Canadian automotive refinish painter Myles Veljacic took home third place and was named the most sustainable painter in the international R-M Best Painter Contest. The Coquitlam, British Columbia, native was presented the awards on Sept. 29 in Clermont, France.
“This contest encourages young automotive refinish painters to be the best at what they do by learning to deliver excellence in quality, innovation, efficiency and to accomplish it sustainably,” said Dan Bihlmeyer, BASF marketing and new business development manager, North America. “As our first time participating, Myles did an outstanding job representing our region.”
Over three days, each participant demonstrated their mastery of different collision repair tasks including: preparation, blending, color retrieval, color reading, paint masking, and health and safety. All participants were required to be under 30 years of age and demonstrate a thorough understanding of a variety of paint-related products.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” said Veljacic. “The competition was very tight. I was extremely happy to keep up with 14 of the best painters in the industry.”
Veljacic has worked for Richmond Auto Body in Richmond, British Columbia, for eight years.
Fifteen painters from 15 countries participated in the 12th annual contest. Berry Kooijman of the Netherlands came in first place and Genya Yokota from Japan won second place. R-M Best Painter business partners included EMM, 3M, SATA, DeVillbiss and Rupes.
