By Linda Spencer
More than 1,000 people attended the 2014 SEMA International Happy Hour last Wednesday, November 5, in Las Vegas. This annual evening networking event brings together exhibitors with international resellers and wholesalers.
At the event, Rick Trudo, CEO of SCT Performance, received the first SEMA International Ambassador Award in recognition of his success in leading the company to growing its export business and serving as a role model and mentor to the industry. SCT has aggressively sought to diversify its international customer base and has participated in every SEMA overseas trip to China, the Middle East and Russia. In recognition of its growing international sales, SCT won a U.S. Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award in 2012.
In addition, several SEMA-member companies won the Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award. They included: aFe Power, Champion Oil, Lingenfelter, Magnaflow, Magnuson Products LLC, Penda Corp., Rigid Industries and Transamerican Wholesale.
To view all of the pictures from the event, visit www.SEMAPhotos.com.
 More than 1,000 people attended the 2014 SEMA International Happy Hour. |  Ken Lingenfelter and Mike Copeland of Lingenfelter pose with U.S. Department of Commerce official Chandra Brown. Lingenfelter is one of eight recipients of the 2014 Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award presented at the SEMA Show. |
 SCT Performance CEO Rick Trudo (right)—winner of the first SEMA International Ambassador award—poses with SEMA Chairman of the Board Nate Shelton. |  Representatives of some of the winners of the Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award pose for photos with Deputy Assistant Secretary Chandra Brown (black dress center), SEMA Director of International and Government Affairs Linda Spencer and Elizabeth Couch from the U.S. Department of Commerce. |