|
Airgas, Inc. Added to the KLD Domini 400
Social Indexsm
BOSTON,
MA - March 11, 2003. KLD Research & Analytics,
Inc., an independent research firm, announced today
that Airgas, Inc. (ARG)] has been added to the KLD
Domini 400 Social Indexsm. Airgas is headquartered
in Duluth, Georgia.
Airgas,
Inc. distributes industrial, medical, and specialty
gases, as well as safety products and related welding
supplies and equipment. The company also produces
and distributes dry ice and liquid carbon dioxide
for food, beverage, and chemical production. The
company's specialty gases include nitrogen, oxygen,
argon, helium, acetylene, carbon dioxide, nitrous
oxide, hydrogen, welding gases, ultra high purity
grades, and special application blends.
Reasons KLD added the company to the DS 400 Index
KLD
added the company the DS 400 Index for several reasons,
including:
- Airgas
supplies hydrogen for use in fuel cells, an environmentally
beneficial energy source expected to power homes,
businesses, and vehicles in the future. In November
2002, Airgas formed a partnership with Avista
Corp. to supply Avista's fuel cell customers with
hydrogen. Airgas agreed to provide related services,
including the development of hydrogen fuel infrastructure
and supply and safety consultation.
- Airgas
supplies safety products to industrial clients
throughout the U.S. These products include safety,
abatement, environmental cleanup and industrial
hygiene equipment. The company also provides safety
training and conducts safety consultation with
clients.
About the KLD Family of Indexes
KLD's
Domini 400 Social Indexsm, launched in 1990, is
a benchmark index created by KLD to gauge the financial
performance of companies in which US social investors
might invest. The index consists of 400 diversified
equities that pass a broad range of social screening
criteria. The KLD Broad Market Socialsm Index (KLD
BMS Index) is the screened subset of the Russell
3000® Index, and the KLD Large Cap Socialsm
Index (KLD LCS Index) is the screened subset of
the Russell 1000® Index, both of which were
launched on January 1, 2001.
About KLD Research & Analytics, Inc
KLD
Research & Analytics, Inc. is an independent
research firm providing investment management tools
that are used by professionals to serve clients
who require investment strategies based on social
responsibility, responsive governance and corporate
integrity. KLD products and services, including
Socrates (a web-based, company research tool) are
used for screening, compliance and asset gathering.
For
more information about KLD or the KLD Domini 400
Social Index, please see our website (www.kld.com)
or contact Bill Prenovitz by phone (617.426.5270)
or via e-mail (bprenovitz@kld.com).
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bill Prenovitz
617.426.5270
|
