National Association of Manufacturers 2018 State of Manufacturing Tour begins with visit to BASF site in Wyandotte

WYANDOTTE, MI, February 22, 2018 – The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) kicked off its 2018 State of Manufacturing Tour with a recent stop at the BASF facility in Wyandotte.

NAM is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states.

During a roundtable discussion, a group of BASF employees had an opportunity to speak with Jay Timmons, President and CEO of NAM, Carolyn Lee, Executive Director of The Manufacturing Institute, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, about rewarding opportunities in manufacturing, the importance of modern manufacturing operations in today’s economy, and challenges the manufacturing industry faces as companies recruit the next generation of employees.

“NAM could not have selected a better site in Michigan to speak with dedicated and talented employees about the future of manufacturing, and to see, first-hand, BASF’s advanced manufacturing technology,” said Greg Pflum, Vice President and General Manager of BASF’s Midwest Hub. “An estimated 3.5 million manufacturing jobs must be filled by 2025 to meet industry needs, yet 2 million will go unfilled due to gaps in critical skills needed for these jobs. Companies like BASF rely on manufacturing talent to remain competitive, and the opportunity for our employees to share their perspectives with NAM allows us to contribute ideas for solutions to help fill the skills gap.”

After the roundtable discussion, Timmons and Lee toured a laboratory in BASF’s Advanced Materials Innovation Center, and the Wyandotte Resins plant which produces materials used in coatings, printing and packaging products, construction chemicals, adhesives, and paper manufacturing.

“The diverse BASF team shared their unique perspectives on inspiring the next generation,” said Timmons. “We discussed tackling misperceptions, being ambassadors for modern manufacturing, and empowering workers through automation and new technology. We are excited to bring the BASF team’s wealth of ideas to NAM.”

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $16.2 billion in 2016. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

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