BASF further revamps construction chemicals

BASF will further reorganize the construction chemicals business it purchased from Degussa last July. The company will move the business' headquarters from Trostberg to Ludwigshafen, Germany, and integrate the Trostberg R&D group into its global organization. Oil-field chemicals businesses that came with both the Degussa and Engelhard acquisitions will be folded into a new BASF unit called oil-field solutions. In November, BASF announced the elimination of 200 positions from the former Degussa unit to save about $130 million annually. Separately, BASF has purchased Chinese admixture firm Hi Con Concrete Admixture. BASF says the acquisition gives it access to the growing western China construction market.