Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Omix-ADA will hold its second annual Jeep Heritage Expo at its company headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia, Saturday, June 3, 2017. |
Omix-ADA Announces Second Annual Jeep Heritage Expo June 3 at Suwanee, Georgia, Headquarters
Omix-ADA will hold its second annual Jeep Heritage Expo at its company headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia, Saturday, June 3, 2017, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Omix-ADA will once again open its doors to the public, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at its 230,000-sq.-ft. facility, where more than 20,000 Omix-ADA, Rugged Ridge and Alloy USA Jeep parts and accessories are developed, warehoused and distributed. Additionally, Omix-ADA’s Jeep collection, which features more than 30 of the world’s rarest Jeeps dating back to 1941, will be on display to the public, including the ’46 Willys Farm Jeep and ’59 Jeep FC-150. The Jeep Heritage Expo will also feature a Jeep Show & Shine area, where all attendees are able to showcase their personalized Jeeps. Admission to the event is free to the public and will be held at the following address: 460 Horizon Dr., Suwanee, GA 30024.
 Alberto Bombassei, president of Brembo, is among the 2017 Automotive Hall of Fame inductees. |
Automotive Hall of Fame Announces 2017 Inductees
The Automotive Hall of Fame will induct four new members into its ranks at its 2017 Induction & Awards Gala Ceremony, July 20, at Cobo Center in Detroit. The Automotive Hall of Fame’s 2017 inductees include: Alberto Bombassei, president of Brembo; August Fruehauf (1868–1930), inventor of the semi-trailer and founder of the Fruehauf Trailer Co.; Jack Roush, founder, CEO and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing and chairman of Roush Enterprises; and Edward Welburn, retired General Motors vice president of global design. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Automotive Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 1967—a class which included automotive icons Henry Ford, Alfred P. Sloan, William C. Durant and Walter P. Chrysler. Tickets for the black-tie event are available at www.automotivehalloffame.org or by contacting Kerry Doyle at 313-240-4000 or KDoyle@thedrivingspirit.org.
$3 Million Awarded in Challenge Grant to Milwaukee Area Technical College to Expand Automotive Programs and Create Al Hurvis/PEAK Transportation Center
Tom Hurvis, chairman of Old World Industries LLC—the parent company of the PEAK automotive brand and co-founder of the Al Hurvis/ADAMM Education Foundation—has announced a $3-million challenge grant to expand Milwaukee Area Technical College’s (MATC) automotive programs and kick off fundraising to create the Al Hurvis/PEAK Transportation Center. The grant provides $1 million in immediate funding, and up to an additional $2 million for every dollar the MATC Foundation Inc. raises for the project over the next two years. Grant funding will provide seed money to launch expanded academic programming, including additional personnel and equipment expenses for the new Transportation Center. The challenge grant would be the largest private gift ever made to MATC. The gift addresses a shortage of skilled automotive technicians by encouraging middle school, high school and adult students to enter careers in the growing transportation industry. Over the next three years, MATC plans to transform an existing structure on its Downtown Milwaukee Campus into a center that will serve as a hub for youth-oriented activities, enable the expansion of MATC’s automotive repair programs and provide opportunities for students to serve the community. The center can serve as a spring board to careers in transportation, advanced manufacturing and engineering.
Roadwire Leather Opens State-of-the-Art East Coast Warehouse
Roadwire Leather has recently opened a state-of-the art warehouse in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, designed to offer fast delivery turnaround. The new, centrally located facility, open 24 hours daily, guarantees one-day ground delivery to key East Coast markets, allowing Roadwire’s restyler customers to fulfill client orders on a just-in-time basis. According to Roadwire, orders placed by 7:00 p.m. (PDT) are shipped for the next day’s delivery to customers in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, eastern New York and Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware, Maryland and Vermont. Same-day pick-up and delivery, including weekends, is also available, as is two-day delivery to several other regions, including Puerto Rico.
 Michael Maines (center) was selected as the winner of the inaugural Belmor “I Did My Duty…Now I Drive Heavy Duty” contest. |
Belmor Announces Winner of “I Did My Duty…Now I Drive Heavy Duty” Contest at 2017 Mid-America Truck Show
Michael Maines of Durand, Michigan—a U.S. military veteran and commercial truck driver—was selected as the winner of the inaugural Belmor “I Did My Duty…Now I Drive Heavy Duty” contest. The contest was open to all United States military veterans who are currently commercial truck drivers. Drivers entered by submitting a brief essay about their military service, why they chose to enter the field of heavy truck driving and their connection to the trucking world and fellow drivers. As the contest winner, Maines received an all-expense-paid trip to the 2017 Mid-America Truck Show (MATS), held March 23–25, 2017, in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to the trip, Maines received a gift certificate for products from the Lund International family of brands for use on his vehicles.
 Turn 14 Distribution has added nGauge to its line card. |
Turn 14 Distribution Introduces nGauge to Line Card
Turn 14 Distribution has augmented its product lineup with the addition of nGauge to its line card. With the nGauge, users gain the ability to configure their own gauge display from hundreds of OBD-II signals, show up to six gauges at any one time and record vehicle datalog files to a MicroSD card. In addition, the gauge offers the ability to program warning lights and has built-in diagnostic capability. The nGauge uses a thin design to save space, offers a variety of mounting configurations and options, and uses a resistive touch screen for simple operation. The nGauge’s interface with the HPTuners software permits simple operation and data collection.
AM General and U.S. Army Partner on Autonomous Driving Vehicle for Evolving Military Installation Transport Needs
AM General and the U.S. Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) have announced a new partnership to develop and demonstrate an autonomous driving vehicle that may revolutionize how soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, along with equipment and supplies, are transported inside U.S. military facilities. Under the Applied Robotics for Installations and Base Operations initiative (ARIBO), AM General and TARDEC are currently developing an autonomous vehicle, with demonstrations expected to begin this spring at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. The ARIBO program allows current civilian robotics technology to be examined in vehicles in a semi-controlled environment, such as military bases like West Point, which have restricted roads, predefined routes and restrictive operations for favorable conditions. The program’s aim is to advance the state of military robotics while simultaneously addressing U.S. military base needs by creating reliable military robotic technology and reducing operational and personnel costs.
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