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Author: Alex Gipe

Keep Your Technicians Trained with PPG Certification

Posted on by Alex Gipe

Learning is a lifelong pursuit, and with today’s complex colors, new refinish products, and procedures, there is plenty to keep up with.
PPG Certification Training is a key part of PPG’s commitment to ensure that automotive and commercial refinish technicians stay up to date with the latest products, processes and techniques for maximizing a paint shop’s productivity and quality. Gipe Auto Color can assist you with scheduling training.

Automotive And Commercial Refinish Technical Certifications

To achieve PPG certification, technicians must have at least one year of experience and successfully complete certification training specific to the PPG premium paint system used in their facility. Certification training sessions include a 2-day in-person training course consisting of classroom and hands-on training. Courses are conveniently offered at PPG Business Development Centers and various field locations across North America.

To maintain and renew their PPG certification, technicians must be recertified every two years by completing a 1-day recertification training course. PPG technician certification is an integral part of both the PPG Lifetime Limited Paint Performance Guarantee and the PPG Commercial Vehicle Paint Performance Warranty program.

Five Levels Of Automotive Refinish Certification

One often-overlooked benefit of achieving certification status is the recognition that automotive refinish technicians can gain by third-party acknowledgement and accreditation. To help recognize the professionalism of our painters, PPG offers five levels of certification: Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Master.

After achieving initial Blue-level certification, technicians are eligible to graduate to the next level by attending certain qualifying classes every two years. After eight years, qualified technicians are eligible to graduate to Master Certified Technician level. With completion of

each level, technicians are awarded a patch identifying their status.

Student Certification

PPG has partnered with select colleges and technical schools to give students the opportunity to become industry certified through the PPG Partners in Education™ program. To become PPG-certified, students must pass both written and hands-on testing conducted by PPG. Upon successful completion of the program, participants earn a two-year PPG certification.

About Gipe Auto Color

To learn more about how PPG™ training certification can keep your technicians ready to tackle the most difficult colors or refinish situations, call Gipe Auto Color at 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm. We represent only the highest quality products on the market.

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

PPG and the Science of Color

Posted on by Alex Gipe

PPG™ recently released its report on 2019 color trends, and around the world, silver increased in popularity about five percent over the previous year — now up to 15 percent — with white taking a four-percent hit, falling to a still-commanding share of 35 percent. Natural colors decreased in popularity by 2 percent, which doesn’t sound like much, except that it now enjoys only a 5-percent share. Other colors remained steady, although blue, with an 8-percent share, is predicted to increase in popularity over the next four years. Look for many nuanced shades that can be transformed with different pigment effects, fine or coarse metallic flakes, luminous micas, and sparkling glass flakes. Chromatic blues with slight red or green undertones are already appearing across the automotive market, and will continue to evolve over the coming years.

Exceptional Finishes

As PPG™ notes in its recent piece in FenderBender, the longest hauls are rarely measured in miles — they’re measured in years. Exceptional finishes from PPG™ are guaranteed to last, assuring top quality in all refinish products.

Qualifying shops can attain extra peace of mind with the PPG™ Lifetime Limited Paint Performance Guarantee, which assures that all refinish products feature state-of-the-art technology and will outperform the competition as long as your customer owns their vehicle.

The Science of Color

It’s a colorful world out there, and PPG™ is committed to matching everything from Amazonian tree frog green to luminescent jellyfish purple and anything that falls in between. From investing in breakthrough research and innovations in groundbreaking hardware and software to capturing color information globally, PPG™ continually advances the art of refinishing.

PPG™ is a strategic partner of transportation OEMs and pigment suppliers and has a trusted voice in the ongoing conversation about the newest colors and finishes.

The comprehensive PPG™ color database counts more than 27,000 new entries per year to a library of more than 3.5 million prime, variant and specialty color formulas. To navigate that library, PPG™ offers a comprehensive toolbox for fast access to the right formula for matching each color, and its color retrieval options are second to none. PPG™ embraces the latest technology to offer mobile access on smart devices as well as computerized touchscreen mixing and retrieval in addition to a full-featured paint management software system and best-in-class spectrophotometer.

A robust toolbox featuring color selectors, tint guides, color-focused training, and toll-free color library hotline means you’ll have everything you need to create spot-on color every time.

About Gipe Auto Color

To learn more about how PPG™  can help you match the newest, most technical colors, call Gipe Auto Color at 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm. We represent only the highest quality products on the market.

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

Employee Spotlight on David Tanner

Posted on by Alex Gipe

As controller, David Tanner works at both our Owensboro headquarters and the Louisville store, overseeing all information technology, finance, and human resources functions for the company. He has been with us since 2003, when as a recent college graduate, he was hunting for a job. A friend, who was working for us at the time, recommended us to him.

“I love working with the people, and Gipe has been very successful in creating a family environment,” David says. “The owners have  continued the company’s legacy of having integrity in how they treat their team on the front end and the back end.”

When he’s not backpacking and enjoying nature, traveling with his family, or woodworking, David enjoys working on cars. His current projects are two Mustangs, a 1965 model and a 1979 model.

“I love cars and have a passion for anything automotive,” he says.

With 17 years under his belt at Gipe, David says he looks forward to the next 7 years with the company.

“I am very lucky to be part of a great working family.”

About Gipe Auto Color

To learn more about how Gipe Auto Color’s great working family can assist your business, give us a call at 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We represent only the highest quality products on the market. With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

PPG Speaks with CollisionHub on the State of the Industry

Posted on by Alex Gipe

(photos)
Left: RapidMatch XI measures more angles than any other spectrophotometer for the most accurate reading on the market.

Right: PPG™’s OEM relationships ensures it has access to the latest colors so that variant formulas can be more quickly identified and produced.

The collision repair industry is continually changing. CollisionHub Director of Industry Relations Jason Bartanen recently spoke to Tom Maziarz, general manager of PPG™ Automotive Refinish for North America, to get his view from having his finger on its pulse.

PPG™ meets technician shortage head-on with training and support

“We are facing pretty broad-based technician shortages, and all the collision centers I speak to talk about having a tough time finding people to come in and work in their shops,” Maziarz said.

To help address that issue, PPG™ has added a training class, and it has added support to industry training programs.

“We just launched a two-day prepper class, and this is designed for people who really don’t have any experience in how to properly prepare a car to be painted,” he said. “And we partner with local schools in the various communities we serve. If they want to put a technical program in place, we may help them with some paint, or a training application message so they can go out and continue to bring more people into the industry.”

PPG™, a longtime supporter of the Collision Repair Education Foundation, also joined the newly formed I-CAR Sustaining Partner™ program, which is designed to help raise funds to reduce the overall cost of delivering training to people who want to get I-CAR certification.

Move More Production Through Your Shop with PPG’s Color Accuracy

Whether it is to drive higher revenue or get better placement with an insurance company’s direct repair program, there are good reasons for a shop to want to improve cycle time, Maziarz said.

“And one of the key things to driving better productivity, especially from a paint shop standpoint, is how quickly you can get to that exact color match.”

With OEMs coming out with more exotic colors, they are more complex to reproduce. Because PPG™  is a prominent supplier to OEMs, it has a close relationship with them, including having staff at ports of entry to compare incoming vehicles to existing variant deck chips.

“We’re on the forefront of being able to get those colors and be able to provide matches for those colors.”

PPG™ color tools, such as the Paint Manager® XI software and the RapidMatch XI spectrophotometer, allow a painter to rapidly select the correct color. Paint Manager XI offers 3.5 million colors and variants, with a database that is updated daily via the Internet.

The RapidMatch XI measures more angles than any other spectrophotometer, for the most accurate reading on the market. And a new solvent variant deck is coming soon this year for the Deltron® line that will be similar to the one in use for EnvirobaseHP® waterborne.

MVP Classes Help Collision Centers Improve Throughput

For shop owners and managers looking to improve throughput, there’s no better way than by taking advantage of the MVP Business Solutions classes PPG™ offers, Maziarz said, including the new-for-this-year two-day Advanced Estimating class. The popular Greenbelt Lean for Collision program continues to be one of the most popular classes, and it directly addresses the throughput issue.

“From Administrative to Production, we have a lot of classes through our MVP Business Solutions program for shops to take advantage of.”

How You Can Expect Coatings to Change in the Future

As vehicles continue to grow complex, coatings at the OEM level will move beyond corrosion protection and beautifying. Because PPG™ is an OEM supplier, it will be better prepared for the refinish market in having the products needed to restore that functionality, Maziarz said.

For just a couple examples, the future promises to bring coatings that keep car sensors clean so they can continue to be accurate as snow and dirt builds up, as well as interior coatings that reduce road noise and vibrations.

“Regardless of where those coatings evolve to, it positions us well to make sure that we can then take that technology and introduce it into the collision repair industry. We continue to provide a full array of products that allow the collision repair shop to repair the vehicles of today, as well as what the vehicles look like into the future.”

About Gipe Auto Color

To learn more about how we can help make your shop more efficient, call Gipe Auto Color at 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm. We represent only the highest quality products on the market.

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

PPG™ Delfleet Essential® Customers Tell Why it’s Their Paint Line of Choice

Posted on by Alex Gipe

The Delfleet Essential® brand is an easy-to-use, VOC-compliant paint system that delivers productivity and consistent quality at a value-conscious price.

This industry-proven, single-stage system provides a glossy, durable finish with exceptional throughput performance. To complement the line and expand capabilities, a basecoat offering increases color and finish options. Equally impressive, warranty coverage is available for both the direct gloss and base-clear finishes.

Check out what PPG™ customers in the United States and Canada had to say about the proven technology, total color solutions, and the best-in-class service provided by the Delfleet Essential® paint system and PPG Commercial Coatings.

Productivity of Delfleet Essential® Can Help You Deliver More Trucks and Equipment  

The manager of an Oregon shop noted that, with only one paint booth, it’s important to be able to qget the vehicle or piece of equipment sprayed, baked, and out of the booth as quickly as possible. “We can get it out of there, get the next one in, and get it done.”

Others noted that they can easily adjust for wide fluctuations in temperature with the variety of hardeners and reducers provided by PPG. And low-VOC products meet stringent laws.

“We use Essential because it works for us,” said a Michigan collision repair shop owner. “It’s the best product out there; I brag on it so much.” He praised the product line’s superior coverage, noting that, “You don’t want to go around a piece of equipment three or four times. You want to get it done in two coats. And Essential’s never let me down for that.”

Color-matching Ability of Delfleet Essential® Helps Deliver More Jobs

With vibrant reds and greens and “very black” blacks, Delfleet Essential® can help your painter quickly match colors. “And if somebody brings something odd in that we can’t seem to find a code for, we can use the RapidMatch, take an image of it, and that will usually print us a very close-match formula,” said a painter at the Oregon shop.

“They also back it up with an excellent color chip book which is filled with actual paint chips,” said the supervisor at the shop in Canada. “Most [paint manufacturers] provide you with inks, which are not actual paint. Ours are paint, and it’s the quickest way to go. It’s filled the need every time. I’ve never had a letdown on finding a color or having to match our color.”

Appearance and Longevity of the Finish Keep Customers Returning

A floor supervisor at a Gardena, Calif., shop praised the line’s ease of producing quality-appearance results.

“It’s a really good product with no runs; it shines, and that’s what customers want to see. Mix with the right ratios, follow the specs, and put it on right, and you won’t have to buff it at all.”

The Michigan shop owner said that delivering vehicles to satisfied customers reinforces to him how important the quality of the finish is.

“Customers are excited to see the [newly refinished] truck, because when they brought it in, it was so faded and in bad condition. They come out like a brand-new truck. My customers are amazed. They compare it to an automobile finish.”

The quality of the products used keeps customers returning, said an Ontario, Canada, shop owner.
“It will outlast any other paint.”

“These are pieces of equipment that are worth half a million dollars, sometimes,” said a supervisor at that shop. “And the final thing you see is the paint. With Essential, the overall finish is spectacular.”

About Gipe Auto Color

To learn more about Delfleet Essential® and other products, call Gipe Auto Color at 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm. We represent only the highest quality products on the market.

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

DanAm Airlines and Sata filtration

Posted on by Alex Gipe

If you’re looking to build a new facility or add on or replace your existing airline system, you need to talk with Gipe Auto Color experts about DanAm Air’s aluminum compressed air pipe system. It’s quick to install and easy to modify. DanAm Air components are removable and interchangeable, which allows immediate and easy layout modifications. Unlike the performance of steel and copper, which degrades over time due to corrosion, DanAm Air provides clean air quality with optimum flow rate performance.

DanAm Air also offers significant savings on installation, maintenance and operating costs compared to traditional pipe. The quick, instant connections eliminate the need to thread, solder or glue pipe. Labor accounts for only 20 percent of the cost of installing DanAm Air, while labor accounts for 50 percent to 80 percent of the cost of installing steel or copper systems. DanAm Air’s aluminum pipe system significantly reduces your energy costs by increasing efficiency, reducing pressure drops, and eliminating leaks.

Available in 1⁄2-inch to 4-inch pipe sizes, the DanAm Air system features push-to-connect technology that secures connections with a simple push and provides a leak-free guarantee. The aluminum pipe eliminates corrosion, ensuring the longevity of equipment and helps to avoid frequent changes of filtration elements. DanAm Air can also be integrated into existing copper and steel piping without compromising performance, making it perfect for upgrades or expansion projects.

DanAm Air‘s benefits include:

  • Energy efficient
  • Push-to-connect technology
  • Removable and reusable
  • No corrosion
  • Full bore design
  • Lower install costs
  • Immediate pressurization
  • Modular design
  • Leak-free guarantee
  • 1/2″ – 4″ pipe sizes

Each pipe section is 20 feet long, and attaches to fittings such as elbows, tees, and unions through a triple-O-ring-sealed, push-to-connect joint.

Pair DanAm Air with SATA filtration for consistent refinishing results

With proper airline design and filtration, there is a constant, even pressure at a constant, high volume, which provides better color definition, better metallic/pearl orientation, and a more even film build for clearcoat, instead of bands of wet/dry/wet/dry clearcoat application.

The SATA 284 and 484 filters remove contaminants down to .01 microns, or 10 times most filter systems. Oil contamination, either through droplets or vapor, is especially problematic for waterborne basecoats, such as PPG’s Envirobase High Performance.

That oil contamination can cause blotchy metallic areas the size of one’s fist, color-match issues, and adhesion issues.

About Gipe Auto Color

To learn more about DanAm Air and SATA filtration, call Gipe Auto Color at 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. And 5:00 p.m. We represent only the highest quality products on the market. With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

March Automotive Community Events in Kentucky

Posted on by Alex Gipe

If you live in Kentucky and are automotive enthusiast, there are a lot of events in store for you! Whether you live in or near Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Glasgow, Hopkinsville, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Owensboro, or Paducah, KY, you are sure to be in for some automotive fun! Take a trip and enjoy friends and family, as well as other car enthusiasts that share common interests. Spring is just around the corner and the year will be kicking-off some grand car events. Here are some events that may spark some interest.

Automotive Events in Bowling Green, KY

 

OPENING DAY TEST & TUNE

March 1, 2020 – 12pm to 5pm

Beech Bend Raceway

798 Beech Bend Road

Bowling Green, KY 42101

Burn some rubber at the historic Beech Bend Raceway! Learn More.

 

CAR-TOON CREATURES, KUSTOM KARS AND CORVETTES

Though December 31, 2020

National Corvette Museum

350 Corvette Drive

National Corvette Museum, KY

The National Corvette Museum has teamed up with Tom Peters, retired Director of Exterior Design for the 8th Generation Stingray Corvette, to put together a new exhibit: Car-toon Creatures, Kustom Kars and Corvettes: The Art and Influence of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. Learn More.

 

KING OF THE HEAP

March 6-7, 2020 – until 6pm

NCM Motorsports Park

505 Kimberlee A. Fast Drive

Bowling Green, KY

King of the Heap presented by Mr. Gasket is back! King of the Heap is a multi-discipline team-based race program for “Heap” cars valued at $1,000 or less. Learn more.

 

CORVETTE EXPERIENCE

March 12-13, 2020 – see times

NCM Motorsports Park

505 Kimberlee A. Fast Drive

Bowling Green, KY

Ever dreamed of driving America’s Sports Car? How about on a race-track? Now you can with the Corvette Experience at the NCM Motorsports Park! Get behind the wheel of a C8 Corvette Stingray Z51 laps around our 3.2-miles, 23-turns road course, built for speed! The Corvette Experience gives you a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on practice on the track in a lead/follow format. It also includes lunch and a guided VIP tour of the National Corvette Museum. Learn more.

 

CHAMPCAR ENDURANCE SERIES

March 21-22, 2020 – see times

NCM Motorsports Park

505 Kimberlee A. Fast Drive

Bowling Green, KY

Automotive Events in Elizabethtown, KY

 

 

ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE, MILITARY & VETERAN SERVICES CAR SHOW

Though March 28, 2020 – 10am – 2pm

Elizabethtown College

600 College Street Rd.

Elizabethtown, KY

Join in for a benefit for The ETC Student Veteran Organization and Military-Veteran Services. There will be eleven car categories, a silent auction, food trucks, and more. Learn more.

Automotive Events in Louisville, KY

 

54th ANNUAL KYANA SWAP MEET

February 29 – March 7, 2020 – 6am – 8pm

Kentucky Exposition Center

937 Phillips Ln

Louisville, KY 40209

Still the largest indoor automobile swap-meet in the U.S., with over a quarter of a million square feet under roof. Every show sold out since 1984. Learn more,

 

HOT WHEELS MONSTER TRUCKS LIVE TICKETS

March 14, 2020 – 10am – 5pm

KFC Yum! Center

1 Arena Plaza

Louisville, KY

Buy tickets to Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live at KFC Yum! Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live brings audiences the only opportunity to see real-life versions of the iconic Hot Wheels monster truck toys including Bone Shaker™, Tiger Shark™, V8 Bomber™, Demo Derby and Hot Wheels® Racing 1. The show will also feature the original monster truck, BIGFOOT®. In addition, the tour will continue to hold the immensely popular Crash Zone Pre-Show Party 2 ½ hours prior to every performance. Learn more.

 

2020 MID-AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW

March 26-28, 2020 – 10am – 5pm

KFC Yum! Center

937 Phillips Ln.

Louisville, KY

The 2019 MATS was another successful event with 3 full days of hands on demonstrations, education, networking, and technology. Learn more.

ChampCar Endurance Series is the simplest path to real wheel-to-wheel road racing! All you need is a valid drivers license, some safety gear, and a race car, which you can rent from arrive and drive teams, or build your own car! Learn more.

Enjoy all these exciting auto events in Kentucky in March 2020!

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

Women in the Refinish Industry

Posted on by Alex Gipe

PPG’s 2018 Sustainability Report states: “One of PPG’s greatest strengths is the diversity of our people, who represent wide-ranging nationalities, cultures, languages, religions, ethnicities, lifestyles and professional and educational backgrounds.  Their unique perspectives enable us to meet challenges quickly, creatively and effectively, providing a significant competitive advantage in today’s global economy.”

One way in which PPG inspires diversity is through the support of women in Refinish, a typically male-dominated field.  Today, women make up half of the industry workforce.   Gipe Auto Color aligns with PPG in support of women in the industry through training and special events.  Please save the date on your calendar for Women’s Industry Night on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at Gipe Auto Color. For more information, please contact Michelle Gipe Bourke at  [email protected] for more details.

Keep reading for a spotlight on women making a difference at PPG Refinish.

 

Erin Detchon

PPG Refinish has shown the power of diversity in the workplace, with women making up half of its workforce in what is traditionally a man’s industry. Just a couple years ago, Technical Sales Trainee Erin Detchon (pictured above) recalls in a PPG video, she had considered two options at her high school’s vocational-technical school: teaching school, or working the collision repair industry. Some people had questioned whether that was really the career path she wanted to take, but by her senior year, she says, she was determined to make this the industry in which she was ready to work.

 

“Working for PPG is such a great feeling, being young and a woman-working for a company that will support you, no matter what,” she says. “They make sure to give you whatever you need to be successful.”

 

Shop owners might want to take a look at prospective employees they may not have considered hiring previously. According to the Collision Repair Education Foundation, each year, more than 21,500 collision repair technicians leave the industry, leaving unfilled vacancies. In addition to having the fortune in finding someone with Detchon’s passion, also consider that as a whole, women tend to have a better eye for color-matching as painters. Shop owners and managers can even further efforts to include recruiting young women as part of a career fair, as the St. Louis-based Women in Automotive & Collision organization has done.

 

 “The best advice I could give anybody is to make sure you’re driven and have the passion for whatever you’re doing,” Detchon says. “Especially to be a woman in a man’s industry, you have to be determined and know what you want. You have to stay strong and passionate.”

 

About Gipe Auto Color

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

For expert assistance and more information, call 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm.

PPG & OEMs – Expert Panel & New Services Organization

Posted on by Alex Gipe

As automotive technology advances and its complexity increases, PPG remains at the forefront of innovation, partnership and commitment.  PPG™ Refinish, division of PPG™ Industries, is a global leader in the refinish paint and coatings industry.  Your dedicated, local PPG™ Platinum Distributor, Gipe Auto Color, can assist your shop by demonstrating the many ways PPG continues to seek new ways to deliver world-class products and critical business services and support.  Keep reading to learn about some of the ways PPG works with major OEMs for your success.

New OEM Services Organization

This past March, PPG proudly announced the creation of an automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) services organization.  The purpose of the new organization is to “aggressively support” the success of OEM globally through a varied portfolio of technologies, services and capabilities.  Put simply, as a result of this new organization, PPG will be able to accelerate the development and introduction of new coatings solutions.

PPG and OEM Expert Panel

PPG refinish works closely with all the major automotive OEMs to ensure its paint refinish systems are approved for use in collision repair programs.  Additionally, PPG refinish partners with OEMs in a variety of ways to make certain its customers have access to the best and latest industry information.  One way that PPG partners with you to support success in all areas of your shop is by hosting informational conferences, such as an OEM expert panel from a past MVP Business Solutions Conference.  During this session, representatives from several major automotive OEMs were available for an extended question-and-answer forum discussing topics such as the importance of following OEM repair procedures – how to access the information and receive up-to-date training, correct diagnostics and recalibration of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in repairs.  You can view the full video presentation here.

MVP Business Solutions Conference – Save the Date!

Attendance at the MVP Business Solutions Conference is an investment in your shop and your people.  It is an opportunity for you to take time out of your busy schedule to refocus, gain valuable insight from industry experts, and network with other collision professionals.

The 2020 MVP Conference will take place in Doral, FL from April 19 – April 21.  For more information about the conference, click here.  Your Gipe Auto Color representative will be happy to help you register to attend the conference.  Each of the last eight conferences were sell-outs so don’t delay – contact Gipe Auto Color today.

 

About Gipe Auto Color

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.

For expert assistance with PPG™ software, online tools and resources, call 502.966.2384  Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm.

PPG™ MVP Business Solutions Overview

Posted on by Alex Gipe

PPG™ Refinish, a division of PPG™ Industries, is a global leader in the refinish paint and coatings industry.  PPG™ delivers the most comprehensive set of training, tools and services for collision repair facilities across the world using the best resources available; some of whom are collision repair center owners themselves.  The MVP Business Solutions Program seeks to provide collision repair business partners with training and business development services to encourage interdependent success by turning industry challenges into opportunities.

The experts at Gipe Auto Color can design or recommend PPG™ MVP training classes and programs for your business. Keep reading for an overview of MVP Business Solutions from the experts at PPG™.

Lean for Collision

In order to improve operations, it is necessary to step back and observe and understand your current processes.  It is only through this analysis that you will be able to objectively critique and suggest improvements that will ultimately improve the health of your business.  PPG can help through the Lean for Collision course.

Business Courses

The MVP Business Development Series courses are the industry’s most widely attended for collision center management.  These courses also lead the industry in accreditations for I-CAR and AMI.  This series offers numerous one and two-day courses encompassing all aspects of managing a profitable collision repair business.  These courses cover the following areas:

  • Marketing
  • Customer Service
  • Financial Management
  • Estimating
  • Production Management
  • Leadership

Conferences

Annually, the MVP Conference offers collision repair professionals the opportunity to interact with and learn from leading collision industry experts.  Gain a different perspective by listening to high-level keynote presenters, attending cutting edge seminars and workshops as well as the opportunity to network with other people.

Market Your Shop

The collision repair business becomes more competitive and complex with each passing year.  In order to maintain a competitive edge, solid and consistent marketing efforts are essential.  Technology advancement has affected marketing almost as much as collision repair and the role web-based marketing, email marketing, direct mail and social media marketing are talked about in our industry on a daily basis.  This suite of courses will make sure you are current with available marketing tools.

Tools & Services

Are you thinking of building a new shop or additional location?  Is it time to re-engineer your current space to accommodate the latest new equipment?  Consulting from MVP Solutions can make sure your big decision is the right decision.  Over 1,000 facilities have taken advantage of layout services alone.  The MVP Solutions team of Six Sigma Blackbelts can provide the support, information and technology you need to ensure your project is a success.

About Gipe Auto Color

To learn more about MVP Solutions from PPG™ call Gipe Auto Color at 502.966.2384, Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm.

With over 50 team members and 9 locations serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Southeast Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee, Gipe Auto Color is one of the largest PPG™ Platinum Distributors in the region.  We have seven dedicated tech reps certified in all PPG™ automotive refinish product lines.  Their primary duty is to help customers apply PPG™ coatings using techniques that ensure maximum performance day in and day out.

Our service does not stop in the paint shop. We offer assistance in process evaluation, development of standard operating procedures, inventory management, performance data analysis, and targeted improvement strategies with an emphasis on customer profitability.