Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes has announced the recipients of its annual Associated Products Vendor Awards. The announcement was made at a special reception for more than 300 suppliers, employees and VIP guests during the company’s national sales meeting held at the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
Associated Products suppliers honored at this year’s Vendor Awards included:
- DeVilbiss Automotive Refinishing – Sherwin-Williams Brand of the Year
- Saint-Gobain Abrasives Inc. – Sherwin-Williams Sales Excellence: U.S.
- SAS Safety Corp. – Sherwin-Williams Sales Excellence: Canada
- PPC Inc. (Powers Paper Co.) – Sherwin-Williams Operational Excellence
“Our vendor partners are an intricate part in helping us demonstrate the service excellence that our customers expect,” said Steve Spirko, director of associated products marketing for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. “The goal at our almost 200 branches is to meet the needs of our collision repair customer base around the country and bring them greater value.
“Our company-trained employees manage the entire supply chain from product development to delivery,” added Spirko. “A Sherwin-Williams professional directly manages the collision repair shop and/or MSO account, facilitates application training and provides on-site consultative services as necessary.”
Spirko noted how the Sherwin-Williams controlled distribution strategy provides a real difference as it directly supplies its collision repair customers.
“No matter how many locations a customer may have, our direct distribution provides important standardized services – innovative products, training, delivery, consulting and centralized billing – and this drives consistency and cost-effective results. We want to be the one-stop-shop for the automotive repair and refinish industry and our stores make it easy for customers to come in and find, or have immediately delivered, the exact products and services they need to be profitable and productive.
“Our vendor partners are important to the ongoing service and attention to detail we provide all our collision repair customers whether they come straight to the counter in one of our branches or through delivery to their shops,” said Spirko.
