The chemical multinational will invest 40 million euros in Spain in 2012

These data mean a record turnover for the company in Spain, in which it stands out the optimum behaviour of the segments ‘Performance Products' (+44%), ‘Chemicals' (+13%) and ‘Agricultural Solutions' (+10%). “In 2011 our Group in Spain has attained an excellent result realising a record of historical sales. In a year that presented a complex economic situation in our country, the Group has known to grow of strong way and sustained”, affirmed Erwin Rauhe, adviser delegated of BASF Spanish and responsible maximum of the activities of the Group in the south of Europe.

However, the relative figures to 2012 are less positive, in the first quarter of the year 2012 has registered sales in Spain by 356 millions, 14% less than in the same exercise. “Unlike the results of the previous year, the ones of the first quarter draw a picture of uncertainty that persists in the Mediterranean area and in Spain in particular. I am, however, satisfied of how the team of BASF is confronting to this coyuntura adverse. We will continue, also during the 2012, with our politics of containment of costs and of optimisation of the operative efficiency. We will continue focalizando the attention on the exigencias of the customers, working to take advantage of each new opportunity of development”, aimed Erwin Rauhe.

Said results reflect the line of behaviour of the markets – so many interns like external– in sectors like the construction or the automotive sector, that have ralentizado his demand. However, the results of the first quarter of 2012 of the Group, put in perspective, surpass the ones of the same period of 2010, that enciphered in 288 million euros. In this sense, Rahue auguró that the group of the year will be “very near of the excellent results of 2011” in spite of that 2012 will be very difficult, since the external demand will continue offering opportunities, whereas the biggest difficulties will come of the local market, that is underneath of previous years.

On the other hand, BASF foresees to invest 40 million euros in Spain this year, the double that in 2011, especially to improve the efficiency, capacity, reliability of the processes and hygiene of his plants, with the aim to be prepared for the future demand, explained the director of centres of production of BASF Spanish, Joan Maria García.

Is foreseen that this investment of 40 million euros allocate mainly to improve the efficiency and capacity of his plants, as well as to improve the reliability of the processes and the hygiene. The key goes through some rail infrastructures more competitive, reliable and safe. “It requires an industrial model more competitive based, between other things, in infrastructures more efficient. In the case of our plant of Tarragona, the most important of BASF in the south of Europe, have foreseen to build a terminal intermodal of commodities inside our terrains. But this investment is conditioned to the Mediterranean runner and to the connection to the width of European road in a period no further of the 2015”, demands Rauhe.

Rahue Stood out that the south of Europe, in spite of the doubts of the markets, has for Basf the same importance in volume of business that Sudamérica, Africa and together Middle East, with around 7% of the total turnover of the group.

The new corporate strategy ‘We create chemicals' of BASF bases in four basic pillars, between which stands out the create value like an only company and establishes ambitious aims, like the sustainability and the innovation like motors of growth and of expansion of the business in emergent markets. For Rauhe, “what differentiates us of our competitors is the scope of the capacities and knowledges that combine under a same ceiling. These factors include our power of innovation, our extensive technological base, our operative excellence and our global access to important customers”.

Good exponent of this is the product Ecovio F Mulch, a biodegradable plastic and of origin partially renewable for film agricultural padded that, unlike the film traditional of polietileno, after the harvest does not have to be painstakingly withdrawn of the field neither neither managed like residue, but simply it ploughs and incorporates to the earth together with the rests of the crop, saving time, resources and money. To check the performance of Ecovio F Mulch, BASF has realised comparative studies in collaboration with agriculturalists selected and agricultural institutes of recognised prestige in Spain and France, such as the IMIDA (Institute Murciano of Investigation and Agricultural and Alimentary Development), the ITG (Institute of Agricultural Management) in Navarra or the CTIFL (France).