Executive Board of Linde AG and responsible for the business segment Gas and Engineering. "Spectra Gases is built on a technology platform of comprehensive specialized know-how and allows us access to market segments, in which we have not yet been strongly represented."
Spectra Gases produces high purity specialty gases and chemicals used in manufacturing, research and analytical industries as well as specialty gas mixtures which are used, for example, in the semiconductor industry and for excimer lasers. The company has an annual turnover of approximately 50 million euros with 200 employees worldwide. Within the Linde Group, Spectra Gases is going to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Linde Gas, Inc. (USA).
Already in December 2004, Linde had expanded the specialty gases business by taking over the major part of the joint venture MNS Nippon Sanso. The joint venture supplies the European electronic industry with specialty gases such as silane or boroethane.
Linde is an international technology group, which occupies leading positions in each of its two business segments Gas and Engineering as well as Material Handling. In the financial year 2004, Linde achieved a turnover of more than 9 billion euros and currently employs approximately 42,500 people worldwide.
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Head of Press
Uwe Wolfinger
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