BASF opens advanced Refinish Competence Center in Cesano Maderno, Italy

• New center further strengthens BASF’s position as a leader in the industry with focus on customer education
• €2.7 million investment, 1,200 square meters, 800 people trained yearly
• The new Italian training facility expands the global network of BASF’s Refinish Competence Centers

Cesano Maderno. BASF Coatings, BASF Group’s company specialized in paints and coatings industry, opened a new training center for automotive refinishing in Cesano Maderno, Italy. The new Refinish Competence Center (RCC) will offer customers an opportunity to learn, practice and fully master the use of BASF´s automotive refinish products. The training offer includes a wide range of courses at different levels, including courses on application techniques, optimal use of paints and color matching. Training sessions and workshops have been developed and structured in order to enhance the productivity of bodyshops and to increase their efficiency and competitiveness.

The new training center, with an investment of more than €2.7 million and an area of 1,200 square meters, will train on average 800 people a year including technicians and end users yearly. “I am extremely pleased with the opening of the Refinish Competence Center”, commented Erwin Rauhe, Managing Director of BASF Italia and Head of the Group in Southern Europe, “not just because this brand new center in Cesano Maderno further enhances the Group’s global network of training centers, but also because it confirms our commitment and our investments in the local area where we operate.”

The new Italian RCC, which expands the BASF’s global Refinish Competence Center network, represents a center of excellence exhibiting some of the most advanced technologies and equipment. It offers two lines specifically devoted to small damage repair, two top-of-the-notch paint booths, a painting mixing station and a state-of-the-art infrared drying system. Moreover, the local trainers with outstanding experience in refinishing techniques and color matching, regularly attend refreshing courses given by the BASF Coatings Global Trainers.

The layout has been planned according to the standards of the BASF RCC policy. The centers serve as training facility and marketing platform for BASF Coatings refinish brands and the equipment partners.

“The new Refinish Competence Centre has been designed with a strong focus on our customers” added Renato Chiesa, Managing Director of BASF Coatings in Italy. “In the current complex market environment, we believe that our center will offer bodyshops additional tools that will contribute to increase the efficiency level and the profitability of their business.”

Spanning the globe from Australia, China and the United States to France and Germany, BASF offers training for its customers at the RCCs. The training network comprises more than 50 training centers, where painters practice and perfect the use of automotive paints.

About the Coatings Division

In the Coatings Division, BASF develops, produces and markets a high-quality range of innovative automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinishes and industrial coatings as well as decorative paints. BASF has significant market positions in the Coatings sector in Europe, North America, South America and the Asia Pacific region. In 2012 the Coatings Division of the BASF Group achieved global sales of nearly 3,0 billion Euros. The internet address is www.basf-coatings.com. You can download a copy of BASF customer magazine Coatings Partner from www.coatingspartner.com

About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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