LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. (May 1, 2003) — Sharing the same values of passion, integrity and understanding customer needs, Air Products and American Homecare Supply (AHS) were a natural fit when the two companies joined in October 2002. It is only natural, then, that the home office of AHS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Products headquartered in Conshohocken, Pa., will become known as Air Products Healthcare, effective today. The family of companies under the AHS umbrella will retain for now their current names*, maintaining their strong, individual identities while carrying the endorsement as an Air Products company.
"When AHS became part of Air Products last October, we were proud to be affiliated with the Air Products name and the company's reputation for quality, safety, reliability and financial stability," says Bob Cucuel, formerly CEO of AHS and now president and CEO of Air Products Healthcare. "We built AHS on a similar foundation and quickly grew to become one of the leading homecare providers in the U.S. delivering high quality clinical services to our patients and an understanding of our local markets to meet the needs of our payor, hospital and physician customers.
"Doing business as Air Products Healthcare," Cucuel continues, "creates a tighter alignment with Air Products' global healthcare organization and enhances our access to the company's leading edge healthcare technologies."
As part of the change, Conshohocken-based employees have new email addresses @airproductshc.com and new literature has been created to reflect the Air Products affiliation and its commitment to quality caring in the home. Also, a new website is under development and will be launched in the coming weeks.
"Air Products delivered its first cylinder of medical oxygen to a patient's home in Spain more than 50 years ago," explains Karel Schroder, Air Products' vice president and general manager, Global Healthcare. "We have a lot of experience in homecare and we understand that it is a 'local' business driven by consistent, high quality service. While Air Products' size and scope provide tremendous competitive advantages, we truly value the local knowledge of the management teams in our acquired homecare companies and the solid reputations they have built in their communities.
"Our approach to growing our homecare business is in some ways similar to what Air Products has been doing in other businesses around the world," Schroder adds. "When entering new markets, there are times when we partner with small and, in some cases, family owned operations, keeping the local management teams to maintain continuity. We have been very successful with this approach and together with Air Products Healthcare, we are creating a global homecare company with a local touch." Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in technology, energy, healthcare and industrial markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions, providing atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials and chemical intermediates. The company is the largest global supplier of electronic materials, hydrogen, helium and select performance chemicals. Founded in 1940, Air Products is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. With annual revenues of $5.4 billion and operations in more than 30 countries, the company's 17,200 employees build lasting relationships with their customers and communities based on understanding, integrity and passion. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com. |
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