BASF's paper chemicals operations to be continued in other performance products divisions to improve efficiency and increase competitiveness.
Germany's chemical company BASF has announced a new organisational set-up for its paper chemicals business. As of 1 January next year, the paper chemicals division would be dissolved and the different businesses continued in other divisions of the company's performance products segment, the company said in a press release on 24 September.
As a result of the paper chemicals overhaul, BASF will cut some 50 jobs worldwide. The division headquarter in Basel, Switzerland, is to be closed by the end of 2014.
According to BASF, the wet-chemicals and kaolin businesses are to be integrated into the performance chemicals business. The paper dispersions business will become part of BASF's dispersion and pigments division. The company is also looking for "strategic options" for its paper hydrous kaolin business.
BASF expects the new business structure to strengthen competitiveness of the performance products segment and better meet the needs of the paper industry.
