(Archived) Praxair Starts Up New Plant in Costa Rica

DANBURY, Conn., January 22, 2010 — Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX) has started up its new air separation plant in San Jose, Costa Rica. In addition to meeting increasing demand for oxygen, nitrogen and argon from industrial and medical customers in Costa Rica, the new facility positions Praxair to supply distributors in Panama as well as the Caribbean market.

“Praxair is committed to providing our customers in Central America with the best products and the latest technologies that will aid their continued growth and competitiveness as well as the country’s general economic development,” said Christian Sauter, general manager of Praxair Costa Rica.

Praxair is the leading industrial gases company in Costa Rica, supplying oxygen, nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide to a variety of industrial and medical customers. It also operates a carbon dioxide plant and an acetylene and packaged gases facility in the country.

Praxair, Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2008 sales of $10.8 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty 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.