Omya and BASF are the two market leaders in terms of raw materials for the formulation of coating colors used in the paper & board industry. Omya offers mineral filler solutions and innovative coating concepts based on Calcium Carbonate, complementary pigments, and additives, for the production of paper and board. BASF supplies a comprehensive and innovative product range of binders and coating additives for the formulation of paper and board coatings.

In 2003, both companies decided to join forces and bundle their know-how in the area of paper & board coating. The centerpiece of the partnership is BASF’s Pilot Coating Center in Ludwigshafen, Germany, which offers state-of-the-art pilot coating equipment – including 2 pilot coaters, one Supercalender and lab testing equipment – operated by a highly skilled team. The existing partnership would have expired by the end of 2021. Both Omya and BASF are now happy to announce that their existing partnership will be prolonged for a minimum of four years. Their customers will continue to benefit from world-class technical service and coating expertise of the two market leaders.

“The pilot coating center facilitates the efficient transfer of technical solutions, new product developments and optimized recipes from lab to paper mill while reducing risk. This is even more important in today’s challenging times with increased competitive and cost pressure. Reduced time-to-market and less off-spec production help our customers to save money,” says Volker Scharffenberger, Head of BASF’s pilot coating center Ludwigshafen.

“Over the last two years we have seen that other market players reduce their service offering to the industry. For example, PTS closed its VESTRA pilot coater plant in Munich in 2019 and Trinseo followed with the closure of its pilot coater in Samstagern in 2020. Our strategy is different: We fully support our customers in formulating customized coating color solutions in the most efficient and cost-effective way. That is why we have decided to continue utilizing BASF’s pilot coating center in the future. The discussions with BASF were straightforward since both companies follow the same market approach: Both look for the best overall value proposition with a strong focus on technical service and coating expertise as a differentiating factor,” notes Karlheinz Hurst, Director Technical Services - Paper & Board, Omya International AG.