Glysantin® will soon be protecting engine cooling systems in Russia

Dzerzhinsk, Russia / Ludwigshafen, Germany – July 16, 2009 – Cars will soon be rolling along Russia’s roads with quality engine coolant from Ludwigshafen. The brand license agreement concluded by BASF with its partner Tosol-Sintez for the manufacture and distribution of Glysantin^® in the Russian Federation came into force in May 2009.

The chemical company Tosol-Sintez is the largest manufacturer of brake fluids and engine coolants in Russia and has been a customer of BASF for the last few years. Up until now the company has purchased intermediates from BASF, which it has used to produce its own coolant products under the brand name AWM. Now, however, the original German product is being launched on the Russian market as a premium brand.

In the middle of February, BASF welcomed a team from Tosol-Sintez to Ludwigshafen, accompanied by some Russian journalists. “Amongst other things, our partners visited the engine test center and spoke with technicians to get the full lowdown,” reports Mike Freche, Glysantin brand manager at BASF.

The launch has come about as a result of the growing Russian automotive market. Russia is currently recording the fastest growth in new vehicle registrations among the world’s main automotive markets. “We know that, especially in regions such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, there is a high degree of brand awareness and European brands are being bought increasingly. For this reason, we expect that a premium product such as Glysantin will have excellent market opportunities and attract new groups of buyers,” says Gerhard Leidig, BASF’s regional marketing manager for automotive fluids in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

For Tosol-Sintez there are many advantages with the changeover to Glysantin. For example, the original from BASF has the most OEM approvals from the large motor manufacturers. The Russian company can use this from now on as an added value. “In addition, Glysantin is asymbol of German brand quality, which is very highly rated here in Russia,” says Arina Butuzova, PR Manager at Tosol-Sintez.

In March, Tosol-Sintez embarked on a large-scale advertising campaign, focused on the launch of Glysantin, with an extensive series of advertisements and a forum for journalists. Very soon the quality product from Ludwigshafen will be available throughout the country.

About Tosol-Sintez

Tosol-Sintez is one of the biggest producers of high quality automotive chemicals. For more than 15 years, Tosol-Sintez has been the market leader among Russian producers of cooling liquids, break liquids and screen wash fluids. The whole range of products is manufactured at the production site in Dzerzhinsk, where about 1000 employees are occupied corresponding to well-established standards. In 2008 the company was successfully certified according to ISO/TS 16949. Today, Tosol-Sintez maintains a wide distribution network in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kirgizia. There are regional trade centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Rostov-on Don. The company constantly develops its technical equipment and invests in modernization. Quality assurance is realized on all layers of production, while steadily diversifying the product portfolio. Tosol-Sintez keeps innovation high by developing chemicals for cars that meet the discerning demands of automakers.

About BASF

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 posted sales of more than €62 billion in 2008 and had approximately 97,000 employees as of the end of the year. 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

About Glysantin^®

Glysantin®, the original from BASF, is Europe’s largest selling engine coolant. The products in the Glysantin range reliably protect engines all year round from corrosion, frost and overheating, even under extreme climatic conditions. BASF first patented Glysantin in 1929, and the coolants from Ludwigshafen have been very popular with motorists ever since. The proprietary products have the most OEM approvals from the large motor manufacturers. BASF works in cooperation with leading automobile suppliers to ensure that the Glysantin range always fulfils the latest demands. The high-performance engine coolants from BASF are suitable for use in all motor vehicles. For further information: www.glysantin.de

Press Contacts

Tosol-Sintez LLC

Arina Butuzova
Tel: +7 8313-274110
E-Mail: arina@t-s.ru

BASF SE

Tim Förschler
Tel: +49 621/60-92101
E-mail: tim.foerschler@basf.com

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