Ryan Friedlinghaus (front right), owner/CEO of West Coast Customs.
SEMA has selected Ryan Friedlinghaus, owner and CEO of West Coast Customs (WCC), to be the New Product Awards Breakfast speaker at the 2008 SEMA Show.
Friedlinghaus gained national fame through WCC's appearance on MTV’s "Pimp My Ride." The series showcased the shop’s talent in restoring old junk vehicles into elaborate, hip-hop-themed rides.
Friedlinghaus ended WCC's involvement with "Pimp" because he found that the show's platform had become too gimmicky. He now stars in "Street Customs" on TLC, which he says is a more realistic depiction of how a custom car shop operates.
In 1993, an 18-year-old Friedlinghaus, who was born in Los Angeles and raised in Las Vegas borrowed $5,000 and opened WCC. Friedlinghaus says that the privately held company now exceeds $10 million a year in revenue. His factory is located in Corona, California, where he also resides.
In addition to attending the breakfast, Show exhibitors still have time to submit entries for the New Products Showcase.
“The New Products Showcase is a great value and opportunity for SEMA Show exhibitors to gain tremendous exposure for their new products," said Gary Vigil, SEMA trade shows director. "Products will be displayed to all the media and attendees at the Show and will be posted on SEMAshow.com for months after."
The first product entered is free. To submit a product, CLICK HERE.
The awards breakfast will be held on November 4, 2008, the first morning of the Show. To obtain your free ticket to the event, CLICK HERE.