"The trauma of competition": the entry of Air Products Inc. into the industrial gases business in Britain and continental Europe 1947-1970

Banken, R. and Stokes, R. (2010) "The trauma of competition": the entry of Air Products Inc. into the industrial gases business in Britain and continental Europe 1947-1970. Business History, 52(7), pp. 1068-1085. (doi: 10.1080/00076791.2010.523462)

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Abstract

The British Oxygen Company (BOC) had a virtual monopoly on the supply of industrial gases (e.g. oxygen and acetylene) on the British market through the 1950s, when it was finally challenged by an American-based company, Air Products. Air Products Limited (APL) was able to undercut BOCs position, overcoming high barriers to entry to gain significant market share in this sector, which shares some features of network industries. Factors in this success included conditions imposed by the Board of Trade, APL’s innovations, BOC’s slow response, and favourable market conditions. APL’s success had implications for the internationalisation of the industrial gases industry.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This is an electronic version of an article published in: Banken, R. and Stokes, R. (2010) "The trauma of competition": the entry of Air Products Inc. into the industrial gases business in Britain and continental Europe 1947-1970. Business History, 52 (7). pp. 1068-1085. ISSN 0007-6791. Business History is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp//content~db=all~content=a931450735~frm=titlelink
Keywords:Industrial gases industry, British Oxygen Company, Air Products and Chemicals, monopoly, market entry, barriers to entry
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Stokes, Professor Ray
Authors: Banken, R., and Stokes, R.
Subjects:H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Economic and Social History
Journal Name:Business History
Publisher:Taylor and Francis
ISSN:0007-6791
ISSN (Online):1743-7938
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2010 Taylor and Francis
First Published:First published in Business History 52(7):1068-1085
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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