Color Quality

With the help of new technologies, a painting company can offer its customers better quality. Kai Sonntag Heinz Held is what you would call an “old hand”. For 39 years the master painter has been working for the Steuerernagel & Lampert painting company in Groß-Bieberau at the foot of the Odenwald and is authorized signatory and managing director there. The company he manages is one of the largest in the industry. Around 70 employees, including five masters, are employed there. Taxes Nagel & Lampert celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, the company is the largest painting company in the region. Acquiring corresponding orders for a company of this size is a demanding task. "We can rely on a regular clientele that we have built up over the years",explains Heinz Held and adds with a smile: "I've been looking after some of the customers since I've been with the company." When the master painter is asked how the company manages to retain customers over such a long period of time, he sums it up In a word: "Quality!" He adds: "Today we can only be successful as a company because we have built up a good reputation over the years. And we only got it because we achieve a high level of customer satisfaction with our work, and that presupposes a high level of quality.”Heinz Held emphasizes that quality here not only affects the processing, but also the service and the entire processing of the order involved. Award The success of the company shows how seriously the company takes this claim. It is no coincidence that the company has also been recognized by the Quality in Crafts initiative of the Main Association for Color, Design and Building Protection and is therefore one of the 100 best painting companies in Germany. What were the criteria? "After completing the order, we had to hand over a questionnaire to our customers, in which they had to rate us in the different categories such as adherence to delivery dates, punctuality, cleanliness, satisfaction with order processing, processing quality and so on." Nanotechnologie Dr. Stefan Kairies is a product manager at Caparol in Ober-Ramstadt for paints and plasters. The subject of quality also determines the day-to-day business for him. He is responsible for the development and conception of new colors. "We are constantly thinkinghow we can increase the quality of our products and are also using new technologies.”He cites the new facade colors Amphilisan and Thermosan as examples, which came onto the market at the beginning of April this year. "We developed colors here for which we used nano-quartz-lattice technology for the first time." In nano-quartz-lattice technology, tiny particles such as atoms and molecules are combined into a composite with a size of just a few brought billionths of a millimeter. “With this technology, we can add tiny quartz particles to a silicone resin paint. However, these are not simply mixed or glued as is conventional, but are firmly connected and therefore an inseparable part.”Dr. Stefan Kairies explains the advantages that come with it.“The quartz particles form a solid lattice in the color and thus provide a structure with a much higher durability and durability against external influences. We succeed in combining the advantages of mineral colors with those of silicone resin paints.”Durability The product manager explains these advantages using the greatest stresses to which a facade paint is exposed:“Temperature fluctuations, moisture, light and pollution.”According to his information has the consequence of the nano-quartz grid technology that the color is particularly protected against these influences. “The nano-quartz grid holds the color pigments particularly well in the color and thus prevents the color from fading due to light or changing its color. We have also made real progress in resistance to moisture and frost. The technology makes it possible for the color on the one hand to be water-repellent, but on the other hand to allow moisture to diffuse outwards - similar to modern outdoor clothing. The result is that the color does not swell over time. And finally, the extremely even distribution of the nano-quartz particles prevents dirt particles from sticking to the paint.”Competitive advantage For Heinz Held, new products play an important role in competition with other suppliers. "For our quality standards, we also have to attach great importance to the excellent quality of the materials that we process and always strongly recommend to our customersto choose high quality products. Our business strategy includes not using cheap products in order to possibly offer a cheaper price. The background is very simple. If, after a few years, customers are dissatisfied with the surface because the colors have faded or the surface has changed, we risk it falling back on us. Afterwards, who admits that for reasons of economy, they only chose a cheap product?”The master painter is also impressed by the new color. Because before the product came on the market, the color was tested in practice. Dr. Stefan Kairies says: "For us it is important to face the criticism of the users in advance in order to be able to carry out possible improvements,before the product comes onto the market.”For the test, Heinz Held planned an order in which the facade of a kindergarten had to be redesigned. “What we noticed was the excellent workability. There were no problems here. But what impressed us was the high color brilliance that was shown here.”For him, the new technology also fits into the business concept. "We see an opportunity here to be able to increase our quality in the execution of our orders for the customers and thus to be able to maintain our position in the market."But what impressed us was the high color brilliance that was shown here.”For him, the new technology also fits into the business concept. "We see an opportunity here to be able to increase our quality in the execution of our orders for the customers and thus to be able to maintain our position in the market."But what impressed us was the high color brilliance that was shown here.”For him, the new technology also fits into the business concept. "We see an opportunity here to be able to increase our quality in the execution of our orders for the customers and thus to be able to maintain our position in the market."

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So far, the painter was spoiled for choice between silicate and silicone resin paints. While silicate paints with properties such as high water vapor permeability and low tendency to become soiled, silicone resin paints scored with their high water-repellent effect, low chalking, easy processing and their almost universal applicability. The new facade colors with nano-quartz grid technology combine the outstanding advantages of both color classes. A new brochure from Caparol helps with customer discussions and provides information about the advantages of the new facade colors. It is available from Caparol Farben Lacke Bautenschutz Marketing Department Roßdörfer Straße 50 64372 Ober-Ramstadt Fax: (06154) 711200 [email protected] www.caparol.en Further information is also available from the Caparol press department on tel.: (06154) 711097