BASF Freeport site donates enough food to community pantries to feed 150 families for a day

FREEPORT, TX, May 6, 2015 – In recognition of BASF's 150th anniversary, the Freeport site donated more than 2,000 pounds of food to area food pantries — enough to feed 150 families for a day. The donation demonstrates BASF's tradition of community support, and also highlights the innovative products made at the Freeport site that help feed the world, from packaging that keeps food fresh to fertilizer used to grow crops.

"BASF products play an important role in everyday life for people around the world and for families right here in our community," said Chris Witte, senior vice president of BASF Corporation and general manager of the Freeport site. "Community involvement is a year-round commitment for BASF. Our 150th anniversary gives us an additional opportunity to work with our nonprofit partners and provide food — the most basic of necessities — to local families in need."

BASF manufactures products for a variety of food-related applications, including polycaprolactam, which is made at the Freeport site. “PolyC,” or Nylon 6, is a strong, heat-resistant, non-oxygen-permeable plastic used in food packaging. A byproduct of the polycaprolactam manufacturing process is ammonium sulfate, a key ingredient used in fertilizers for fruits and vegetables as well as grains and grasses for animal consumption.

In addition to donating food items, BASF donated approximately 150 pounds of fertilizer to two of the pantries after learning that they also grow their own produce and have an orchard.

“We are honored that BASF chose to fight hunger in southern Brazoria County to help commemorate their 150th anniversary,” said Christy Frey, executive director of Brazosport Cares. “Even with the local economy improving, many families and seniors don’t have enough income to meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. BASF’s generous donation of breakfast foods, meats, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and bread allows us to provide more than 1,700 meals to local families. We are grateful for BASF’s partnership and their commitment to fight hunger and support our neighbors.”

BASF’s official anniversary event took place April 23 in Ludwigshafen, Germany. In addition to employee celebrations and a historical retrospective, BASF has a co-creation program called Creator Space™ that focuses on the topics of food, energy and urban living. To learn more, visit https://creator-space.basf.com.

Download photo on right, suggested caption:  BASF Senior Vice President Chris Witte and several employees from the Freeport site donated food to Brazosport Cares Food Pantry in Freeport, The Food Basket in Lake Jackson, Dream Center Food Pantry in Clute, and Community Food Pantry in Angleton. BASF's donation will feed 150 families (of four) for one day, or 600 adults and children. Shown here with volunteers of the local food pantries are Chris Witte, Senior Vice President; Beth Holland; Vice President of Operations Polyamides and Precursors and Randy Hulvey, Business Director blowing out the BASF Birthday cake that celebrated the 150th Anniversary of BASF and the donation to the local food pantries.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20.6 billion in 2014. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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