BOC

BOC is an industrial gas company that was a major player in the UK and France, later becoming part of Linde Group.

BOC began in 1886 as Brin's Oxygen Company, established by Arthur and Léon Brin to manufacture oxygen using a chemical barium-oxide process. Its first significant application was theatrical limelight, but the commercial prospects of oxygen expanded rapidly when oxyacetylene welding and cutting became practical in the early twentieth century. The Brin brothers adopted cryogenic air-separation technology through an agreement connected with Carl von Linde, replacing the less efficient original production method. Renamed the British Oxygen Company in 1906, BOC became an important supplier to British industry during both world wars. Metal cutting, welding, shipbuilding, vehicle production and munitions manufacturing created substantial wartime demand. In the interwar years, BOC expanded through acquisitions and technology agreements, including the purchase of Allen-Liversidge and businesses involved in acetylene, welding equipment and liquid-oxygen technology. After 1945, the company internationalized through subsidiaries and joint ventures. Its dominant British position attracted regulatory attention: in 1956, the Monopolies Commission found that BOC held about 98.5 percent of the United Kingdom oxygen and acetylene markets. The company nevertheless continued to broaden its activities. Refrigeration, frozen foods, computing, cryogenic systems, scientific products and other technical businesses were added during the 1960s and 1970s. The 1973 oil crisis led to a strategic refocus. BOC divested non-core activities and concentrated on industrial gases, healthcare and international expansion. The company adopted the name BOC International in 1975 and strengthened its North American presence through the acquisition of Airco Industrial Gases. It also developed substantial operations in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Americas. During the 1990s, BOC remained one of the world's largest industrial-gases groups. Its portfolio included bulk and packaged gases, medical gases, specialty gases, vacuum systems and logistics. A proposed transaction involving Air Liquide and Air Products failed in 2000 after regulatory issues in the United States. BOC then restructured its portfolio, reducing exposure to healthcare and combining its Japanese gas activities with Air Liquide. Linde acquired BOC in September 2006 after agreeing to an all-cash offer worth approximately £8.2 billion. The transaction created a larger global gases group and brought the two companies together after their earlier refrigeration joint venture and long association. BOC ceased to operate as an independent listed group, although the BOC brand remained in use within Linde's industrial- and medical-gases businesses. Several non-core operations were subsequently sold, including BOC Edwards in 2007. The former corporate headquarters at Windlesham was later sold, while BOC operations continued from Woking and other Linde locations.

1. 2007BOC Edwards is sold

   Linde divests the BOC Edwards vacuum business to CCMP Capital.

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2. 2006BOC becomes part of Linde

   Linde completes its acquisition of BOC on 5 September, ending BOC's independence as a listed group.

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3. 2000Proposed Air Liquide and Air Products transaction lapses

   A proposed division of BOC between Air Liquide and Air Products fails after the parties cannot resolve United States regulatory concerns.

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4. 1978Airco Industrial Gases is acquired

   BOC purchases Airco Industrial Gases, expanding its position in the United States.

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5. 1975Name changes to BOC International

   The company changes its name to reflect its international operations and wider activities beyond oxygen.

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6. 1968BOC-Linde Refrigeration is formed

   BOC and Linde establish a refrigeration joint venture, creating an early formal business connection between the companies.

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7. 1956United Kingdom market dominance is reported

   The Monopolies Commission reports that BOC controls approximately 98.5 percent of the domestic oxygen and acetylene markets.

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8. 1930Allen-Liversidge is acquired

   BOC acquires Allen-Liversidge, strengthening its acetylene and related industrial-gases activities.

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9. 1906Company renamed British Oxygen Company

   Brin's Oxygen Company adopts the British Oxygen Company name, later shortened in common usage to BOC.

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10. 1903Oxyacetylene welding creates a major new market

    The spread of oxyacetylene welding and cutting broadens oxygen demand beyond theatrical lighting.

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11. 1886Brin's Oxygen Company is founded

    Arthur and Léon Brin establish the company to manufacture oxygen commercially using a barium-oxide process.

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A longstanding industrial-gases and technical-services brand serving manufacturing, healthcare, food, electronics, laboratories and other industrial markets. Its historic differentiation came from large-scale gas production, distribution infrastructure, cryogenic technology and a broad international operating network.

• Bulk industrial gasesIndustrial gases

  BOC supplied large volumes of gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon through pipelines, on-site generation systems and cryogenic tanker deliveries. These services supported steelmaking, chemicals, refining, food processing, electronics and other continuous industrial operations.

• Packaged and specialty gasesIndustrial and specialty gases

  The packaged-gases business delivered gases in high-pressure cylinders, ranging from standard technical grades to high-purity specialty products. Applications included welding, laboratories, research, electronics manufacturing, calibration and controlled-atmosphere processes.

• Medical gasesHealthcare gases

  BOC developed medical-gas activities for hospitals and other healthcare settings, including oxygen and associated supply, storage and distribution services. Healthcare became one of the group's strategic priorities after its post-1970s refocus.

• Welding and cutting gasesWelding and fabrication

  The company supplied oxygen, acetylene and other gases used for metal cutting, welding and fabrication, together with related equipment and technical services. This product area was central to BOC's growth during the industrial expansion of the early twentieth century.

• BOC Edwards vacuum systemsVacuum and semiconductor equipment

  BOC Edwards supplied vacuum equipment, chemical-delivery systems and abatement technologies for semiconductor manufacturing, scientific research and other industrial applications. The business was divested by Linde in 2007.

• Gist logistics servicesLogistics

  Gist provided transport, warehousing and supply-chain services for sectors including food, beverages and fashion retail. It was later sold to Marks & Spencer in 2022 and is no longer part of the BOC portfolio.

• 2006Linde acquires BOCM&A

  Linde made a preliminary proposal in January 2006 and a higher all-cash proposal in March after the first approach was rejected.

  What changed. BOC accepted the second proposal, valued at approximately £8.2 billion, and the acquisition completed on 5 September 2006 following regulatory approvals.

  Aftermath. BOC became part of the Linde Group, creating a larger global industrial-gases company and ending BOC's independent listed status.

  Acquisition valuation. Approximately £8.2 billion (2006)

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• 2000Air Liquide and Air Products acquisition plan failsM&A

  Air Liquide and Air Products proposed acquiring and dividing BOC after earlier merger discussions with Praxair had ended.

  What changed. BOC accepted a cash offer in 1999, but the proposed transaction lapsed on 12 May 2000 after regulatory negotiations in the United States did not produce an acceptable agreement.

  Aftermath. BOC pursued independent portfolio and geographic restructuring before ultimately accepting Linde's acquisition proposal in 2006.

  • Air Liquide — Air Liquide was part of the proposed acquisition consortium, but the transaction did not proceed.
  • Air Products — Air Products was expected to acquire BOC assets in the United States, but the overall transaction lapsed.
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• 1973Refocus on gases and healthcareStrategy

  The oil crisis exposed the risks of BOC's extensive diversification into non-core sectors.

  What changed. BOC began disposing of non-strategic assets and concentrated investment on industrial gases, healthcare and international expansion.

  Aftermath. The refocus helped establish BOC as a more concentrated international industrial-gases group.

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• 2007BOC Edwards vacuum business divested

  After the Linde acquisition, the vacuum-equipment business known as BOC Edwards was sold to private-investment firm CCMP Capital.

  M&A
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• 2006BOC board accepts Linde acquisition proposal

  The BOC board accepted Linde's second all-cash proposal, valued at approximately £8.2 billion, after an earlier proposal had been rejected.

  M&A
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• 2006Linde completes acquisition of BOC

  The acquisition completed on 5 September 2006, ending BOC's existence as an independent public company and making it part of the Linde Group.

  M&A
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• 2003BOC sells Afrox Healthcare

  BOC announced the sale of Afrox Healthcare, a South African hospital and managed-healthcare business, to a consortium led by Black Economic Empowerment investors.

  M&A
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• 2002BOC combines Japanese gas businesses with Air Liquide

  BOC merged its Japanese industrial- and medical-gases activities with Air Liquide's Japanese operations to create Japan Air Gases.

  M&A
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• 2001BOC announces major workforce reduction

  BOC announced plans to eliminate approximately 1,500 jobs as part of efforts to improve performance despite reported productivity gains.

  Leadership change
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1. BOC (company)
2. BOC official website