The sign of the parrot (CP 1/2009)

Glasurit^® is celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2008; the brand name was established 110 years ago. Today, Glasurit is BASF Coatings’ premium brand in refinish and a leader in innovation, having invented the waterborne automotive basecoat.

The long-term presence of a company depends on its products. Glasurit’s 120 years in business reflect a story of unwavering focus on the customer, pioneering development, and the art of investing for the future.

Initially a regional coating manufacturer from northern Germany, Glasurit has become a globally acknowledged brand, but retained its widely recognized parrot mascot created in 1925.

The development of the first-ever waterborne vehicle refinish, launched in 1992, was a major milestone. Reliable, easy to work with, and eco-efficient thanks to low solvent emissions, the 90-Line was a product that made Glasurit the market leader for this type of automotive basecoat refinish, as it remains today.

Inventions have always played a key role in business success. This was the case for the Hamburg-based merchant Max Winkelmann, who established a finish and paint trading company in 1888.

Soon after going into business he began in-house production of the paint color crystal-white – totally new at that time – and the anti-corrosion agent Eisenglasurit. The two products arrived on the market at the right time; huge steamships coated with Winkelmann’s paint and anti-corrosive were being built as the golden age of global shipping dawned. The brand’s fame was indisputable by the time they were used for the personal yacht of German emperor Wilhelm II..

In 1898, Winkelmann attached the Glasurit name to all products in his increasingly varied assortment, and 1904, construction was completed of a larger coatings plant in the town of Münster-Hiltrup.

In 1908, the company was converted into a stock corporation. A spirit varnish factory was added in 1920 and in 1925 the Glassomax paint factory, a symbol of progress and innovation, was built.

The Glasurit Glasso product enabled the first--ever spray application of coatings in German car manufacturing. By 1930 Glasurit had become the largest coatings manufacturer on the continent; the first synthetic resin coatings and enamels entered the market in 1932.

After the war, the company benefited in the 1950s as an established partner to the booming automotive industry. The next groundbreaking product arrived in 1964 with the introduction of metallic paint. A year later followed the development of electrophoretic coating. A new era in the company’s history began in 1965 with the purchase of the Glasurit factories by BASF.

Continuous development

Today, Glasurit is one of the world’s leading providers of automotive refinishing systems, and continues to strengthen its technological position through continuous research and development. In addition to the successful 90-Line, Glasurit also offers the 68-Line designed especially for the requirements of commercial vehicles, including larger coating surfaces and a more heavy-duty environment.

The range of coatings is supplemented by the Color Pro System (CPS), a handy tool for color selection consisting of thousands of -sample strips, which are coated with original paint and organized by color. An array of services rounds out the offering.

In Germany, all Glasurit production has been switched over to the 90-Line in response to European VOC regulations. Waterborne coatings not only save producers and customers a lot of time, they also save on materials, considerably economizing coat application.

Such benefits provide excellent sales prospects for the Glasurit 90-Line on international markets.

Change and continuity: The Mandarin, originally used as a symbol for quality in the 1800s, was replaced in 1925 by the colorful parrot.. www.glasurit.com