BASF and Louisiana Capital Area American Red Cross visit Geismar residents

Employees and volunteers share safety preparedness with neighborhood residents and businesses

GEISMAR, LA, November 13, 2014 --More than 35 BASF community ambassadors and Louisiana Capital Area American Red Cross volunteers walked door to door sharing safety preparedness information with area neighborhoods and business districts as a part of a BASF “Neighbor-to-Neighbor” event.

The community event was a collaborative effort between BASF and the American Red Cross where volunteers united under a common goal of providing life-saving information to the community.  Volunteers knocked on 250 residential and business doors, had conversations with more than 120 community neighbors, and handed out 250 BASF bags filled with important American Red Cross and company information, as well as a few BASF-branded items.

"The Neighbor-to-Neighbor event was a great opportunity for employees from the BASF sites in Ascension Parish to reach out to our community and help educate our near neighbors on emergency response. Our personal presence helped to demonstrate and bolster our relationship with, and commitment to, the community in which we operate,” said David Kasprovich, BASF Project Engineer and community ambassador. “Whether commercial or residential, it was apparent that our neighbors were appreciative of the opportunity to see the human aspect of an industrial site."

The event was designed to reassure the community that BASF cares about their well-being and is actively working to be a good neighbor. During the visits, residents had the opportunity to ask questions about BASF and procedures for proper response to chemical and other emergencies.

“The goal of these visits is to connect with our community and not only let them know who we are, but also what resources BASF and the American Red Cross can provide when it comes to emergency preparedness,” said Tom Yura, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the BASF site in Geismar.

The face-to-face chats provided meaningful and impactful experiences for many of the day’s volunteers and some community members as well.

"This event was such a great example of the power of community partnerships. People were very appreciative for the information and multi-purpose BASF flashlights, but even more so for the effort we took in getting out into the community,” said Sandra Ricard, BASF Community Ambassador.

The BASF Community Ambassador Team in Geismar plans to conduct the Neighbor-to-Neighbor event annually.

Suggested caption for press photo (download at right): BASF employees hand-delivered BASF bags filled with American Red Cross and company information to area residents. Pictured left to right: Jamie Boudoin, BASF Lab Technician, Julie Fay, BASF Production Manager,  Kathy Brossette, BASF Learning and Development Lean Coordinator, and Geismar resident Sam Baker.

Suggested caption for press photo (download at right): Michael Simmons, Senior Engineer BASF and Deana Stephens, Supply Chain Planner BASF, leave a BASF bag filled with important emergency information, as well as a few BASF-branded items on the door of a near neighbor’s home.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $19.3 billion in 2013. 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 about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 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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