(Archived) Praxair Opens Equipment Center of Excellence in San Antonio, Texas

DANBURY, Conn., October 23, 2003 — Praxair, Inc.  (NYSE: PX) today announced the opening of its new Equipment Center of Excellence at the company’s electronics and specialty gases process equipment manufacturing facility in San Antonio, Texas. The center offers innovative solutions, customized gas processing equipment and technical support for multiple industries including laboratories, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals and petrochemicals.

"We now can provide one-stop shopping for the unique design and fabrication of specialized applications for a wide range of industries," said Tom Archie, Praxair Distribution’s business director, specialty gases. He continued, "With a single call, current and prospective customers can tap into our knowledgeable, experienced team for total, turnkey, specialty gas handling solutions and state-of-the-art, competitive products and services."

The Equipment Center’s full-service offerings include:

• Custom designed specialty gases process handling equipment
• Ultra high purity semiconductor equipment
• Training for specialized equipment use
• Maintenance and repair
• High-quality specialty gas equipment upgrades

The hours of operation for Praxair's Equipment Center of Excellence are Monday through Friday from 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Central Standard Time. The Technical Support line can be reached at 1-877-PRAXAIR (1-877-772-9247).

Praxair Distribution, Inc. and its subsidiaries and distributors deliver a large array of industrial and specialty gases, equipment and supplies, technical expertise, and services to thousands of customers in the United States and Canada. With hundreds of locations throughout North America, Praxair provides differentiated product and service offerings that help customers achieve their objectives faster, better and at lower total cost. For more information on Praxair's specialty gases and equipment offerings, go to www.praxair.com/specialtygases.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2002 sales of $5.1 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.