Jan 11, 2013
BASF Reorganizes Specialty Products DepartmentSource: BASF

BASF announced that its Pest Control Solutions and Professional Turf & Ornamental businesses will merge into one business unit

On Jan. 10, BASF announced it will take its distinct businesses within the U.S. non-crop markets and merge them into one.

The primary businesses known as Pest Control Solutions and Professional Turf & Ornamentals (T&O) businesses, and secondary businesses including Professional Vegetation Management and Market Business Development, will now collectively be known as the BASF Specialty Products Department (SPD). Each respective market will continue to be served, but BASF will do so as one business unit led by Jan Buberl, Director of Specialty Products.

“Having these businesses come together as one strengthens BASF and its commitment to the specialty markets, and the acquisition of Becker Underwood underscores a continued commitment and investment to grow,” said Nevin McDougall, Senior Vice President, North America, BASF Crop Protection.

“We are merging the businesses to stay ahead of the curve of the industries we serve,” said Buberl. “As the T&O and Pest Control markets move closer together, this merger puts us in a position to better serve our customers.”

Key changes related to this reorganization include the business manager roles of PCS and T&O being dissolved and consolidation of the PCS and T&O marketing departments.

Dan Carrothers, formerly PCS Business Manager, and Brian Lish, formerly T&O Business Manager, assume the newly created roles of SPD Marketing Manager and Strategic Account Manager, respectively. Both Carrothers and Lish report directly to Jan Buberl.

In addition to a strategic account sales structure and approach, SPD sales also includes an inside sales force and a traditional field sales approach that is divided into three regions for both key businesses.

Three regional sales managers overseeing these territories will

have both T&O and PCS field sales representatives reporting to them and those sales

reps will remain dedicated to the respective markets they serve. Both the inside and field

sales teams will be led by Jim Derbyshire, National Sales Manager, who also reports

to Buberl.

With this merger comes the move of the PCS business, currently located in St. Louis, Mo., to Research Triangle Park, N.C.. The new SPD business structure will be in place by March 31, 2013.

For more information about the Specialty Products Department visit www.agro.basf.us.