Jun 13 2008
BASF Coatings Services (Pty) Ltd. is set to take over the business of MAB Auto Body Parts and Paint Centre Ltd. in Johannesburg, South Africa. MAB sales activities related to automotive refinish products, non-paint products, body panels and services, as well as the staff and parts of the management, will be integrated into BASF Coatings Services (Pty) Ltd. The two companies have not disclosed information on the purchase price. The takeover will become official about two months after authorization by the local competition commission has been granted.
Glasurit, BASF Coatings’ paint brand, is already very successful in South Africa. With the acquisition of MAB, BASF Coatings is now strengthening its good position in South Africa on a long-term basis, especially in the key region of Gauteng.
The automotive refinishing market in South Africa is one of Africa’s largest markets. Fifty percent of the continent’s vehicles are found on the roads of South Africa. Seven carmakers manufacture cars in South Africa. In addition, there are over 1,000 paint and bodyshops in South Africa.
MAB has sold products and services for all aspects of automotive refinishing for 14 years from its locations in Johannesburg and Pretoria. So far, as BASF’s partner, MAB has primarily supplied customers in the Gauteng and Limpopo regions, as well as the Northern Free States, with Glasurit and Salcomix automotive refinish products. In the future, business relations with the end customers will be managed and developed by the sales team that was taken over. Order processing, product storage and supplying customers will also continue to be managed from Johannesburg and Pretoria.
“We are using these measures to guarantee the customer the usual services with familiar contact persons in Johannesburg and Pretoria,” explained Rob Simpson, Managing Director of BASF Coatings Services (Pty) Ltd. “We’ll be combining the two companies’ many years of experience in a sensible manner, and this will allow us to develop even more attractive services for our customers. The customers will continue to be the focus of our work and will be gleaning substantial benefits from the merger,” Simpson added.