BASF awards scholarships to local students
Grants continue company's educational focus

FREEPORT, Texas, September 24, 2003 - BASF Corporation has awarded college scholarships to three local students.

Michael Burlone, son of BASF Freeport site employee Dominick Burlone, a resident of Lake Jackson, Texas, and Meggen Delollis, daughter of site employee Nicholas Delollis, a resident of Missouri City, Texas, each received $2,000 BASF National Merit Scholarship grants. Jonathan Adams, son of site employee David Adams, a resident of Lake Jackson, Texas, received a $1,000 Freeport Site Scholarship.

The students are currently attending the following schools: Burlone, Texas A&M University; Delollis, the University of Texas at Austin; and Adams, Brazosport College.

"BASF has a strong commitment to supporting the communities in which we do business and to supporting education as key aspects of our 'Helping Make Communities Better' grant program," said Art Colwell, Site Manager of BASF's Freeport site. "We're pleased to be able to support outstanding students such as Mr. Burlone, Ms. Delollis, and Mr. Adams."

BASF awards 10 National Merit Scholarships annually to eligible students of its employees. Candidates are judged on a combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in challenging college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation administers the program.

The Freeport site also sponsors an annual scholarship for academic excellence. The winner is selected by the BASF/Shintech Community Advisory Panel members.

BASF's Freeport site employs almost 700 employees and 350 contractors and produces chemicals that are used in a wide range of product applications including adhesives, superabsorbers, paints and coatings, nylon and plastics.

BASF: Helping Make Products Better™
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company, offering its customers a range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as crude oil and natural gas. Its distinctive approach to integration, known in German as “Verbund,” is its strength. It enables BASF to achieve cost leadership and gives the company a competitive advantage. BASF conducts its business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2002, BASF had sales of $34 billion and more than 89,000 employees worldwide. BASF Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. In North America, 2002 sales were approximately $8.2 billion and the company employs approximately 12,000 people. For more information or to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

For more information, contact:
Sharon Rogers
BASF Corporation, Freeport
Tel: (979) 415-6273
E-mail: rogerssh@basf.com

Glenn Majeski
BASF Corporation
Tel: (973) 426-2848
E-mail: majeskg@basf.com