The BASF site in Southfield, Michigan hosted a grand opening ceremony today for a new technical laboratory for its customers in the coatings and plastics industries. The newly refurbished 32,000 square foot building represents an investment of approximately $20 million dollars and can accommodate up to 50 people engaged in research, development and technical service, to serve customers and encourage collaboration.

“The laboratory is a significant investment in BASF’s operations in Michigan, allowing continued job growth and supporting customer satisfaction at the Southfield campus” said Greg Pflum, Vice President and General Manager, of the BASF Mid-West Hub.  “This important endeavor increases the diversity of BASF groups working in Southfield. We thank our employees and contractors who safely constructed the project over the last 14 months.”

The state-of-the-art laboratory will support the formulation needs for pigments, resins, performance and formulation additives that are used in transportation, industrial, furniture, and floor coatings and plastics applications.  It centralizes laboratory operations for the Dispersions & Pigments Divisions’ Transportation, Industrial Coatings and Plastics (TICP) business which had been operating from three different locations in the United States prior to the lab opening.

”Focusing on our customers’ needs is the priority for the team working in this new laboratory,” stated Michael McHenry, Vice President, TICP and Printing, Packaging & Adhesives for BASF in North America.  “Our employees now have the ease of collaboration with colleagues and working together in a common location to solve our customers’ problems and help them be more successful.”

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, invited guests and employees toured the laboratory to learn more about the technical capabilities now available at BASF’s Southfield campus.