Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik
founded 1865
BASF is one of the largest chemical companies in the world. The company was founded in Mannheim, Germany by Friedrich Engelhorn. Its current headquarters are located in Ludwigshafen.
"BASF Historical Milestones," BASF, http://www.basf.com/group/corporate/en/about-basf/history/index (accessed 08/20/2014)
A comprehensive discussion of BASF is available "BASF," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASF (accessed 08/20/2014) [unvetted]