In 2019, the premium coatings brand R-M, part of the BASF Group, is celebrating its 100th anniversary and is showcasing its company history with a series of activities. The anniversary year officially kicked off at the North American Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. In an animated video, R-M showed important milestones that have helped shape the automotive refinish industry since 1919.
Foundation in Detroit
The two friends Fred Rinshed and Herbert Mason founded the Rinshed-Mason company in 1919 in Detroit, the heart of the automotive industry at the time. The company was to have a lasting impact on the industry through innovation and pioneering spirit.
Today, R-M is a sub-brand of BASF, but its philosophy of focusing on the economic success of its customers still lives on. Products, services and processes, which are continuously improved, are intended to demonstrate the productivity and competitive advantage of the brand to vehicle painters worldwide.
Various milestones
True to its motto "Being successful means staying innovative", R-M invites its customers to take a look back at the milestones in the company's history and examines them in detail.
One example would be the introduction of the basic color system in 1948, when the "tintometer" became a pioneering aid. This enabled painters to mix the desired color themselves in their own workshop within minutes.
Another was the introduction of the company's own website in 1996 as the first brand in the industry. Even before the new millennium, customers were able to access color mixing formulas here - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Based on this database, many technical developments have been possible to date. One of the most recent of these was the Colortronic 12/6 colorimeter, which simplifies precise color matching.
A cornerstone in terms of customer proximity was laid with the introduction of R-M Services in 2000. In addition to product quality, R-M is also concerned with providing paint shops with the best possible advice. With modules such as TopScan or the Shop Master software, bodyshops can be analyzed in terms of their profitability.
Anniversary year
The anniversary year begins in Detroit, the birthplace of R-M, with a video on the history of the brand, which will be shown at the BASF stand at the North American Auto Show (NAIAS). In Clermont de l'Oise in France, where R-M established its first European site 50 years ago, an exhibition will show how R-M's products and color expertise have developed. In the international R-M Refinish Competence Center, historical exhibits from the brand's history are on display in the presentation room. There will also be a look at the digital development of painter training and the promotion of young talent with the R-M Best Painter Contest.
R-M is celebrating 2019 on its website and in social media with digital campaigns and animations. All news and customers' stories will be shared throughout the year at www.rmpaint.com and on the new Instagram page RmpaintOfficial at #rmpaint100yo.
More information about the company is available on their website or on Youtube.
