From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
Fresh off his meeting with the office of U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) during the recent SEMA & PRI Washington Rally, Senator Marshall accepted an invitation from Tim McCarthy, the CEO of HushMat and ZyCoat, to visit the company's distribution facility in Olathe, Kansas. During Sen. Marshall's tour, he was joined by Kansas State Representative Robyn Essex (District 78) and Olathe Mayor John Bacon, which provided them an opportunity to meet with HushMat and ZyCoat employees from distribution, marketing and customer service, where he learned about HushMat, a thermal and sound deadening material designed for cars, trucks, boats and RVs, and ZyCoat, a thermal coating designed for hard-running engines and exhaust systems. For more on these companies, click here to read SEMA News' interview with Tim McCarthy.
"It was an honor to meet with Senator Marshall, Rep. Essex, and Mayor Bacon and provide them a first-hand look at HushMat and ZyCoat," said McCarthy, founder and CEO of the company. "The visit provided the opportunity for our employees to speak with their elected officials about the most important issues facing our industry and educate him on the products we manufacture, sell and distribute worldwide from the greater Kansas City area. It's vital to the future of the many segments of our industry that elected officials understand the nature of our businesses and the economic contributions they make to drive the local economy in communities throughout the United States of America. We built the HushMat and ZyCoat brands based on 37 years serving the automotive industry. Today, we are two small businesses founded on reputation for outstanding performance, innovation and customer service," said McCarthy.
Sen. Marshall is currently serving in his first term in the U.S. Senate and is a member of the Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus. As a long-time Jeep owner and grandfather to young boys who are passionate about karting on his property, Sen. Marshall has an appreciation for the important cultural role of the specialty automotive aftermarket and motorsports industries.
Prior to being elected to the Senate in 2020, Sen. Marshall practiced medicine as an OB/GYN in Great Bend, Kansas, for more than 25 years and served in the Army Reserves for seven years. Sen. Marshall has a deep understanding and appreciation for the challenges that small businesses face. As the owner of a medical practice, he grew the business from five people to more than 300 employees. The senator is a proud 5th-generation farm kid from Butler County, who was the first in his family to attend college. After graduating from Butler County Community College, he received his Bachelor's degree from Kansas State University and his Medical Doctorate from the University of Kansas.
Host Your Own Lawmaker Visit
If you're interested in hosting your federal or state lawmakers, SEMA's government affairs team is ready to help. Hosting a member of Congress or state lawmaker for a tour of your business is a great way to develop long term relationships with the people that represent your business.
For more information, contact Eric Snyder, SEMA's senior director of federal government affairs, at erics@sema.org.
