Taiyo Nippon Sanso announced its acquisition of the US distributor, Continental Carbonic Products (CCPI), which is based in Decatur, Illinois.

CCPI is the major liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice producer in the US, holding the second position in dry ice market. The company has 8 production centers and 31 sales offices in the mid-west, the south, and the north-east areas of the US. The sales for 2013 is expected to be 115 million dollars and the number of employee is around 750.

With this acquisition, Taiyo Nippon Sanso is entering into carbon dioxide and dry ice business in the US in full scale. By holding carbon dioxide capacity in addition to its current main products in the US such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, acetylene, hydrogen as well, Taiyo Nippon Sanso will enhance its position as a total industrial gas producer and will expand further its US business as well as substantially grow in profit.

Taiyo Nippon Sanso acquired whole stock of CCPI through its US affiliate company Matheson Tri-Gas. The investment amounted to 234 million US dollars.

In the US, the demand for carbon dioxide and dry ice has been increasing steadily mainly in food and beverage industry.