Repaint Reporter

PPG FOUNDATION SUPPORTS NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM The PPG Foundation recently awarded more than $290,000 in undergraduate college scholarships for U.S. students through National Merit Scholarship Corp. in 2017, including 49 new four-year scholarships. The new scholarships include 35 awards for PPG employees' children and 14 awards for students who live in communities near PPG facilities. Scholarship winners are selected by National Merit Scholarship Corp. based on Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores and additional criteria, and they receive awards of $1,500 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study. BLACK FLAME IS PPG PAINTS™ 2018 COLOR OF THE YEAR According to PPG color experts, the PPG PAINTS™ brand's 2018 Color of the Year, Black Flame (PPG1043-7), is a statement-making black, infused with an undertone of the deepest indigo. Embodying the spirit of a tailored tuxedo or a little black dress, it is dressed up, coveted, unapologetic and—most important—timeless. "Black Flame acts like a black curtain, allowing your other décor elements to take center stage," said Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager. "It's a fantastic blend of black and indigo, two classic hues. The blend of two colors makes it incredibly versatile—use it on a statement wall, with a matte finish on a ceiling, with high gloss on a naturally-lit staircase, on cabinets, interior and exterior doors, and in many more places." The color was unanimously selected by more than 20 PPG color stylists from around the world, who specialize in industries such as consumer electronics, architectural, automotive and aerospace. PPG SHOPS EARN TOYOTA'S TOP HONOR Two PPG collision centers—Karl Malone's Body and Paint of Draper, Utah, and Puente Hills Auto Body of the City of Industry, Calif.—have earned the 2016 Toyota Certified Collision Center of the Year Triple Crown Award. The annual award recognizes the three top-performing Toyota certified collision centers in the country. According to Toyota, collision centers are evaluated on a points system based on customer satisfaction; manager, estimator and technician certification; facility and equipment requirements; and other benchmark achievements. The award is highly competitive, with nearly 200 Toyota certified collision centers nationally vying for the honor. Thomas Maziarz General Manager, Sales & Marketing Refinish USCA FIRST IMPRESSIONS Coming from a number of other PPG businesses to my new position here in refinish, I was immediately impressed with the level of service, tools and support our refinish customers have access to. That's especially true for color support, an area where I have strong interest, since I was involved with the many diverse color offerings for PPG's house paint lines. Given the complexity and sophistication of automotive colors, I'm impressed with the new color tools released by our color solutions team and the support that comes along with them. With color matching so important to the success of our customers, the advancements incorporated into the new series of color management tools are a big step forward. And should any customer have a color issue arise, I found comfort in knowing there are people on hand to assist at the PPG Help Desk (see article on page 36 of this issue). Now, to gain a collision repair business management perspective, I spent time with the MVP Business Solutions team as they walked me through all the initiatives in place to help shops succeed profitably. I was duly impressed by their offerings and the professional guidance that collision centers, large or small, can take advantage of. Perhaps most important, I examined the support we provide to those most responsible for making quality refinish repairs—the paint technicians. With 16 training centers across North America and a comprehensive array of courses, it's not surprising that some 16,000 customers take advantage of PPG training every year.Given this outstanding level of PPG support and service—combined with our excellent, highly knowledgeable sales force, I am proud to be on board with the PPG refinish team. INSIDE LINE 4

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