Harley Davidson selects Trespa Virtuon for showrooms

Citation

(2004), "Harley Davidson selects Trespa Virtuon for showrooms", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 33 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2004.12933fab.028

Harley Davidson selects Trespa Virtuon for showrooms

Harley Davidson selects Trespa Virtuon for showrooms

Intertech, a UK retail design company oversees Harley Davidson’s image in the UK and throughout Europe. One of the company’s key responsibilities is the design and development of new dealer outlets as well as supporting complete dealer development programme and the existing dealer renovation programmes. The company has selected Trespa Virtuon metallic rock panels for key surfaces in the prestigious showrooms (Plate 3).

Harley Davidson is a well established and highly respected quality life-style brand. Customers visit Harley Davidson dealers to buy (or look at) motorcycles, spare parts or accessories, or just to catch some local flavour – and to meet up with other enthusiastic supporters of the brand.

Plate 3 Harley Davidson selects Trespa Virtuon for showrooms

Watching over the Harley Davidson image throughout Europe is Intertech – a retail design company based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. The company has been working with Harley Davidson for 15 years. Intertech’s Andrew Fenton explains: “The Harley Davidson branding is well-defined and it is up to us to ensure that corporate guidelines are maintained. So when we design new dealer showrooms – or refurbish existing ones – we use Trespa Virtuon panels for a number of the key surfaces, such as counters and display platforms.

“We use Trespa Virtuon metallic rock panels for a number of reasons”. First of all, from a design point of view, every dealer sets out to have a layout that is highly individual. Trespa’s wide choice of metallic colours means that we can create a distinctive look for each dealership – yet retain our corporate look and image.

“Another good reason for choosing Trespa panels is their functionality”. We use Trespa panels for free-standing display islands and counter-tops. For the display platforms we need to have a good-looking surface that stays unmarked, even with a very heavy motorcycle concentrating its full weight on the motorbike stand. And then there is the question of oil, brake fluids and tyre marks. Trespa panels have an impermeable surface and can be cleaned easily – so that the platforms remain in showroom condition for the next bike to be displayed.

Trespa panels with the very hard wearing rock metallics texture are also used for counter tops. Andrew Fenton: “We use the panels in three different areas: counters for HD merchandise such as clothes and collectibles, counters for spare parts – and counters for our catering – food and drink”. Cleanliness is important for all three, but in different ways: clothes and collectibles need to stay pristine – the counters for spare parts often have liquid and dirt spilled on them – or large parts are dropped. For the catering, hygiene aspects are key. We find that Trespa panels meet all three requirements.

“An additional benefit is that, thanks to their solid core, panels will not chip and there is no edging to come loose. Moreover, as the panels are self supporting, we are able to create overhanging counters – for a stunning look that is both exciting and innovative.”

Maintaining good looks

Trespa Virtuon is a completely new type of interior solid resin panel which provides architects, designers and installers with a choice of decorations to help create an interior that is both highly individual and exceptionally functional. Available in a range of fashionable colours, its top layer is impermeable – with a very low surface energy – so dirt has little opportunity to grab hold. This helps to maintain Virtuon’s good looks even in the busiest of environments. Trespa panels are manufactured under high pressure and temperature. The panels have an integrated decorative surface and excellent properties. Trespa Virtuon panels provide an excellent combination of plain colours and textures as well as special effects such as the very popular range of metallic colours. Designers find it an inspirational material, with a wide range of innovative possibilities.

Trespa Virtuon is produced using proprietary EBC technology. This means that the resin in the panel’s top layer is cured by an electron beam. This gives the panel a smooth, impermeable and impact resistant surface, with a unique brilliance and long-lasting aesthetic appeal – making it ideal for intensive use over a prolonged period of time. And Trespa Virtuon is easy to clean so that it will keep its good looks for many years.

For more information, please contact: Trespa International b.v., P.O. Box 110, 6000 AC Weert, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 495 458 147; Fax: +31 495 458 883; Email: j.voet@trespa.nl