Bogi Lateiner of Bogi’s Garage and Velocity’s “All Girls Garage” will be at the 2018 Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Conference in Indianapolis.

BASF is sponsoring Lateiner’s appearance, as well as sponsoring the WIN conference for the 10th year in a row. The conference will take place May 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis.

BASF also is sponsoring the all-female-built Chevy Montage, an award-winning 1957 pickup truck, which will be on display at the conference. Lateiner organized a team of nearly 100 women from all over the country – 30 percent of whom had zero automotive experience – to restore the truck.

The truck was unveiled at SEMA 2017 in BASF’s booth and is coated in a custom R-M color, “Tenacious Teal,” which Lateiner developed with BASF color experts.

“I didn’t grow up in this industry,” Lateiner said. “And it wasn’t easy to find a place for myself as a female. Women make up less than 2 percent of mechanics and that is pretty consistent throughout collision. The inspirational women that took part in the all-female build, WIN members and the many women that came before me that made it possible for me to do what I do – we are all paving a way for the future generations of women and the future of our industry. I see our network growing steadily and I’m excited for the future and the impact we are making in the automotive aftermarket.”

BASF North American Distribution Director Denise Kingstrom is leading the way for industry women. Kingstrom, a member of the WIN board, encourages her co-workers and customers to network and join WIN.

“It’s important for young women to see females succeeding in the workplace everywhere, but especially in collision repair, where the workforce is predominantly male,” said Kingstrom. “WIN is dedicated to attracting women to our industry and giving them a place to network; projects like the all-female build are a great way to showcase our ability and success.”

 To register for the 2018 WIN Conference, visit the WIN website.