BASF opens new technical laboratory in Southfield, Michigan

SOUTHFIELD, MI., September 28, 2015 – The BASF site in Southfield, Michigan hosted a grand opening ceremony today for a new technical laboratory for its customers in the coatings and plastics industries. The newly refurbished 32,000 square foot building represents an investment of approximately $20 million dollars and can accommodate up to 50 people engaged in research, development and technical service, to serve customers and encourage collaboration.

“The laboratory is a significant investment in BASF’s operations in Michigan, allowing continued job growth and supporting customer satisfaction at the Southfield campus” said Greg Pflum, Vice President and General Manager, of the BASF Mid-West Hub.  “This important endeavor increases the diversity of BASF groups working in Southfield. We thank our employees and contractors who safely constructed the project over the last 14 months.”

The state-of-the-art laboratory will support the formulation needs for pigments, resins, performance and formulation additives that are used in transportation, industrial, furniture, and floor coatings and plastics applications.  It centralizes laboratory operations for the Dispersions & Pigments Divisions’ Transportation, Industrial Coatings and Plastics (TICP) business which had been operating from three different locations in the United States prior to the lab opening.

”Focusing on our customers’ needs is the priority for the team working in this new laboratory,” stated Michael McHenry, Vice President, TICP and Printing, Packaging & Adhesives for BASF in North America.  “Our employees now have the ease of collaboration with colleagues and working together in a common location to solve our customers’ problems and help them be more successful.”

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, invited guests and employees toured the laboratory to learn more about the technical capabilities now available at BASF’s Southfield campus.

About BASF’s Dispersions & Pigments Division in North America

BASF’s Dispersions & Pigments Division in North America offers a comprehensive portfolio of resins, binders, latex, organic, inorganic, functional and effect pigments, colorants, and custom solutions to meet specific application needs for the coatings, construction, printing and packaging, plastics and paper markets. Our innovative products also help manufacturers in the adhesives, nonwovens and fiber bonding industries meet functional and performance demands. Key additives including dispersing agents, rheology modifiers, defoamers, light stabilizers, photoinitiators, and antioxidants significantly enhance the product portfolio for the markets we serve. For more information about BASF’s Dispersions & Pigments Division, visit www.basf.us/dpsolutions.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20.6 billion in 2014. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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