跨國氣體製造商之成長策略研究 - Air Products & Chemicals公司在半導體工業發展之個案研究

Abstract

Air Products & Chemicals Inc. 是一家位居世界領導地位的工業氣體供應商 (以下均簡稱 Air Products)，並且是唯一同時擁有氣體與化學品兩種系列產品的跨國公司，總部位於美國賓夕法尼亞州里海谷。Air Products乃是由已故的Leonard P. Pool在1940年於底特律所創立，起初主要販賣工業氣體(尤其是氧氣)給予產業界的用戶，該公司目前在全球三十多個國家和地區擁有三百多家氣體生產廠，一萬七千多名員工和十餘萬客戶，銷售服務範圍達全球一百多個國家，年營業額超過六十億美金。 Air Products六十四年來的發展史，一方面固守氣體本業，運用既有資源，配合內部組織運作追求成長，學理上稱之為「內部成長」。而在另一方面是靠一連串的購併其他企業或是與其他企業建立聯盟的合作關係，或是先聯盟再予以購併，這一類的成長是藉著外部的作為所得到的成長，在學理上稱之為「外部成長」。而企業體必須將購併後之企業融入公司的運作體制中，再繼續追求更進一步的成長，這是外部成長與內部成長的銜續過程。 現階段Air Products面對外在微利時代來臨的挑戰，內在有海外合資公司、子公司、購併公司之組織運作以及和其他企業聯盟合作上的諸多問題，成長策略的擬定、修正與執行攸關Air Products的永續經營。 Air Products公司採用相關的成長策略說明如下。 （一）外部成長策略：併購、策略聯盟。 （二）內部成長策略： 1. 內部行銷：包括「一個公司」集權政策(One Company policy)、矩陣式組織 (Matrix Organization)、SAP的使用、優先權之修正(Change Priorities)、客户合作關係機制(Customer Engagement Roadmap)、公司發展委員會(Corporate Development Office)、策略之產生及執行(Strategy development & Implementation)等； 2. 外部行銷：包含鎖定重點市場 (ex: Electronic Industry, Health Care…)、專注於原物料及輔助設備、整套銷售 (Bundle Selling)、交叉銷售 (Cross Selling)、電子商務 (e-commerce)等。

Air Products & Chemicals Inc. is one of worldwide leading industrial gas and chemicals supplier (bellow called Air Products), especially Air Products is the only one vendor who supplies series of not only gas products but also chemical products, the headquarter is located at Allen Town of Pennsylvania of US. Air products was founded by Mr. Leonard P. Pool in 1940 at Detroit, in the beginning , primary business was supplying “industrial gas” (especially Oxygen) to users in various industries. Air Products owns more than thirty gas factories and seventing thousands employees in worldwide about one hundred countries and has business relationship with more than one hundred thousands customers, yearly revenue exceeds six billion US dollars. Look at the history of six foure years corporation development, Air Products has been using inner resources and organized operations to pursue growth, so called “ internal growth”. By the way, Air Products has been acquiring or setting up alliance relationship with other enterprises to pursue growth too, so called “ external growth”. After acquisition, enterprise which is acquired need to be fully integrated into the enterprise who proceeds the acquisition, then keep pursuing growth. The process of integration is between “external growth “ & “internal growth”. Currently Air Products meets the challenges of low margin generation’s coming and a lot of issues relative with subsidiaries, acquired units and the further cooperation with alliance partners. Determination, revise and execution of growth strategies definitely influence Air Products’ external running. Air Products’growth strageties as below : 1. External growth: include acquisition and alliance. 2. Internal growth: (1) internal marketing strategy: include “one company policy”, matrix organization, use SAP, change priorities, customer engagement roadmap, Corporate Development Office and strategy (2) external marketing strategy: include focus on electronic industry, focus on materials & supporting equipment, bundle selling, cross selling, e-commerce.