SEMA News - October 2010

Photography by Peter Rogers

Meet Ben Mizban of T-Rex Grilles

	“Take advantage of early registration, and put more thought into how you are presenting your new product,“ said Ben Mizban, president of T-Rex Grilles. “Describe it well and highlight the advantages and benefits of your product to stay ahead of your competition.”

Ben Mizban is the president of T-Rex Grilles in Corona, California. The company has regularly participated in the SEMA Show New Products Showcase. Recently, Mizban offered his insight and advice on getting the most from the program.

SEMA News: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and T-Rex Grilles.

Ben Mizban: I opened JBM Sport Truck Accessories, my first business, in 1986 in the city of Orange and grew it into one of the largest retailer/mail-order companies in California by 2001. I started T-Rex Truck Products/T-Rex Grilles as part of JBM in 1996 and just manufactured billet grilles to supply our own huge demand in the mail-order business, slowly seeking other distributors. T-Rex Grilles has been in automotive aftermarket grille design and manufacturing for the past 14 years. Our philosophy has always been simple: create a product at the highest quality possible with cutting-edge style and a pristine finish while maintaining highly competitive pricing. T-Rex has been a pioneer in the innovative design aspect of various grilles in the market, such as our stainless-steel mesh grilles and Phantom grilles for Chevy Camaros and Dodge Challengers. We were also the originator of Studded X-Metal series grilles and the ultimate Dresden Luxury grilles.

SN: You participated in the New Products Showcase at the 2009 SEMA Show. How did your participation affect your
Show experience?

BM: We definitely found it very helpful with bringing qualified customers to our booth.

SN: What opportunities did you realize from participating in the New Products Showcase?

BM: We showcased our new products and created excitement about what was new from T-Rex. It reminded our existing customers about us and, in many cases, brought new customers on board.

SN: Are you participating in the New Products Showcase this year? If so, are you doing anything differently from previous years?

BM: Yes, we are, and we are improving how we showcase our new products by building a nicer display rack for them.

SN: What advice would you give to other exhibitors who may be considering submitting a new product?

BM: Take advantage of early registration, and put more thought into how you are presenting your new product. Describe it well and highlight the advantages and benefits of your product to stay ahead of your competition.