SEMA News

The Wheel & Tire Council (WTC) Select Committee is a group of elected volunteers who serve as advocates for their industry niche. In this role, they commit their time, experience and unique perspective in order to help guide association resources for the betterment of the industry. With this in mind, and as the result of the recent elections, WTC is positioned strongly to influence meaningful change and help promote the wheel and tire segments of the specialty-equipment market. WTC is proud to announce the new members of the committee.

Part 1: Attending Consumer Events

Whether yours is a young manufacturing company, retail store or repair shop, you know that a good marketing plan is vital to the growth of your business. In this series of articles, we will address the ins and outs of marketing, beginning this time with the importance of attending consumer events.

Consumer events put you in front of potentially thousands of new customers where you can hear firsthand what people think of your products or services. Feedback can help you improve existing products or give you ideas for new ones, and walking an event can open your eyes to developing trends.

The Professional Restyler’s Organization (PRO) Select Committee is a group of elected volunteers who serve as advocates for their industry niche. In that role, they commit their time, experience and unique perspective in order to help guide association resources for the betterment of the industry. The ability to effectively represent PRO’s membership necessitates that the individuals who serve approach council business with a broad understanding of the issues that impact member companies on both a short- and long-term basis. With this is mind, and as the result of the recent elections, PRO is positioned to strongly influence meaningful change and help promote the restyling and accessory segments of the specialty-equipment market. PRO proudly welcomes the new Select Committee members.

Chris Douglas of COMP Performance Group and Mike Crutchfield of Coker Tire are serving their freshman terms as Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Select Committee members. Chris Fairless, the other new face on the committee, previously served as chairman of the Manufacturers’ Rep Council prior to moving to his current position at Magnaflow Exhaust. Fairless was unavailable at press time, but below are some comments from Douglas and Crutchfield.

Company Descriptions and History: 100% strictly wholesale warehouse distributor (WD). Founded in 1937 as Meyer Body building truck bodies and later distributing truck parts and equipment; became Meyer Distributing in 1983.

A hot rod is anything that will make your parents/wife/partner roll their eyes and shake their heads, wondering if you will ever grow up. Anything that turns money into noise, speed and trouble while making you smile. It is also anything mechanical that teaches you new skills and makes new friends. Any automobile that is modified in order to improve reliability, safety, speed, power, economy, appearance, comfort, handling and braking to be more attuned to the specific desires of the owner/builder. Since those attributes are subject to individual taste, the variety of types of automobile and modifications will be endless, but they are all hot rods, regardless of the year, make, style or age/preferences of the owners.

Along with incumbents Lenny Schaeffer of Chop Shop Customs and Matt Agosta of Steele Rubber Products, the Automotive Restoration Manufacturers Organization (ARMO) welcomed three new members to its Select Committee as a result of elections in the spring. Tray Smith is the vice president and co-owner of H&H Classic Parts, a large retailer of restoration parts specializing in Chevrolet products. Erika Woody is the owner of Hydro-E-Lectric, a manufacturing company that produces parts to keep convertible tops and power windows functioning on all types of cars from ’46–present. Jim Pennekamp is the national sales manager at TrimParts, one of the original ARMO manufacturer members.

Recent council elections brought some new faces to the Young Executives Network (YEN) Select Committee. Here are a few facts about the new members as well as an incumbent.

Matt Cartwright has served in a variety of automotive markets, including auto body, auto detailing, auto and truck sales and, most recently, specialty-equipment truck accessories. He started as an inside sales rep with Meyer Distributing in 2009 and quickly used his extensive sales training and unique abilities to ascend to his current position as prospect and lead-development director.

If you are reading this article, you are most likely a subscriber to SEMA News magazine, and you undoubtedly value the industry-specific information that only SEMA can provide. In addition to reading the monthly publication, SEMA members can maximize their ability to connect with industry professionals and receive beneficial information by providing SEMA with up-to-date and accurate contact information.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund is dedicated to fostering the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators.

A total of $130,000 was awarded to 69 scholarship recipients for 2012, and $15,000 was awarded to 15 loan-forgiveness recipients. Over the life of the fund, $1.5 million has gone to 1,000 deserving students since it was started in 1984.

Sponsored by the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), the SEMA Networking Breakfast combined awards presentation and speed-networking event is the quickest way to meet peers, industry leaders and vendor associates who could be instrumental to your business or career. It is open to men and women from all segments of the industry, and it sells out a month before the SEMA Show.

The SBN also gives special recognition at the breakfast to individuals or companies that are making extraordinary strides in the advancement of women and newcomers through three awards: 2012 SBN Athena, Mentor of the Year and Woman of the Year.

The Internet, data and industry consolidation have greatly impacted the role of manufacturer agents and how this critical segment delivers value for manufacturers, warehouse distributors (WDs) and accounts. These issues require a progressive Select Committee that will approach council business with a long-term vision to provide the council membership with sustainable solutions. A necessary step in assuring future viability is building a group of volunteers who are committed and willing to ask the hard questions. Through the recent Select Committee elections, the Manufacturers’ Rep Council (MRC) has solidified its foundation with the reelection of four incumbents.