BASF's pigment business to cut 650 jobs, shut down Scotland plant

As a part of its strategy to strengthen competitiveness of its Performance Products segment, BASF is planning to reduce 650 positions globally by 2017 and invest Euro 250 million in production, mostly in the Asia-Pacific region. “As part of its long-term pigment strategy, BASF will enhance customer focus and continue to design differentiated products in high-value applications, and optimise the global production network. Approximately 650 positions globally will be reduced by 2017. At the same time, BASF will invest Euro 250 million in the next four years in its production network as well as in research and development,” BASF said in a press release.
 
Dr Markus Kramer, President of the Dispersions & Pigments division, said, “The measures we are undertaking will make us more responsive to market and customer needs. We also continue to significantly invest in innovation as the leading pigment supplier.”
 
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BASF will optimise its global production network for pigments. The major measures include the closure of the Paisley plant in Scotland and the restructuring of the Huningue plant in France. In addition, BASF is examining strategic options for the site in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The planned investments in the production network will further strengthen the production footprint in Asia Pacific, the fastest-growing market. This also includes the start-up and expansion of a plant for high-performance pigments at BASF’s wholly-owned production site in Nanjing, China, and the expansion of the BASF pigments plant in Ulsan, Korea.
 
“The future global production network will enable us to reliably and efficiently supply our partners from a competitive base,” added Kramer.