Purchase Order N0017313P7194

The Office of Naval Research awarded a $4,543.31 firm fixed-price purchase order to Praxair Distribution Mid-Atlantic, LLC (doing business as Gts-Welco) on March 11, 2013, for the supply of liquid helium. The contract was completed on March 13, 2013, with performance taking place in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This award was issued through open competition with no set-aside designation, reflecting the vendor's established capability to provide specialized gases to defense agencies.

Praxair Distribution Mid-Atlantic, a subsidiary of industrial gases manufacturer Praxair, specializes in the production and distribution of medical and specialty gases to federal government agencies with a focus on defense-related applications. The company maintains a substantial presence in the federal marketplace through its primary relationship with the Defense Health Agency under a $6.5 million blanket purchase agreement, and has demonstrated additional capability by receiving purchase orders from the Office of Naval Research and Naval Sea Systems Command for specialty gases including xenon, krypton, and nitrogen products. This liquid helium purchase order represents one of several transactions the vendor has executed with naval research and development organizations for specialized gas requirements.