Purchase Order N0017316P7397

The Office of Naval Research awarded a $4,427 firm fixed-price purchase order to Praxair Distribution Mid-Atlantic, LLC (doing business as Gts-Welco) on September 28, 2016, for the supply of helium, with an ultimate completion date of October 5, 2016. The contract was executed with no set-aside designation, reflecting open competition. Performance was scheduled at the contractor's facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Praxair Distribution Mid-Atlantic is a subsidiary of Linde Inc. (formerly operating under the Praxair name), a global industrial gases manufacturer headquartered in Connecticut that specializes in providing specialized gases and related services to federal defense and aerospace agencies.

This award represents a tactical procurement call aligned with the Office of Naval Research's broader mission to support naval science and technology initiatives. Praxair's parent company, Linde Inc., maintains substantial indefinite delivery vehicle contracts with federal agencies including NASA for liquid and gaseous helium supply valued at $41.4 million and with the Defense Logistics Agency for industrial gases and pressurization services. The helium procurement under this purchase order would support operational requirements of naval research activities, leveraging Praxair Distribution Mid-Atlantic's established capability as a qualified supplier of specialty industrial gases to Department of Defense and related federal agencies.