(Archived) Praxair's Specialty Gases Plant Attains New ISO 9000 Standard

DANBURY, Conn., December 23, 2003 — Praxair, Inc.  (NYSE: PX) today announced that its subsidiary Praxair Canada Inc.’s specialty gases plant in Paris, Ontario, Canada, is one of Praxair's first specialty gases plants in North America to complete the upgrade to ISO 9001:2000, the latest ISO 9000 standard for quality. The previous ISO 9002:1994 standard will become obsolete at the end of 2003. This specialty gases facility now joins a number other Praxair sites that have been registered to this upgrade qualification over the past year.

The ISO 9000 standard is an internationally recognized management tool that specifies the requirements for a company’s quality systems. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies that promotes the global development of standardized quality systems. Conformance with those high standards indicates to customers that the company’s quality management system focuses on producing a product that matches the specifications on each order, with processes and procedures in place for continuous improvement.

“Continuously upgrading our ISO qualification provides good business opportunities in the petrochemical, environmental, utility, semiconductor, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, and steel industries because many multi-national companies only use ISO-certified suppliers,” said Tom Archie, specialty gases business director for Praxair Distribution, Inc., a subsidiary of Praxair, Inc.

“Praxair’s team in Paris, Ontario, worked tirelessly to ensure that we would be in conformance with the latest ISO standards by year-end,” said Paul Kibbe, specialty gas operations director for Praxair Distribution, Inc. “Their success demonstrates the company’s commitment to its customers’ quality demands.”

One of the largest specialty gases plants in North America, Praxair’s Paris facility was commissioned in March 1999 and achieved its original ISO 9002 certification in June 2002. It produces and distributes medical and specialty gases in cylinders for applications that require high-purity gases and complex mixes.

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.

*Updated version of release originally posted on 12/22/03