Category Archives: Wanda News

Blue Suede Cruise 2015

Blue Suede Cruise 2015Hi Everyone, Can you believe it is that time of year again? I am so pleased to announce that for the fifth straight year, the Wanda brand will be the title sponsor of the 14th Annual AkzoNobel Wanda  Blue Suede Cruise event July 17-19, 2015, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH! The Blue Suede Cruise is the largest Midwest street rod event of year—and one of the most fun, because it’s set to a retro 1950s theme—with hundreds of gleaming Hot Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars and Trick Trucks 1972 and older on display. In addition to the general car show, car buffs will enjoy a host of activities all weekend long, including:

 

  • Car Care Clinics hosted by WandaWanda Refinish Blue Suede Cruise
  • Quarter-mile Fun Runs
  • The Wanda Challenge Flag Start Race
  • Exhibitor Booths
  • Wanda’s Coloring Land for Kids
  • The Wanda Diner
  • Neon of Lights Parade with “Wanda” as Grand Marshal
  • The Smokey Burnout Contest
  • Phil Dirt and The Dozers performing live for the Saturday night concert!
  • The Fat Rat Fabrication “Ultimate Build-Off
  • Nostalgia Drag Racing Show
  • Vintage Fashion Show
  • Major Door Prizes
  • And so much more!!

Wanda Refinish BSC EventA complete schedule of events for the Blue Suede Cruise will be available on the Wanda website at wandarefinish.us. For event updates throughout the weekend, visit my Wanda Facebook Page. With a weekend this jam-packed with activities for the whole family, you won’t want to miss out on this year’s Blue Suede Cruise. Now who’s ready for cool cars, drag racing, fireworks and live music? I know I am!! I hope to see you there!

Wanda Makes a Fashionable Debut!

The Wanda ShopHi Everyone,

For the last several years many of my Wanda fans and Distributors have asked me how they can order some of my cool Wanda t-shirts to show off their Wanda pride, or to promote my Wanda brand to their customers.

Well, I’m very happy to announce that beginning October 1st my newly designed online merchandise store, The Wanda Shop, will be open for business to Distributors and fans alike, where you can “shop ‘till you drop” by simply going to www.thewandashop.com. The Wanda Shop features a variety of great looking apparel and accessory items including jackets, shirts, hats and other gear—all branded with my Wanda logo!

You can also find links to access The Wanda Shop through my web and mobiles sites at wandarefinish.us. Be sure to visit the store often to check out new products being introduced and to take advantage of special seasonal discounts.

The Wanda Shop is just one more example of how my team is working hard to help make your Wanda experience the best it can be!

For more information about Wanda and Wanda Waterbase products, or to find out about upcoming events and more, visit www.wandarefinish.us. Or visit my Facebook page for quick updates at www.facebook.com/wandarefinish.

Until then,

Wanda’s Mobile Website is Ideal for Those ‘On the Go’

Wanda Refinish MobileHi Everyone,

Nowadays, shops have to move at a faster pace than ever just to keep up with scheduling. That’s why my Wanda Mobile Website is the perfect resource tool to help you quickly access product, technical, color and Distributor information right from your iPhone, Android, or other mobile hand-held devices.

The Wanda Mobile Website is super easy to navigate and offers amazing functionality. With just a quick click, all Wanda and Wanda Waterbase product MSDS and Technical Data Sheets can be downloaded as PDF’s right to the phone’s home screen in English, Spanish, or French. Other features include Environmental Regulations and VOC Charts for all territories in the US and Canada. It even includes  Wanda Color Tools and Color Documentation, as well as an iMatch Color Retrieval icon that can be easily downloaded to the phone’s home screen for instant access to car color searches and paint mixing information.

In fact, the mobile website is so easy to use that many Wanda fans prefer this as their number one go-to source for all things Wanda related. Add it to your mobile device today, by following the instructions below:

Adding Wanda Mobile Website to iPhones / iPads:

  • Open the Safari Web browser and navigate to www.wandarefinish.us.
  • Touch the action icon at the bottom of the Safari screen. It resembles a box with an arrow coming out of it. View the list of options. Tap the “Add to Home Screen” button.
  • Change the line “Auto Paint / Collision Repair” to “Wanda Mobile.”
  • Click “Add” in the upper right corner of the screen. The Wanda icon will now appear on your iPhone screen.

Adding Wanda Mobile Website to Androids:

  • Open the browser on your Android smartphone or tablet and go to www.wandarefinish.us.
  • Hit the settings button – it is three vertical dots, located in the top right of the screen. From here press the Star symbol.
  • Pressing the Star symbol will bring you into the bookmarks menu. From here you can edit the name to “Wanda Mobile” and select which bookmarks folder you want to save it into.

Go back to the browser settings menu and open the Bookmarks folder. Locate “Wanda Mobile” and press and hold your finger on it to place it on your home screen. Once you’ve done this, a new menu appears. Select “Add to Home Screen.” The Wanda icon will then appear on your home screen.

Wanda Launches New Mobile Website

Hi Everyone,

My new mobile website was completed just in time to make its debut at the 12th Annual AkzoNobel Wanda Blue Suede Cruise at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH, July 19-21. If you were there then you know first-hand what a fun and successful event it was.

iphoneMockupWanda

Check out some of the fantastic photos taken at the event in our Photo Gallery. Over the last couple of years, the Wanda team has seen a significant increase in the number of collision repair professionals wanting to use their mobile devices to get information about Wanda brand products.

Well, I’m very excited to announce the launch of my brand new Wanda Mobile Website to help you access the product, technical, and color information you need, plus news and event updates, blogs, Distributor information and more!

Using leading-edge technology, the Wanda mobile website is compatible with the Apple iPhone, iPad and other hand-held devices, and is designed with amazing functionality, easy navigation, and sharp clear graphics. It even looks and feels like a traditional “App” and can be bookmarked to the phone’s home screen. The site will automatically pop up when users type in www.wandarefinish.us, orwandarefinish.com and choose either the Canada or United States options.

With a quick click, all Wanda and Wanda Waterbase product MSDS and Technical Data Sheets can be downloaded as PDF’s right to the phone’s home screen in English, Spanish, or French. Other exciting features include Environmental Regulations and VOC Charts for all territories in the US and Canada, Wanda’s Color Tools and Color Documentation, as well as the handy iMatch Color Retrieval icon that can be easily downloaded to the phone’s home screen for instant access to car color searches and paint mixing information. Users will also find a Distributor locator and even information on becoming a Wanda Distributor—all at their fingertips. It just doesn’t get an easier than this, so check it out today!

In the meantime, I’ve still got some events that I’m participating in the fall, including the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV, November 5-8. Be sure to get regular updates on the Wanda Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wandarefinish. Don’t forget to visit the new mobile website atwww.wandarefinish.us, or  wandarefinish.com and click on the Canada or United States link.

Distributor Spotlights – Len Crawford, Dale’s Paint Supply

Car refinish veteran, Len Crawford, has seen and heard it all. After all, he’s been selling a variety of well-known competitive car refinish brands for 37 years, so he isn’t easily “wowed” by typical brand performance claims. That is, until he strolled through a trade show two years ago and landed at the Wanda brand exhibit.

“I must have stood there talking to the Wanda representative for 45 minutes or more,” says Crawford. I was definitely curious about AkzoNobel’s value-priced product brand. I admit I was impressed by what I heard. Now there was only one thing to do, place an order and see how the products really perform in the field.”

Crawford took ownership of Dale’s Paint Supply of Colorado Springs, CO, 25 years ago growing the business to more than $1 million in walk-in sales each year. The business occupies 7,000 square-feet of retail and warehouse space with 65% of their sales in car refinishes, and 35% in architectural and light industrial paint products. Shortly after returning from the trade show, Crawford handed a quart of Wanda paint to one of his “regulars” and asked him to try it out. To his surprise, the painter came back the same week with rave reviews about the product’s ease-of-use and color matching capabilities. After that, word spread quickly and the products seemed to fly off the shelves ever since.

“It’s pretty rare to see products that actually exceed their performance claims,” said Crawford. “I’m sold and so are my customers. My Wanda sales have topped $250,000 last year.”  Dale’s Paint Supply hosted a successful “Evening with Wanda” event in September, 2010, to generate greater brand awareness and to educate customers on Wanda’s many cost and performance benefits.

To speak with Len Crawford about his experiences in the industry or with Wanda brand products, call 719-636-2635, or email him at Len5886@msn.com.

Happy Holidays from Wanda!

2012 Year End Blog Photo

Hi Everyone,

We’re headed into the final home run stretch of a fantastic year, and we’re extremely grateful for all of you— including our 65+ new Distributors who’ve played an important role in helping Wanda Automotive Finishes expand into new markets across the US and Canada. Thank you, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Here a few highlights from my 2012 travels: (Click on my Photo Gallery to see the pix from these fun Wanda events):

At the turn of the New Year and throughout spring, I was busy traversing the US attending the educational  “Evening with Wanda” events hosted by our new and long-time Warehouse Distributors and Jobber Distributors—AB Warehouse in Montreal, Ontario, Canada, Paul’s Paint Center – Weston, WI, Auto Color Industrial Supply – St. Cloud, MN, 66 Auto Color – Joplin, MO, Wholesale Auto Paints – Springfield, MO, LKQ/Keystone Automotive in Largo, Ft. Meyers and Medley, FL, and Industrial Finishes & Systems in Ogden, Salt Lake City and Orem, UT. Each high-energy event was a great opportunity to meet new shop owners and painters, and share with them the many benefits and features of using my Wanda and Wanda Waterbase refinish systems.

In April I headed to Ft. Worth, TX, for the fun two-day “Home Run Celebration” trade show hosted by WM Automotive Warehouse. I signed lots of autographs for event goers, and even got an autograph from the former Dallas Cowboy defensive lineman, Chad Hennings.

The momentum kept building in May as I attended a casino-themed trade show hosted by Warehouse Distributor, PBE Jobbers Warehouse, in Sharonville, OH. Next, I came back to Warren, MI, for the 35th annual Bearing Burners Auto Club Car Show. Show attendees just couldn’t get enough of the Lingenfelter Performance Engineering LTA concept car painted in Wanda’s custom Orange Mocha finish, and the Camaro proto-type painted in Wanda’s custom Black Matte finish, both on display. I then headed south to Florida, to take part in the North Florida Autobody Association Golf Outing. I gave away lots of Wanda product literature and cool Wanda gear and coolers. The month wrapped up with an “Evening with Wanda” event at Two Guys Autobody Supplies in Florence, AL.

In June I was excited to visit Canada to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Camaro Country F-Body Group, by participating in the club’s biggest event of the year, “Show N’ Shine,” in, Ontario. I brought the Lingenfelter concept cars with me to make the bash complete!

Following July 4th celebrations, I travelled back up to Canada to make an appearance at the Atlantic National Car Show co-sponsored by Wanda Distributor, Hub City in Moncton, NB. The three-day event was well-attended and I was excited to talk about the Wanda Waterbase system to all the car lovers. At the same time, members of our team headed west to Prescott, AZ to represent Wanda brand products at the fun KC Auto Car Show hosted by our distributor, KC Auto. Then, it was my great pleasure to participate in a special Customer Appreciation event sponsored by our LKQ-Keystone Automotive distributors in Loves Park, IL. Customers were treated to an evening of refreshments, prizes and more great information about Wanda and other LKQ supplier partners.

The eventful month wrapped up with the exciting three-day Akzo Nobel Wanda Blue Suede Cruise event held at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH. Set to a vintage 1950’s theme, car enthusiasts gathered to view the beautifully painted Hot Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars, and Trick Trucks. As the title sponsor of the event two years in a row, the Wanda brand was front and center to many of the fun events that weekend, including the concept and show cars on display that were painted in custom Wanda colors and finishes.  I had the privilege of serving as Grand Marshall over the spectacular “Neon Parade of Lights,” while show-goers enjoyed watching the exciting Wanda Challenge Run down Summit Motorsports Park’s famed quarter-mile drag strip. The Wanda Diner served up my delicious, hand-crafted Wanda burgers, and attendees learned about proper vehicle repair and care through an interactive and educational car clinic sponsored by Wanda and Presta Products. Kids loved the special Wanda Coloring Land area, and the whole family enjoyed the fireworks display and live 50’s music and entertainment. Hope you all can join me for the fun next year!

Whew, what a busy summer schedule! In August, I participated in the 18th annual Woodward Dream Cruise event in Detroit, MI. An estimated 1.35 million classic car owners and enthusiasts flocked to the event. Roughly 40,000 gleaming classic cars participated in the daylong cruise up and down Woodward’s main street, while everyone else just had fun cheering them on or hanging out with friends and enjoying the beautiful weather. What a blast!

In September I returned to Ohio to attend the inaugural Lingenfelter Performance Nationals, held at Summit Motorsports Park. The unique three-day event was an opportunity to level the playing field between professional and amateur drivers via a myriad of drag and autocross races, and included an “Outlaw ProMod Quick 8 Shootout,” and Show N’ Shine car show. I was especially proud that Wanda helped sponsor the inaugural event, and I even got to serve as the official starter for the OPTIMA® Ultimate Street Car Invitational qualifying event—too cool!

My event schedule came to a close as I headed west to attend the automotive industry’s biggest event of the year—but not before hosting one of our final Evening with Wanda events of the year with Big Pete Tools in Phoenix, AZ. Then, of course, there was SEMA 2012 in Las Vegas, NV, October 30 – November 2. What a show it was! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting thousands of show-goers and signing autographs. More than 60,000 industry professionals attended the show and for the third straight year, Wanda Refinish received rave reviews for its continued promise to deliver simplicity, color, and value to the collision repair industry!

My Wanda Waterbase system was on display, along with two gorgeous retro concept cars upgraded with modern-day improvements.  The vehicles showcased both Wanda Waterbase and solvent basecoat finishes and styling effects. The Lingenfelter Performance Engineering’s retro-style C6 LZ06 Karl’s Kustoms-Corvette painted in Wanda’s Retro Red with Black accents and the 1947 Street Rodder Chevy Pickup painted two-tone, with the main cab painted in Wanda’s Vanilla under Low-Gloss Performance Clear, and fenders in Apple Red.

Be sure to get regular updates on Facebook and Twitter. For more information about Wanda Waterbase and the full range of Wanda products and color tools, visit our website.

Until next time,

Wanda

The Red Carpet Rolls Out for “Evening with Wanda” Season Launch in Montreal

Hi Everyone,AB Warehouse EWW-27

Can you believe we’re already heading into March and a new spring season? I know that’s good news for many of you who are ready to shake the winter chill and move outdoors. I want to share with you what the Wanda team has been up to during the first quarter of 2012, and whet your appetite for some of the exciting activities we have planned for spring.

Our first event of the New Year took place in late January, as I headed north to Montreal, Canada, where A.B. Warehouse, our very first Canadian warehouse distributor to carry the Wanda Waterbase system, rolled out the red carpet for the 2012 “Evening with Wanda” season kick-off. I emceed the event and shared with new customers how theWanda Waterbase system is helping the Canadian collision repair industry utilize our core brand proposition of simplicity,color, and value, to get great finish results and exceptional color match accuracy—all through a an easy-to-use, value-priced system.

More than 30 area distributors and jobbers attended the Montreal event and were treated to refreshments and a special anniversary cake featuring my Wanda illustrated character. The Lingenfelter Performance Engineering LTA concept car that was first unveiled at SEMA 2010, was also showcased at the event, where guests could see firsthand the car’s custom Wanda Orange Mocha paint finish. Everyone was invited to come back the next day to attend a complimentary application demonstration of the Wanda Waterbase system at the A.B. Warehouse training facility. Check out some of the great pictures of the event at wanda.wpengine.com/news-events/wanda-photo-gallery.

In February, I headed to Detroit, MI, to attend the popular Autorama show and had a great time meeting lots of collision repair professionals and car enthusiasts alike, who wanted to know more about the Wanda brand! I then skipped over to sunny California to participate at the M.E.S. Autobody & Detail Supplies event in Bloomington. Next, I’ll be hosting several Evening with Wanda events throughout March and April in Wisconsin, Minneapolis and Missouri. If you live in or near any of those states and want more information on locations, check out the calendar of events. Hope to see you there!

 

 

Celebrating a Wonderful Year with Wanda

Wanda with Holiday PresentsHi Everyone,

It’s hard to believe that 2011 has flown by so fast and nearly at its close; what a wonderful, whirlwind year it was! Here are some of the highlights:

As you know, we introduced our new Wanda Waterbase basecoat system into the Canadian collision repair market in January, with a formal unveiling at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, Ontario in February. The waterborne system was met with great enthusiasm and to date we have several Canadian distributors working with us to install Wanda Waterbase into small-to-medium-sized body shops throughout the region.

The Canadian launch definitely provided a great spring board for much more excitement to come. The Wanda team hit the road again in March to expand brand awareness about our VOC-compliant products at AASP/NJ’s Northeast Automotive Services Show in Secaucus, NJ. Next, we headed to St. Charles, IL to participate in the Bodyshop Business Conference and Expo in May, followed by another trek to Toronto in June to attend the CCFBG 9th Annual F-body spring event. In July, the Wanda brand was proud to host the 10th Annual Summit Motorpark’s “Blue Suede Cruise” car show in Norwalk, OH, where I got to preside as Grand Marshall over the “Neon Parade of Lights” and other weekend show events. Then in August, the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Michigan invited me to participate in their annual charity golf tournament event. Finally, the Wanda team headed to Las Vegas, NV in November to attend the exciting SEMA Show. I hosted a press conference at SEMA announcing the successful launch of our Wanda Waterbase products into the US collision repair market.

We displayed a stunning Lingenfelter Performance Engineering Supercharged Camaro painted in Wanda Black with Fire Red Stripes under Stealth Clear. It was named one of Motor Trend magazine’s “Top 6 Chevy’s” at the SEMA Show for its “stand-out paint job” and called one of the show’s best executions of matte paint schemes. Whew, that’s a lot of shows!

But that’s not all—Wanda distributors across the US scheduled a record 22 “Evening with Wanda” events, where I emceed the fun-filled, educational evenings that put a spotlight on the many features and benefits of using Wanda brand products. The Wanda team met hundreds of body shop owners and painters at these events and helped them learn how Wanda’s simplicity, color and value proposition offers exceptional ease-of-use, color match accuracy and a “right-the-first-time” finish—all at affordable pricing. Check out some of the great photos we captured at the events.www.wandarefinish.photogallery.

Whether it was welcoming 52 new distributors to the Wand team, expanding distribution into new regions across the US, or meeting lots of new Wanda fans and collision repair professionals during our yearlong shows and events, one thing is for sure—we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for your ongoing, enthusiastic support of Wanda brand products and for making this our best year ever!

The Wanda team and I would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas season with family and friends, and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

And while you’re busy celebrating the holidays, we’ll be busy cooking up lots more great new events and activities for 2012, so be sure to get updates on Facebook and Twitter. For more information about Wanda Waterbase and all of the Wanda brand products, visit www.wandarefinish.com.

Until next time!

Wanda

Live “Wanda” Brand Representative Interacts with Fans on Facebook and Twitter!

Wanda with WB Paint Can Photo SM 5.2011 (1)Hi Everyone,

We’ve been busier than ever since we announced the launch of the new Wanda Waterbase basecoat system! Enthusiasm is building as requests from painters, body shops and car enthusiasts keep streaming in for more information about the Low VOC waterborne products. As a result, I’ve decided that the fastest way to keep you up-to-date is to answer your questions through live interaction on Twitter and Facebook.

Whether it’s information you need about individual Wanda Waterbase or Wanda traditional solvent-based products, tips for best performance results, how to use our ColorPro system for unbelievable color accuracy, or when I’ll be appearing at a Wanda training session near you―simply post a note to my Facebook Wall, or send me a Tweet.

I’ll also be in touch soon to announce some exciting summer events and activities we have planned. So if you haven’t already, be sure to get connected on my Wanda Facebook and Twitter accounts today!

And remember – you can always find great information about the Wanda brand products atwww.wandarefinish.com! Be sure to check out my new live-animation video on the Wanda homepage.

Until next time,

Wanda

 

 

Distributor Spotlights – Ron Fleenor, Fleaz Color Faktory

Ron Fleenor - Fleaz Color FaktoryFrom professional cartoonist in his teens, to renowned 30-year custom airbrush artist and global trainer, Ron Fleenor has always taken his “coloring” very seriously. That’s why he now carries AkzoNobel’s Wanda brand as the preferred line of car refinish products for his growing paint supply store, Fleaz Color Faktory, in Rock Hill, SC.

“I first learned about Wanda from a successful friend and jobber in California who was convinced I would love the products for my freelance custom paint business,” said Fleenor. “He was right. I was very impressed with the product line’s ease-of-use and excellent coverage. But what really blew me away was the depth and versatility of the color match and color tools that Wanda Refinish offers. I’ve never seen anything else that comes close to it.”

Soon after moving to Rock Hill, Fleenor found that he didn’t have ready access to paint supplies and had to travel to another county to get themthat’s when he decided to open his own store. Since bringing Wanda Refinish to Fleaz Color Faktory in 2010, his word-of-mouth business has sky-rocketed, serving a healthy mix of area body shops and do-it-yourself customers. Ron is now teaching airbrush and pin-striping classes at his store on a weekly basis to enthusiastic customers who sometimes drive more than four hours just to attend.

Fleenor adds, “There’s not too many paint store owners who have the in-field painting experience that I do. Whether my customers have questions about tinting, blending or color matching, I’m confident that my knowledge backed by Wanda’s quality performance and pricing, will meet their needs.”

To speak with Ron Fleenor about his experiences in the industry or with Wanda brand products, call 803-325-8679, or email him at fleazcolorfaktory@bellsouth.net.

 

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