BASF hosts “Best Painter Contest” for waterborne automotive refinish coatings

Japan’s first contest for painters using waterborne coatings in all competition categories

Winner invited to international competition in France

Industry’s first contest hosted by a coatings manufacturer

Yokohama, Japan – December 22, 2009 – BASF Coatings Japan Ltd. held the “Best Painter Contest" for users of the company’s R-M automotive refinish coatings system this December, the first contest for painters in Japan using waterborne coatings, the latest refinish technology . The contest was the industry’s first to be held by a coatings manufacturer.

The winner, selected from a total of eight finalists, was Nobuhiro Nagatsuka from Honda Body Service Tochigi. Mr. Nagatsuka will be invited to the R-M Best Painter Contest 2010 which will take place in September 2010 in France, where BASF Coatings’ headquarters for the R-M brand is located. Mr. Nagatsuka said, “I am very proud to have won this high level competition, as the atmosphere was pretty tense. My winning is the result of the collative support I received from my colleagues as well as trainers of BASF Coatings Japan. I am looking forward to proudly taking part in the contest to be held in Clermont, as a representative of R-M painters in Japan.”

“By applying waterborne solutions in the Painter Contest, we further support and encourage R-M users to pioneer the use of waterborne systems, especially those high-spirited painters who aim to improve their coating skills as well as those business managers who aim at more eco-friendly bodyshop operation,” commented Katsuhiko Kubota, Head of Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions, BASF Coatings Japan.

“As the leading coatings manufacturer, we plan to further promote consciousness of environment, contributing to the industry’s voluntary initiative to achieve 30% reduction of VOC emission in 2010, in comparison with the number reported in 2000.” BASF has a proven track record worldwide with waterborne solution R-M ONYX HD, which is considered a key growth driver for the company’s automotive refinish coatings business into the future. The “Best Painter Contest” using waterborne coatings is a step forward for further promoting this new technology. The company intends to establish its strong market position as a leading supplier of environmentally-friendly coatings.

This year’s Painter Contest in Japan was evaluated rigorously based on five sections: a written exam (on products, coating processes, color expertise, and troubleshooting), blending, efficient coating, color matching, and color inquiry, all related to R-M ONYX HD.