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                                        For more information:
                                        James N. Borum
                                        Jeffrey P. Cornwell
                                         (610) 687-5253


AIRGAS, INC. NAMES THOMAS C. DEAS, JR. CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER

     RADNOR, Pennsylvania, January 28, 1997--Airgas, Inc. (NYSE-ARG),
today announced it has named Thomas C. Deas, Jr., Chief Financial Officer,
effective February 24, 1997.
     
     Mr. Deas, 46, joins Airgas after serving Scott Paper Company for 18 years
in various financial and strategic management positions.  From 1988 to 1996,
he was vice president, treasury and assistant treasurer at Scott.  Most
recently, he served as chief financial officer at Maritrans Inc., a New York
Stock Exchange-listed shipping company in the Philadelphia area.
     
     "Tom brings to Airgas broad financial and strategic knowledge which will
be of enormous value as we move forward with our growth plans," said Peter
McCausland, chief executive officer of Airgas.  "He has considerable
experience in transactional situations and strong management skills.  We are
delighted that he will be part of the Airgas team."
     
     A native of the Philadelphia area, Mr. Deas received an M.B.A. from the
Wharton School and a B.S. in physics from the University of South Carolina. 
He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1972 to 1976.
     
     Airgas, Inc. is the largest distributor of industrial, medical and
specialty gases and related equipment in North America.  Its distributor
network includes over 570 locations in 41 states, Mexico and Canada.  Airgas
can be visited via the Internet at htpp://www.airgas.com.