BASF: Modernized training center for refinish coatings

The official reopening of the modernized Refinish Competence Center was celebrated at BASF Spain's site in Marchamalo (Guadalajara). From now on, technicians from paint stores, dealers and representatives of well-known automotive brands - all customers of BASF in Spain and Portugal - will be trained in the application of BASF's well-known premium brands Glasurit and R-M at the new training center.

In addition, numerous events are planned on site aimed at promoting future young talent, including, for example, initiatives such as R-M's "Best Painter Contest" or "Castilla La Mancha Skills" and the training of vocational school teachers as part of the FORTECO course program.

Originally built in 1983, the facility was considered from the outset to be the premier address for training more than 2,000 BASF customers annually throughout the Iberian Peninsula. In order to master the complicated techniques of color matching and automotive refinishing and to have an overview of the latest innovations of both brands, the specific training courses offered by the training center are indispensable.

Since the beginning of the year, around 2.5 million euros have been invested in the remodeling of the Marchamalo facility to create an improved customer experience at the highest technological level. The key driver behind the modernization of the training center was a desire for innovation and to create outstanding customer experiences. In selecting and installing the new facilities, special emphasis was placed on sustainability and environmental protection. For example, BASF's new facilities ensure maximum energy efficiency and lower emissions.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Patricia Franco Jiménez, Minister of Economy, Trade and Employment of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, and Rafael Esteban Santamaría, Mayor of Marchamalo, among others. The company was represented by Katja Scharpwinkel, Senior Vice President Automotive Refinish Coatings EMEA, Carles Navarro Vigo, Managing Director Country Cluster Head Iberia, Christian Schneider, responsible for the Marchamalo center and Director of Operations, and Ramón Farré Gaudier, Regional Business Manager Automotive Refinish Coatings Iberia.

The Coatings division's headquarters in Spain are located at the production center in Marchamalo (Guadalajara). Originally built in 1867, the plant has been used by BASF as a production center since 1982.

About 650 employees work on the approximately 310,000-square-meter site. With two coatings factories, a resins factory and a facility for large-scale batch production, the plant comprises four state-of-the-art production facilities. In addition to the now renovated training center, the site also has an application center for automotive coatings and test and development laboratories for all major product segments.

Products manufactured in Guadalajara include high-tech coatings for the automotive industry and demanding application areas, various acrylates, binders for electrocoating, thix additives, polyesters and other specific resins for use as intermediates, as well as architectural coatings, fillers and sealants for tunnel boring machines.