PPG announces body shop business development seminar series schedule

New and updated courses scheduled for 2007

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio, April 24, 2007 – PPG Automotive Refinish has announced the schedule for its MVP Business Development Training Series for spring and summer 2007. This business management series includes courses that encompass all aspects of managing a profitable collision repair business, from marketing and estimating to administration and production.

“The MVP Business Development Training Series is the industry’s most widely attended training program for collision center management,” said Jim Berkey, director of business solutions for PPG’s automotive refinish business. “We have conducted more than 2,000 days of management training across North America since the program’s inception.

“In an effort to keep up with the demands of an ever-changing industry, we have completely overhauled the program for 2007,” Berkey said. “We have revised and improved our existing base of classes and added five new courses created to address issues essential to the success of a progressive-minded collision repair business.”

Updated courses in the MVP Business Development Training Series include:

Advanced Collision Estimating Skills
Collision Repair Sales & Customer Service
Production & Cycle Time Management
Administrative Management

New courses include:

Business in the 21st Century
Leadership & Leading Change
Managing Customer Loyalty
Collision Center Marketing
HR & Organizational Development

“Key to the success of the series is the ‘real-world’ expertise of MVP-certified instructors,” said Rich Altieri, senior manager, PPG business solutions. “Each instructor has the valued perspective of owning a successful collision center. Most courses are held in a state-of-the-art learning environments at PPG Business Development Centers located all across North America, with some classes held at field locations conveniently located for shops in these areas. These centers offer an ideal setting for adult learning with the latest multimedia teaching tools and a fully-functional paint shop for technician training.

“These courses are relevant for collision center professionals, regardless of the size or structure of their operations,” Altieri added. “They not only offer a wealth of information, but also provide a forum where attendees can exchange ideas with others who are facing the same concerns.”

Collision shops can also take advantage of a variety of programs, tools and services available through the MVP Program, such as MVP Benchmarking, MVP Roundtable Conferences and MVP Facility Design Services. In addition, PPG has introduced a new, highly innovative weeklong training program called the MVP Throughput Performance Solutions (TPS) Program, for collision centers that want to take their business and production processes and performance to the next level.

For more information on MVP programs and services, contact your local PPG distributor or call the PPG Customer Focus Center at 1-800-647-6050.

About the MVP Program
When it was introduced over a decade ago, MVP Services was the first program of its kind in the collision repair industry. Since then, thousands of collision center owners and managers have taken advantage of MVP’s innovative services to improve the way they run their businesses. The cornerstone of the MVP program is its ability to provide collision centers with an ongoing, real-world assessment of their performance as it compares to top-performing shops of similar size. Once this analysis is in hand, an owner or manager can clearly identify any critical areas of business that need to improve. In addition to real-world benchmarking and analysis, PPG offers a full complement of business development training courses, a Collision Center Operations Manual, and the opportunity to attend MVP Roundtable forums, where participants brainstorm with their peers on ways to improve in areas where they might be underperforming. MVP Services is all about continuous process improvement. That’s why you’ll find shops that first took advantage of MVP’s offerings more than a decade ago continuing to take advantage of its services today.

About PPG
Pittsburgh-based PPG is a global supplier of paints, coatings, chemicals, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiber glass. The company employs more than 30,000 people and has 125 manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates in more than 20 countries. Sales in 2006 were $11 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York and Philadelphia stock exchanges (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com.

###

Contact:
Paul Ong or Calvinia Fields
PPG Automotive Refinish
440-572-2800
ong@ppg.com or cfields@ppg.com

Body Shop Management Series Schedule
To Obtain Student Registration Information & Cost,
See Your Local PPG or Nexa Autocolor™ Distributor or Territory Manager.
Fax Back # 11004 4/11/2007
Registration Contact: Darlene Stamper or Joyce White
Phone: (800) 970-2283 / Fax: (800) 227-4952

DATE SCHOOL LOCATION

May 1-2 Collision Repair Estimating Skills Kissimmee, FL

May 3-4 Production and Cycle Time Management Kissimmee, FL

May 10 Cycle de réparation (Cycle Time Management) St-Leonard, QC

May 15-16 Production and Cycle Time Management Salt Lake City, UT

May 15-16 Collision Center Marketing Houston, TX

May 17 Administrative Management Salt Lake City, UT

May 17 Managing Customer Loyalty Allison Park, PA

May 18 Administrative Management Allison Park, PA

May 22-23 Collision Center Marketing Wixom, MI

May 22-23 Business in the 21st Century Windsor Locks, CT

May 23-24 Production and Cycle Time Management Council Bluffs, IA

May 23-24 Production and Cycle Time Management Mobile, AL

June 12-13 Business in the 21st Century Smyrna, GA

June 14-15 Collision Repair Estimating Skills Smyrna, GA

June 14-15 HR & Organizational Development Allison Park, PA

June 19 Collision Repair Estimating Skills Kent, WA

June 19-20 Business in the 21st Century Glen Burnie, MD

June 19-20 Leadership & Leading Change Wixom, MI

June 19-20 Production and Cycle Time Management Edina, MN

June 19-20 Leadership & Leading Change Houston, TX

June 20 Collision Repair Sales & Customer Service Kent, WA

June 21 ESTIMATE PLUS Glen Burnie, MD

June 21 Collision Repair Sales & Customer Service Edina, MN

June 26-27 Collision Center Marketing CO*

June 28 Managing Customer Loyalty CO*

July 10 Collision Repair Sales & Customer Service Houston, TX

July 11-12 Collision Repair Estimating Skills Houston, TX

July 11-12 Leadership & Leading Change Salt Lake City, UT

July 17-18 Production and Cycle Time Management NM*

July 17 Collision Repair Sales & Customer Service CO*

July 18-19 Collision Repair Estimating Skills CO*

July 24 Administrative Management NV*

July 24-25 HR & Organizational Development North Kansas City, MO

July 25 Managing Customer Loyalty NV*

July 26-27 Collision Center Marketing Allison Park, PA

August 1-2 Leadership & Leading Change Smyrna, GA

August 2 Administrative Management Rancho Cucamonga, CA

August 3 Managing Customer Loyalty Rancho Cucamonga, CA

August 7-8 Collision Repair Estimating Skills Wixom, MI

August 14-15 Collision Repair Estimating Skills NM*

August 14-15 Collision Repair Estimating Skills Kissimmee, FL

August 16 Collision Repair Sales & Customer Service NM*

August 16-17 HR & Organizational Development Kissimmee, FL

August 23-24 Leadership & Leading Change Rancho Cucamonga, CA
*Field locations in these states are to be announced.

Note: Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. PPG or Nexa Autocolor™ reserves the right
to alter schedules at any time. Class registration is limited to PPG or Nexa Autocolor™ product users.
Check with your PPG or Nexa Autocolor™ Distributor or Territory Manager for costs and/or prerequisites.
Registration must be processed through your local PPG or Nexa Autocolor™ distributor.