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/

Copyright