Air Liquide Buys And Builds In Russia

Air Liquide, one of the world’s largest industrial gas companies, has acquired Russia’s Lentechgas for an undisclosed sum. Lentechgas has about 200 employees and had sales last year of more than $10 million. It’s the market leader in northwestern Russia in bulk and packaged industrial gases and has a strong position in health care gases, Air Liquide says. Lentechgas is Air Liquide’s second acquisition in Russia this year after its purchase of Moscow-based Logika. In a related investment, Air Liquide will spend about $50 million to build an air separation unit in St. Petersburg with a capacity of 200 metric tons per day of liquid oxygen and nitrogen.