Gist ( Acquired by by Linde AG.)

Gist is the logistics business of the BOC Group Plc, formerly known as BOC Distribution Services.  The BOC Group has an international portfolio of companies operating as three lines of business. These are Process Gas Solutions (PSG), Industrial and Special Products (ISP) and BOC Edwards. In addition there are two separately managed specialist businesses, Afrox hospitals and Gist.

The Group provides services in a diverse range of industry sectors including gases, industrial services, semi-conductor manufacturing support and private healthcare. In 2004 the Group had a turnover of £4,559.3m (€6,663.0m) of which Gist contributed £293.2m (€424.8m) or 6.4% of the group turnover. Gist is based near Basingstoke in Hampshire, UK. It employs nearly 5,500 staff and operates 1,000 vehicles and 35 sites.

BOC Distribution was originally formed over thirty years ago to provide chilled distribution to a single UK retailer, Marks & Spencer. It expanded throughout the 1990s developing a chilled distribution network in the UK, and capabilities in mainland Europe, US and the Far East. However due to falling profitability the company was restructured in 1998 and this resulted in a number of businesses which were non-core to the Mark &Spencer account being shut down or sold off.

During 2001, BOC Distribution Services was re-named Gist to reflect both the continuing focus on supply chain operations and an increased emphasis on supply chain consulting, managed solutions and logistics support to e-fulfilment opportunities. This realignment of the business followed a planned withdrawal from most non-Marks & Spencer primary temperature controlled operations in the period 1999 to 2000. Gist has provided supply chain consultancy services to major supermarket and catalogue retailers in the UK as well as managing international supply chains.

During 2003, Gist ceased to operate general merchandise logistics and garment stockholding operations on behalf of Marks & Spencer.