More than 60,000 automotive and aftermarket professionals attended the 2014 SEMA Show November 4-7, and the AkzoNobel exhibit booth was among the notable hot spots for showgoers and media as they gathered to view three award-winning custom vehicles on display.
Representing each of the AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes brands were:
- 2014 SRT Viper convertible – painted in a custom Sikkens brand Tyrian Purple Tri-coat. The vehicle is one of 10 Viper convertibles in production and was picked by Autoweek magazine as the No. 1 Viper displayed at SEMA and the only Viper on their list.
- 2014 C7 Corvette – painted in Lesonal brand’s Ember Gold and EZ Matte Finish. The car was named by Vette magazine as the No. 1 choice among the top 10 Corvettes displayed at SEMA. GM Performance magazine also chose the vehicle as their pick in the Top 5 Corvettes dispalyed at the show.
- 1954 Custom Chevy Pro Touring Pickup – painted in Wanda brand’s Titanium and Copper Blaze colors. The vintage beauty was nominated for the Good Guy’s Gold Award and named as one of GM Engineering’s top choices at SEMA.
The vehicles weren’t the only visual representation of AkzoNobel’s high-performance coatings capabilities. The booth’s vivid graphics and photos communicated the company’s global leadership in color excellence, color tools, business services and its supporting performance coatings’ divisions.
That same leadership was also demonstrated during the fourth annual Sustainability Leadership Symposium on Monday, Nov. 3. This was the second time the symposium was held during SEMA as part of the show’s educational offering and included U.S. and Canadian collision repair industry stakeholders, trade publications and AkzoNobel FIT Sustainability award recipients. This cross-industry forum is expected to become the nucleus of a new coalition that will spearhead several sustainability initiatives in 2015.
“Our team could not be more pleased with the positive outcomes of SEMA week,” said Doug Holmberg, AkzoNobel’s business director for Vehicle Refinishes North America. “From the outstanding accolades received over the finishes on the display cars, to the booth traffic and symposium participation, it is clear that AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes in North America continues to be a leading industry player in collision repair and is positioned for the next wave of growth.”