MOUNT OLIVE, NJ - BASF Corp. outlined the details of organizational changes announced earlier last year as part of BASF's global "Fit for the Future" business strategy, a program that aims to achieve greater market focus and facilitate growth by improving the speed, quality and execution of business processes.

The organizational changes, scheduled to go into effect in January in North America, include the consolidation of the company's three existing regions into two:

• NAFTA Region I, consisting of the chemicals group and BASF Canada and headed by Carl A. Jennings, executive vice president of BASF Corp. and president of NAFTA Region I, and

• NAFTA Region II, responsible for coatings, polymers, fiber products, fine chemicals, and BASF Mexico, headed by Frank E. McKulka, executive vice president of BASF Corp. and president of NAFTA Region II.

  In other announcements related to the reorganization, BASF said William Linzi, executive vice president of BASF Corp. and president of NAFTA Region III, will retire in June 2002 after 25 years with the organization. Harold L. McDonald has been appointed executive vice president, Manufacturing & Services, BASF Corp., with responsibility for BASF's major manufacturing sites in North America and the areas of Engineering, Human Resources, Ecology, Health & Safety, and Corporate Services.

  BASF Corp., based in Mount Olive, NJ, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG of Ludwigshafen, Germany.