FLORHAM PARK, NJ, April 13, 2009 – BASF Performance Chemicals has announced that the Care Chemicals business unit will be reorganized to better meet customer needs.  Gary Dee, the current Business Director, Personal Care Ingredients, North America, will head up the newly combined Personal Care, Home Care and Industrial and Institutional (I&I) businesses.  He will be based in Florham Park, New Jersey, and will continue to report to Simon Medley, Group Vice President, Care Chemicals and Formulators.

In an effort to be more customer-facing, Care Chemicals has combined three separate groups to create synergies between the knowledge bases of marketing, sales and research and development.  Since many of the chemistries have common performance traits, BASF customers will be better served.  Moving forward, Personal Care Ingredients in North America will continue to research and develop skin care, body wash, color cosmetics, and active ingredients, but will pick up laundry detergents, rinse aids, and hard surface cleaners for the Consumer and I&I cleaners markets.

“By aligning ourselves better with key regional and global business customers, we can introduce high performance products with both detergents and personal care divisions, while sharing technology and joint innovation,” said Gary Dee, Business Director, Personal Care Ingredients, North America.  “By combining joint technology and innovation platforms, BASF can allow a free flow of concepts, ideas and creativity that will lead to new developments.  An example of innovative solutions for customers might be rheology modifiers for liquid laundry detergents, body wash, hair and oral care products.”

Research and development efforts for the combined group will be shared between Stony Brook Labs and Ossining Labs in New York, Roxbury Labs in New Jersey, and Wyandotte Labs in Michigan.    

For a press photo, please click here: http://www.basf.us/pressphotos/04-13-09_GaryDee.jpg

Care Chemicals and Formulators

BASF’s Care Chemicals division develops, produces and markets a comprehensive range of products for nutrition, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, detergents & cleaners, and industrial & chemical applications. As a result of focused research and development, we are a preferred partner of our customers worldwide.

The products offered by BASF Care Chemicals include vitamins, carotenoids, organic acids, active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients, aroma chemicals and cosmetic ingredients, chelating agents, surfactants, biocides, waxes and wax emulsions as well as metal surface treatment products.

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BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $17.5 billion in 2008. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals, as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF has approximately 97,000 employees and posted sales of more than €62 billion in 2008. 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.