Norcross, Georgia — October 15, 2013 — AkzoNobel will be holding a symposium on innovative sustainability solutions during SEMA 2013.
SEMA week will begin for AkzoNobel with a press conference on Monday, Nov. 4, announcing the collision repair industry’s first Sustainability Education Challenge Grant. The grant, sponsored by AkzoNobel and administered by the Collision Repair Education Foundation, was created to stimulate the awareness, development, and delivery of innovative sustainability solutions within secondary and post-secondary institutions. The press conference will precede the AkzoNobel Sustainability Leadership Symposium beginning at 1 p.m. in room #N231 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The third annual AkzoNobel Sustainability Leadership Symposium is being presented this year, for the first time, as a learning component under the SEMA Education Program. It is free and open to all show attendees. The symposium is comprised of collision repair industry stakeholders discussing key issues and proposing strategies for advancing sustainability. The ultimate goal of this endeavor is to create an independent industry coalition dedicated to the advancement of sustainable business practices within the collision repair industry. The symposium will be conducted by Mike Shesterkin of What’s Next Sustainability Consulting and Sara Tollin, AkzoNobel Global Sustainability Specialist.
Guest panellists include:
- Jay Givens – Owner, Givens Collision Repair Center / FIT Honouree
- Jeff Butler – Owner, Haury’s Lake City Collision / FIT Honouree • Clark Plucinski – Exec. Dir., Collision Repair Education Foundation / FIT Honouree
- Jake Weyer – Editor, Fender Bender Magazine • Trish Serratore – President, NATEF
- Michael Giarrizio – President & CEO, DCR Systems
- Marcy Tieger – Consultant, Symphony Advisors
- Keith Hudd – National Manager, The Economical Insurance Group
- Eileen Sottile – VP of Governmental Affairs, LKQ Corporation
In addition, three other education programs will be led by AkzoNobel Services Consultants, Tim Ronak, Scott Wheeler and Bob Gilbert. The classes are entitled:
- The Future of Cars – Self driving cars fact or fiction Tuesday, Nov. 5, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
- Competing in a Consolidated Marketplace Wednesday, Nov. 6, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Collision Repair Center Parts Management Thursday, Nov. 7, – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
“We are very excited to have so many unique opportunities to introduce show attendees to our industry-leading refinish brands and sustainability initiatives,†said Laura Costello, Director of Marketing for AkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings Americas. “With the magnitude of SEMA’s global influence in the automotive aftermarket segment, we knew it was the perfect venue to showcase our ongoing commitment to products and practices that are designed to help grow and prosper our industry.â€
AkzoNobel will also have its multi-brand refinish portfolio on display, in addition to its exclusive SEMA 2013 education classes.
Select products from the Sikkens, Lesonal and Wanda brands will be on display at Booth #25043 in the South Hall’s Racing & Performance area. In addition, stickerfix, a commercial DIY paint solution from AkzoNobel, will be featured in Booth #13049 in the North Hall’s Appearance and Accessories area.
For more information on AkzoNobel, please visit AkzoNobel.com.
