Air Liquide Announces a Home Healthcare Acquisition in France

Regulatory News:

Pursuing the development of its Home Healthcare activity in France, Air Liquide (Paris:AI) announces the acquisition of a portion of the business of the ARAIR Group, a leading player in home healthcare in the Central Region of France.

Air Liquide is acquiring the home healthcare service provider ARAIR Assistance (which generated revenue of 34 million euros in 2013), as well as ARAIR Group’s support and training services. The group Le Noble Age, a family-held business that manages nearly 60 healthcare and medical-social facilities in France, including two home hospitalization facilities, is acquiring the ARAIR Group’s Home Hospitalization business.

All of the ARAIR Group’s business units were placed in receivership on July 22 and 29, 2014. The Commercial Court of Tours, which had received several offers from interested buyers, issued a ruling on December 11, 2014 in favor of the joint acquisition proposal submitted by Air Liquide and Le Noble Age.

The ARAIR Group was founded in 1977 by anesthesiologists and intensive care doctors of the University Hospital (CHU - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire) of Tours to take care of the home medical treatment of patients with severe respiratory disorders. Since then, the Group has extended its activities to other areas of medical treatment, such as sleep apnea, diabetes and, most recently, the field of home hospitalization and nursing services. The Group employs nearly 600 people and cares for some 20,000 patients in France’s Centre, Poitou-Charentes and Pays-de-la-Loire Regions.

The joint proposal submitted by Air Liquide and Le Noble Age, both specialists in the core businesses of the ARAIR Group, ensures the long-term survival of all of these activities and retains all current employees.
Air Liquide will call on the expertise and commitment of the teams in place as it pursues the further development of ARAIR Assistance and its related activities.

Pascal Vinet, Vice-President, Healthcare Global Operations and Member of the Air Liquide group’s Executive Committee, commented: "The decision in our favor handed down by the Business Court of Tours recognizes our expertise in home healthcare in France. This acquisition adds strength to our offer dedicated to providing care for patients suffering from chronic illnesses in France.”

Air Liquide Healthcare
supplies medical gases, home healthcare services, hygiene products, medical equipment and specialty ingredients.
In 2013, it served over 7,500 hospitals and more than 1 million patients at home throughout the world.
The Group’s Healthcare business reached € 2,689 million in revenues in 2013, with the support of its 12,000 employees.

The Home Healthcare Business
Air Liquide, European leader and 3rd worldwide in home healthcare, provides home healthcare services in compliance with medical prescription for patients suffering from chronic diseases such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), sleep apnea and diabetes. These home healthcare services are being developed in addition to hospital care, enabling patients to enjoy better quality of life and local authorities to reduce costs. Home healthcare represents 48% of Air Liquide's revenue in Healthcare in 2013.

For more information: Healthcare press kit

World leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with more than 50,000 employees and serves more than 2 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide’s ambition is to be the leader in its industry, delivering long-term performance and acting responsibly.

Air Liquide ideas create value over the long term. At the core of the company’s development are the commitment and constant inventiveness of its people.

Air Liquide anticipates the challenges of its markets, invests locally and globally, and delivers high-quality solutions to its customers and patients, and the scientific community.

The company relies on competitiveness in its operations, targeted investments in growing markets and innovation to deliver profitable growth over the long-term.

Air Liquide’s revenues amounted to € 15.2 billion in 2013, and its solutions that protect life and the environment represented around 40% of sales. Air Liquide is listed on the Paris Euronext stock exchange (compartment A) and is a member of the CAC 40 and Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 indexes.

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