SOUTHFIELD, Mich., "Organizational Structure," a new workshop offered by BASF as part of its VisionPLUS University program, will help body shops improve their profitability through more effective management of their staff.

The one-day interactive workshop engages participants in a comprehensive evaluation of their whole business--from front office operations through the repair and refinish process to vehicle delivery--with the objective of dramatically improving staff productivity.

The "Organizational Structure" workshop is designed for collision repair facility managers, production managers and coordinators, damage writers, customer service representatives and lead technicians. Conducted by Bernie Blickenstaff, a highly respected collision industry consultant and President of Collision Management Services, Inc. of Reisterstown, Md.,
the workshop covers topics of interest to every body shop, large or small, including:

       The five primary business functions of a collision repair operation
       The roles and responsibilities of each function
       Staffing to fit the size of the business
       Alternative staffing models
       Adding positions to the organization
       Sales and customer service management
       Production and parts management
       Position responsibility descriptions

"At the end of this workshop, the participants will be able to plan and implement staffing and process solutions that can dramatically improve the productivity and profitability of their businesses," said Stanton Thornbury, VisionPLUS Program Manager, BASF Automotive Refinish. "And improving our customers' bottom line is the objective of BASF's VisionPLUS University."

BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.®
BASF Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. We employ about 11,000 people in North America and had sales of approximately $9 billion in 2003. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company. Our goal is to grow profitably and further increase the value of our company. We help our customers to be more successful through intelligent system solutions and high-quality products. BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. Through new technologies we can tap into additional market opportunities. We conduct our business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2003, BASF had sales of approximately $42 billion and over 87,000 employees worldwide. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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