FURTHER pan-European summits are planned by Acoat Bodyshop Services in a bid to launch a multinational bodyshop network this year. Top-level talks at ABS's Northwich headquarters earlier this year with counterparts from its Partnership programme from eight countries, including Germany, France, Holland and Belgium, led to widespread agreement about the need for a network.

Further meetings will take this year and a network could be up and running by the year 2000. In the UK, Acoat represents a network of 107 independent bodyshops across the UK and is aiming to form a nationwide group of 135 members, for whom it will act as a central buying and marketing club, to drive down costs. David Wallace, managing director of ABS, said: 'We are just a few steps away from being able to offer a true pan-European bodyshop network with about 1,000 member bodyshops all meeting the same high standards and competitive pricing. For major insurance com-panies, leasing specialists and large multi-national corporates, we will be able to offer a single point of contact.'