BASF celebrates 125th anniversary of Leather Chemicals business

• BASF at India International Leather Fair Chennai:
  February 1-3, 2016, Booth 02-B,C – Hall 3
• Launches new solutions to reduce carbon footprint in tanneries
• Builds on history of innovation, quality and reliability

Singapore – February 1, 2016 – At the India International Leather Fair in Chennai, BASF will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its leather chemicals business. At the show, BASF will mark 125 years of innovation in leather while exhibiting products to help tanneries lower their carbon footprint, as well as their water and energy usage.

BASF’s history with the natural material leather started in 1891, and the first leather laboratory was established in 1895 in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

“Celebrating our 125th year anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the values – such as innovation, quality and reliability – that have made us successful,” stated Alex Wartini, Vice President of Leather Chemicals, BASF. “I’m very proud to say those remain our driving values today. We carry our history of innovation and putting customers first in everything we do today.”

Tradition of innovation
Innovations that address the challenges faced by customers are an important success factor for BASF’s long-term growth and has driven the company to find answers to present-day challenges. BASF launched DryFast, its newest beamhouse process, on the market in 2014 which combines the advantages of a range of products to a solution that significantly reduces water, energy and process time for tanneries.

This was quickly followed in 2015 with a new generation of topcoat system for automotive finishing which offers up to 20% higher durability compared to the industry benchmark and meets the most stringent requirements from original equipment manufacturers in terms of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and consumer safety. Another new introduction was the 3S (superior, secure, simple) surface coating system for corrected grain leather which sets a benchmark in fastness standards.

These present-day innovations are in keeping with the company’s tradition of pioneering a number of ‘firsts’ in the leather industry, including the first synthetic tanning agent in 1912, and the first non-benzidine dye in 1972 – solutions that helped shape the course of development within the leather industry.

Fortifying the innovation network
BASF recently announced an investment of approximately €50 million in a new Innovation Campus in Navi Mumbai, India, which will be operational in 2017. The leather chemicals unit will have a development lab here. This new facility will enhance its ability to innovate in Asia for Asia and shows its commitment to the leather industry in India. This new lab in Mumbai strengthens its network of existing R&D leather centers in China, Germany, and Spain and creates new opportunities for building up and expanding customer relationships.

About BASF Leather Chemicals
BASF Leather Chemicals business is a leading global supplier of chemical solutions to the leather industry. Present along the entire industry value chain, it offers innovative and sustainable solutions for all wet-end to finishing processes in the leather industry. Headquartered in Singapore, the business operates sales, production plants and research & development globally. Further information on its products and services is available at www.basf.com/leather.

About BASF
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. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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