Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Troy Ladd of Hollywood Hot Rods is the third custom-car icon to be added to the growing stable of Red Kap Craftsmen. | |
Red Kap Welcomes Troy Ladd of Hollywood Hot Rods to “The Craftsmen” Series
Red Kap has selected L.A. Roadsters 2012 Builder of the Year Troy Ladd as the third custom-car icon to be added to the growing stable of Red Kap Craftsmen. Ladd owns Hollywood Hot Rods in Burbank, California. He has been designing, building and restoring custom hot rods from his shop for more than a decade. Ladd is known for his work on the TV shows “Rides” (2003), “Ultimate Car Build Off” (2010) and “American Icon: The Hot Rod” (2010). He’s been honored by enthusiast magazines, including Hot Rod, Street Rodder and Rod & Custom. Other major wins include Grand National Roadster Show 2010 Builder of the Year and the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association/SEMA 2007 Trendsetter Award.
“The Craftsmen” is a video series profiling custom builders who embody Red Kap’s core values of heritage, craftsmanship and passion. “The Builder” is the first of two videos profiling Ladd. Viewers will hear Ladd’s unique stories while seeing the high-performance works of art that earned him a place among this group.
Scott Poncher Steps Down as ReadyLIFT Suspension President
ReadyLIFT Suspension Inc.’s board of directors has announced that Scott Poncher, the company’s founder and president, is voluntarily stepping down as president, effective immediately. After pioneering the leveling kit product category, developing lift, suspension and other off-road products and leading ReadyLIFT for more than 10 years, Poncher has decided to move on to pursue other interests. Poncher will remain available to provide strategic advice to the ReadyLIFT team. ReadyLIFT will continue to be run by its leadership team while it identifies a new long-term president. Kyle Wright, a current ReadyLIFT director and operating partner of ReadyLIFT’s primary owner Mangrove Equity Partners, will act as interim president.
 Chuck Olson | |
QA1 Hires Chuck Olson as Director of Engineering
QA1 has announced that Chuck Olson has joined the QA1 team as director of engineering. He will lead the design and manufacturing engineers and be responsible for new-product development and continuous improvement. Olson has worked in contract manufacturing and product design for the past 22 years. He has also been active in dirt circle-track racing for much of the last 25 years and is an avid enthusiast.
AAM Group Welcomes TI Automotive as New Program Vendor
The AAM Group has announced the addition of TI Automotive as a vendor in its Parts Pro marketing program. With its acceptance, TI Automotive will enjoy representation across The AAM Group’s array of marketing tools, including the Digital Showcase online catalog, the Insight app and its Price Manager retail calculator and the group’s full suite of digital and print media.
Nicki Schoen Joins KMS Marketing Solutions
Karl Stearns, president of KMS Marketing Solutions, has announced that Nicki Schoen has joined the firm as client services manager. Schoen was responsible for the logistical placement of Ford trucks at the SEMA Show and became well-known in the industry. She spent time with Ryder Logistics, applying her skills to an entirely different field when she left the industry in 2002. While at Ryder, Schoen won the award for Supply Chain Hero after saving a client more than $1.9 million in one year.
 “Car Crazy” host Barry Meguiar (right) will welcome Ken Lingenfelter on an episode that will air Monday, September 14, on Discovery's Velocity TV channel. | |
Velocity TV’s “Car Crazy” to Feature an Inside Look at Lingenfelter
On September 14, automotive enthusiast TV show "Car Crazy" will feature an in-depth look at the Lingenfelter Collection and explore the story of the man responsible for this dream garage. The Lingenfelter Collection, assembled and curated by Ken Lingenfelter, owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, is a 40,000-sq.-ft. building filled with a continually evolving roster of more than 200 unique and historically significant American musclecars, Corvettes and late-model exotics, including a Bugatti Veyron, a Lamborghini Reventon and eight Ferraris, including a ’15 LaFerrari.
Corvettes both old and new are an integral part of the collection, which includes a ’53 Supercharged Corvette, ’54 Duntov Test Mule and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering's new Level One and Level Two tuned C7 Z06s. Lingenfelter uses the collection as a venue for public tours and special events in order to generate financial support for a number of important charitable organizations through The Lingenfelter Foundation.
The "Car Crazy" episode will explore the synergy between Lingenfelter's drive to create high-performance aftermarket products and his pursuit of the world's finest collectible automobiles. It will air Monday, September 14, on Discovery's Velocity TV channel. For details, visit carcrazycentral.com.
 Ken Glowacki | |
Ken Glowacki Joins Rev’n Sales Team
Luken Communications has hired Ken Glowacki—an automotive and aftermarket advertising veteran—to the Rev’n sales force in the Detroit market. Glowacki officially joined the team in August and will focus his time on large accounts in addition to the original-equipment market. Glowacki is a seasoned marketing and advertising executive with more than 30 years of experience helping clients achieve their strategic development and sales objectives. While representing many of the premier automotive enthusiast magazines, such as Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Petersen’s Four Wheel & Off Road and others, he has successfully negotiated long-term multi-million-dollar contracts that crossed over multi-media platforms. In addition to automakers, his client base includes national consumer goods companies and automotive aftermarket suppliers.
Kendrick Oil Signs on With VP Racing Fuels Branding Program
VP Racing Fuels has introduced Kendrick Oil Co. as the newest partner in its retail branding program. Based in Friona, Texas, Kendrick provides a range of fuel products to 47 retail locations and a variety of other customers in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Louisiana.
 RealTruck.com's “Big Red” was featured on ChevyTv.com. | |
RealTruck.com's “Big Red” Featured on ChevyTv.com
RealTruck.com has announced that its recent custom truck project, “Big Red,” was featured on ChevyTv.com. The Big Red truck build’s key feature was to ensure that any truck owner could replicate its style. Thus, only bolt-on accessories were used. Chevy TV directs readers to RealTruck’s YouTube page, where they can track the Big Red build progress from beginning to end.
Legacy Manufacturing to Double Capacity With New $10.4 Million Facility
Legacy Manufacturing, the maker of Flexzilla extreme performance water and air hoses, is building a $10.4 million facility to consolidate its operations and double its capacity. The 133,000-sq.-ft. building will be located in Marion, Iowa—the same as its current facility—where the company has done business for more than 20 years. The company expects to move into the new facility during the first quarter of 2016.
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