Friday, November 14, 2008

Intertek Collaborates With BASF Corporation for Product Safety Testing and Certification

Intertek Collaborates With BASF Corporation for Product Safety Testing and Certification

BASF chooses Intertek's WHI Listed Mark to quicken time to market

Boxborough, MA (PRWEB) May 22, 2008

Intertek (LSE: ITRK), a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, announces that BASF, the world's leading chemical company, has chosen Intertek as its safety and certification affiliate for Styropor® expandable polystyrene (EPS) beads, which will now bear Intertek's proprietary Warnock Hersey (WHI) Mark for product safety certification. BASF's choice of Intertek's WHI Mark was a strategic decision for product differentiation and quickening the product's time to market.

"BASF has built a strong relationship with Intertek over the years. The global reputation the WHI Mark holds in the industry gives us a competitive advantage in the marketplace and lends strong credibility to our product's safety and performance," said Satish Kantebet, North America Business Manager, BASF. "We have faith and trust in Intertek and the WHI Mark, which makes it a natural fit to continue our relationship to the next level."

Intertek is recognized by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) as a testing and product certification agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) in the United States and by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as a Testing Organization and Certification Body in Canada.

Intertek offers the WH Listed Mark as proof of compliance to the International Code Council (ICC) Building Codes and The National Building Code of Canada (NBCC).Through these recognitions, Intertek's WHI Mark reflects commitment to product safety to inspectors, builders and end users. The presence of Intertek's WHI Mark also demonstrates that BASF has implemented an approved quality control program and is subject to quarterly manufacturing plant audits to maintain product consistency.

"Being chosen as the preferred testing affiliate of the world's leading chemical company reinforces the reputation Intertek and our WHI Mark has built around the globe," said Rocco Moro, Director of Operations, Intertek. "Industry leaders choose Intertek as their partner because of the confidence they have in our expertise, industry leading turnaround times, and in our ability to increase their competitive advantage and speed their products time to market."

Contacts
For further information, please contact
Nicole Kimmick, Field Marketing Manager
Telephone: 978-635-8550
Nicole. kimmick @ intertek. com

Kathy Dennis
BASF Corporation
Telephone: 973-245-6288
Kathy. dennis @ basf. com

About Intertek's testing and certification services
The Commercial & Electrical division of Intertek provides testing and certification services, including product safety testing and certification, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, performance testing, and management systems certification. These services provide global market access to customers in industries such as building products and materials. Visit www. intertek-etlsemko. com for further information or to contact your local Intertek office.

About Intertek
Intertek is a leading international provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of global and local industries. Partnership with Intertek brings increased value to customers' products and processes, ultimately supporting their success in the global market place. Intertek has the experience, expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through their network of more than 1000 laboratories and offices, 21,000 people in 110 countries around the world. For more information, visit www. intertek. com.

About BASF
BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better. ®

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $16.4 billion in 2007. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www. basf. com/usa (http://www. basf. com/usa).

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from oil and gas to chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF has more than 95,000 employees and posted sales of almost €58 billion in 2007. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www. basf. com.

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