Linde and Air Liquide compete against each other through BOC acquisition With sales of euro 12 billion,2 giants now account for 65% of European market

摘要

The acquisition of BOC by Linde,which shook up the industrial gas market in 2006,was finalized on September 5 of last year when the entire stock was transferred to Linde.In terms of sales,Linde now exceeds Air Liquide which had been in first place in the industry.BOC was the oldest gas company in the world,with its predecessor Brin's Oxygen being founded in 1886.In 1906 they brought in an air separation unit using a Linde patent,and changed the name of the company to BOC.Just 100 years later the drama of an acquisition took place as if their DNA awoke from its sleep.The European Commission and the US Federal Trade Commission,fearing that this movement would hinder competition in some countries,approved the acquisition by tagging on the condition for approval that some of the business would be divested.