•Number of employees: 5
•Average number of full-time contractor employees on-site: 1
•Annual direct economic impact in Southwest Louisiana: $4.4 Million
•Products or services: Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon, Purified Hydrogen. All products are distributed via pipeline, except argon and hydrogen, which is delivered by transport.

Air Liquide America has been a growing presence among the Lake Charles community for nearly 57 years. It began in 1957 when the Hines Family founded Welder's Supply Company of Lake Charles to sell welding gases and supplies used in the construction of plants and refineries in the area. They also started Gulf Oxygen Company in 1957, which produced liquid oxygen for local industry.

On another front, Big Three (then known as Big Three Welding Equipment Company) began selling welding gases and supplies in Lake Charles in 1958. In 1962, the company formed a joint venture in Lake Charles with Woodard Wight to gain greater access to the Louisiana market for industrial gases and Lincoln Electric welding equipment. Not long after that in 1965, oxygen and nitrogen pipelines were laid to connect the Beaumont and Lake Charles industrial communities together. This solidified Big Three's grander ambitions of building a pipeline network for industrial gas transportation along the Gulf Coast from Southwest Louisiana to South Texas.

On August 12, 1986, an agreement was reached for Air Liquide to acquire Big Three, which assumed responsibility for operating the Westlake air separation unit in 1989 and incorporated it into the pipeline system in 1991. In January 1994, Big Three and Liquid Air Corporation were finally merged to create the company's current name, Air Liquide America Corporation

    
•EPA Region 6 - Dallas, Texas
•Louisiana DEQ

Air Liquide America is committed to conducting its business in an ethical, environmentally responsible and safe manner that supports community and corporate expectation. This is demonstrated through the extensive safety training programs that our employees are required to take. They range from hazardous materials and fires to work-related injuries. One such program is the Safety and Environmental Leadership Training (SELT) that supports the company's zero accident goal and Responsible Care policy. It provides employees with the knowledge and tools to effectively conduct safety functions (i.e., emergency drills, safety meetings and inspections, accident investigation and reporting, etc.) at their facilities. To ensure employees are operating safely, the safety department conducts internal audits that are specifically designed to the operations of the facility.

In the Westlake area, Air Liquide has partnered with the local volunteer fire department and Mutual Aid agency to assist the plant in any emergency. The Sulphur plant works with Carlyss Fire Department and Mutual Aid in handling any emergency.

Air Liquide America participates in the Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) alert system for initial notification. Additionally, the company has an internal crisis communication program-Call Two! This is an effective way the company assesses emergency situations and determines the proper response within two calls. The Corporate Communications department handles all media relation activities.

The media contacts are: · Michael Rosen, (713) 624-8023 or Mark Quesnel, (337) 583-7699

    
The Compressed Gas Association and the American Chemistry Council (formerly Chemical Manufacturers Association) have recognized the Westlake and Sulphur facilities for reduction in accidents of all types. Jointly, the plants have operated for 25 plus years with no lost-time accidents.

    
Air Liquide America has minimum materials that pollute the air, water or ground. The company is continually improving its operations and processes to be in compliance under federal, state and local regulations and ordinances.

    
•Partners in Education with R. W. Vincent Elementary, Sulphur, LA
•Lake Area Industry Alliance (LAIA)
•Chamber/Southwest Louisiana
•March of Dimes
•Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER)
•Southwest Louisiana Safety Council
•American Society for Quality
•Southwest Louisiana Mutual Aid Association
•LEPC Member
•SWLA Safety Engineers
•LCA
•LCIA
•American Society of Safety Engineers
•Compressed Gas Association
•United Way