Leading Edge Auto Refinishes, a single-line BASF distributor, has been family owned and operated since 1993. Since we started from ground zero, with no existing customers, we’ve focused on five simple philosophies:

• always meet or exceed our customer’s expectations
• never make promises we can't keep
• always do what is in the best interests of our partner shops
• stay involved in the industry
• manage our business with integrity

We understand that we serve at the pleasure of our customers, and we must develop strong and long-lasting business relationships based on mutual trust.

What makes Leading Edge Auto Refinishes different from other paint distributors? Leading Edge partner shops are provided the most comprehensive product and industry training, enjoy the lowest material costs, and are some of the best equipped and best informed shops in Arizona.

The notion that “paint is paint” is not true. Paint may look the same on the vehicle, but how much paint and materials a shop consumes to paint the vehicle significantly differs between paint distributors and manufacturers.
Leading Edge partner shops enjoy an actual liquid paint cost that is 15% to 20% less than non-BASF shops. Leading Edge makes every effort to “reduce” the collision shop’s paint purchases. We believe that assisting our customers in reducing material costs and providing unparalleled service gives them a significant competitive advantage.

Our goal is to reduce costs for our customers.

•  Our $1.5 million inventory relieves the pressure on the shop to inventory excess product and allows Leading Edge to assume inventory responsibility for the entire shop.
• Our field professionals maintain your inventory with hand-held bar scanners that electronically transmit the order directly into our computer system. This reduces ordering errors and streamlines product deliveries.
• Leading Edge does not have any commissioned personnel, so our partner shops can rest assured that our staff has no financial incentive to overstock our customers with products.

Our unique inventory usage and tracking reports allow Leading Edge to constantly adjust shop inventories to reflect the shop’s actual usage. This reduces inventory costs and keeps delivery disruptions to a minimum. Our product backup matrix is based on basecoat toner popularity ensuring the shop has the appropriate inventory required to assure continued productivity. Although many shop owners believe good service is based on the number of daily deliveries, Leading Edge believes a well-managed inventory system, improves productivity and causes fewer disruptions in the body shop.

Because Leading Edge is focused on improving productivity, our delivery drivers, not the shops’ painters, re-stock the paint department inventory. Our product delivery system is coordinated geographically, and our products are delivered promptly with a 99% fill rate.

Our invoicing system automatically creates two separate accounts for paint and associated products, eliminating timely end-of-the-month accounting procedures. Additionally, upon request, our account representatives can provide detailed month-end inventory reports for the shop’s accounting purposes.

At the end of each month, Leading Edge’s staff confidentially benchmarks each shop’s “end of month” paint bills with their shops’ revenue. By creating a standard baseline, Leading Edge can benchmark paint versus sales ratios, creating a simple method to monitor paint and material costs in our partner shops. Our proactive approach is essential in keeping material costs consistent and enables Leading Edge to recognize unusual purchasing and usage trends which affect profitability.

At Leading Edge, training is not something promised—it is a critical part of our business culture. Leading Edge training covers every level of operation in the shop and is intended to strengthen our shop partners and ensure the ongoing health of the total shop operation. Leading Edge employs highly-trained Technical Service Specialists (TSS) who are responsible for all technical support at the shop level. Each TSS is on call as needed to assist our partner shops in their paint departments. Having Technical Service Specialists on staff allows Leading Edge to be proactive in our shops rather than wait for a paint manufacturer representative.

Leading Edge owns and operates Arizona’s only factory “certified” paint training facility. All BASF training classes, including “product certification,” color matching, and painter’s helpers training, are offered locally and are nationally approved. Both “BASF Product Certification” and “Color Matching” classes are I-CAR approved and can be applied towards our partner shop’s I-CAR Gold Class Certification. Courses are offered on weekends to allow shop production to continue during working hours. Since 1993, over 1,250 painters have been certified at our facility. BASF certified painters are abundant which guarantees our shop owner partners have access to an exceptional pool of qualified painters.

Leading Edge’s strategic industry networking capabilities and involvement in the collision industry are unparalleled. Our national industry relationships provide Leading Edge with a broader view of the industry, different from other paint distributors. We are passionate about being informed on national trends that impact and influence the collision industry in Arizona and share this information with our partner shops.

Leading Edge keeps abreast of local industry trends and assists our customers in a variety of areas including expansion opportunities, employee assistance, and insurance relations. Our technical staff has provided training assistance for several local insurance companies and other related industry entities. Leading Edge assists the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in paint related emission generating issues. We are involved in the industry, and we understand industry dynamics.

As our customers grow and expand their businesses, additional equipment is required. As a partner shop, Leading Edge customers enjoy special privileges and opportunities. Our sister companies, Kachina Automotive Equipment, Inc. and Cimarron Financial, Inc., cooperate to bring our partner shop owners unique value and opportunities in the areas of equipment acquisition and financing. From outright purchase to renting or borrowing equipment, our partner shops have our attention and support. We believe that the best-equipped and most highly trained collision centers, appeal to parties searching for quality body shops.

COLOR MAX
•  Most accurate and advanced color chip system for color matching in the industry
•  Library of 9,000 sprayed paint chips, both solid and metallic
• Integrated to other BASF color tools
• Significantly reduce color-match costs
• Chips allow a 75% reduction in color matching time
•  Allows for fewer re-do’s and increases productivity
• Updated quarterly by Leading Edge personnel

SMARTRAK
•  Computerized Color Formula retrieval system
•  Color formulas are entered from all over the world into the BASF ARTIC or Artificial Intelligence Color System —The unique global system improves the efficiency and accuracy of the color matching process. The software uses a machine learning algorithm to achieve its color matching ability from previously developed color formulations and standard color matching. As BASF produces new color matches over time, the intelligent system learns from them; then automatically and exponentially applies that learning to the matching of new colors, resulting in unparalleled color matching speed and precision.
•  Provides instant access to a BASF worldwide color data center

SMARTSCAN
•  Hand-held computerized color-matching device that scans vehicle colors
•  Leading Edge TSS personnel have the tool available to assist shops
•  SmartScan analyzes the paint on the vehicle and identifies closest formula
•  Fully integrated with SmarTrak and ColorMax color tools

VisionPLUS Online
E-based management tool that allows the collision shop to track, analyze, and improve in real time: •  Information on vital KPIs
•  Improvement strategies
•  Multi-site reporting
•  Current Business Trends
•  Business Forecasting
•  Production/RO tracking software

VisionPLUS Dashboard
•  Collects and displays facilities management data (closed RO’s)
•  Focused on Improvement
•  Benchmarking, goal setting, and trending information
•  Reduces multiple reports
•  Insurance company specific and store specific data
•  At-a-glance display for up-to-date and trending comparisons
•  Complete RO history
•  Business mix data

The general perception in the collision industry is that all paint products are similar. That is simply not true. There are huge differences in technology. BASF products are developed specifically to be used as a true basecoat-clear coat paint system. Most paint manufacturers have to add balancers and binders to their single stage toners to create their basecoat products. This decreases the coverage by up to fifty percent. BASF products are formulated using polyester based technology, which eliminates the need for balancers and binders, creating a more stable basecoats and dramatically improve coverage. Polyester technology significantly reduces material costs to the shop.

BASF continues to lead the refinish industry in technology with patented clear coats, which cure from the outer surface down, decreasing cycle time by half. A new direct-to-metal (DTM) undercoat, which can be used as a surfacer or a sealer without the use of adhesion promoters or etch primers, sprays direct to any substrate.

BASF products are on the forefront of European technology, which gives our partner shops the ultimate blend of advantages: speed, ease of use and trainability, and consistent and unbeatable color match driven by ARTIC.

Whether you are using the Glasurit or the R-M, Diamont product line, BASF products deliver optimum levels of productivity and profitability.

Since introducing waterborne technology in 1996, BASF continues to provide the most technologically advanced and easy to use waterborne product solutions in the world. Two complete product lines have been developed and are currently offered. Both 90 Line and Onyx are easy to use, cost effective and reliable solutions to waterborne needs. The products have been developed within the BASF family and the only difference is in the Color Coat. 90 Line and Onyx are both designed to work with existing Glasurit and Diamont Clears and Primers. Mixing ratios are a consistent 2:1 making the product functionally friendly. Leading Edge does a complete shop evaluation to help the collision shop prepare for and train through the waterborne conversion.

All BASF products are covered under a lifetime warranty, which is honored nationwide.