What changed in this filing

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Item 1. Business

2024-11-21 compared with 2023-11-16 · 99 added, 62 removed, 135 unchanged (54% of the section changed)

As used in this report, unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company,” "Air Products," or “registrant” include controlled subsidiaries and affiliates of Air Products.

Additional information about Air Products is available on our website at www.airproducts.com.

References to our website within this report are inactive textual references only.

The content of our website is not incorporated by reference into, and does not form part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Air Products trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "APD".

All periodic and current reports, registration statements, proxy statements, and other filings that we are required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after electronic filing of the material with the SEC.

All such reports filed during the period covered by this report were available on our website on the same day as filing.

Additionally, these filings are available free of charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.

Notes to the consolidated financial statements that are referenced in the disclosures that follow can be found under Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

About Air Products

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., a Delaware corporation originally founded in 1940, is a world-leading industrial gases company that has built a reputation for its innovative culture, operational excellence, and commitment to safety and the environment.

Focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets, we offer a portfolio of products and services that enables customers to improve their environmental performance, product quality, and productivity.

Air Products has a sustainability-driven two-pillar growth strategy consisting of the expansion and efficient operation of our core industrial gases business and the execution of projects that provide world-scale clean hydrogen.

Our industrial gases business provides essential gases, related equipment, and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, medical, and food.

We also develop, engineer, build, own, and operate some of the world’s largest clean hydrogen projects that will support the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the heavy-duty transportation and industrial sectors.

Additionally, we are the world leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas ("LNG") process technology and equipment and provide turbomachinery, membrane systems, and cryogenic containers globally.

Focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets, we are committed to generating a cleaner future by offering products and services that enable our customers to improve their environmental performance, product quality, and productivity.

With sustainability at its core, our two-pillar growth strategy includes the optimization and growth of our core industrial gases business while developing, engineering, building, owning, and operating some of the world’s largest clean hydrogen projects that will advance the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the industrial and heavy-duty transportation sectors.

Our regional industrial gases business provides essential gases, related equipment, and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, medical, and food.

Through our sale of equipment businesses, we also provide turbomachinery, membrane systems, and cryogenic containers globally.

We manage our operations, assess performance, and report earnings under five reportable segments:

Middle East and India;

and Corporate and other.

Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East and India, and Corporate and other.

The discussion that follows is based on these operations.

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however, we are also investing in projects that are intended to create a reliable and consistent world-scale source of low-carbon hydrogen produced from hydrocarbons with carbon capture (known as “blue hydrogen”) as well as carbon-free hydrogen produced from renewable energy (known as “green hydrogen”).

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Electricity is the largest cost component in the production of atmospheric gases.

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Helium is produced as a byproduct of gases extracted from underground reservoirs, primarily natural gas as well as CO 2 purified before resale.

Because helium is generally sourced globally at long distances from point of sale, we maintain an inventory of helium in our fleet of ISO containers as well as at the U.S.

Bureau of Land Management underground storage facility in Amarillo, Texas, and our storage cavern near Beaumont, Texas.

We obtain helium from several sources globally, including crude helium for purification from the U.S.

Bureau of Land Management's helium reserve.

Because helium is generally sourced globally at long distances from point of sale, we maintain an inventory of helium in our fleet of ISO containers as well as in underground storage facilities in Amarillo, Texas and Beaumont, Texas.

We distribute gases to our industrial gas customers through different supply modes depending on various factors including the customer's volume requirements and location.

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Industrial gases are also used in welding and providing healthcare and are utilized in various manufacturing processes to make them more efficient and to optimize performance.

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Industrial Gases Equipment

We design and manufacture equipment for air separation, hydrocarbon recovery and purification, natural gas liquefaction, and liquid helium and liquid hydrogen transport and storage.

We design and manufacture equipment for air separation, hydrocarbon recovery and purification, and liquid helium and liquid hydrogen transport and storage.

The Corporate and other segment includes activity related to the sale of cryogenic and gas processing equipment for air separation.

The equipment is sold worldwide to customers in a variety of industries, including chemical and petrochemical manufacturing, oil and gas recovery and processing, and steel and primary metals processing.

The Corporate and other segment also includes the results of our LNG equipment business, our Gardner Cryogenics business, which fabricates helium and hydrogen transport and storage containers, and our Rotoflow business, which manufactures turboexpanders and other precision rotating equipment.

The Corporate and other segment also includes the results of our Rotoflow business, which manufactures turboexpanders and other precision rotating equipment, and our Gardner Cryogenics business, which fabricates helium and hydrogen transport and storage containers.

Additionally, through the end of fiscal year 2024, our Corporate and other segment included our liquefied natural gas ("LNG") process technology and equipment business, which was sold to Honeywell International Inc.

on 30 September 2024.

Refer to Note 4, Gain on Sale of Business , to the consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the sale.

Steel, aluminum, and capital equipment subcomponents such as compressors are the principal raw materials in the manufacturing of equipment.

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Equipment is produced at our manufacturing sites with certain components procured from subcontractors and vendors.

Competition in the equipment business is based primarily on plant efficiency, service, technical know-how, and price, as well as schedule and plant performance guarantees.

Competition in the equipment business is based primarily on plant efficiency and technological performance, service, technical know-how, and price, as well as schedule and plant performance guarantees.

Our sale of equipment supply mode constituted less than 10% of consolidated sales in fiscal years 2024, 2023, and 2022.

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Within each of these industries, we have several large-volume customers with long-term contracts.

A negative trend affecting one of these industries, or the loss of one of these major customers, although not material to our consolidated revenue, could have an adverse impact on our financial results.

A negative trend affecting one of these industries, or the loss of one of these major customers, although not material to our consolidated sales, could have an adverse impact on our financial results.

Our businesses are not subject to seasonal fluctuations to any material extent.

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The carrying value of our equity method investments is reflected as "Investment in net assets of and advances to equity affiliates" on our consolidated balance sheets.

Substantially all our equity method investments are in foreign industrial gas producers, the largest of which operate in China, India, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Thailand.

For additional information regarding these investments, refer to Note 9, Equity Affiliates , to the consolidated financial statements under Item 8 below.

Substantially all our equity method investments are in foreign industrial gas producers, the largest of which operate in Algeria, China, India, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Thailand.

For additional information regarding these investments, refer to Note 10, Equity Affiliates , to the consolidated financial statements.

International Operations

Through our subsidiaries, affiliates, and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method, we conduct business in approximately 50 countries and regions outside the United States.

Our international businesses are subject to risks customarily encountered in foreign operations, including fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and controls, tariffs, trade sanctions, import and export controls, and other economic, political, and regulatory policies of local governments described in Item 1A, Risk Factors , below.

We have controlling interests in foreign subsidiaries that operate in Canada and approximately 10 countries in Latin America (primarily Chile and Brazil);

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Note 24, Income Taxes ;

and Note 25, Business Segment and Geographic Information , to the consolidated financial statements included under Item 8, below.

Information about foreign currency translation is included under “Foreign Currency” in Note 1, Basis of Presentation and Major Accounting Policies , and information on our exposure to currency fluctuations is included in Note 14, Financial Instruments , to the consolidated financial statements, included under Item 8, below, and in “Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk,” included under Item 7A, below.

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and Note 26, Business Segment and Geographic Information , to the consolidated financial statements.

Information about foreign currency translation is included under “Foreign Currency” in Note 1, Basis of Presentation and Major Accounting Policies , to the consolidated financial statements.

Information about our exposure to currency fluctuations is included in Note 15, Financial Instruments , to the consolidated financial statements, and in “Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk” included under Item 7A, Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk , of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Technology Development

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and similar state and foreign environmental laws relating to the designation of certain sites for investigation or remediation.

Our accounting policy for environmental expenditures is discussed in Note 1, Basis of Presentation and Major Accounting Policies , and environmental loss contingencies are discussed in Note 18, Commitments and Contingencies , to the consolidated financial statements, included under Item 8, below.

Our accounting policy for environmental expenditures is discussed in Note 1, Basis of Presentation and Major Accounting Policies , and environmental loss contingencies are discussed in Note 19, Commitments and Contingencies , to the consolidated financial statements.

Some of our operations are within jurisdictions that have or are developing regulatory regimes governing emissions of greenhouse gases (“GHG”), including CO 2 .

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In Canada, Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emission Reduction System went into effect 1 January 2020.

In Ontario, Environment & Climate Change Canada’s Output Based Pricing System (“OBPS”) was replaced by the GHG Emissions Performance Standards ("EPS") program beginning 1 January 2022.

In Ontario, Environment & Climate Change Canada’s Output Based Pricing System was replaced by the GHG Emissions Performance Standards program beginning 1 January 2022.

In Singapore, the Carbon Pricing Tax Act was implemented effective 1 January 2019.

In Taiwan, Greenhouse Gases Emissions Registration and Verification Management Act will be enforced beginning in 2023.

In Taiwan, enforcement of the Climate Change Response Act began in 2023 and a carbon fee was implemented effective 29 August 2024.

In addition, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) requires mandatory reporting of GHG emissions and is regulating GHG emissions for new construction and major modifications to existing facilities.

The European Union has issued the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive ("CSRD") and California has enacted the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act and the Climate Related Financial Risk Act that will require reporting and third-party assurance of GHG emissions information for certain entities, and a similar proposal is under consideration by the U.S.

Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

Environmental Protection Agency requires mandatory reporting of GHG emissions and is regulating GHG emissions for new construction and major modifications to existing facilities.

The European Union has issued the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive as well as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and California has enacted the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act and the Climate Related Financial Risk Act that will require reporting and third-party assurance of GHG emissions information for certain entities.

In March 2024, the SEC issued final rules for "The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors,” which would have required certain climate-related disclosures in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In April 2024, the SEC stayed the effectiveness of the final rules pending the outcome of certain legal challenges.

Furthermore, some jurisdictions have various mechanisms to target the power sector to achieve emission reductions, which often result in higher power costs.

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Although uncertain, these developments could increase our costs related to consumption of electric power, hydrogen production and application of our gasification technology.

We believe we will be able to mitigate some of the increased costs through contractual terms, but the lack of definitive legislation or regulatory requirements prevents an accurate estimate of the long-term impact these measures will have on our operations.

We will be able to mitigate costs related to the consumption of electric power through the use of renewable electricity and some of the other increased costs through contractual terms.

However, the lack of definitive legislation or regulatory requirements prevents an accurate estimate of the long-term impact these measures will have on our operations.

Any legislation that limits or taxes GHG emissions could negatively impact our growth, increase our operating costs, or reduce demand for certain of our products.

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We continue to develop technologies to help our facilities and our customers lower energy consumption, improve efficiency, and lower emissions.

We see significant opportunities for hydrogen for mobility and energy transition, carbon capture technologies, and gasification.

We see significant opportunities for hydrogen for mobility, low carbon intensity hydrogen production supporting the global energy transition, utilization of carbon capture technologies, including subsequent CO 2 product use or sequestration, and gasification.

Expenditures for capital projects intended to control pollution from existing operating facilities as required under current environmental regulations were not material in fiscal years 2024, 2023, and 2022.

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For additional information regarding environmental matters, refer to Note 19, Commitments and Contingencies , to the consolidated financial statements.

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Sustainability

Sustainability is at the core of our higher purpose to bring people together to collaborate and innovate solutions to the world’s most significant energy and environmental sustainability challenges.

As of the end of fiscal year 2023, we have committed capital of approximately $15 billion to projects intended to accelerate the energy transition, some of which are already being executed in the United States, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.

These low- and zero-carbon hydrogen and other first mover projects demonstrate our commitment to making investments that will make a meaningful difference on climate issues, allowing us to support our customers’ sustainability journeys, conserve resources, and care for our employees and communities.

Our Sustainability Report details our growth strategy and the role our employees play in achieving our goals.

Our low- and zero-carbon hydrogen and other first mover projects demonstrate our commitment to making investments that will make a meaningful difference on climate issues, allowing us to support our customers’ sustainability journeys, conserve resources, and care for our employees and communities.

Our Sustainability Report details our strategy and the role our employees play in achieving our goals.

Our latest Sustainability Report is available at www.airproducts.com/company/sustainability/sustainability-report.

The information posted on our website, including our Sustainability Report, is not incorporated by reference into, and does not form part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Human Capital Management

As of 30 September 2023, we had approximately 23,000 employees, of which over 90% were working full-time and 74% were located outside the United States.

As of 30 September 2024, we had approximately 23,000 employees, of which over 95% were working full-time and approximately 75% were located outside the United States.

We have collective bargaining agreements with unions and works councils at certain locations that expire on various dates over the next four years.

Over 20% of our total workforce is covered by such agreements.

Under 20% of our total workforce is covered by such agreements.

Overall, we have a corporate strategy supported by our leaders and enabled by a positive organizational culture.

We believe our employees are our most valuable asset and are critical to our success as an organization.

We believe our employees are our most valuable asset and are critical to our organization's success.

Our goal is to be the safest, most diverse, and most profitable industrial gas company in the world, providing excellent service to our customers.

Integral to our success is the continued development of our 4S culture (Safety, Speed, Simplicity and Self-Confidence) and creating a work environment where our employees feel that they belong and matter.

Our talent-related initiatives, including employee recruitment and development, diversity and inclusion, and compensation and benefit programs, focus on building and retaining the world-class talent needed to execute our two-pillar growth strategy and fulfill Air Products' higher purpose.

Safety is fundamental to who we are as a company.

Safety is a shared value, and our employees’ commitment to safety is demonstrated in many ways every day.

Safety is a critical component of everything we do, everywhere in the world.

Our goal is to be the safest industrial gas company in the world.

Integral to our success is the continued development of our 4S culture (Safety, Speed, Simplicity and Self-Confidence) and the creation of a work environment where our employees feel that they belong and matter.

Our talent-related initiatives, including employee recruitment and development, diversity and inclusion, and compensation and benefits programs, focus on building and retaining the world-class talent to execute our two-pillar growth strategy and fulfill Air Products' higher purpose.

Safety is a core value and fundamental to our goal of being the safest, most diverse, and most profitable industrial gas company in the world.

We believe safety is a moral obligation, and we want our employees to return home to their families safe and healthy daily.

Our overarching safety goal is zero accidents and incidents.

We strive to continually improve the safety and health of our colleagues, contractors, customers, and host communities.

Air Products uses a multidisciplinary approach to safety and health, which includes a global Environment, Health and Safety ("EHS) policy;

goals for employee, contractor, and transportation safety;

a Global EHS Management System that supports the principles of ISO 45001;

employee training based on job function;

risk assessment processes for workers, operations, products, transportation, and regulatory requirements, including an escalation process for engaging our EHS Risk Council;

compliance audits conducted by our EHS Assurance Team;

review of performance by our Board of Directors, Sustainability Leadership Council, businesses and operations, and members of our Safety and Health Centers of Excellence at least annually;

internal reporting of results on a monthly basis;

and external reporting on safety performance through our annual Sustainability Report, public website, and responses to various stakeholders.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

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For more information on these initiatives and to access our most recently published Equal Employment Opportunity EEO-1 Report, please refer to our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging website at www.airproducts.com/company/diversity.

The information posted on our website is not incorporated by reference into, and does not form part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

As detailed in our 2024 Sustainability Report, in order to create an engaged workforce, individuals must be compensated fairly and equitably.

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We pay competitively in local markets where we do business and compete for talent.

We benchmark our compensation to ensure we are keeping pace with the market to provide competitive pay and benefits.

Our compensation programs are generally comprised of base pay, annual variable pay (bonus), and for eligible employees, long-term incentives (stock awards under the Air Products Long-Term Incentive Plan).

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Available Information

All periodic and current reports, registration statements, proxy statements, and other filings that we are required to file with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), are available free of charge through our website at www.airproducts.com.

Such documents are available as soon as reasonably practicable after electronic filing of the material with the SEC.

All such reports filed during the period covered by this report were available on our website on the same day as filing.

In addition, our filings with the SEC are available free of charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.

We benchmark our compensation to ensure we keep pace with the market to provide competitive pay and benefits.

Our compensation programs are generally comprised of base pay, annual variable pay (bonus), and long-term incentives (stock awards under the Air Products Long-Term Incentive Plan) for eligible employees.

Our Executive Officers

Our executive officers and their respective positions and ages on 16 November 2023 follow.

In addition to our Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, the executive officers' information below includes members of senior leadership who were named to the Management Board as announced on 22 July 2024.

These Management Board members were designated as executive officers effective 1 October 2024.

The table below identifies each executive officer by name, age, and offices held as of 21 November 2024.

Information with respect to offices held is stated in fiscal years.

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Ghasemi is a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

Schaeffer 45 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (became Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in August 2021 and Executive Vice President in October 2024).

Schaeffer joined the Company in 2016 and most recently served as Vice President, Finance – GEMTE, Americas, Middle East, and India from 2020 to 2021 and previously served as Vice President, Chief Audit Executive from 2016 to 2020.

Major 60 Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since 2017.

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from 2007 to 2017.

Schaeffer 44 Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (became Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in August 2021).

Serhan 62 Chief Operating Officer (Executive Vice President since December 2016 and Chief Operating Officer since May 2020).

Serhan served as President, Global HyCO, from 2014 to 2016 for Praxair Inc.

From 2000-2014, he worked in leadership positions in the U.S.

and Germany for The Linde Group, including as Managing Director of Linde Engineering from 2008-2014.

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63 President, Europe and Africa since 2017.

Bols previously served as Vice President and General Manager, Merchant Gases-Asia from 2007 to 2011, Vice President and General Manager, Global Liquid Bulk, Generated Gases and Helium from 2011 to 2012, Vice President and General Manager, Merchant Gases–Europe, from 2012 to 2014, and President, EMEA from 2014 to 2016.

Bols joined the Company in 1988.

Wolfgang Brand

47 President, Project Delivery and Technical since July 2024.

Brand joined the Company in May 2020 and initially served as Vice President, NEOM Green Hydrogen until March 2024 and then as General Manager, Project Delivery EMEA until July 2024.

Brand previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of EMT Ingenieurgesellschaft H.

Euer mbH, a medium-sized enterprise producing and maintaining aerial reconnaissance systems, from 2018 until 2020.

Brand previously worked at Linde AG in a series of positions of increasing responsibility, including as Vice President of Petrochemicals Business Development and Sales.

Victoria Brifo

56 Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer (became Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer in June 2018 and Executive Vice President in October 2024).

Brifo joined the Company in 2001 as site leader in Geismar, Louisiana, and progressed through a series of plant and other leadership positions, including prior service as Global Diversity Director, Global Manager of Electronics Operations, Industrial Gases Transformation Leader, and Vice President, Equipment Sales, Plant Support and Central Procurement.

Brifo has also served on the board of directors of Trinseo plc, a publicly listed provider of specialty material solutions, since June 2021.

Brian Galovich

51 Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer (became Chief Information Officer in December 2020 and Executive Vice President in October 2024).

Prior to joining the Company, Mr.

Galovich spent 24 years at United Technologies Corporation in multiple leadership roles within digital technology, including as Vice President, Digital Technology, and Chief Information Officer of Collins Aerospace from 2018 to 2020, as Chief Information Officer of Global Business Systems for United Technologies from 2017 to 2018, and Chief Information Officer of Pratt & Whitney from 2016 to 2017.

Ahmed Hababou

56 President, Middle East and India since February 2023.

Hababou previously served as Vice President, Green Hydrogen from September 2020 until January 2023, Vice President, Southern Europe and Maghreb from 2016 to 2020, head of European Specialty Gases & Helium Operations from 2013-2016, head of operations and supply chain in Southern Europe from 2008-2013 and general manager of the Middle East from 2005-2008.

Hababou joined the Company in 2002.

Name Age Office

Kurt Lefevere

54 President, Asia since June 2024.

Lefevere previously served as Vice President, Northern Europe from 2015 until June 2024, Manager, Strategy Development and Performance Enhancement for the Company’s Global Merchant division from 2013 until 2014, and General Manager for the Packaged Gases division in Asia from 2011 until 2013.

Lefevere joined the Company in 1994.

Francesco Maione

55 President, Americas since December 2020.

Maione previously served as President, Atmospheric Gases, Americas during 2020, as Vice President and General Manager, South America from 2019 until early 2020, as Vice President, Northern Region Americas, from 2018 to 2019 and Vice President, Southern Region, Americas, from 2016 to 2018.

Maione joined the Company in 1998.

63 President, Equipment Businesses since July 2024.

Mok previously served as President, Asia from October 2014 to June 2024, as Vice President, Energy and Materials, and General Services from April 2014 to September 2014, and as Vice President, North America Tonnage Gases from October 2009 to March 2014.

Mok joined the Company in 1986.

61 Senior Vice President, Global Helium and Rare Gases (became General Manager, Global Helium and Rare Gases in April 2014, Vice President, Global Helium and Rare Gases in April 2020 and Senior Vice President in August 2024).

Nelson previously served in the Company’s helium business in a variety of operations and commercial positions since he joined the Company in 1990.

Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.

What changed 10-K

Item 1. Business