Healthcare: Air Liquide extends its Hygiene business in Asia-Pacific

Air Liquide announces the acquisition by its subsidiary Schülke, which specializes in hygiene and hospital disinfection products, of Healthcare Antisepsis Solutions (HAS). HAS is the skin disinfection and hygiene business unit for Advanced Sterilization Products, a Division of Ethicon, Inc.

The HAS hygiene product line offers a broad range of solutions for skin disinfection, particularly in hospital settings, which generated revenue of nearly 40 million euros in 2014. The products are distributed in numerous countries in the Asia-Pacific region, under the renowned MICROSHIELD® brand name.

Air Liquide is acquiring all of the assets related to the HAS business in this region, which will be progressively transferred to Air Liquide, starting May 2015. The Group will call on the existing teams to pursue the development and distribution of the HAS products.

In addition to complementing Schülke’s products, this acquisition represents a major geographic development of Air Liquide’s Hygiene activity.

Pascal Vinet, Vice-President Healthcare Global Operations and member of Air Liquide group’s Executive Committee, commented: “This acquisition is in line with the development strategy for Air Liquide’s Hygiene activity. It will allow us to develop our business in Asia, which has significant potential for growth and to gain a foothold in new geographic markets.”