R-M® INTERNATIONAL BEST PAINTER CONTEST Japan National Competition starts in January 2016

R-M, BASF’s premium paint brand for the automotive refinish industry, is kicking off the 12th R-M Best Painter Contest to search for the best young painters in more than 18 countries around the world. The international finals will be held at the International R-M Refinish Competence Center in Clermont, France, between September 26 and 30, 2016. The national contest in Japan will be held in January 2016.

Tokyo, Japan – December 1, 2015 – Starting from January 2016, BASF Japan will host the R-M Best Painter Contest in Japan. Young painters using R-M’s ONYX HD, the waterborne basecoat system, will compete against each other for the entry ticket to join the international finals from September 26-30, 2016 in Clermont, France.

The Japan national contest consists of three rounds: the first round is a written examination on R-M products, color expertise and topics related to environment, health and safety. The second round focuses on the painters’ skills and know-how in the application of waterborne coatings, including their color-matching knowledge. Eight finalists will then be selected to join the final round in May at BASF’s Refinish Competence Center in Nippa. The winning national finalist will secure a place for the international finals. In 2010, the finalist from Japan came home with the first prize.

Japan is participating for the third time in the international R-M Best Painter Contest. R-M   as the market pioneer, provides the automotive refinish industry with eco-efficient, sustainable waterborne solution – ONYX HD. All contestants will receive complimentary training from R-M technical experts on car refinishing. The contest is therefore not only a platform for young painters to demonstrate their existing techniques in car repair, but also an opportunity to elevate their skills and explore how to further boost their productivity and efficiency.   

“We are thrilled to organize once again the national R-M Best Painter Contest in Japan. Through this contest, our Japanese young painters can show their painting skills and passion to their peers. As the contest progresses, we expect the contestants to bring a positive influence back to their own bodyshops and enhance the overall image of this profession as their expertise is being recognized. We believe this event can increase the industry’s awareness in sustainable car repair processes, develop young talents for the industry as well as promote the job of automotive refinish painters, from which the bodyshops, our customers, can benefit,” said Hideo Tadokoro, Senior Manager, Automotive Refinish Coating Solutions, Coatings, BASF Japan.

R-M Automotive Refinish Paints: an important part of BASF’s Coatings Division
Under the R-M brand, BASF markets a comprehensive range of automotive refinishing paint systems, focusing on eco-efficient waterborne basecoats and high-solids paints. By using these systems all legal solvent-reduction requirements can be complied with anywhere in the world, and with regard to appearance and resistance, the products meet the same quality standards as solvent-borne paints. In this area, the company offers a wide variety of services to support its customers. R-M Automotive Refinish Paints is approved by most of the leading car manufacturers for aftermarket repair and chosen by the world's most prestigious car companies for its color expertise.