April 2012 The Paint Spot Newsletter

Last month we talked about the water borne vs. LOW VOC solvent based paint. The month before we spelled out the laws regarding this topic, as well as gave you web sites to verify. Since then we have sold two more SOLVENT based systems! How about that! Both of these systems were replacements for PPG s DBC line. Both customers were astounded at the versatility that Matrix offered. Now they have a replacement for DBC using old toner formulas (MSB), DBC using newer toners (MPB), House of Kolor ,UK, & KBC,(UC & MPX, FX) 2 options of interior paint (MIS & MIP), 3 Single stage options, (MCU, MAU, and with a simple mathematical formula, turning an MSB base coat metallic or solid into a single stage) and the Omni / Omni Plus or Nason levels (RPB & RSB)

all on one bank! I have some other news that equates to a win of sorts for The Paint Spot; Recently we got wind of a Water borne PPG system that got put into a shop with FREE? Now, I think I made myself perfectly clear on The water borne option , but I have to give credit where credit is due I am on record as of two years ago as saying that I would change the way business is conducted from supplier to refinisher , and that is proof positive, I hope! By the way, we've been putting in systems since day one with no contract, and not only that, I've never suggested once that I believe A FREE LUNCH IS REALLY FREE! I TOTALLY DISAGREE with the placement of H2O, and would tell you that there will no doubt be a price to pay for that decision, but I commend them for treating their customer as The Paint Spot would treat theirs, and hopefully Don took me serious when I said to him face to face in December 2011 there s a new year coming, at least try to give The Paint Spot some competition . This is hopefully the last word on the Water Borne issue; I want all of you to realize that The Paint Spot HAS Water Borne Paint, and not only that, we are free to offer you brand choices on the Water Borne (not just one). I just cannot with a clear conscious sell it to you without first telling you the ABSOLUTE TRUTH, as well as share with you MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES with the technology. Let's not forget

Ok, now that we're past that we can get back to something a little less BORING. Included in this issue there will be a flyer formally announcing our Customer Appreciation day. This event is for you! It is our way of not only thanking you by giving back , but it is a means for you to meet the people responsible for making your life easier. These are the people behind the scenes that make the products you use, as well as supply The Paint Spot. They are The Horses Mouth so to speak, as they are the ones who can best tell you how to get the best bang for your buck. We are second to no one at giving you all the assistance and technical literature we possibly can regarding products, procedures, and price, but these guys are the ones that know it best. They are there for you to question and interact with and will give it to you straight regardless of what The Paint Spot or any other supplier has said. I am real big on honesty, and this is how we keep the honest people HONEST! For those of you who attended last year, you already know not to miss it. For those who weren t here, I'm pretty sure YOU WILL BE! Lots of stuff to give away, demos, food and drink .WHERE THE HELL ELSE WOULD YOU BE? Next item; As some of you are aware, and maybe some not, the 3M company bought out Dynatron a year ago. Our largest selling body filler was their target (Dynalite). The reason for the acquisition was simple .they were loosing market share to the most cost effective body filler ever. When you're a big boy like 3M, and you can't compete, there s an old saying that they live by If you can't beat em, buy em ! That s what they did. In the process the reps that originally handled the Dynatron products were told that they would keep they're line and continue being the rep. Well, you're not gonna believe this but THEY LIED! Not only did they hand it over to their own staff, but now they ve raised the price ..ALOT! Here s where I get a bit philosophical . I have always said that when the big boys come in and put the Mom and Pops out of business (Wal-Mart comes to mind), it lends it self eventually to the Mom and Pops coming back! I realize that on the surface, that sounds wrong, and the big boys always win. If that were true consider this ..The Paint Spot is a prime example of what can happen not only against the big guys, but with limited resources as well! The free enterprise system which is what makes America so great is also what evens the playing field for those of us who choose to recognize it and who are also willing to work our ass off to achieve our goals ..with or without MONEY! Honesty and good old fashioned elbow grease is a winning combination that not even big business can compete with. I remember when I first heard of the acquisition saying that is gonna lend itself to someone, maybe even a guy in his garage somewhere coming up with a cost effective bondo . As far as I was concerned hacking employees and raising prices is what big companies do, and they didn't fool me one bit, especially when it comes to a company like 3M. In case nobodies noticed, it's like pulling teeth to get me to sell any of you a 3M product! I don't like having to gouge your eyes out because that's what they do to me, so I almost always have a substitute product. There are exceptions, but not many. In the case of the Dynalite we found ourselves faced with a drastic price increase, that most suppliers would just

PASS ON TO YOU! Most of you reading my words right now, already know how I am, so I ll just say what many of you hopefully are thinking ..NOT US, WE RE THE PAINT SPOT AND WE DON T HAVE TO ACCEPT BEING PUSHED AROUND BY THE BIG BOYS!

Just like I knew would happen, some one else was watching the big guys and was in a position to manufacture a cost effective body filler Advantage . You will never see the price increase that was coming your way, because we refuse to be a part of it. You will pay the same price you're used to but the label will change. Since we're on the body filler subject, I'm gonna take a leap of faith and in the process probably piss a few people off, but I have to say it

You can spend all the money you want on a label, but the label doesn't do the job, the contents do. We have all the fancy labeled body filler that the rest of the suppliers have, but speaking from experience, fillers .fill! I have had it said many times that this one sands easier than that one, and this one has less pin holes than that one, and at the end of the day it's all B.S. If you use a metal spreader and your first pass is pressed really hard (something you can't do with a plastic spreader) you ll have good adhesion. Let up on the second pass, and you ll have build. Don t wait until the filler is rock hard to start the sanding, and it will sand easy. These are just common sense issues, not label issues. If anyone is sculpting with the filler, then they're misusing the product anyway, and it doesn't matter what the label is.

I can tell you of a certain vehicle that I was involved with recently that because of the excessive warping of panels (that could not be dollied out) we used 13 gallons of Dynalite bondo to straighten the body. This was clearly misusing the product and we all knew it but had no choice, and no problems either! I can also tell you about a customer that uses large quantities of Dynalite and has been using it for years and years to make plastic injection molds. They use it thicker than you would imagine, (definitely sculpting) with no problems. Long story short, The Paint Spot is committed to NOT passing along price increases! So finding a viable Plan B is our only option, and by viable, I mean NO SACRIFICE IN QUALITY ! Plenty coming up for May s newsletter, but due to time constraints and the extra flyer that will be sent with this newsletter I'm going to sign off for now.