• Driving digital competency and eco-efficient solutions  
• 16 countries worldwide with first-time competitors
  from China and Morocco
• September 22 to 24, 2020, International Final in France

R-M^®, BASF’s premium automotive refinish paint brand, is launching the search for the most talented spray painters in the industry. The 13th International R-M Best Painter Contest will take place in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. For the first time, China and Morocco will also take part in the competition. The motto “Driving digital competency and eco-efficient solutions” combines the aspects of quick processes and digital solutions with the notion of sustainability. National Finals will be held until June 2020 in the participating countries. The International Final will then take place late September 2020 at the R-M Refinish Competence Center in Clermont de l’Oise outside Paris, France. Sixteen finalists will be represented from around the world and will demonstrate the top standards used by the best talents in the area of automotive refinishing worldwide – using the ONYX HD waterborne premium paint line. The competition is organized with the active support of the premium business partners 3M, ANEST IWATA, EMM, RODIM, SATA and regular business partners Horn & Bauer, IRT by Hedson, METTLER-TOLEDO and sia Abrasives.

The need for young, well-trained talent is growing worldwide. When it comes to automotive refinishing, future spray painters are being prepared for increasingly specialized application processes, more efficient product innovations and more digital solutions. Since 1999, R-M has hosted the Best Painter Contest as a competition for young up-and-coming spray painters to promote the profession as an attractive career and honor the most talented spray painters.

National Finals will first take place in the 16 participating countries until June 2020.

The competition is open to young spray painters 35 years old and under, who are familiar with the ONYX HD waterborne premium paint line. From September 22 to 24, 2020, the finalists will represent their respective countries at the International Final in France.

The 2020 International R-M Best Painter Contest will focus on digital competency and fast, eco-efficient solutions, for example, in digital color measurement, as well as in the use of innovative efficient processes such as leveraging UV technology in repairing cosmetic damage.  Safety and sustainability are just as important, as well as raising awareness about actively contributing to reducing CO₂ emissions through eco-friendly solutions including R-M ONYX HD waterborne refinish paint system. Choosing products from R-M’s e’Sense solutions is another way of doing this, since it is based on the use of biomass-balanced raw materials. The contest also focuses on training and opportunities to grow expertise in the industry. The jury consists of head trainers from the R-M Automotive Refinish Academy based in Europe. Worldwide, the R-M brand has a network of more than 80 Refinish Competence Centers: Equipped with the latest technical standards and multimedia training tools, R-M offers its customers significant flexibility to meet their refinish training needs while providing innovative and sustainable solutions and thus increasing the efficiency level and profitability of their business.

“Participation in a competition held worldwide, like the R-M Best Painter Contest, benefits young spray painters both personally and professionally,” said Roar Solberg, Vice President Sales for Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions EMEA. “They have the chance to network with international peers while demonstrating how spray painters can work sustainably to impact long-lasting success in the industry. The R-M brand wants to actively support young talents giving them inside knowledge on the latest know-how while increasing visibility for their spray painter profession.”

In 2016, Berry Kooijman, from the Netherlands, won the competition, edging out Genya Yokota from Japan and Myles Veljacic from Canada. The R-M brand is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019 with the slogan “Being successful means being innovative”. By hosting the R-M Best Painter Contest, R-M is providing an international platform for presenting the next generation of top spray painters worldwide and at the same time, for on-site discussions with the industry experts and the trade press about topics that move the market: sustainability, digitalization, the next generation, management, color & design and the new mobility.