Axalta Coating Systems and the Automotive Workshop Owners Association (APTA), an entity dedicated to educating future automotive repair professionals, opened the doors to the first Center of Coating Technology Training (CENTRE), in the Munro locality of Buenos Aires province.

This center marks the first time a company and a non-profit organization are collaborating together to offer an integral solution to the current lack of complimentary training for automotive coatings professionals. APTA provided its 800 m2 training center space, located at Sargento Cabral 3431, and Axalta transformed it into a sophisticated color lab with a modern coating booth and a compressed air unit, as core equipment.

At CENTRE, new professionals will be trained in the most innovative materials and application systems for automotive coating techniques, the most efficient application methods, and product safety. In the future, Axalta plans to train between 400- 500 people annually, not only from Argentina but also Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay in a joint effort to provide added value and to strengthen relationships with strategic partners.

Anuncio Testani, APTA president, emphasized his gratitude to Axalta and said, “The effort carried out represents an important advance in the formation of greater and more professionals.” Testani also assured that “this was an industry need recognized by the Association for some time now and Axalta’s support was key in bringing this project to life.”

Marcelo Cicchini, Axalta Southern Cone general Manager and business director, showed his enthusiasm for the company’s historic moment and said, “Today we can say that as a result of working together with an invaluable ally such as APTA, we will be able to provide a tangible solution to a real problem within our industry.”

“The opening of the training center is a source of pride for us, and better yet, allows us to strengthen ties with our partners from both Argentina and neighboring countries through this initiative,” Agustín París, Axalta market head for Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, said.