BASF Corporation Announces Winners of Diversity Recognition Awards
February 09 2005 - 11:31AM
PR Newswire (US)
BASF Corporation Announces Winners of Diversity Recognition Awards
Recognition Serves To Elevate Importance of Diversity in the
Workplace FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BASF
Corporation has announced the winners of its Diversity Recognition
Awards program, and recognized its employees' efforts to create an
inclusive work environment that promotes respect and dignity. Three
awards were given in Individual, Team and Site categories. Nannie
Nelson Austin, a Procurement Agent at BASF's Freeport, Texas, site
was given the Individual Award. During the course of her career
with BASF, Austin has led by example in encouraging the development
of minority-owned supplier relationships, and has worked to help
BASF develop relationships with Minority and Women-owned Business
Enterprise (MWBE) organizations. Austin also hosted the first
on-site minority supplier fair at BASF's Freeport location. Most
recently, she chaired the Golden Triangle Minority Business
Council's Procurement Summit and EXPO, and managed BASF's first
participation in the Houston Minority Business Council EXPO 2004.
The Team Award was given to the company's Southfield, Mich., Women
and Business Issues (W&BI) group. In 1989, the W&BI was
formed at BASF Corporation to address diversity in the
ever-changing business environment. The Southfield chapter of
W&BI has revitalized its programs in 2004, including developing
a "Customized Communication Training" course, holding networking
luncheons, issuing a newsletter, and hosting several presentations
by business and functional group leaders, and guest speakers, such
as Mary Blair, Commodity Manager-General Motors Worldwide
Purchasing. The group also coordinated and held its annual "Taste
of Diversity - Taste Fest," during which employees celebrated
diversity through food. The award was accepted by Yeimy Garcia, a
Six Sigma Black Belt for BASF's Coatings business in North America
and chairperson of the Southfield W&BI group. BASF's
Shreveport, La., site was awarded the Site Award, which was
presented to Site Manager Dan Leal. The employees at the company's
Shreveport site have been instrumental in supporting diversity
awareness. Led by the site's Diversity Committee, employees have
written songs, shared recipes, produced plays, involved families,
given speeches, and written slogans. The committee also conducted
employee surveys, held "Ice Breaker" meetings to teach diversity,
and held a diversity poster contest. The group also produced a film
on diversity featuring interviews with employees at the Shreveport
site. BASF's management strongly believes that encouraging
diversity in the workplace makes good business sense. According to
Klaus Peter Loebbe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BASF
Corporation, "Diversity is highly valued within our organization. A
truly diverse work force at every level of our company will provide
us with a competitive advantage and will provide our employees with
meaningful opportunities to contribute and to advance." BASF -- The
Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We
make a lot of the products you buy better.(R) BASF Corporation,
headquartered in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of
BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. We employ about 11,000 people in
North America and had sales of approximately $9 billion in 2003.
For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to
sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit
http://www.basf.com/usa. BASF is the world's leading chemical
company. Our goal is to grow profitably and further increase the
value of our company. We help our customers to be more successful
through intelligent system solutions and high-quality products.
BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance
products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and
natural gas. Through new technologies we can tap into additional
market opportunities. We conduct our business in accordance with
the principles of sustainable development. In 2003, BASF had sales
of approximately $42 billion. BASF shares are traded on the stock
exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF), Paris
(BA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on
the Internet at http://www.basf.com/. DATASOURCE: BASF Corporation
CONTACT: Jack Maurer of BASF, +1-973-245-6072, Web site:
http://www.basf.com/usa http://www.basf.com/
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