July 31, 2012 – On July 26, the Airgas Western Division Business Support Center held a grand opening ceremony for its new location at 3737 Worsham Ave. in Douglas Park, north of the Long Beach Airport. Airgas, considered one of the country’s lead producers of medical, industrial and specialty gasses, as well as gas equipment and safety supplies, serves industrial and commercial markets around the globe. The publicly traded company is the top producer of atmospheric gases, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and dry ice; and leading distributor of ammonia products, process chemicals and refridgerants. Chairman and CEO Peter McCausland founded Airgas in 1982. The company employs more than 14,000 people, including the 200 jobs at the new Long Beach offices, which opened February 17. Of those 200 jobs, 100 are new jobs for Long Beach, according to Vice President and CFO Terry Cherry. The Airgas division first opened in 1993 in Lakewood. At the grand opening ceremony, Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman Jerry Miller told the crowd, “It’s clear this company could have located this center virtually anywhere, but there were three principal areas that were considered: Las Vegas, Phoenix and Long Beach. We’re so happy that you chose Long Beach. We know it wasn’t an accident.” For more information on Airgas, visit www.airgas.com. Far right, cutting the ribbon at the grand opening are, from left: Reggie Harrison, Long Beach deputy city manager; Barbara Levine, senior regional manager with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.; 5th District Councilmember Gerrie Schipske; City Manager Pat West; Mayor Bob Foster; Cherry; and Randy Gordon, president and CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville)