PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIELLE NICHOLSON
10 | GLASURIT – WORKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES
Above: Shannon Mills (Panel Shop Manager), Kevin and Carol Mills (Company Directors) and Garey Carruthers (Paint Shop Manager).
NEW TECH, NEW THINKING. One month after installing 90 LINE, the owners of award-winning Mills Collision in Hamilton, New Zealand, realised that new technology required a new approach to their processes. Mills Collision Repair Centre has been in business for over 40 years, specialising in all aspects of collision repairs. They are the only authorised Mercedes-Benz repairer in Waikato, and have won numerous awards, including the Motor Transport Association’s Waikato/Thames Valley Branch People’s Choice Awards in 2010 and again in 2011. It stands to reason then
that the emphasis is on achieving the highest quality finish for every vehicle repaired – which is where Glasurit comes in. The company first started using Glasurit in 1987 and received their technical training from the German expert Manfred Seibel, marking the beginning of their long and successful relationship. Mills Collision Repair Centre moved away from Glasurit for a few years, but soon realised it is a far superior product to what they began using, so made a swift change back. Three years ago they switched to Glasurit 90 LINE. Garey Carruthers, Mills Collision’s Paint Shop Manager, said the company switched to 90 LINE knowing that the paint-shop would achieve a better finish on new model vehicles that were coming in for repair.
“We were having trouble matching the colours to the vehicles coming out of the factory, which were painted with water-borne paint. We found 90 LINE was better. “Straight away the guys loved it – application was easier and the coverage was awesome. Plus it was cleaner and we were able to get rid of the solvent fumes in the mixing room,” he said. Garey and a colleague were given two weeks training by their Glasurit technical sales representative “He came to us and he made the whole process smooth – he looked at what was existing in our workshop, what we needed to change, and he worked with us closely in the booth until we knew what we had to do. He really concentrated on the practical stuff, and by the end of the two weeks, he’d given us all the confidence in the world.”