HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL – September 26, 2014 – Quest Automotive Products (QAP) has donated $280,000 in paint and abrasives to high school and post-secondary collision school programs across the country through the Collision Repair Education Foundation. The products donated by QAP will allow students the opportunity to practice their collision repair and refinishing skills. QAP is committed to bringing awareness of the shortage of technicians within the collision industry and acknowledge that many collision school programs have budgets that are shrinking each year.
“QAP strongly believes in supporting the future professionals within our industry and ensuring they obtain the education that they deserve in order to be successful in the automotive profession,” said David Brunori, Quest Automotive Products, president. “QAP has recently been involved with supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation through donating product and raising money with its first annual Artists 4 Education auction, held in the Matrix Automotive Finishes booth during SEMA last year which raised $25,000 for the Education Foundation. We are proud to be working together with them again in 2014 with the second annual auction at SEMA this year (booth 10669).”
Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode noted, “This product donation from QAP will have a significant impact on the collision school programs by providing instructors with the needed material in order provide a quality technical education for students. We look forward to working together with QAP to raise additional funds through the second annual Artists 4 Education auction at SEMA this year. I would also invite collision industry businesses to follow QAP’s lead in providing both product and monetary donations to the Education Foundation so that we can work towards ensuring that the graduating collision students are ready for entry-level employment within the industry.”
Industry members interested in helping to high school and/or college collision school programs through the Collision Repair Education Foundation should contact Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org or 847-463-5244.
About Quest
Quest Specialty Chemicals operates three complementary divisions: Quest Automotive, Quest Industrial and Quest Construction. Each division manufactures and markets some of the leading brands in the automotive aftermarket, industrial, transportation and construction industries. Quest brands include automotive coatings made by Matrix Automotive Finishes, Pro-Spray Automotive Finishes and U.S. Chemical & Plastics; industrial coatings from Raabe, Patriot Paint, Zolatone and Z-line; and construction and transportation coatings manufactured by United Coatings, HydroStop and StreetBond.
Quest Specialty Chemicals is the 12th largest coatings company in the United States and one of the largest privately held coatings companies in the world. Manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Menomonee Falls, Wisc., Walled Lake, Mich., Massillon, Ohio, Phoenix, Ariz., and Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. The corporate headquarters are in Charleston, S.C. For more information about Quest Specialty Chemicals, visit www.Quest-SC.com.