The new partnership with BASF and ING will certainly change the way business is done. Any comments?

I'm not too sure about this. Is ING saying that I have to be a BASF customer to do business with them?

I'm not sure, but if you read the news story it certainly seems like they are pushing things that direction.

I read this to be a collaboration - not a partnership.
Is it possible ING only wants to support any RELY shop in their efforts to convert to waterborne. Does collaborating here mean to discuss the situation?

"The main environmental challenge of body shops across the country is the reduction of their volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions associated with the use of solvent-based automobile paint."-from the ING news release.

Frankly, we would be more impressed and the release more believable if ING would agree to only pay for auto refinishing claims for RELY shops that actually met the legislated standards NOW. A number of ING preferred shops(based on EBR records) unfortunately appear to fail to meet provincial standards (MoE) with solvent based paints NOW, so a suggestion to help them meet some as-yet-to-be-regulated standard in the future has little validation. Perhaps ING will help shops NOW meet current standards?

Considering that coatings firms only intend to manufacture and sell waterbased products to shops in the future, and current CCME low-VOC products would be eventually unavailable means that "promoting conversion" as ING says, is a red herring. If regulation comes, conversion will be eventually a reality as only waterbase products will be offered for sale by the large coatings firms, even though shops are not required to use them.

If the intent is paid product procurement by ING-i.e.- to be a RELY shop you must use BASF product, then we would expect to see major obstacles in their way.

"The road to greater market share is paved only, and should not be spraypainted on its way to more dollars for insurers that should be better spent to help shops." Personal comments only

To my understanding, basf's online management software is going to integrate somewhat into ING's. In about a year from now ING is going to specify you must be using vision plus to track everything for them. You don't necessarily need to be an BASF customer, however you need to purchase access to vision plus at god knows what price if your not using BASF. I've been advised to start tracking using vision plus if our shop is interest in the program.

Justin
www.refinishnetwork.com