01FEBRUARY 2014

CROMAX® TESTS DAISY WHEEL

Dear Readers

It’s been an exciting year forour brand. Not only did wesee our parent companybecome Axalta Coating

Systems, but also I took on the role of the EMEAbrand manager.

But the biggest landmark of 2013 was the launch,in September, of the Cromax® brand – the newname for DuPont Refinish. These changes,particularly the introduction of the Cromax® brand,have been widely embraced in the market. Thisissue of the newly redesigned Newsround willbring you right up to date with what’s happeningwith the brand right now.

Enjoy, and all the best for a prosperous 2014.

We always try to help you be as productiveas possible. With this in mind Cromax® iscurrently testing a new automated DaisyWheel dosing system from FillonTechnologies. It is designed to mix, to storeand to dose paint with complete accuracy.Only once the in-depth testing has beencompleted, and our strict criteria met, will weoffer the new system to interestedbodyshops, as well as to distributors whooffer ready-mixed colours. Our bodyshopsand technicians put their trust in our brand,in our products and in our services becausewe ensure new technologies and applicationtechniques meet their requirements beforewe make anything commercially available.The Daisy Wheel is no different. When usedwith Cromax® colour matching tools, theDaisy Wheel could ensure the perfect colourmatch every time, reaping fantasticproductivity benefits for bodyshops.

AN AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS BRAND

NEWSROUND

02 CROMAX®

03 LABELS

04 FIVE STAR

Our fresh new visual identity

New look can for new look brand

We've made Five Star the star

HIGHLIGHTS

WELCOME TO THECROMAX® BRAND

September 2013 marked an exciting event in ourcompany – the global launch of the Cromax® brand. Itwas always going to be a difficult task to fill the shoes ofa brand as iconic as DuPont Refinish, but Cromax® hasmore than lived up to the challenge.

The independence of our parent company, AxaltaCoating Systems, was the driver behind the re-brand.Cromax® - a very well-established, well-known name withan incredibly positive reputation – was the clear choicefor the new brand name.

And with the new name came an exciting, dynamic logoand fresh visual identity to set the brand apart fromcompetitors and to bring our brand to life.But while the look and feel of the brand has changed, somany things have not. We are still the same people whochampion productivity from the front to the back of thebodyshop.

The technologies behind the Cromax® brand’s productsthat you know and trust haven’t changed – what’s insideof the can remains the same. And the names of theproduct families – Cromax® Pro, Cromax® Basecoat,Centari®, Imron® Fleet Line - stay the same.

What our brand stands forWe are so much more than a logo. We are a true,globally-relevant brand that still focuses on improvingproductivity. Our values – the fundamental pillars onwhich our brand is built – include innovation, localisedsolutions, putting customers first and driving businessforward. The personality of our brand – the distinctivetone and style in which we communicate with each otherand with our customers – sees us always movingforward.

We have an active, inspiring style that conveys ourenthusiasm. Everything about the new branding that hasbeen created illustrates that we are engaging andapproachable; we stand out.

New Cromax® signageAt every touch point the new signage – internal andexternal - conveys the Cromax® brand’s personality. Atthe most basic level it provides identification, both of thebrand and of the area or item the signage represents. Ona deeper level, the new Cromax® signage is dedicated toclear communication and productivity.

Our new signage is based on a modular concept. Itsuniversally applicable design has a distinctive flat panellook and feel that can be seen throughout the new visualidentity. It has been designed for maximum flexibility; it isdeliverable in various ways and in various materials.

External fascia with one- or two-sided lightboxes willcontain not only the bodyshop’s name but also the iconsof the programmes offered in clean circular treatments.Entrance signs and totems mirror the style and feel of theCromax® brand.

There is a choice of background colours: Cromax® redwith white lettering, grey with red lettering or white withred lettering.

The internal signage has also been designed to be cleanand modern. The Cromax® brand is represented throughthe use of strong, iconic images, pictograms, numbersand wording.

Every conceivable sign you might need from us has beendeveloped. Even the different zones of the bodyshopprocess, or the journey through a training centre, can beindicated with the new signage.

And because we know how important it is, we have madethe new signage as future-proof as possible. We havealready considered how it would be integrated into videoscreens and applications.

What now?The transition to Cromax® continues. Things we havebeen able to change quickly, have been done. But otherthings take a little more time. The labels on our cans are agood example of this - see the article opposite for moreinformation.

Signage is another. It is ready, but it will take a period oftime to roll it out to everyone.You may still have questionsabout the new brand, and we would encourage you tospeak to your local Cromax® representative.

Change is good and this change has shown thatCromax® is a brand that is ready to meet the challengesof tomorrow.

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The Cromax® brand has a completely new,fresh and strong logo and visual identity. Soit is only right that all of the product linesreceive a fresh label design too.

With our new labels for the products of theCromax® brand, we’ve set out to make yourlife easier, so you can move on to otherthings more quickly. The new-look labelshave been designed in such a way that it isnow quick and easy to identify the productfamilies.

NEW-LOOK CANSFOR A NEW BRAND

Cromax® Pro Basecoat, Cromax® Basecoat,Centari® and Imron® Fleet Line each havetheir own design, but all four labeltreatments work in harmony; they areimmediately identifiable as coming from thesame brand.

But our new look goes even further thanthat.

In addition to the product families eachhaving their own design, the bright, fresh-looking labels are now conveniently colour-coded by product type.

It’s easy to distinguish binders (dark red)from clearcoats (blue-grey), undercoats(green) from tints (rainbow), degreasers(turquoise) from activators (ochre), andthinners (blue) from additives (grey) at aglance.

Each can will now also have a wide,coloured band across the front that clearlyshows the product code in large, bold type.The main product descriptor and, if a tint thecolour name, will also appear in this ribbon.

The can will also detail additional informationsuch as storage advice and the respectiveValueShade® number. ValueShade®

provides the optimal undercoat for everytopcoat colour.

For maximum flexibility, the new labels havealso been designed to be suitable for aselection of auxiliary products that go acrossall product families. And although the canmay look different, you will find the sameformulation, quality, reliability andproductivity inside.

New label cans will start to be shipped inearly 2014.

Cromax® keeps PistenBully looking good

When a PistenBully 600 Polar, made byGerman manufacturer Kässbohrer, preparesski slopes and cross-country ski-trails, itfaces extreme conditions.

Below-freezing temperatures, ice crystals,loose snow chips, sharp fir needles, andstrong UV radiation assault the finish.

Family-run bodyshop Autolackiererei FranzGrassl in Germany is well aware of thedamage these conditions can cause. OwnerFranz Grassl praises Cromax®. He says,“Imron® Fleet Line paint system forcommercial vehicles from Cromax® laststwice as long as others!”

And he knows what he’s talking about; thebodyshop deals with as many as 10

complete resprays of PistenBullys everyyear.

The refinishing process comprises one coatof the Cromax® multi-function polyesterputty 779R, followed by the VOC Spray Putty799R which has fast drying properties. Thenone coat of a mixture of the Cromax® LowEmission Primer LE2002 and LE 2004 tocreate ValueShade® 2 is applied andsanded.

Finally, the brilliant, shiny topcoat Imron®

Elite HDC RAL 3020 is applied.

The result is a first-class and durableCromax® refinish, which is as robust as thehard-working PistenBully itself. And that isjust extremely good!

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FIVE STAR IS THE STAR

The introduction of the Cromax® brand andits new visual identity has given us theperfect opportunity to upgrade the look andfeel of Five Star.

Feedback told us that the old Five Star logo,while very recognisable, was a little too busy– Five Star should be the main messageconveyed. With this in mind, we have notincluded the Cromax® brand name or anyother visual in the new logo; Five Star is thestar.

Five Star members are committed todelivering exceptional service. Each memberhas highly-trained staff and the highestlevels of paint technology from the Cromax®

brand to repair vehicles accurately andquickly.

We believe the entire new look and feelreflects these traits. It is much stronger,more modern and accurately represents thehigh quality Five Star stands for. But it stillretains its distinctive and eye-catchingappearance.

And we have worked to ensure the logo fitsseamlessly with the Cromax® look and feel.

But we haven’t stopped there. It’s importantthat our customer marketing programmesalso reflect the new design approach, sothey have had their looks updated too.Lifetime Warranty, Eco Pro and Fast Repairall have new, cleaner, more streamlinedicons.

And pulling everything together is the newFive Star signage. It too boasts cleaner linesand more use of white space, echoing themodern style we’re adopting. We havedesigned the signage to be flexible so youcan adapt it to include your own name andlogo, or simply to add the Five Star elementsonto your own branding.

Five Star continues to go from strength tostrength and with its new look and feel, it isready to meet the challenges of tomorrow,and beyond.

Cromax®Antoon Spinoystraat 6B2800 MechelenBelgium

Editorial office:DA Public Relations Ltd78 York StreetLondon W1H 1DPUK

www.cromax.com axaltacoatingsystems.com

Graphic design:KandesignRaapstraat 142000 AntwerpenBelgium

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