By Lindsay Bianco
Inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2008, Corky Coker was nicknamed by his father, Harold, after a character in the old “Gasoline Alley” comic strip. His father opened the Coker Tire Company in 1958, and Corky easily remembers sweeping floors and cleaning wide whitewalls and the satisfaction of making a customer happy.
“I suddenly realized that selling hot-rod and Model-A tires to these guys made them very happy,” Coker said. “They smiled when they did business with me because they got to play with their toys. I really got my head into it and started developing some ideas and goals of my own.”
In the video below, he talks about his involvement with the association, establishing the SEMA Political Action Committee, and helping guide the group toward a bolder investment strategy for future security.
Do you know someone like Corky Coker? SEMA is looking for innovators whose legacy will continue to benefit the industry for a long time to come. Nominate an industry veteran for the 2020 SEMA Hall of Fame by the March 16 deadline and help us in recognizing individuals who have pioneered and shaped the automotive specialty-equipment industry.
Don’t miss your chance to acknowledge industry visionaries.
For more information, contact Lindsay Bianco, SEMA’s senior manager, member projects, at 909-978-6692.