MOUNT OLIVE, N.J., April 2, 2004 -- BASF has appointed Sheila K. Eckstein as Senior Product Manager, Performance Chemicals for Printing Systems, with new responsibilities for printing plates and inks. Eckstein joined BASF in 1976 as a Marketing Assistant in the Textile Colors and Chemicals department located in Charlotte, N.C. Since that time, she has worked in the Export Management group for BASF's Colorants business, and product management for pigments used in inks in Mount Olive, N.J. In 1972, she earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Murray State University in Kentucky. Eckstein is a native of Louisville, Ky., and resides in Sparta, N.J. She will relocate to Charlotte, N.C., in the third quarter 2004. BASF's Performance Chemicals for Printing Systems business serves printing industry customers with an innovative line of nyloflex(R) and nyloprint brand photopolymer printing plates for high quality flexographic, letterpress and gravure print applications, as well as in-line offset coating. Plates are available for use in conventional and digital imaging processes. To compliment its printing plates, BASF offers equipment combinations for processing photopolymer flexo and letterpress plates and sleeves. BASF Printing Systems also offers a full line of sheetfed / UV offset and web heatset inks for the commercial printing industry.