Don & Sons Body Shop of Ames, Iowa, announced that their painter, Derek Kepley, has earned the prestigious Axalta Master Painter’s Certification. He is the 35th person in the U.S. to be recognized for this level of mastery in his trade.

To obtain this certification, Kepley, who has worked at Don & Sons for 25 years, had to complete advanced multi-level course work covering professional levels of conceptual understanding, troubleshooting and professional refinish application. After completing all the necessary classwork, Kepley spent a week at the Axalta Refinish Training Academy, a 36,000-square-foot world-class paint application center located on the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Charlotte, N.C., offering cutting-edge technology for paint refinishing.

“The skills and professional development offered by Axalta are amazing, and I am honored to be recognized at this level by our industry and my peers,” said Derek Kepley.

Added Don & Sons Body Shop Owner Todd Martin, “Don & Sons Body Shop is committed to continual professional development and is very proud of Derek for having the leadership and know-how to achieve this. We are very proud of him.”

Don & Sons Body Shop is celebrating their 40th year of business in 2018.