Leading Edge receives BASF Automotive Refinish Distributor of the Year award

SOUTHFIELD, MI, May 11, 2012 -- BASF Automotive Refinish presented its Distributor of the Year Award to Leading Edge Auto Refinishers, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, at its annual ColorSource™ Conference on April 19 in La Jolla, California.

“Leading Edge received the award because of its innovation, forward thinking and ability to differentiate itself in Arizona. With a strong record of continued growth and outstanding customer service and support, as well as commitment to waterborne conversions, Leading Edge is a true partner with BASF,” said Denise Kingstrom, BASF’s Strategic Accounts Manager.

Leading Edge has been family owned and operated since 1993.

“We are very proud to receive this award on behalf of the entire team at Leading Edge. It would be hard to imagine operating Leading Edge without all the talented people in the organization,” said Matt Johnson, co-owner of Leading Edge. “We would also like to thank BASF for supporting our business initiatives. Without BASF’s single-line ColorSource PREMIER program, much of what we have accomplished in Arizona would have not been possible. BASF is vital to our success. It’s a unique partnership because we all succeed together.”

ColorSource PREMIER is a program designed by BASF exclusively for single line distributors of BASF refinish paints and coatings. ColorSource PREMIER distributors are key strategic partners with BASF.

To learn more about becoming a ColorSource PREMIER distributor, please contact Denise Kingstrom at denise.kingstrom@basf.com, or 248-632-2420, or visit www.basfrefinish.com. 

For a press photo, please click on the following link: http://www.basf.us/pressphotos/05-10-12_DistributorAward.jpg.

Suggested Caption:

Chuck Soeder, far left, Vice President, Automotive Refinish and Industrial Coatings Solutions for BASF; and Denise Kingstrom, far right, Strategic Accounts Manager, Automotive Refinish for BASF present the business’s Distributor of the Year Award to the Leading Edge team. From left are: Soeder; Travis Leybeck, Paul Derdich, Mike Priest, John Rang, Matt Johnson, David Brannon, Troy Schooley, Steve Balsley, and Vaughn Lindberg of Leading Edge; and Kingstrom.

About BASF Coatings

BASF Coatings 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.  To learn more about Coatings from BASF, visit www.basf-coatings.com.  A copy of the BASF customer magazine, Coatings Partner, can also be downloaded from www.coatingspartner.com.

BASF – The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

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, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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