“We would like to take the opportunity at NACE to demonstrate our commitment to the collision repair industry, which includes the development and continuous improvement of our automotive stores to offer the best product mix, presentation and service to our customers,” said SWAFC President Tom Hablitzel. “We will continue to invest in our network of stores and expand our geographic presence. We will constantly look for opportunities to improve the product and service offering of SW Automotive with the productivity of our customers as our primaryobjective.”

Having recently opened its 200th branch in Calumet Park, Ill. (just outside Chicago), its new and renovated stores have a consistent look and feel, reinforcing the Sherwin-Williams brand while providing customers with an instant comfort level and familiarity with the store whether they are in California or Canada.

As part of SWAFC’s strategy to enhance the purchasing experience for its customers, the company has opened and/or renovated 200 existing stores to include wider, more open aisles, brighter lighting and newly organized displays of coordinating products – all in an effort to make it easier to buy automotive paint and associated products.

Hablitzel adds that there is now a greater selection of SWAFC-branded products, such as Planet Color® and ULTRA™, in a convenient and easy-to-navigate format. Improved merchandise presentation and graphic displays enable customers to more easily locate product segments within the store as well.

Computerized technical information about color selection and application will be readily available, along with on-site technical support.

“We want to show NACE attendees we are the one-stop-shop for the repair and refinish industry,” added Hablitzel.  “Our stores make it easy for customers to find the products and services they need to be profitable and productive.”