“This certification confirms
AquaEC 6100’s approval for
products sold to the medical and
food industries, opening up new
markets for Axalta. This approval is also
a testament to Axalta’s research and de-
velopment scientists, who diligently work
to deliver innovative products that keep
us on the cutting edge of technology.”
Founded in 1944, NSF International is
known for its high standard of quality, in-
spection and certification of products and
materials intended to come into contact
with consumable food and potable water.
Another Axalta electrocoat, AquaEC
2600, previously received NSF-61
Standard for Drinking Water System
Components certification. NSF-61 sets
health effects criteria for many water
system components including water
storage tanks, protective barrier materials (cements, paints, coatings), pipes and
related products.
Axalta Refinish Academy
Nordic Opens in Sweden
Axalta Coating Systems officially opened
its new Axalta Refinish Academy Nordic.
The move underscores Axalta’s strong
commitment to providing high-quality, innovative products and services to its customers in the global refinishing industry.
The facility, which is located in Sisjön,
20 minutes south of Gothenburg, Sweden,
houses not only the latest generation training center for Axalta’s three global refinish brands - Cromax, Spies Hecker and
Standox - but also the new offices for the
Nordic refinish management organization
and the Swedish refinish sales organization.
“The Axalta Refinish Academy Nordic
is well-placed to benefit from Axalta’s
150 years of experience and expertise,”
said Gilles Navez, marketing & strategy
director for Axalta in Europe, Middle
East and Africa. “It is designed to be a
welcoming facility where refinishers from
Nordic countries can enhance their skills
using the latest products and equipment
in a modern environment. Everything
has been developed to ensure that the
Darryl Hollenbeck Turns to PPG to Unleash Amped-up Finish for Beast IV
Elite custom car painter Darryl Hollenbeck chose PPG automotive refinish products to give the recently restored iconic 1953
Beast IV Streamliner its sleek blue and yellow finish. Hollenbeck’s
artistic contribution was part of a major restoration undertaken
by Dan Webb and Ashley and Cory Taulbert at Webb Automotive Art, Grand Blanc, Michigan, to return the low-slung vintage
racer to glory. Webb entrusted Hollenbeck and his crew at Vintage Color Studio, Concord, California, to create the radiant
period-correct finish. The project was commissioned by, and in
collaboration with, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California in Pomona. Beast IV was unveiled at the museum in January at the
annual Grand National Roadster Show.
According to Larry Fisher, the museum’s executive director,
Beast IV was originally built in 1953 by Chet Herbert just in time
to compete in that year’s Bonneville Speed Week and International Speed Trials. The aluminum-bodied, Chrysler Hemi-pow-ered racer streaked across the Utah Salt Flats to hit a top speed
of 246 mph and break eight long-standing performance records.
Beast IV—the successor to Herbert’s original Beast (a motorcycle), Beast II and Beast III racers—ran until 1992 in a number of
configurations with a variety of engines and reached speeds up
to 289 mph. The racer then rested on its laurels; unused, it fell
into disrepair and was acquired by David and Marianne Duthu.
The couple donated Beast IV to the museum and agreed to
fund the car’s badly needed restoration.
While the build of Beast IV took a quick three weeks, the res-
toration required 15 months of intense research and meticulous
craftsmanship. Much of the racer had deteriorated and few of
its original parts remained. With museum curator Greg Sharp
providing historical guidance on the project, the Webb and
Hollenbeck crews worked primarily from vintage photographs
and magazine articles to source rare parts, fabricate compo-
nents and determine and reproduce the Beast’s exact colors.
Craig Naff, of Woodstock, Virginia, blended the Beast’s remain-
ing original sheet metal with new material to create a complete
body; in effect, a canvas for Hollenbeck to paint. Consulting with
PPG Segment Manager Steve Lehner and Technical Trainer Jim
Kvatek, Hollenbeck and team members Darrell Schneider and
Dennis Sayers selected several PPG automotive refinish prod-
ucts to replicate the car’s initial paint job. Eric Reyes’ steady hand
provided the Beast’s elegant lettering and detailing.
“Color was a challenge,” Hollenbeck said. “There were color
photos of the original Beast, and we knew the car was blue and
yellow, but the colors looked different in every photograph. So
we compared the colors of other cars in photos with the Beast.
We figured out the other cars’ colors and were able to come
very close to equaling the Beast’s color. Then we generated doz-
ens of blue and yellow samples and tweaked them to match the
paint. The museum made the final decision and we gave the
Beast its proper design and color scheme.”
Beast IV is now on permanent display with Beast III at the
NHRA Motorsports Museum.
