PORTLAND, Ore. (Portland Tribune) — Industrial gases and engineering company Linde recently announced it is expanding production capacity at its Hillsboro facility to meet multiple industries’ growing demand for gases.
At the Hillsboro facility, Linde extracts gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon from the atmosphere and converts them into liquids to be used in manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and other industries.
Linde has long been a leading supplier of gases to semiconductor manufacturers in the area.
Its products have also helped supply hospitals and long-term care facilities with oxygen for patients during the coronavirus pandemic, said Phil Davis, a spokesperson for Linde.
While Linde has been meeting the demand for oxygen from hospitals during the pandemic, the expansion in Hillsboro will primarily help meet the needs of growth in other sectors, Davis said.
“The new capacity will bolster Linde’s supply commitment in the Pacific Northwest and allow us to take advantage of the growing demand from electronics, food, aerospace and manufacturing sectors,” said Marcos Cuevas, west region vice president of Linde, in a statement. “Both Oregon and Washington state have a large manufacturing presence as well as being a leader in agricultural production. Linde provides gases and services to all these sectors and industries.”
New equipment will be constructed at the Hillsboro facility to facilitate the expansion, Davis said.
The added capacity is expected to start production in mid-2022, Linde officials said.
In 2012, Linde added a third manufacturing plant in Hillsboro.
The United Kingdom-based company’s sales last year topped $27 billion.