How bodyshops can offset paint price hikes

The price of raw materials has seen an increase across a number of industries. Tradesmen in the building industry are having to pass on the cost to their customers in order to claw back those additional costs. But this is often not an option in the repair business, particularly when dealing with an insurance job.

The price hikes on automotive coatings and such like are predominately due to shortages of the raw materials used in their production.

And it’s not just paint that’s been affected. Refinishing equipment and tool prices have seen an increase due to the cost of shipping containers, as well as oil price rises.

Andy Smith, managing director at LKQ Collision and Coatings, said: “A combination of the impact of Brexit, ongoing issues with global logistics and the rising costs of raw materials on the international wholesale markets is driving up the cost of a variety of products, including paint. Our size and scale put us in the strongest possible position to negotiate, but we’re still paying our suppliers higher prices than usual. Any savings we can secure will always be passed on to our customers, but unfortunately prices have had to rise.”

To read more, visit bodyshop’s August issue.

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