BASF hosted the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Chemical Industry Accelerator – Diverse Supplier Connect with its inaugural cohort of women-owned businesses to increase networking and touchpoint connections.

The event featured a discussion with a BASF leadership panel, a supplier showcase and roundtable, networking lunch and a site facility tour. Attendees learned about BASF’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion commitment, supplier partnerships and supply chain impacts, and its increased focus on sustainability. They also had the opportunity to hear success stories from two BASF women-owned business suppliers and their experiences working and growing with the company.

In 2021, BASF partnered with WBENC, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive, to launch a Chemical Industry Forum, co-founded with Dow, and supported by several U.S. chemical industry leaders, to break down barriers, share best practices and increase the number of WBENC-certified suppliers capable of supporting industry needs. BASF and WBENC launched its first cohort of the Chemical Industry Accelerator in 2022.

“High performing, innovative suppliers are critical to our success at BASF,” said Megan McCarroll, Director of Procurement Hub Operations for BASF. “Women and minority owned businesses continue to help us serve our customers and deliver value to our stakeholders. Investing our time with these suppliers is an investment in our shared success and helps ensure that we are sustainably operating in the communities in which we live and work.”