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Spies Hecker refinisher wins Toyota Technical Skills competition

The 2015 Toyota Technical Skills competitions were held in July 2015 at the Toyota and Lexus Academy in Nottingham. Both the winner and the runner up of the Paint Technician Skills competition are from Spies Hecker bodyshops. The winner, Martin Moss from RRG Toyota in Bolton, Lancashire, will go on to compete in the 25th Annual Assembly of International Customer Service Champions in Japan in October 2015.

“Martin was the runner-up at the last competition and was determined to come back and take the title this time round,” says Darren Rostron, General Manager at RRG where Moss has been employed since 2005. “He’s worked very hard to achieve this win and we’re all really proud of him.”

Before the competition, the finalists had all completed an online exam and written test. The practical competition consisted of measuring a matching shade on a panel, preparing a pre-primed repair and completing a successful blend on blue three-stage pearl. All the finishes had to meet the high standards required by Toyota.

“We are delighted that Martin has won the competition this year,” says Anthony Cashel, Marketing Manager for Axalta Coating Systems in the UK and Ireland. “RRG was a Spies Hecker bodyshop for several years before switching over to the Permahyd Hi-TEC 480 system in 2014. Martin will have been extensively trained to work with our range of efficient products like the Permahyd Hi-TEC 480 base coat known for its easy and reliable blending and highly-uniform effect formation. This will no doubt have given him the edge and we wish him every success for the international assembly of champions in October. I’d also like to congratulate Jay Kilcoyne from Listers Toyota in Coventry, this year’s runner-up. It’s a real testament to our brand that the top two places in the competition went to Spies Hecker refinishers.”