automotive art paint (motobase)

W

wayne

anyone know any good distributor for automotive art paint(motobase) paint in southern California?
 
They are not the easiest company to deal with as far as finding distributors. I'm still waiting for a call back from a few years ago. Even spoke to the head honcho who said he'd have his guy call me. I'd call the main number and inquire directly.
 
yes, I have done that. it took forever to get reply back. no very supportive, you email them, they will auto reply back state someone will get in touch. but it is been over a month. I did go over with one sale rep, but for new shop setup, they want mixing machine fee, balance fee, mixing lid fee, total of $ 6000 and they want you to pay them or finance them even if you order $ 3000 worth of paint products from them. although their paint products is good, coverage is good. I will not recommend to any auto body shop to setup. I had to switch to Valspar which will not charge you. basically they want your $$$$$$, their product is kind of pricey. even their national sale manager will not help small shop to setup too. they want money from you. even if you spent $ 3000 on their paint product. be warn... do not used them as main paint product.
 
Not sure if you still need motobase but maple paint store in Los Angeles will mix some up for you.
Maple Auto Paint Inc

9331 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90044
(323) 242-7900

https://g.co/kgs/GoCJjZ
 
thank you. I guess I will use motobase as back up mixing paint. since the paint company automotive art paint will charge you mixing machine, every mixer they setup over $ 8000 even if you buy their products monthly over $ 3000, it is good paint, I guess I had no choice but to give up on them and used them as back up paint product. and have them mix the paint as backup. guess the paint company is after big $$$, do not care if you are a small shop trying to use their product.
 
I will never understand companies like that. I had a very good sales rep tell me one time he would rather have 10 small shops than one large one, because the one large shop will give you 20 times more grief than the ten small shops.
 
guess the paint company are after the big auto body shop like for their $$$$. because they rather deal with one company one phone call, rather than face 10 small auto body shop and 10 phone call. well, it is their business strategy. even their CEO see that way, guess that is why their paint company never grow well in US. because they are short sighted after several years. it seems no one heard of them.
 
This all started in the late 80's as the main companies said the small companies can take all our business except the base business.
Now the small companies are eating their lunch on base, So write a big check and give a 25-30% discount to the contract shop and gouge the medium and small shops that will mix companies and that is why the small companies are doing so well with their basecoats.

Not only that the smaller shops take it personally when they figure out they are subsidizing their competitor down the street because he has a contract.

Kinda funny we have a 4 paint booth shop who said he saved $250,000 a year by dumping his contract and buying everything from us except his base. Even offered for us to advertise that.
 
I've worked in those large shops before and have had my own "small" shop now for 17 years. There is a huge difference in the way the paint companies treat someone spending $40,000 a month over $4,000 a month. The sales rep I had when I started my shop treated me great, getting me setup with a mixing bank, giving me the same discount as the large shop I was working at, and selling me paint guns for cost. Then he got fired for taking a client out to lunch and having margaritas, and the downfall began. All of a sudden my business was worthless to them, prices went up, delivery became a hassle, and I've seen the new sales rep twice in the last 7 years. The tech rep and I had a good relationship as well, now it is a 50% chance of getting a call returned. If I didn't have a mixing bank I would never call them. I probably don't spend $10,000 a year with them now. I think Barry understands that service (along with great products) sells, and that is why he will continue to bring in more customers instead of running them off like the "bigs". I know I appreciate SPI and what they bring to our industry, and the jelly beans are good, too.
 
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