On the quest to find the best partner to expand its bodyshop network in Asia Pacific, the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) importers’ regional office found the perfect fit in Glasurit in Singapore. The new cooperation means that Glasurit, BASF’s traditional paint brand, now has “preferred supplier” status. This entails more than just delivering high-quality refinishing material. It also means providing the know-how required to implement the most efficient work processes in the bodyshop.

Glasurit is known worldwide for its innovative premium refinish products and its extensive portfolio of services. Glasurit’s training program at regional training centers and its diverse range of instruments for developing bodyshops make it an especially attractive partner for supplying paint and solutions. This powerful combination was also a key factor for the regional office of the JLR importers in the Asia Pacific region to establish a cooperation arrangement with Glasurit.

Last year, the regional office in Singapore looked for a partner to further develop its bodyshops. The aim was to achieve a uniformly high international standard that would guarantee top refinish quality and the most efficient processes throughout the bodyshop network. In response, Glasurit offered the Glasurit Bodyshop Audit as the right tool for the job.

Bodyshop Audit is a bodyshop check that Glasurit uses to support bodyshops by detecting potential areas for savings and development. For the audit, a Glasurit expert scrutinizes all areas associated with the application process, from the technical equipment to the products used, as well as the employees’ training level, and works with the bodyshop to develop a plan of action for reducing distances travelled, along with costs.

Glasurit’s Bodyshop Audit convinced the JLR regional office that Glasurit was the ideal partner for developing its bodyshop network. With the signing of the cooperation agreement, Glasurit is now the preferred supplier for JLR bodyshops in many countries of the Asia Pacific region. According to the agreement, Glasurit will not only supply the refinishing material; it will also support the bodyshops with Bodyshop Audits, training and the Glasurit Warranty for the refinish paint system. For cosmetic damage repair too, referred to as “rapid repair” at JLR, Glasurit offers special refinishing material and training, thus supporting bodyshops in this important refinishing area. After all, repairing cosmetic damage is now one of the bodyshop’s most common refinishing jobs. This trend will escalate, because active safety systems in vehicles are increasingly preventing more serious damage.

The Glasurit team members in Asia Pacific will have their work cut out for them, since the cooperation agreement is valid for the countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – with additional agreements with countries from the region in the pipeline. But the technicians, salespeople, consultants and trainers at Glasurit are already looking forward to meeting the challenge of moving the JLR bodyshop network a substantial step forward.