APD Air Products and Chemicals Inc

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Evert Henkes, retired CEO of Shell Chemicals Ltd., has been elected to Air Products' (NYSE:APD) board of directors. Henkes will join the company's board on July 20, 2006. Commenting on the board election, Air Products' chairman and chief executive officer John P. Jones said, "Evert brings strong global leadership to our board, and his extensive knowledge of the energy and petrochemical industry will be beneficial during this time of rapid growth in our Energy & Process Industries business." Henkes, 62, joined Shell in 1973 as a marketing manager. During his nearly 30 years with the company, Henkes held international leadership positions in Shell's bunkering and marine lubricants, petroleum, chemicals and metals businesses. In 1998 Henkes was named Shell's first global CEO responsible for its chemical business. During his time as CEO, Henkes led Shell through a period of significant change resulting in the company's improved financial performance. He retired in April 2003. Henkes holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University. He is a nonexecutive director of Tate & Lyle plc, Outokumpu OYJ, CNOOC Ltd. (China National Offshore Oil Company), and SembCorp Industries Ltd. Henkes also has served as a member of Air Products' European Advisory Council since January 2004. Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in technology, energy, healthcare and industrial markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions, providing atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials and chemical intermediates. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of $8.1 billion, operations in over 30 countries, and over 20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit http://www.airproducts.com/. ***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations. DATASOURCE: Air Products CONTACT: Media Inquiries: Debbie Bauer, +1-610-481-8061, , or Investor Inquiries: Phil Sproger, +1-610-481-7461, , both of Air Products Web site: http://www.airproducts.com/

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