Sourcing great suppliers: UBC signs agreement with Praxair

Do you buy gas for research or teaching? UBC has signed a new agreement with Praxair Canada, which has been the university’s preferred supplier of scientific and industrial gas for over 20 years.

From operating machinery used to deliver medical services, to serving as an essential component in some chemical reactions, gases play an important role in the work of many individuals at UBC. In 2018, the university purchased more than $1 million of industrial gas from local suppliers for our labs, classrooms and hospital sites.

Financial Operations at UBC has signed an agreement with Praxair that has many benefits for faculty and staff who use industrial gas, including:

• Improved pricing. Many currently purchased products will receive a potential improvement in pricing
• UBC will be a Tier 1 customer. This means the university will have first priority when gases, such as liquid helium, are in short supply worldwide. This is important as hospital MRI units, NMR spectrometers, and other machines require helium for their operations.
• Praxair will not charge UBC for cylinder rentals. This provides cost savings and convenience for users, who can draw down their supply without worrying about rental costs. UBC typically has approximately 8,000 gas cylinders on campus at any one time.
• Praxair will offer free lab surveys and training. As part of our agreement, Praxair will provide free lab surveys and training on how to handle cylinders and gas apparatus. The lab surveys will help staff and faculty improve safety standards, increase efficiency, and manage costs.
• Dedicated resources. UBC will have dedicated account managers and delivery drivers on the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, with an identified succession plan should they retire or leave.
• Aligned sustainability practices. Praxair uses sustainability practices that align with UBC’s values. Some of their sustainability initiatives include promoting a Zero Waste Program at its sites (200+ Praxair sites are in the program) such as using recyclable cylinders.
• Simple online ordering and invoicing processing. Praxair uses electronic procurement and invoicing, which places UBC in a good position as the university moves more of its procurement processes online.

Existing users will experience an overall improvement in benefits with little or no change in terms of services. Visit the supplier page to learn more about the agreement and to find contacts for UBC’s Praxair account managers.