Industrial gas supplier, historically significant in the UK and France.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
2requests
1companies- Anthropic2
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 0
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
BOC is an industrial gas company that was a major player in the UK and France, later becoming part of Linde Group.
History
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.
- 2007
BOC Edwards is sold
[1]Linde divests the BOC Edwards vacuum business to CCMP Capital.
- 2006
BOC becomes part of Linde
[1]Linde completes its acquisition of BOC on 5 September, ending BOC's independence as a listed group.
- 2000
Proposed Air Liquide and Air Products transaction lapses
[1]A proposed division of BOC between Air Liquide and Air Products fails after the parties cannot resolve United States regulatory concerns.
- 1978
Airco Industrial Gases is acquired
[1]BOC purchases Airco Industrial Gases, expanding its position in the United States.
- 1975
Name changes to BOC International
[1]The company changes its name to reflect its international operations and wider activities beyond oxygen.
- 1968
BOC-Linde Refrigeration is formed
[1]BOC and Linde establish a refrigeration joint venture, creating an early formal business connection between the companies.
- 1956
United Kingdom market dominance is reported
[1]The Monopolies Commission reports that BOC controls approximately 98.5 percent of the domestic oxygen and acetylene markets.
- 1930
Allen-Liversidge is acquired
[1]BOC acquires Allen-Liversidge, strengthening its acetylene and related industrial-gases activities.
- 1906
Company renamed British Oxygen Company
[1]Brin's Oxygen Company adopts the British Oxygen Company name, later shortened in common usage to BOC.
- 1903
Oxyacetylene welding creates a major new market
[1]The spread of oxyacetylene welding and cutting broadens oxygen demand beyond theatrical lighting.
Products and positioning
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.
Industrial gases
Bulk industrial 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.
Industrial and specialty gases
Packaged 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.
Healthcare gases
Medical 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 fabrication
Welding and cutting gases
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.
Vacuum and semiconductor equipment
BOC Edwards vacuum systems
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.
Logistics
Gist logistics services
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.
Brand decisions
2006
Linde acquires BOCM&ABackground
Linde made a preliminary proposal in January 2006 and a higher all-cash proposal in March after the first approach was rejected.
Action taken
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)
2000
Air Liquide and Air Products acquisition plan failsM&ABackground
Air Liquide and Air Products proposed acquiring and dividing BOC after earlier merger discussions with Praxair had ended.
Action taken
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.
1973
Refocus on gases and healthcareStrategyBackground
The oil crisis exposed the risks of BOC's extensive diversification into non-core sectors.
Action taken
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.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/boc · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled