June 2013 The Paint Spot Newsletter

June, wow there s so much to talk about. First thing I d like to say is; this is the 36th addition of this newsletter. Exactly three years ago this month is when I wrote the first one (if you're pissed off, remember, it was Thomas at McQueeney Collision that gave me the idea). So much has changed in three years, and if I gave it up tomorrow, I know that what I set out to do has been done. We (all of us at The Paint Spot and all of you) have collectively brought ethics back to this business. We have forced the competition to do what they should have done years ago, and we did it leading by example! Quality, Price, and Service: the big three. The Paint Spot didn't invent the big three , America did, and somewhere along the way Greed and Arrogance replaced it (kind of like today s politics). I thought I knew what was missing because I was one of you. It wasn't until Thomas said to me that yes, we are tired of paying too much, and the lack of support, but at least we're getting by . And besides Rick, nobody knows who you are , that I figured out, just because I knew how to do body work, paint cars, and had a paint store, didn't mean ya ll would automatically trust me to the point of buying from The Paint Spot. No, that wasn't going to do it, but bringing something else to the table just might!

Whatever it Takes , yeah that sounds just like some bull shit slogan that some big time corporate bull shit artist would come up with right? WRONG! In these three years, ya ll know one thing for sure, when I say Whatever it Takes I mean business! There is not much (if anything) that I would not do for anyone who calls The Paint Spot, regardless if you buy from us or not, and if you don't think that in itself has not forced our competition to re-think their business practices .think again! May 10% discount You know, I really look forward to the Customer Appreciation Day . Who doesn't like a party? But because of the situation with this piece of property and these big shots from CVS, there was just too much uncertainty with respect to scheduling an event the size of that not your fault. That s where the idea of giving you back 10% came from, and from a numbers perspective, 10% seemed about what it traditionally cost us. The results were impressive to say the least! When I thought this deal up, I would be lying to you if I didn't say that I was concerned financially how this would affect The Paint Spot. I.e. if the revenue stayed the same for the month of May with no increase in volume due to the 10% discount, then we really would have taken a big hit. But we did increase sales, and substantially at that! So think about what I just put in black and white . Do you think the competition is not going to read this? Do you think they didn't read last month s newsletter announcing that we were going to do this? Answer: They are and they did! Now, do you think they will have to come up with something similar to counter what The Paint Spot has done? Answer: You can bet your ass! And that's exactly what I started this newsletter with and the Mission Statement of The Paint Spot! Another June milestone: I turn 57 years old the 16th! That is a milestone , for some it could be a tombstone ! Ok, time to get serious, for one of my friends it was a tombstone and he was only forty nine. Darrell DeMarcay Double D as we all knew him. Was a good man, a good friend, and he will be deeply missed. We are working on his memorial / benefit as we speak, and is scheduled for June 8, 2013 at the Startzville VFW Post 8800. Word of caution: If you are not eating to your blood type, you should seriously consider it! If you are consuming gluten

Today is June 3, 2013. I originally wrote this month s newsletter and finished it May 30, 2013. I'm probably confusing you, so let me explain. I had the newsletter completely finished and edited by last Friday. Saturday I attended my youngest daughter s high school graduation and decided that the subject matter in the newsletter needed to be changed so much so, that the original had to be completely scrapped! I did have some help making that decision (thank you Darla). The subject matter not only took a back seat to what I now want to say, but it was quite toxic and I'm embarrassed to say, totally Rick. There is only one surviving copy of the lost episode in existence (Sorry Darla, but even yours was premature, unedited, and not complete. Can you imagine what the finished piece read like?) and it will join the annals of history by resting comfortably in my safe, which only my daughter has the combination to, until my death! Some fatherly words .. Saturday June 1, 2013 I attended my daughter Cheyenne s high school graduation in San Marcos (Texas State University). As I sat there, I saw parents and students fill the room as I have seen so many times before. It felt like a formal version of a Cheerleading practice, or one of many Canyon Lake Hawks games, but I knew this was going to be different. As the students took their seats and the faculty began to announce who was who and what their accomplishments were, I began to feel overcome with sadness. I suddenly realized that gone were the sleepovers. Gone were the slumber parties, the camping trips where it was normal for Cheyenne s friends to be a part of the Ciotti excursions. No more patching little girl s wounds, and wiping runny noses. No more running to the school to drop off the kids, and then going back to pick them up so many hours later. Gone are all the practices and games as far away as 100 miles that Rick was always there for. No more car washes and cookie sales (wait a minute, that's a good thing). No more science projects or functional roller coasters (I also had two step daughters that I built those things for) that I used to bitch about, but secretly loved. No more championship , a game that me and Cheyenne played where she d sit on my feet while I laid on my back and lifted her as high as I could so she could touch the ceiling. No more word of the week , where I would take a word out of readers digest, teach her how to say it, spell it, and use it in a sentence. All these thoughts were racing through my mind at the speed of sound. All at once it seem to hit me like a ton of bricks!

I saw Cheyenne walk in wearing her cap and gown and sporting her white chord signifying that she was graduating with honors, the top 15 percent (a couple more students, and she would have been top 10%) and I teared up. She looked so beautiful as well as confident and ready for the world. I felt like screaming her name, but thought I would choke up just trying. I then saw and listened to Kelsey Long , a very good friend of Cheyenne s and one who spent almost as much time at our house as her own, speak so eloquently and grown up that it was official these were no longer kids! I don't know if it's because I've been a single parent for most of Cheyenne s childhood and assumed the duties of mom and dad, or this overwhelming feeling just happens to every parent. Could it be that I was 38 when Cheyenne was born? How about the fact that her first night out of the womb was spent in my arms? Maybe all the nights that I would put her to bed, and she would beg me to come back for her when mom fell asleep .and I did. Or could it be that she is the last? After all, I have two other older children. I don't know! To me the whole thing, all eighteen years, feels like me and my little one fell asleep for a quick nap like so many times before, and when I woke up she was grown and ready to go out on her own, without dad. She has been accepted at San Diego State. Ironically, we left Southern California when she was 2 months old. We wanted to raise her in a better place (California sucks). Now Cheyenne could have been accepted anywhere she wanted, and of all places, she picks Southern California! Although she was born in So. Cal. she has spent her entire life here in Texas, and I say this . You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl! I hope she comes back, and I really hope she doesn't turn Democrat! ( I am definitely not pleased with her decision, but I support what she wishes. She is tough like her mom in that regard, and if you go up against her, spite is a handy option, besides I think it will do her some good to figure out just why we left California! LOL !!

Cheyenne Dominic Ciotti Cum laude thank you for a job well done. You are ready for the world, and how lucky the world is to have you. You were, are, and will always be the love of my life. You have made me so proud, there is no word intense enough for description. Now go my little one, go and find greatness it's waiting for you just as it always has been.

NorthStar: Lusid technologies has come up with a base coat binder for their NorthStar line. NorthStar is our Fleet line of paint that has always been a single stage. Blending a single stage paint can be a little tricky for painters and panel painting has its limitations. Since most of the OEM fleet vehicles were a single stage paint from the factory, there wasn't much sense in having a base coat data base include most of those formulas (other than the standard solid colors). Most of the time we would custom match colors in Matrix base coat when the painter requested it, which was both costly and time consuming. The toners in the NorthStar are different than Matrix, and it seemed to be close but not exact especially when matching a metallic color. The new binder BC-3 allows us to use all the same toners that would make up a single stage, and by replacing the binder only, you have base coat. Good for you Lusid! Any of you fleet guys interested in trying out this exciting new product, please call and we'll be glad to put some in your hands. Matrix:

and you guys had no idea did you? The main reason for the discontinuation (in my opinion) was because of a bunch of whiny salesman and or jobbers! It was rumored to have staining issues because once opened and exposed to air the remaining primer discolored in the can. Now I personally know that had absolutely nothing what so ever to do with staining (The discoloring was a concern, but one that could have been resolved without discontinuing). I know this because Slix painted 27 vehicles with MP-1000 all the way through the process and 11 were white (and this was after the discontinuation)! White was said to be the most likely to stain. Furthermore, I used Matrix, NorthStar, PPG, and CPS paints no problems to this very day! The staining issue was polyester putty (all brands) the whole time and just so happened to coincidentally intersect with the discovery that MP-1000 was discoloring in the can after it had been opened. Unfortunately, I think I had something to do with that. I had been getting complaints (and noticing at Slix) of staining primarily on white and silver vehicles. Upon investigating, not one of the suppliers or manufacturers would admit to any problems (they later did, but that was way after MP-1000 got the axe) so I called Brian. I knew that if anyone could figure out what was going on, it would be him, and in doing so I think the guys at Matrix figured .. Staining + Discoloration = MP-1000 .. In this world of automotive paint that we're in, we are accustomed to certain things. One of those things is a 4:1 mix ratio. The MP-1000 mixed as a primer was a no brainer ..it mixed 4:1 w/MA-1000. When the MP-1000 was to be mixed as a sealer the ratio changed to 2:2:1 (MP-1000, MA-1000, and MC-1000). That was the big dilemma. Us painters and body men (note how I include myself) pride our selves on being able to do what not just anyone can do, but we generally are not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to things like

MATH! We also don't like to admit that, which is why we tend to get creative when faced with mathematical cluster *%#k! At that point we just assume a little of this plus a little of that and bata bing bata boom .It s mixed! Not with the MP-1000 and not with any quality product!

It was a beautiful product. It was so versatile, that if you were to explain the process of bare metal to ready for paint in feet (which is how I personally sold MP-1000), you could say the entire process was 10 feet long traditionally, but with MP-1000 the process was 3 feet from start to ready for paint! And Matrix is the only company in the world that has it! I loved it and continued its use and selling it until today (6/4/13 .because I finally ran out). I have to date, never had a complaint regarding its use (other than one customer who because of his old fashioned ways preferred to stay with MP-550 and MP-900 instead). So why is it that The Paint Spot had no problems but other jobbers did? The answer is simple ..Because we're The Paint Spot and we do Whatever it Takes ! This includes making damn sure the customer knows exactly how to use the product! When you're teaching them the mix ratio, and they're nodding their head yes, you need to look at their face. If their face resembles a question mark, they don't understand shit

I know what I just said sounds like a joke, but I actually did have to look at the faces of the user. That s how I knew where I stood! Nobody wants to appear dumb so they go along with you thinking it's no big deal. If you let that happen here s what happens next; The job gets blown, you or your product gets blamed, and some other jobber with some other paint brand walks in and picks up low lying fruit ! The Paint Spot had no problems because we set out not to have problems, and the other Bozos didn't! It s as simple as that! They all ought to be damn lucky they didn't work for me (and this includes anyone employed by Matrix) I would have liked to whip their asses and then fire what was left! Shame on you for having greatness and treating it so poorly! New Product: MP-200 Matrix has a partial replacement for the MP-1000. I like to refer to it as 2nd generation, but I have to tell you that some of the versatility is no longer in the new version. To appease the whiners (I assume) the product has a 4:1 mix ratio and cannot be converted to a sealer (. I have used this product and I like it. It is very user friendly as well as cost effective and I have an order in place as we speak (already have outstanding back orders). Ask us and we'll be glad to give you a sample (while samples last). Another new product: MS-78 Matrix has released a new Euro type clear that flys the Matrix label (not refinish solutions) so the warranty is applicable. This clear is a 4.4 VOC and has three hardeners which makes it easy to use in different temperatures. I have an order pending and I will personally try this clear and advise A.S.A.P. I am really excited about this product for several reasons and expect that you all will be too ..especially when you find out what it costs! Results and cost breakdown will be forthcoming. As with most of the Matrix products, this clear is also available in the LV line (low VOC) for those of you who are either in restricted areas or just prefer to use greener technology. Ask for it by the MSV-23 designation. May 10% discount:

.SUCSESS! I was concerned about the outcome of such a decision, but felt compelled to go ahead with it because I really felt that you were getting unfairly ripped off by not having the customer appreciation day. My concern was; if we don't increase sales volume and give 10% of our revenue away