BASF to Build a Production Plant for Emulsion Polymers in Texas

CHARLOTTE, NC -- BASF announced its plans to build a new production plant for emulsion polymers at its integrated "Verbund" site in Freeport, Texas. The new plant will allow BASF to better serve the coatings, construction, adhesives, and paper industries by expanding the network of manufacturing locations and improve the backward integration of raw materials used in production.

The new plant, which is expected to begin production in mid-2014, will create approximately 25 new jobs at the Freeport site.

"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 Derek Fairclough, Senior Vice President, Dispersions & Pigments, for BASF in North America. "This investment further supports our business growth strategy, especially in architectural coatings, where we are targeting significant growth with our range of innovative products and solutions."

The plant will manufacture acrylic emulsion polymers used for architectural coatings, construction chemicals, adhesives, and the paper chemicals industry.

"This investment demonstrates BASFs commitment to the regional market demand by paper and board manufacturers for these materials and supports our global strategy to be the preferred supplier of polymer emulsions for the coated paper and board markets," said Chuck Schmidt, Senior Vice President, Paper Chemicals, for BASF in North America.

BASF currently operates three emulsion polymer plants in North America in Monaca, Pennsylvania; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Altamira, Mexico. Building a plant in Texas broadens the supply network to better serve all BASF customers from a manufacturing location in the central-southern United States. In addition to this investment, BASF is building new manufacturing facilities for emulsion polymers in India and the company also opened new plants in South Africa in September 2012 and in China in November 2012.

The Verbund concept is one of BASFs greatest strengths, linking production and energy requirements in an efficient manner. BASFs Freeport, Texas production site incorporates the Verbund concept and allows BASF to maximize 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.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. BASF is one of the worlds leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. It combines economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Its products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. The company has summed up this contribution in itscorporate purpose: It creates chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about ?3.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year.