We want to be better!

As far as color goes.. Is it really a good time to create color? I mean what direction would you go.. Water/solvent?
 
I think you would have to go solvent with the option to go lower voc later down the road...if not do low voc now. I just dont think water is going to be a long term thing. Color would be nice. I wasn't around when you were making color, but from what i've seen, never heard anything negative out of it, just like everything else! I look back at HOK and wonder what they would be without a color line...even though its special/effect colors and not a mixing type system, you wonder where they would be, not offering those colors. Just thinking outloud!
 
It would be nice to see more colors like there used to be...I would say in solvent base, as most of us are familiar with it, and know what to expect from it. Even if cost of colors went up, I'm sure it would still be way cheaper then dealing with your local jobber.
 
i think it is the next big step, imo. You think you would gain more jobbers if you had a mixing system color line?
 
I've been wondering why some company hasn't just taken solvent color and made it up with exempt stuff like Oxsol 100. Seems too easy...?
 
i don't think the volume is there for colors at this time. you can expand to a point where the headaches and problems outweigh the return. the #1 problem i have is i do the complete job. it was more profitable when i just did paint. less headaches , less equipment, just one hell of a lot simpler to run.
 
I would like to see you bring back some of the colors you had in the past. I'm glad I bought a lot before you quit. I have enough to paint about 10 cars as long as most are red, than one each white, yellow, orange and black.
 
the colors were a great thing. colors and coverage were good for solids but to be free to expand that line into metallics i think the actual makeup of it needs some rework for good metallic control, faster drying. probably a little more polyester in it. they were very enamel like. other than that the only trouble i ever has was with the black. it just wan't black at all. very grey. it started out nice and black in the very beginning but then it was always grey....and not just a little.
 
If colors were to be considered why not specialize? Just produce certain products that restorers and custom shops have a hard time getting - like the red oxide primer.
 
great idea but specialty means not used too often which means low sales and shelf life to deal with. appeal to the masses. i believe the colors that were produced originally were designed for the restorer. common restoration colors.
 
I think you should have different ads to rotate over a several month period (possibly one featuring the Judge that was recently sold at auction).

I agree that the product labels and tech sheets should include more product features and benefits.

I think it would be worth investing in professional photography and writing.

I don't think a color line is worth the hassle.

It would be great if Barry's knowledge were made available in an online library, blog, etc.

There should be periodic conference calls where jobbers can share ideas.
 
I would like the black single stage brought back. I started using it and then it was dropped. I went back to my old main stay of Emron which I just purchased a full gallon with reducer for 400 dollars. I did a couple of demos for car clubs a few years ago with great interest. Barry supplied some product catalogs and I had great interest from members. Club members thought I was working for SPI since I kept talking up the product. It was hard to convince them that quality was the passion. Anyway, the last couple of years since the demos Ive ran into different club members at different shows and they always ask me if I use that whatever brand paint. Usually by this time they are interested in one of the colors that I showed them. It kinda sucks to tell them "well they no longer make colors" and then they look at me like I was mixing the stuff in my bathtub. That part kinda blows. I would like a clear with all the properties of MS only harder. I know the Euro seems a little harder but it's also harder to rub. Otherwise the customer service is unbeatable. A booth setup at Hershey probably wouldn't be a bad for business either. One of the the largest car shows in the country and the swapmeet runs from tues til sat.
 
brad, you should have chad mix you up a gallon of black prospray ss. way cheaper. i also hear good things about motostorm's black ice ss. its half what you paid and probably looks better. imron is nice and durable but doesn't look so hot.
 
I agree that a presence at the bigger trade and car shows would help spread the word. Maybe the local jobber in that area could participate. I am near Hershey and Carlisle would be interested in doing these shows.
 
The Car Craft Summer Nats in St Paul is also a big show, the Back to the Fifties show is also in the same place and big-over 10K cars there last year.
 
The colors.. base/ss.. I think it's more headache than it's worth, unless another line was bought, but i think that's going into a completely different direction, and I could see where it could be tough on a company. I couldn't imagine the grief that would go into color research. probably need a team just for that alone.
 
Chad you're probably right about the colors, no ea$y $olutions$ there.

Barry has hinted that he's looking to buy a leftover system, so all
we can hope is that something good comes through.

In the mean time SPI can improve on what they do best,
which is pretty much the rest of the refinishing products.

Aren't we a lucky bunch after all? =)
 
Thanks for all the feed back, we will have a meeting on this thread Tuesday and come up with a game plan.

Re colors, I'm buying another mill in next month but even when we had the colors, I remember one guy getting bent out of shape because we did not have a silver that was used only on 73-74 corvette, so if you have 15 or 100, it can piss people off.

My favorite saying is the majors do a great job on colors, so pick the one of your choice and we do what we do best on the odds and ends.
 
Is there any way to work with a company like DeBeers and have them supply everything in bulk, I think back to the days when Sherwin Williams, Acme, and Martin Senior were all the same product-not that they were any good but they did share the same materials and colormatch info.
 
It just never works out long term, that is why we have taken the attitude, if we don't make it, we don't sell it, quality control is more critical for a small company like us, then it is for a major.

One major had a rash of delaminations in last year, no fall out at all and 90% of the shops bought the part, they did something wrong.
We could never get away with that, because we are smaller, it is automatically our fault, from runs to die-back to orange peel.
 
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