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BASF donates $25,000 to RPCC to support training and to provide scholarships for diverse students

Three people holding a large check for the RPCC Foundation

For Immediate Release from BASF
BASF has donated $25,000 to River Parishes Community College to create a Process Equipment Trainer (PET) Plant Maintenance Fund and to provide women and underrepresented minorities with scholarships.

After many years and collaboration with BASF and other companies in the 

community, RPCC’s PET plant is now under construction with plans for start-up in summer 2022. The PET Plant will be a fully functioning production unit. Maintenance will play a critical role to the long-term sustainability of the plant, and the hands-on learning opportunities in the field of maintenance will help RPCC students develop skills for their future careers in industry.

“This world-class plant will offer students and industry partners a real-world experience as a fully functional unit,” RPCC Interim Chancellor Dr. Jim Carlson said. “More importantly, RPCC students and industry partners will be able to train in work-based learning experiences that they will see in a plant environment.”

BASF is a longtime supporter of RPCC. In 2014, BASF donated $100,000 to RPCC to build its Technical Training Center in Gonzales, along with decommissioned equipment that served as a foundation for building the PET Plant and years of consulting (in-kind) support to bring the project to fruition. BASF also donates annually to support the TECH Academy program hosted at RPCC and scholarships for students who are pursuing technical degrees or certifications for careers in industry.

“BASF is proud to partner with RPCC and the other companies who have contributed to the PET Plant, which has truly been a community build,” Senior Vice President and General Manager of BASF’s Geismar site Jerry Lebold said. “With the many manufacturing career opportunities available in our region, hands-on training is vital to developing our current and future workforce, and the PET Plant will offer a safe, real-world experience of plant operations and maintenance.”

For more information about BASF in Louisiana, visit www.basf.us/la.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 17,000 employees in North America and had sales of $18.7 billion in 2020. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

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Campus Locations


Gonzales Campus
925 W. Edenborne Parkway
Gonzales, LA. 70737

Reserve Campus
181 Regala Park Road
Reserve, LA. 70084

St. Charles Campus
13145 HWY 90
Boutte, LA. 70039

Westside Campus
25250 Tenant Road
Plaquemine, LA. 70764

Donaldsonville High School
Westbank Workforce Training Center
100 Tiger Drive
Donaldsonville, LA. 70346

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