News


Jan 31, 2024 03:52

Embracing sustainability: from buzzword to transformative business model

Sustainability used to be a buzzword that appeared in annual reports and gave shareholders the feeling that the company in which they owned a stake was doing something positive. Sustainability didn’t always align with company strategy but rather sat somewhere on the side lines, looking in. Today, those vagaries are long gone. In their place is a robust, transformative business model that resides at the core of operations, aligns fully with strategy and ensures marketplace differentiation. If there was any doubt that shift had taken place, the tale of the tape clearly tells the story.

Jan 30, 2024 05:31

Axalta Announces Starry Night as 2024 Global Automotive Color of the Year

Axalta today announced its 2024 Global Automotive Color of the Year – Starry Night. The latest edition marks the 10th year Axalta has introduced its automotive colour of the year and the first time it has featured a black shade. Starry Night is a strong, contemporary colour with light blue and silver flakes that evokes the depths of our universe and space exploration.

Nov 17, 2023 09:22

Axalta Named Exclusive Supplier for BMW Group’s Private Paint Label ColorSystem in EMEA

Axalta has been named exclusive supplier for BMW Group’s private paint label, ColorSystem, in currently 15 Europeans countries plus South Africa. The agreement includes BMW Group’s network of 730 dealerships and collision repair partners. BMW Group’s ColorSystem is engineered to be one of the world’s most technologically advanced paint systems. It offers refinishing solutions that meet BMW Group's original manufacturer standards.

Spies Hecker - Permacron Matt Clear System
Sep 08, 2023 06:49

Spies Hecker makes matt finish paint repairs as easy as regular jobs

With the matt finish trend still very popular with car manufacturers and car owners alike, Spies Hecker has created a process for its best-in-class Permacron® Matt Clear System, based on Axalta technology, to repair these notoriously tricky finishes. Tony Mitchell, International Training Manager for Axalta's Refinish business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says, “Matt finishes are not only growing in popularity, but also with an increasing range of gloss levels.

Spies Hecker - Permasolid Speed TEC Speed Plastic Additive 9260
Sep 06, 2023 06:28

Spies Hecker helps refinishers prepare new plastic parts reliably and quickly

Painting plastic bumpers is a common occurrence in bodyshops across the region, and none more so than new bumpers. In fact, the global plastic bumper market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% from 2022 to 2030. Tony Mitchell, International Training Manager for Axalta's Refinish business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says, "Having a reliable, fast and consistent process to carry out these new plastic part repairs is vital for bodyshop efficiency.

Spies Hecker Priomat 1K Universal Primer Surfacer 4095
Sep 04, 2023 08:28

Spies Hecker launches innovative Primer Surfacer

Spies Hecker has launched a new Priomat 1K Universal Primer Surfacer Aerosol 4095 in grey. Designed to maximise customers’ efficiency and sustainability, the innovative Priomat 1K Universal Primer Surfacer Aerosol 4095 shortens the repair process considerably and reduces the number of products needed per repair.

Axalta Irus Mix
May 11, 2023 04:08

Axalta launches Axalta Irus Mix

Axalta today launches Axalta Irus Mix, the fastest fully automated and completely hands-free mixing machine for the automotive refinish industry. Axalta Irus Mix delivers highly accurate colour and works with Axalta’s innovative packaging, maximising profitability and minimising environmental impact to help refinish customers meet or exceed key business goals.

Drivus Financial Services
Sep 21, 2022 11:00

Smarter equipment investment for bodyshops with Drivus Financial Services

Drivus is once again revolutionising the automotive refinish market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with its newly launched Financial Services. By simplifying the equipment leasing process, Drivus Financial Services allows bodyshops to stay up-to-date with the most recent technology, offering easy access to equipment upgrades, which will deliver increased efficiency and provide a strong competitive advantage.

Spies Hecker Permacron Matt Clear System
Sep 20, 2022 06:44

New Spies Hecker Permacron Matt Clear System makes matt finishes as easy as one plus one

Spies Hecker introduces its new Permacron® Matt Clear System, comprising two products: Permacron Matt System Clear Coat 8185 and Permacron Semi-Gloss System Clear Coat 8170. Formulated specifically for use as part of the Permahyd® 280/285 Base Coat and Permahyd Hi-TEC Base Coat 480 Systems, as well as Permacron Base Coat 293/295 or original paintwork, these mix together to deliver high-quality OEM matt finishes, of all gloss levels, more quickly and easily than ever before.

Axalta Fast Cure Low Energy Technology
Aug 22, 2022 06:05

Axalta Refinish FCLE reduces energy cost and carbon footprint

The energy crisis, called by some the most extreme that has ever occurred in Europe , is worsening. Businesses are facing the double hit of spiralling costs and increasing inflation on top of energy costs that are extraordinarily high - and rising. Controlling costs is now top of most businesses’ agendas, and bodyshops are no different, particularly as they utilise energy to carry out their daily work.

Spies Hecker Version 2
Aug 22, 2022 04:20

Axalta Refinish unveils new branded websites

Axalta Refinish has unveiled three new websites for its premium refinish brands – Cromax, Spies Hecker and Standox – that cater specifically for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The sites, which went live on 17 August 2022, offer visitors modern, clean homepages and page content with an enhanced and complete browsing experience.

Axalta Refinish at IBIS Global Summit 2022
Jun 16, 2022 07:44

Axalta Refinish showcases its drive for innovation at IBIS Global Summit 2022 in Monaco

Axalta Refinish is one of the Platinum Partners at the International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) Global Summit 2022 in Monaco, taking place between 15 and 17 June 2022. Axalta Refinish is showcasing a number of its most recent ground-breaking firsts to a global audience of leaders and innovators in the automotive collision repair industry.

Axalta Refinish EV repair package
Jan 31, 2022 05:46

Axalta Refinish’s new electric vehicle repair package helps bodyshops to operate safely

Axalta Refinish has introduced another first to the EMEA market - a new electric vehicle (EV) repair package, which supports refinishers and bodyshops with the repairs of EV vehicles. Sales of electric cars are accelerating – one in 10 new cars in 2021 has been powered by a battery[i] - and refinishers and bodyshops need to be prepared to handle an increasing volume of EVs safely and efficiently.

Axalta 69 Global Automotive Color Popularity 2021a Europe
Jan 14, 2022 02:53

Axalta extends automotive colour leadership with the 69th Global Automotive Color Popularity Report

Axalta released its 69th annual Global Automotive Color Popularity Report revealing most cars on today’s roads are white (35%), black (19%) and grey (19%). Grey increased by four percentage points worldwide. The results of Axalta’s Global Automotive Color Popularity Report are tabulated on Axalta’s analysis of 2021 automotive build data in major markets and are an indicator of current market trends.

Drivus Bodyshop Optimizer
Dec 06, 2021 06:57

Drivus offers personalised consultancy service with Bodyshop Optimizer launch

Bodyshop Optimizer is the latest offering from Drivus, a brand delivering business services for the automotive refinish market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), from Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings. The new personalised consultancy service focuses on a bodyshop’s finances with the aim to boost the bottom line.

Axalta colour assessment and matching are important process steps for bodyshops
Oct 07, 2021 06:32

Axalta’s industry-leading technology solves colour matching problems

Colour assessment and matching are two important process steps for every bodyshop; it’s easy to get wrong if the colour match is done by eye due to the subjective nature of colour. And factoring in that globally 8% of men are colour-blind[1], the risks of poor matches for bodyshops increases even further.

Spies Hecker Preventing pinholes in the clear coat
Aug 12, 2021 10:33

Spies Hecker offers practical advice on how to avoid defects in clear coats

Support from technical specialist helps refinishers avoid pinholes and other small surface defects. Spies Hecker, one of the premium refinish paint brands of Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, knows that even a seasoned refinisher can sometimes run into issues with tiny defects such as pinholes appearing in the clear coat

Daisy Wheel
Jun 22, 2021 10:20

Axalta unveils the refinish industry’s first fully automated colour mixing process via Daisy Wheel 3.0

Axalta today announced it will make available pre-filled bottles of basecoat from its industry leading premium refinish brands for Fillon Technologies’ new Daisy Wheel 3.0, enabling fully automated colour mixing for the first time. Combined with Axalta’s cloud-based Digital Colour Management, bodyshops across EMEA will have access to the fastest and most productive paint process available.

WB810 Brilliant Magenta Red
May 04, 2021 10:15

New Spies Hecker Permahyd 280/285 mixing tint

Spies Hecker is expanding its Permahyd® 280/285 mixing tint portfolio to include WB 810 Brilliant Magenta Red. The colour formulas using the new mixing tint are now available in the Phoenix colour software.

Fix Network World logo
Apr 13, 2021 10:11

Fix Network World names Axalta as Preferred Global Paint Partner

Over 700 collision shops aligned with Fix Network World in 12 countries set to benefit from five-year partnership agreement. Axalta has signed an five-year global partnership agreement with Fix Network World, one of the biggest collision repair franchise networks globally.

Tips4You tinte clear repair process
Feb 25, 2021 09:56

New Video-TEC video: Spies Hecker’s repair solution for deep reds with tinted clear coats

Highly chromatic blues and deep, lively and very intense reds are currently very much on trend for new cars. Spies Hecker, a global refinish paint brand from Axalta, has developed a process to achieve an invisible repair of these sophisticated colours using tinted clear coats. In the latest Video-TEC video, International Training Leader for Axalta’s Refinish business, Tony Mitchell, gives practical and easy-to-implement tips.

Solar  Radiance by Ricardo Paniagua
Jan 27, 2021 09:50

Spies Hecker gives contemporary artwork a cosmic look

For his first large outdoor artwork, established American contemporary artist Ricardo Paniagua used Spies Hecker to achieve a visually striking, high-quality and durable finish. Solar Radiance is the first large-scale outdoor artwork by contemporary artist Ricardo Paniagua, who is based in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Spies Hecker Permahyd HiTEC Mixing Colour 480 WT 318 Brilliant Blue
Jan 27, 2021 09:45

Spies Hecker introduces new Brilliant Blue mixing tint

Blue is the most popular chromatic colour on new cars. Spies Hecker launches a new mixing tint to reproduce certain shades of blue perfectly. Colours are never just colours - each one stands for something and triggers associations in those who look at it. Blue, for example, is the colour of sky and sea, of distance and vastness; it also stands for values such as harmony, clarity and calm. Perhaps due to these positive associations, blue is a favourite among chromatic shades with new car buyers.

Axalta COTY 2021
Jan 12, 2021 09:36

Announcing Axalta’s 2021 Global Automotive Color of the Year: ElectroLight

Axalta announced its 2021 Global Automotive Color of the Year – ElectroLight. ElectroLight is an expressively refreshing green-yellow hue with inspired bold, contemporary flavours that echo style, energy and flair. The unique personality of ElectroLight evokes a blend of sporty design elements with functional performance and offers great versatility when combined with two-tone charcoal colour accents or matte finishes on a variety of mobility solutions.

Dec 14, 2020 09:24

Axalta pays homage to its strong motorsport heritage with 2021 wall calendar

Axalta sets pulses of motorsport fans racing with the unveiling of its 2021 wall calendar - Brilliantly Fast - created by the Refinish business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). It celebrates student racing and is a fitting tribute to those professional motorsports teams that have achieved unparalleled success in 2020.

Mazda Machine Grey coverage sticker
Jul 03, 2020 09:16

Spies Hecker tips Mazda Machine Grey three-stage finish

The popular Mazda colour Machine Grey is applied using a cutting-edge robotic painting technology called Takuminuri, which makes the repair of this three-stage colour particularly demanding. Evgeny Khmelev, Head of Training for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Spies Hecker, gives practical tips for repairing it with the Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC 480 Base Coat system

Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team new livery
May 21, 2020 09:12

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s new livery and new colour

With the 2020 Formula OneTM season on hold, Spies Hecker takes the opportunity to look in-depth at the Team’s livery, and the work that goes in to applying it. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is the reigning FIA Formula OneTM Constructors’ Champion, having cinched a world record sixth consecutive title at the end of the 2019 season.

eRod Fun Sea Glass 9050 vorne schraeg freigestellt
May 05, 2020 09:08

The sporty eRod Fun from Kyburz with Sea Glass finish

The successful cooperation between the Swiss electric car manufacturer Kyburz Switzerland AG and Spies Hecker will continue in 2020. Kyburz's exhibition vehicle received its design livery for the Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva at the Spies Hecker paint center Campus 105 in Pratteln and should have been presented on March 3.

Apr 24, 2020 09:02

Mercedes-Benz AG Approves Spies Hecker Until 2023

Mercedes-Benz AG has renewed its approval of Spies Hecker, one of the global refinish brands of Axalta (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings. Effective 1 April 2020, Spies Hecker is once again approved for use across the Mercedes-Benz network in 4 European countries, until 31 March 2023.

Spies Hecker Speed-TEC green
Apr 20, 2020 08:57

Five steps every bodyshop can take to improve their environmental sustainability

Spies Hecker is committed to supporting bodyshops in their efforts to think green and to reduce their energy consumption. Spies Hecker Brand Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Joachim Hinz, addresses the importance of sustainability and offers guidance on what bodyshops can do to improve their environmental sustainability.

Speed TEC Clear Coat 8810 group
Mar 19, 2020 08:55

Tactically clever: the new Speed-TEC Clear Coat 8810

Permasolid® Speed-TEC Clear Coat 8810 from Spies Hecker dries particularly quickly at low room temperatures and offers bodyshops a tactical solution for a higher throughput as well as the ability to reduce operating costs and to generate additional business.

Spies Hecker New label design
Feb 21, 2020 07:38

Understandable, clear, simple: new Spies Hecker product label design

Spies Hecker has refreshed its product label design, and they are clear and user-friendly. "A good product label shows exactly what is in the tin and displays clearly all the information the refinisher needs – nothing more or less complicated than that," says Joachim Hinz, Brand Manager for Spies Hecker in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.