Every November when SEMA rolls around, all of the paint companies step up in a big way to shine for four days and Valspar Automotive surely did exactly that at this year's Show in Las Vegas.
Among all of the fanfare and frenetic activity, Valspar Automotive was in to win it this year as they represented all of their other brands, including Matrix Automotive Finishes, Prospray Finishes and DeBeer Refinish.
It was all about amazing vehicles, new product announcements and celebrity appearances at 2016 SEMA for Valspar Automotive. The company hosted the stars of two reality TV shows--Counting Cars on History and The Discovery Channel’s Gas Monkey Garage--and also displayed a series of breathtaking vehicles that attracted crowds to their booth during the entire show.
Show attendees who visited Valspar Automotive's booth on November 3 got to meet Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage and the entire paint crew that works for Danny “the Count” Koker in his Count's Kustoms refinishing shop, including Lonny Speer, Ryan Evans and “Horny” Mike Henry. Rawlings and the Count’s crew autographed limited-edition posters, signed cards and took pictures with fans.
After meeting Rawlings and getting an autograph, Mark Watson a painter for a collision center in Ohio was gushing about the reality star and how much he loves spraying Valspar's products.
"This is quite a thrill to finally meet Richard Rawlings, because I have been watching his show forever," Watson said."I have been using Valspar now for about two years and the product is exceptional. We get dead-on color matches and the cars come out looking great. Just look at some of the vehicles right here in the Valspar Automotive booth and you can see what I am talking about."
Featured vehicles in Valspar Automotive's booth and in other locations at SEMA showcased the global leader’s coatings, including an original True Blue Pearl on a 1967 Mustang Fastback from the Matrix Automotive Finishes line; A 1966 Ford Fairlane GTA by Tony Lanesky of Anton’s Hot Rod Shop of Cleveland, OH from the DeBeer Refinish line; a 1978 Pontiac Trans Am in Prospray Finishes by John Wargo of The Custom Shop in Flanagan, IL as well as a custom trike in Matrix colors from Las Vegas’ notorious Count's Kustoms and History’s Counting Cars.
Owned by John Wargo and his wife Kim, The Custom Shop has featured many vehicles at SEMA in the past. Starting in the 1990s, the Wargo family began showing their spectacular custom builds and quickly became a huge name in the industry. In 2001, SEMA awarded The Custom Shop the Meguiar’s Shine Award, and in 2008 they captured the Best Truck award. Both of those award-winning vehicles were painted in Prospray Finishes, a Valspar Automotive brand.
Wargo has been using Prospray for many years, he said, and that's why he was so happy to have a car at Valspar Automotive's booth this year. “Prospray is a perfect paint for what we try to achieve with every build for customers all over the country," he said. "We rely on it for great finishes and the product has never failed us." Wargo’s 1977 Trans Am used only Prospray colors, including Ruby Red (M7-27700), Mystical Pearl (FX-708), Wilderness Candy (UC-03) and Spectra Flair (SF-1-18).
Three additional vehicles represented Valspar Automotive and its brands, including a 1958 Plymouth Belvedere in Prospray Finishes by Wargo; a 1967 Ford Mustang in Matrix Automotive Finishes by Brandon Knowles of Brand-X-Customs in Everett, WA; and a 1947 Ford Pickup in Valspar Automotive Refinish by Bo Vescio of Vescio Customizing and Restoration in Minneapolis, MN.
Valspar Automotive Regional Sales Manager Ken Papich knows a lot about the collision repair industry in the West, especially in the three states where he manages a sales force--California, Nevada and Oregon. As a SEMA veteran, Papich discussed the show and all of the brands Valspar Automotive carries.
"SEMA allows us to wave our flag and showcase all of our brands," Papich said. "All of our products have their own niches and each scenario is different. One shop may prefer one of our low VOC products, depending on their location, for instance. We offer something for everyone and focus on things like versatility and, of course, quality."
Valspar Automotive succeeds because they help their customers to be better operators while saving money via less product usage. "We provide training and support that is world-class and we pride ourselves on that. We have more people out on the street visiting shops and helping them to save money by using less product."
Ed Attanasio