New emulsion polymers plant begins operations at BASF in Freeport, Texas

CHARLOTTE, NC AND FREEPORT, TX, December 8, 2014 – BASF started operations in a new emulsion polymers plant at its integrated Verbund site in Freeport, Texas. The acrylic emulsion polymers manufactured at this new plant are used for architectural coatings, construction chemicals, adhesives and applications in the paper chemicals industry.

BASF added 25 new jobs at the Freeport site to operate and maintain the new plant.  A formal ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony is planned for February 2015.

“The new plant strengthens our position as a leading supplier of emulsions in North America and demonstrates our commitment to customers in the coatings, construction, adhesives and paper industries,” said Gerry Podesta, Senior Vice President, Dispersions & Pigments, for BASF in North America.  “This investment further supports our business strategy, where we are targeting significant growth with our range of innovative products and solutions.”

BASF operates four emulsion polymer plants throughout North America in Monaca, Pennsylvania; Chattanooga, Tennessee and Altamira, Mexico.  The plant in Freeport broadens the supply network to better serve all BASF customers in the central-southern United States.  In addition BASF built new manufacturing facilities for emulsion polymers in India in 2014, and in South Africa and China in 2013.

BASF is committed to strong environmental, health and safety practices at its sites and acknowledges the efforts of its employees and contractors to make safety a priority during this construction project. Construction began in February 2013, involving hundreds of contractors who built the plant with a strong focus on safety.

“The collaboration between the BASF project and operations teams and Zachry, the lead construction contractor for the project, was excellent. This was important to the outstanding safety performance on the project and the overall high quality of the construction for the new plant,” said Gerhard Schumacher, Vice President, Manufacturing, Dispersions, Resins & Additives, for BASF in North America.

The Verbund concept is one of BASF’s greatest strengths, linking production and energy requirements in an efficient manner. BASF’s Freeport, Texas site maximizes the production efficiencies of acrylic dispersions while helping to protect the environment and surrounding communities by reducing waste, cutting emissions, and keeping resource consumption and transportation to a minimum.

To learn more about BASF’s Dispersions & Pigments business, please visit:  www.basf.us/dpsolutions.

About The Dispersions & Pigments Division

BASF’s Dispersions & Pigments Division in North America offers a comprehensive portfolio of resins, binders, latex, pigments and effect pigments, colorants, and systems to meet specific application needs for the coatings, construction, and printing, packaging and plastics markets. Our innovative products also help manufacturers in the adhesives, nonwovens and fiber bonding industries meet functional and performance demands. The addition of key product areas such as formulation additives, rheology modifiers, light stabilizers, photoinitiators, and antioxidants significantly enhances the existing BASF product portfolio for these markets. 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 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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