Governor Tom Wolf announced that Airgas USA, LLC (Airgas), a supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding equipment and supplies, and safety products will expand its presence in Plumsteadville, Bucks County, creating 30 new Pennsylvania jobs.
“Manufacturing is a vital sector of Pennsylvania’s economy, and this decision by Airgas to expand its manufacturing presence in Bucks County is more evidence that Pennsylvania is a manufacturing leader,” said Governor Wolf. “I applaud Airgas for choosing to continue to invest in Pennsylvania for years to come.”
Airgas requires additional space to grow and elected to expand its Plumsteadville location rather than selecting a location outside of the state. The company will construct a new specialty gases plant to produce custom blends and high-end pure gases on its existing property. Airgas has committed to investing more than $20 million in the project, which will create 30 new full-time Pennsylvania jobs in the next three years. Airgas will also retain an additional 690 jobs across the commonwealth. Construction of the new plant is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018.
“We are pleased to expand our footprint in Bucks County and leverage the strong community partnerships we’ve developed over the past few decades” added Pascal Vinet, chief executive officer of Airgas, Inc. and Air Liquide Executive Committee vice president. “This new, efficient production facility will allow us to bolster our supply chain in order to reliably and safely serve customers throughout Pennsylvania, the mid-Atlantic and across the country.”
Airgas received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for a $150,000 Pennsylvania First grant, $31,500 in WEDnetPA funding for worker training, and $60,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be distributed upon creation of the new jobs. The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.
Airgas, Inc., an Air Liquide company, is a single-source supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding equipment and supplies, and safety products with more than 1 million customers and more than 18,000 employees in the United States. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Radnor, Delaware County, the Airgas network is comprised of more than 1,400 locations, including retail branches, cylinder fill plants, gas production facilities, specialty gas laboratories and regional distribution centers.
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