SEMA eNews

SEMA Heritage: Long-Haul Roadsters

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:52:20 -0700

The Hot Rod Power Tour is nearing its 20th birthday (this year’s running in June swings from Texas to North Carolina), but the roots of long-distance hot-rod hauling go back much further than that.

Next SEMA Town Hall Meeting: Bestop Inc., Denver

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:13:20 -0700

SEMA invites industry professionals to the second stop of the 2013 Town Hall tour. Members and prospective members will be gathering at Bestop Inc. in Broomfield, Colorado, Wednesday, June 26, from 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and SEMA staff.

NHRA: Force and Schumacher Seek Success in Bristol

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:57:50 -0700

FORCE AND SCHUMACHER LOOK FOR SUCCESS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY: 15-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force and seven-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher both are looking for continued success at Bristol Dragway during the upcoming Ford Thunder Valley Nationals June 14–16. Force has three wins at the track the most recent coming in 2010. Force is ready to return to the finals on Father's Day.

Movers & Shakers: Marine Honors Automotive Lift Institute With U.S. Flag; Brigitte Patton Chosen as New Motorz Girl

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:57:12 -0700

Here is a brief look at some of news and updates from around the specialty-equipment industry. Companies featured this week: Automotive Lift Institute, Petty's Garage, Motorz, University of the Aftermarket Foundation, and more.

Racing News: Bully Dog Wins in Canada

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:24:51 -0700

At Bully Dog's third NHRDA event of the season—BD Truckin' Nationals—in Mission, British Columbia, driver Nick Adamson qualified with a 12.113-second quarter-mile in the Super Diesel class. He earned a 60-ft. time of 1.6 seconds and a quarter-mile of 12.004 to beat out his closest opponent Ryan Dubois, who ran the quarter-mile in 12.50 seconds. In the Pro Street Class, driver Jarid Vollmer's qualifying time of 9.68 was good enough for first place. In the final race of the weekend, his time of 10.2 seconds was enough to beat Donovan Harris of Harris Diesel Racing. This win gave Vollmer an even more commanding lead in the season points race.

Doug Evans Voted SEMA Chair-elect; Two New Volunteers Join Board

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:21:53 -0700

Doug Evans of Source Interlink Media has been elected the Chairman-elect of SEMA and joins two newly elected Board members to help lead the association for the 2013–2015 term.

Support Charity at the Fourth Annual Pinewood Drag Races Council Cup

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:06:46 -0700

The fourth annual Council Cup will once again pit council against council in the name of SEMA Cares' charities.

Spy Shots—2015 Ford F-150 Prototype

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:55:50 -0700

The shooters at KGP Photography have just gotten their first shots of a final, production-spec prototype for the ’15 Ford F-150, caught running on public roads.

Don't Miss 2014 Ford Transit Connect Measuring Session

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:40:52 -0700

A measuring session for the ’14 Ford Transit Connect will be held August 27, 2013, at the Ford Conference and Event Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

Educational Sessions for 2013 Global Tire Expo–Powered by TIA

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:36:58 -0700

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) will host several educational sessions for the Global Tire Expo–Powered by TIA at the 2013 SEMA Show, which runs November 5–8, 2013, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

SEMA Show Exhibitors Grow Through International Sales

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:24:19 -0700

With more than 15,000 international buyers expected at the 2013 SEMA Show, exhibitors at the upcoming event have an opportunity to learn about new markets and what they can do to grow their businesses internationally.

SEMA Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:08:08 -0700

This year marks SEMA’s 50th birthday—a remarkable milestone for our association. Let's take a walk down memory lane as we celebrate a half century of our industry.

Have You Registered a Patent or Trademark? Your Competition Did

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:56:57 -0700

Protecting the intellectual property rights (IPR) of its members is a top SEMA priority. The process begins when companies register their patents, trademarks and copyrights with government agencies in the United States (and other countries). Registration is a key to establishing legal rights.

Provision to Save California’s Johnson Valley OHV Recreation Area Moves Closer to Becoming Law

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:54:11 -0700

Legislation that would end a five-year debate on how to expand the U.S. Marine Corps base at Twentynine Palms, California, has been included in HR 1960, the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), greatly increasing the likelihood of approval.

Bill to Provide for Single License Plate Introduced in Wisconsin

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:35:51 -0700

Legislation has been introduced in Wisconsin to require that motor vehicles display only a single license plate on the rear of the vehicle. The bill, supported by the state’s hobbyist community, has been referred to the Senate Transportation, Public Safety and Veterans and Military Affairs Committee for consideration.

Exhibitors: Get Your News to Editors, Reporters

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:30:36 -0700

With about five months to go until the 2013 SEMA Show takes place, editors and reporters are increasingly looking for news from SEMA Show exhibitors.

SEMA Members: Unleash the Power of Consumer Financing

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:11:42 -0700

SEMA members have a powerful resource available in their benefit arsenal that provides access to consumer information and can be used to develop marketing programs, increase customer loyalty and bolster sales. The resource is the CarCareONE credit program available through a partnership with GE Capital Retail Bank.

2012 SEMA Show Photos—Custom Rides

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:58:03 -0700

For one week each year, the SEMA Show gathers the largest collection of outfitted, upgraded dirt shredders, people haulers and street machines that exist with the specialty-equipment industry.

Hot Links to Cool Sites

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:41:06 -0700

SEMA eNews highlights the websites of SEMA-member companies through the Hot Links to Cool Sites section each week.

Submit Nominations for SEMA's Person, Rep Agency and WD of the Year

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:29:08 -0700

Nominations are now being accepted for the SEMA Person of the Year, SEMA Rep Agency of the Year and the SEMA WD of the Year awards. Please take a moment to review the SEMA Awards website, which lists the criteria established for each award, as well as a listing of previous honorees for each award.

Job-Hunting? Top Automotive Jobs Here

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:15:17 -0700

Are you hunting for a new job? The “Positions Available” section in the SEMA Member Classifieds lists more than 50 job openings around the country.

SEMA Council & Committee News: Resto Products Showcase Posted Online

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:13:37 -0700

News and updates and from SEMA's councils and committees.

Products Available to 2013 SEMA Show Project-Vehicle Builders

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:11:54 -0700

Exhibitors of the 2013 SEMA Show have the opportunity to expand their reach at Show by offering products to builders through the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders List.

Mark Your Calendars

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:09:49 -0700

Dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, webinars and activities have been announced.

Automotive Classifieds

chads@sema.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:08:06 -0700

SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities (view all here).

Nominations Open for SEMA's Person, Rep Agency and WD of the Year Awards

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:03:27 -0700

Products Available to 2013 SEMA Show Project-Vehicle Builders

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:54:18 -0700

Exhibitors of the 2013 SEMA Show have the opportunity to expand their reach at Show by offering products to builders through the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders List.

NHRA: Top Fuel and Funny Car Point Leads Change Hands in Englishtown

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:30:28 -0700

TOP FUEL AND FUNNY CAR POINT LEADS CHANGE HANDS IN ENGLISHTOWN: The points battles are heating up as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads into the summer months and Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Michael Ray (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all took home wins at the Toyota NHRA Summernationals. Langdon and Hagan also took over the points lead in their respective categories with the victories. Visit NHRA.com for more.

YEN Member of the Month—Alain Eboli, OMIX-ADA/Rugged Ridge/Alloy USA

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:08:13 -0700

Alain Eboli is a graduate of Southern Polytechnic State University in Atlanta. He is a father of a four-year-old boy who also shares a strong interest in cars and trucks. Eboli's role is engineering manager for OMIX-ADA/Rugged Ridge/Alloy USA—an independent manufacturer of Jeep replacement parts and accessories.

Movers & Shakers: Mike Provencher Leads ASA Automotive's Customer Services; Maradyne Names Chuck Clayton National Sales Rep

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:44:45 -0700

Here is a brief look at some of news and updates from around the specialty-equipment industry. Companies featured this week: ESAB Cutting Systems, Hotchkis Sport Suspension, RealTruck.com and more.

Member Satisfaction Survey: Provide Your Feedback for a Chance to Win $250

chads@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:05:07 -0700

Each year, we ask our members about their experiences with SEMA. This year’s Member Satisfaction Survey has been sent to a sampling of SEMA-member contacts. Be on the lookout for an e-mail invitation signed by Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA vice president of councils and membership.

MRN Members: Enhance Your Knowledge of SEMA Data Co-op's Product Data Management System

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:04:55 -0700

The Manufacturers Representative Network (MRN) and the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) have announced the launch of a new certificate program exclusively for MRN members.

Top-Selling Accessory-Friendly Vehicles From Around the World

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:50:04 -0700

Thinking of trying to sell your product overseas but not sure where to start? Say you make a Jeep accessory that is a hot seller here in the United States and you want to know where else the Jeep is popular. SEMA can help. It has sales data for Jeep in more than two dozen countries. The same data is available for trucks and select car models.

Best Practices: Recruiting the Right Rep for Your Business

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:41:31 -0700

Let’s say you’ve launched a start-up company and are ready to sell your first line (or lines) of new product. Or perhaps you are a small to medium manufacturer looking to take sales to a whole new level. Or maybe you head the marketing department of a company in need of growing its sales force. In each case, you’re likely considering the ability of a manufacturer’s rep to help you reach your goals. If so, you won’t be the first who employed the services of an expert to gain entry to key markets and increase sales of established lines.

New Product Showcase: No. 1 Stop for Buyers, Media

jasonc@sema.org — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:30:31 -0700

For exhibitors looking to maximize exposure at the 2013 SEMA Show, the New Products Showcase serves as one of the greatest opportunities for reaching thousands of industry buyers and media.