As part of an ongoing leadership development strategy to provide service offerings for its customers, Axalta Coating Systems, offers multiday events called Business Councils, in which customers are challenged to examine their business plans and implementation methods. The goal is to help body shop owners optimize their results as well as learn from mistakes. The next opportunity to establish and be a part of a new council of future leaders and collision shop owners from across the United States will take place on March 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas. 

The most recent Business Council session occurred at the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada this past November. Axalta brought together more than 200 collision customers including multi-shop owners, dealers and independent operators, who participate in our national Business Councils, for a three-day development seminar focused on leadership. Guest presenter, Chris McChesney, FranklinCovey Executive Practice Leader, took customers through a daylong session on leadership and execution designed to address how leading organizations can effectively meet their objectives and overcome objections and challenges as a team. FranklinCovey is a global company specializing in performance improvement that helps organizations achieve results that require changes in human behavior.

“The FranklinCovey methodology, combined with interactive breakouts, allows our customers to develop specific plans to implement after returning to their businesses,” explained John Purifoy, Axalta Business Services Director. “Shop owners, overwhelmingly, tell us that leadership and execution are among the biggest issues that keep them from moving their visions forward. These gatherings are just one of the many ways in which Axalta supports our customers.”

Additional activities at SEMA included group meetings and breakout sessions with fellow Business Council members facilitated by industry experts including Mike Anderson, Collision Advice Owner; Larry Baker, Axalta Executive Facilitator and Ron Kuehn, Collision Business Solutions President.