Industry Veterans Mitch Blair and Steve Mishler Join BASF as Sales Specialists for Midwest and Florida Regions
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, July 8, 2009 - BASF Professional Vegetation Management (ProVM) continues to add seasoned land management consultants to its roster, aimed at helping vegetation managers develop quality vegetation management programs.
Mitch Blair comes to BASF from the University of Kentucky where he has spent five years as a research scientist in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. He also spent several years working with an aerial application company as well as a distributor. Blair received his bachelor's and master's degrees in forestry from Virginia Tech.
An expert in non-crop industrial land, forestry and invasive species management, Blair actively participates in the Vegetation Management Association in Kentucky, The Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council and the National Roadside Vegetation Management Association.
At BASF, Blair will support customers in the Midwest region including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.
With business thriving in Florida, BASF has also added long-time BASF employee Steve Mishler to the ProVM team. He joins current sales specialist Chris Key in the Sunshine State, helping customers understand and apply the latest aquatic herbicides and other land management solutions.
Mishler received a B.S. in entomology from Iowa State and, in 1978 joined American Cyanamid (since acquired by BASF), focused on pest management applications for the crop business. He eventually took a position with BASF Professional Pest Control business, where he stayed for another three years.
"We have two well-seasoned, and well-known, experts joining our ranks," said Derek Miller, BASF National Sales Manager. "We value the research background that Mitch brings to us, because he's had the opportunity to work with many types of chemistries and he understands the benefits that BASF products bring to the market."
"With more than 30 years of experience with BASF, Steve will be instrumental in helping customers leverage ideas across a diverse set of environments. One of Steve's strengths is finding the best solution for even the toughest vegetation challenges and we're happy to have him on our team," Miller continued.
Blair can be reached at 859-433-1347 or mitch.blair@basf.com.
Mishler can be reached at 813-758-9514 or steven.mishler@basf.com.
For more information contact:
Kim Dorman
BASF Corporation
Tel: (919) 547-2696
E-mail: kim.dorman@basf.com
Amy Fisher
Padilla Speer Beardsley
Tel: (612) 455-1773
E-mail: afisher@psbpr.com
About the Crop Protection Division
With sales of 3.4 billion in 2008, BASF's Crop Protection division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry.
BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF's Crop Protection division is to be the world's leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com.
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 $17.5 billion in 2008. 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.
BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals, as well as oil and gas. 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 approximately 97,000 employees and posted sales of more than 62 billion in 2008. 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.
