BASF opened a new research and development center in Attapulgus last Wednesday, bringing a state-of-the-art facility to its existing Decatur County site. Vice President Jan Donath said the company moved its R&D lab from New Jersey to Georgia because its three manufacturing sites are also based in the state. The new facility allows different teams to work together on the same site — and it’s much easier to run a sample up the hill than mail it …