| Type | Public (NYSE: PX) S&P 500 Component |
|---|---|
| Industry | Chemicals (industrial gases) |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Headquarters | Danbury, Connecticut |
| Key people | Steve Angel - Chairman, President and CEO |
| Revenue | US$ 10 billion (2010) |
| Employees | 27,000 (2009) |
| Website | http://www.praxair.com |
Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. The company supplies atmospheric, process and specialty gases as well as high-performance coatings and related services to a wide diversity of customers around the world. Praxair has operations in over 30 countries and approximately 3,000 patents.
Praxair serves a wide range of industries including metals, health care, food & beverage, energy, aerospace, chemicals, electronics, manufacturing, and others.
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Headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, the company was originally founded in 1907 when it was the first company in North America to commercialize cryogenically separated oxygen.
The company introduced the first distribution system for liquid gas in 1917, and developed on-site gas supply by the end of WWII. In the 1960s, Praxair introduced non-cryogenic means of air separation, and since then has continued to introduce innovative applications technologies for various industries.
The company is present in different locations in the world. Excluding Australia, it is present in almost every continent. In South America it is known as White Martins. In China and India it is among the largest industrial gases manufacturer present. Praxair is also well established in Europe.
Praxair adopted its name from the Greek word "praxis", or practical application, and "air", its primary raw material.
In 2009, Praxair received two awards from the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) for its outstanding environmental performance. In the pollution prevention category, Praxair received an Environmental Recognition Award for its “Go Green” program. Praxair also received an award in the environmental leadership category for the successful measures it implemented in support of Mexico’s Environmental Leadership Program.
Praxair's primary products are:
The company also designs, engineers and constructs cryogenic and non-cryogenic supply systems.