Page 12 - Australasian Paint & Panel Magazine Jan-Feb 21

NEWS
12
PAINT&PANEL
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
RECALIBRATION IN TOWNSVILLE
BRIEFS
ALLIANZ BUYS WESTPAC
Westpac has announced it will sell Westpac General Insurance Limited and Westpac General Insurance Services Limited to Allianz and enter into an exclusive 20-year agreement for the distribution of general insurance products to Westpac’s customers.
The sale price of $725m represents a multiple of 1.3x. The new distribution arrangement expands the Group’s existing partnership with Allianz, which has seen Westpac distribute a range of Allianz’s products to customers including Auto, Travel, Boat and Business insurance since 2015.
Completion of the transaction is expected in the second half of 2021.
AXALTA TRAINING COURSES
Axalta has launched its 2021 training schedule, for both product training and Axalta Services. The 2021 programme will be held across Axalta’s five state- based training centres and will cover a range of topics. Participants with be provided with valuable insights into the latest tools, techniques and methodologies needed to increase throughput and decrease cycle times within the body repair process.
The most noteworthy new addition to the training schedule is a product course focusing on Axalta’s fast-cure, low energy systems which use proprietary, patented Axalta technology. In these courses, participants will learn how to cut process times by up to 50% for the entire refinish process and how they can save energy by drying at temperatures as low as 20C.
The courses also earn I-CAR training credits. More information: axalta.com.au/training.
DAMIAN CADDIES, GENERAL MANAGER
at Col Summerhayes Crash repair in Townsville, Queensland has announced that the company has set up its own calibration centre.
"Having been a part of manufacturer approved repairer programs since 2014 we have watched the progression of technology move from the standard clear codes and wave a happy customer goodbye to the need for hi-tech recali- bration to ensure customer's ADAS sys- tems work the way the OEMs intended," Caddies said.
"Over the past five years we have been towing vehicles from our prestige shop to dealers post repair for calibra-
tions which has been blowing our key to key times and hurting cashflow.
"Over the past two years our general smash shop has been having to tow cars to dealers for post repair calibrations as the ADAS technology has filtered into more mainstream vehicles.
"We identified a need for a dedicated calibration centre that was focused on this task only, to give same day turna- rounds on calibrations," he said.
Parent company Autobody Group has three repair facilities in the group, two in Townsville. Caddies reports that the ADAS centre is going well, with six local repair businesses on board keeping the technicians busy full time.
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AMA SELLS ACAD
AMA HAS SOLD GUD HOLDINGS ITS ACAD
businesses, including the Fully Equipped business and excluding the ACM Auto Parts and Fluiddrive businesses, for $70m. The ACAD business is the after- market arm of AMA and includes East Coast Bullbars, CSM Service Bodies, Au- tomotive Electrical & 4WD Accessories, Uneek 4x4/Barden Fabrications and NZ aftermarket accessories maker Fully Equipped. The proceeds of the sale $70m will be used to retire debt accord- ing to the announcement.
CEO Andy Hopkins said “I am ex- cited about the transaction which al- lows AMA Group management to fo-
cus on driving growth in its core operations and reinforces the strength of our balance sheet position thereby ensuring we are in the strongest posi- tion possible to deliver future shareholder value growth.