BASF Group
Ludwigshafen, Germany
www.basf.com
PUBLIC COMPANY
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1865
HEADCOUNT: 104,780 ; (2008: 96,924)
COATINGS REVENUES: $2.976 ; (2008: $3.729))
TOTAL REVENUES: $70.693 billion ; (2008: $91.670)
NET INCOME: $1.966 billion ; (2008: $4.338)
R&D BUDGET: $1.949 billion ; (2008: $2.018)
(BASF Coatings AG is part of the Functional Solutions unit)
SEGMENT BREAKDOWN
• Chemicals: 15%
• Plastics: 14%
• Performance Products: 18%
• Functional Solutions: 14%
• Agricultural Solutions: 7%
• Oil & Gas: 22%
• Other: 10%
KE Y PEOPLE
Raimar Jahn, CEO of BASF Coatings AG; Dr. Helmut Rödder,
member of the board of BASF Coatings AG; Udo Reiter, head
of global technology, coatings; Dr. Klaus Plitzko, head of global applied research and technology, coatings; Juan Ximenez-Carrillo Gerber, automotive OEM coatings; Christoph Hansen,
automotive refinish coatings; Peter Alexander Fischer, industrial coatings; Rui Artur Goerck, decorative paints.
BASF Coatings AG, the coatings division of BASF’s Functional Solutions business group, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of innovative and environmentally friendly coatings solutions for automotive and
industrial applications. BASF Coatings manufactures automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinishes, industrial
coatings and decorative paints. Its brands, including
Glasurit and R-M for the car refinish business, put it in the
premium segment worldwide. In Brazil, BASF Coatings is
the leading manufacturer of architectural coatings, with a
top market position of the brand Suvinil.
In 2009, BASF Coatings’ sales dropped to $2.976 billion
from $3.729. The overall decline in demand affected all
product lines in Europe, North America and South
America. Lower sales resulted in particular from the deterioration in the market environment for the automotive
industry in Europe and North and South America as well
as BASF’s divestitures in its industrial coatings activities
in North America in 2008.
From a regional perspective, 45 percent of BASF
Coatings’ sales are generated from Europe; 24 percent from
South America, Africa and the Middle East; 17 percent
from Asia; and 14 percent from North America.
The rapid recovery of the automotive industry in China
led to sales growth for automotive coatings in Asia. In contrast, as a result of the difficult business BASF posted a
slight decline in sales of automotive refinish coatings.
Demand for coatings for tractors and other agricultural
machines weakened dramatically, the company said.
Sales of industrial coatings in North America declined
due to divestitures. Sales in Europe also decreased, attributable mainly to lower demand from the steel industry for
coil coatings. Even the positive development with coatings
for wind turbines could not offset this decline. Sales in the
architectural coatings business matched the previous
year’s level; in South America, BASF was able to gain market share.
BASF initiated restructuring projects in Europe and
Asia. In response to changing market conditions it sold production sites in Ako, Japan, and Verbania, Italy.
In 2010, BASF expects a slight recovery in the global
automotive industry and consumer demand, which it said
should offset the sales decline that has resulted from the
divestment of its production sites in Japan and Italy. It
expects that sales will increase slightly compared with the
2009 level and will continue to expand its presence in the
growth regions of Asia and Eastern Europe, particularly in
Russia, China and India. ;
Expanding Refinish Operations
BASF opened in September a new $3.5 million ($5 million) Refinish
Competence Center (RCC) at its coating headquarters in Muenster-Hiltrup, Germany. The project brings all of Glasurit’s centrally located training teams, made up of trainers, administrators and customer
service representatives, into one building. It also accommodates the
products of 24 companies providing body shop equipment and
accessories.
The educational operation of the refinish business currently has
seven global trainers, 150 national trainers and 300 technicians in
65 countries. With the help of 46 training centers around the world,
10,000 people take part in Glasurit courses, seminars and workshops annually. The Muenster-Hiltrup RCC unit has been having on
average 3,000 participants in its educational activities a year. But
the new building’s capacity will be much higher with 2,000 people
expected to use the global center before the end of this year.
“Glasurit is currently the leading brand for automotive refinish
products,” said Christoph Hansen, head of BASF’s automotive refinish business. "The new competence center will enable us to
strengthen our position further."
The RCC will play a prominent role in BASF’s plans for forging
closer links between vocational colleges and the body shop sector,
as well as between refinish businesses and Glasurit’s training teams.
Also during the year, BASF increased its waterborne basecoat
production capacity by thirty-percent in Würzburg. State-of-the-art
dispersion and dosing techniques were implemented as well.
Basecoat development has been concentrated in a newly constructed lab building. Additional application facilities were set up to
cover lab and production needs. Overall, the capacity at the
Würzburg site has been boosted by around 30 percent and the total
investment amounted to roughly € 21 million.
