Linde, Praxair Agree to Merger to Create Industrial Gas Giant

Germany’s Linde AG and Praxair Inc. agreed to a merger of equals to create the world’s largest supplier of industrial gases after the U.S. company made concessions to protect jobs and operations around Munich. A new company, bearing the Linde name, will be formed to launch a public exchange offer to shareholders of the German company, the two industrial gas suppliers said in a joint statement on Tuesday.