Other Countries, Other Conventions – Travel Reports From All Over the World

On behalf of BASF so-called commercial travelers are to be found anywhere in the world only a few years after BASF is founded in 1865. The accounts of their journeys not only provide insights into the land and the people, but also help to acquire local market knowledge.

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"Filiale" der BASF in Butirki bei Moskau

First Foreign Production Site

„The partly abandoned factory had a sufficiently large steam boiler and a small steam engine.“ This is how a contemporary account describes the locational advantages of BASF‘s first foreign production site. It is established close to Moscow in 1877 to try to circumvent the high taxes the Russian government imposes on imported artificial dyes, especially alizarin.

Bands of Robbers and Blessed Indigo

Excerpt from a report on a journey through Persia at the turn of the 20^th century: „An official [executive] of Ludwigshafen was commissioned to take a [...] well equipped expedition to the interior of the rugged country [...]. He was stopped repeatedly by bands of robbers, who only released him after days of confrontation. After reaching each destination, he first had to go to the cleric, who [...] had to bless the indigo vats so that [...] they would not be ‘impure’.”

Color is Essential

An employee reflects on the particularities of business in China during the 1920s: “The packaging design for cans was quite expensive. The tinplate cans were wrapped in colored paper – with the color corresponding to the content. The six sides of the can were covered with the main label, back label, the golden Hong stripe with the Chinese company name, two closure stars, and sometimes even a quality label. The whole thing was wrapped again in glassine and blue packing paper." The labels used must be colorful and striking for the customers so that they can always recognize BASF products from their packaging even if they cannot read.

Der Verbundstandort Freeport ist der führende Produzent von Grundchemikalien, Zwischenprodukten und Faserprodukten. Propylen aus dem Steamcracker in Port Arthur wird hier zur Herstellung von Acrylsäure verwendet, einem wichtigen Ausgangsstoff für zahlreiche weitere Produkte. Hier eine Ansicht auf die Produktionsanlagen des Verbundstandorts in Freeport. Abdruck honorarfrei. Copyright by BASF.

The Freeport Verbund site is the leading producer of basic chemicals, intermediates and fiber products. Propylene from the steamcracker in Port Arthur is used for the manufacture of acrylic acid, a key starting material for numerous other products. A view of the production plants at the Freeport Verbund site. Print free of charge. Copyright by BASF., Der Verbundstandort Freeport ist der führende Produzent von Grundchemikalien, Zwischenprodukten und Faserprodukten. Propylen aus dem Steamcracker in Port Arthur wird hier zur Herstellung von Acrylsäure verwendet, einem wichtigen Ausgangsstoff für zahlreiche weitere Produkte. Hier eine Ansicht auf die Produktionsanlagen des Verbundstandorts in Freeport. Abdruck honorarfrei. Copyright by BASF.

The Freeport Verbund site is the leading producer of basic chemicals, intermediates and fiber products. Propylene from the steamcracker in Port Arthur is used for the manufacture of acrylic acid, a key starting material for numerous other products. A view of the production plants at the Freeport Verbund site. Print free of charge. Copyright by BASF.

"Hat Trick"

Impressions of a business trip to the United States in 1962: “It is the market rather than the desk where the work is done. All young people are urgently advised to often use “hat tricks” to solve problems. The trick is to take your hat off the hook, put it on and meet the client. That is where goods are sold, market information is exchanged, experience is acquired and information is gained about development trends at an early stage.”

During their trips, commercial travelers not only make contacts abroad and conduct sales conversations, but also gather impressions of foreign countries and cultures and record them on paper.

Accounts of another kind result from inspection trips that are regularly made when the location of a new BASF site has to be chosen. After returning from Brazil, for example, Wilhelm Pfannmüller, future member of the board, writes in 1955: “Brazil is and remains the country of the future. God is Brazilian.” As a result of his Brazilian travel, Guaratinguetá is selected as the site to build a new chemical plant in Brazil.