Matheson Gas Products was founded in 1927 in
North Bergen, New Jersey, by Adam Matheson. By virtue of the founding of his company, Adam Matheson created the
specialty gas business. Among Matheson's more notable accomplishments are the development of the lecture bottle, now used by virtually every major college and university in the world; and the supply of ultra-pure gases that served as standards for the first
gas chromatographs. In 1966, Matheson acquired Grey Chemical of Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA, a producer of ultra-pure gas materials used in electronics manufacturing. In 1981, Matheson became the first commercial producer of
silane, for which it was awarded a “Semmy” Award by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute (the award is now known as a “Semi”, and the organization has since changed its name to
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International). Through the last quarter of the 20th century, Matheson Gas Products was anchored by gas-blending and -filling production sites in East Rutherford NJ, Morrow GA, Joliet IL, Gloucester MA, and Newark CA. In 1989, Matheson Gas Products was purchased by
Nippon Sanso Corporation (Tokyo, Japan). Nippon Sanso later (1992) purchased Tri-Gas of
Irving, Texas, USA. The operations were not merged until 1999, with the formation of Matheson Tri-Gas – the combined operations at this point spanning specialty and industrial gases and equipment, and including six air-separation units. In 2004, Nippon Sanso merged with Taiyo Toyo Sanso Corporation to form
Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation. After Mitsubishi Chemical Company acquired a controlling interest in Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation in 2018, Matheson was reorganized as part of Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation in 2020. Significant expansion in the industrial sector occurred between 2004 and 2009. Matheson acquired six additional air separation units in 2004. It then acquired Linweld (Nebraska) in 2006, Polar Cryogenics (Oregon) in 2007, Five Star Gas and Gear (California) in 2008, AERIS (California) in 2008, Advanced Gas Technologies (Pennsylvania) in 2008, Valley National Gases (Ohio) in 2009, and ETOX (Texas) in 2009. In May 2010, Matheson acquired Western International Gas & Cylinders, Inc. of Texas, USA, the largest
acetylene wholesaler in the world, and manufacturer of cylinders, valves, and related handling equipment. On July 1, 2010, Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. changed its logo and public name to "MATHESON". The name of the legal entity remains "Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc." In 2013, Matheson acquired Continental Carbonic Products Inc., an Illinois-based manufacturer and supplier of
dry ice and
liquid carbon dioxide operating 31 branch locations and eight production facilities. In February 2015, Matheson continued its expansion in Southern California and Hawaii with the acquisition of Sims Welding Supply and assets and operations of
Air Liquide America LP, respectively. In January 2016, Matheson acquired 18
air separation units, 2
nitrous oxide production facilities, and 4
liquid carbon dioxide facilities from Air Liquide and
Airgas divestitures. Matheson's footprint in the USA includes forty
air separation units, six
helium transfills, three
acetylene plants, two
nitrous oxide plants, twelve
carbon dioxide plants, and over 300 retail facilities, depots, fill plants, and manufacturing sites. ==Industries served==