The world’s largest producer of chemicals, German company BASF, is investing $70.5 million in a 20,000-square-foot addition to its Cincinnati manufacturing facility “to offer more sustainable products driven by growing North American demand,” the Cincinnati Business Courier reports. Care Chemicals, a subsidiary of BASF SE, “received significant incentives in the form of an Enterprise Zone Agreement,” according to the article. The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners approved an incentive package that includes a 10-year, 75% tax exemption on property improvements; as part of the Enterprise Zone Agreement, BASF “promised to increase employment from 31 to at least 40 full-time positions and increase payroll from $3.1 million to at least $3.8 million.” BASF Project Manager Mike Feldman said the expansion “would in fact create at least twice the number of new jobs” stated in the agreement. The company “will build out state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to produce bio-based, biodegradable surfactants, particularly alkyl polyglucosides (APGs),” which are “widely used in cosmetics and beauty products, home care and household products, industrial formulations and agriculture.” BASF is the only producer of APGs in North America. For more, read the full article (subscription may be required).
