Finally, after several months of suspense, on 1st March (2019) the merger of Praxair and Linde became effective in the Americas and Messer Industries took effective control of the former Linde subsidiaries in Brazil and Colombia, Praxair’s operation in Chile, and the majority of Linde AG´s gases business in North America, at an investment of around $3.6bn.
Messer, now associated with the investment company CVC Capital Partners in a joint venture called Messer Industries GmbH, is back again in South America after its retreat in 2001 when Messer sold its operations in Brazil and Argentina to Air Liquide, and its Venezuelan company to an independent group. Paradoxically, Messer also sold its remaining company in South America, Messer Gases del Peru, to Air Products as recently as 31st January 2018.
The new Messer operations in South America totalled around $330m in gas sales in 2016, and provide Messer with a significant 11% market share in a South American industrial gases market estimated to be worth $3bn in 2018.
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