What’s New: In Brief (May 08, 2008)

More than 700 collision shops have made the transition to Envirobase High Performance and Aquabase Plus waterborne basecoats in anticipation of new air quality regulations in Canada and California.
To help assure shops make the conversion smoothly, PPG initiated a waterborne conversion program more than a year ago in California, known as “Convert with Confidence.” The program provides shop owners, managers and technicians with training, advice and support before, during and after the conversion. A similar program is underway in Canada, the release notes.
“Transitions are going very smooth,” says Jim Downey, PPG senior regional manager. “We convert an average of fifteen to twenty shops every week.”
The program employs a methodical implementation plan for managers and a training program for painters at a PPG centre. While the painters are in class, PPG installs the new equipment at the shop.
“Everyone was nervous about the shift to water-based paint, but the move has been positive in every respect. Our staff prefers it. It’s a better product to use and it’s cleaner and less hazardous,” Richard Marsh, Emeryville Collision, Tecumseh, Ont., said in the release.

Pottruff & Smith Insurance Brokers Inc. has been recognized as one of this year’s 50 Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work Institute Canada.
The competition process is based on two criteria: two-thirds of the total score comes from a 57-statement survey completed by a random selection of employees, along with their open-ended comments about their organization; the remaining one-third of the score comes from an in-depth review of the organization’s culture, including an evaluation of HR policies and procedures, explains a release.
People offer a critical edge for the insurance brokerage, Michael Fitzgibbon, president of Pottruff & Smith Insurance Brokers Inc., said in a release.
“This is a team you want to keep for a long time,” Fitzgibbon said. “The Best Workplaces initiative was a great way to hold up the mirror on how we create an environment that communicates exactly that.”