Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Jeff and I first met soon after Jeff accepted a position in Purchasing with BASF. Jeff had been hired as head of Purchasing at our Wyandotte, Michigan, site. And, he invited me to Wyandotte to speak to the Purchasing group there about the importance of how and why “Purchasing and Legal” needed to work together.
After serving for awhile in Wyandotte, Jeff was promoted and moved to BASF’s Headquarters in Parsippany, N.J., to hold a position of negotiating all major purchasing contracts for our company. At that time Alex Pieroni was in charge of Purchasing, and I was the legal fellow. So, whenever a major purchasing contract was on the horizon the three of us would meet to discuss what needed to be done –strategy wise, time wise, discuss who would be involved from the other side, etc. And, then Jeff and I would meet, negotiate, and prepare drafts with our counterparts, and keep Alex advised of our progress and any concerns. The three of us developed an excellent working relationship together.
As a result of spending a lot of time together Jeff and I were afforded an opportunity to get to know each other well. And, we became close friends.
Before long, we began frequently socializing outside of work with our wives, and Betsy and Cynthia became fast and permanent "best" friends. Included were several summer vacations we spent together on Cape Cod.
Jeff and Betsy were always very close to their two daughters and son -- Sheila, Allison and Stephen and their families.
Jeff always had a clear sense of himself, was smart, had a great sense of humor and was always willing to listen to others. And, this made him great not only to work with but to be around, always.
