SEMA News—October 2015

EVENTS

By Steve Campbell

Making the Most of Leads at the 2015 SEMA Show

Gathering, Tracking and Following Up Culminates in Sales

	Exhibitors invest in the SEMA Show primarily to attract retail buyers. The process of generating, collecting and following up with leads is the best way to recoup that investment.

While almost half of all buyers placed orders at the 2014 SEMA Show, nearly 90% also had plans to make purchases from exhibitors after the Show, and many buyers said that they were researching for future purchases rather than planning to make a purchase at the event. Yet many exhibitors lose out on that business because they either don’t properly collect lead information or don’t follow up with quality leads following the Show.

Exhibitors invest in the SEMA Show primarily to attract retail buyers. But it’s obviously not just talking to people at the event itself that produces product sales throughout the year. The process of generating and following up with leads should actually begin long before the doors open at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Before the Show

When exhibitors begin their initial preparations for the SEMA Show—and definitely at least a couple of months before—they should take the time to establish a lead-generation strategy and set goals. Determine the number of qualified leads that each salesperson should strive to acquire, including contact information and the level of interest the buyer exhibits. Determine how best to attract those leads, whether through product displays, demonstrations, special offers or other incentives.

Exhibitors should keep a list of buyer contacts from year to year. Six weeks to two months before the SEMA Show, send those contacts an e-mail or a postcard describing new products that will be on display along with information about your booth number and its general location at the Convention Center. You can also obtain buyer list rentals via the Exhibitor Services Manual at SEMAShow.com/esm under the Marketing, Advertising & Sponsorships tab.

About a month prior to the Show, make phone calls to the buyers you’d truly like to attract to your booth. Set a specific appointment time and day when possible, and follow up a week before the Show to confirm the meeting. Even if your company won’t be offering an entirely new product, detail any special offers or other innovations you are developing.

Consider offering a promotional product to the recipients of your mailers if they stop by your booth. Freebies give buyers an additional reason to visit, and giveaways during the Show can also draw traffic into your exhibit. There are almost always crowds around booths that are showcasing a celebrity, holding raffles, running contests or giving away prizes, but it’s best if the giveaway product is useful, is related to your company and will remind attendees of who you are.

Show discounts are another great way to attract quality leads and generate sales. According to surveys, about 75% of buyers take advantage of special discounts, yet only 36% of exhibitors offer specials or buying incentives.

In this age of social media, exhibiting companies should mention their participation in the SEMA Show on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other channels. While e-mail has proven to be the most effective marketing tool for exhibitors, social media has quickly become a winner as well. According to the most recent SEMA research, 84% of buyers visit at least some of the exhibitors who contacted them.

Another prime pre-Show marketing opportunity is submitting a press release to SEMA’s online media center. Such releases typically reveal new products, announce Show specials, provide information about new programs or highlight other company developments. Visit
www.SEMAShow.com/node/add/press to post a release, and post early so that you meet editors’ deadlines.

You may also want to e-mail press releases concerning your SEMA Show plans to amandag@sema.org for inclusion in SEMA News and/or the SEMA Show Daily newspaper, which is distributed at the event each day. Use your releases to promote newsworthy booth activities or products that will be featured at the Show. Be sure to also print up plenty of releases to be distributed at the Media Center, which will be located in room S220 of the Skybridge passageway between the Central and South Halls. Reporters and editors congregate there and are always looking for content.

At the SEMA Show

Creating invoices at the SEMA Show is a great aspiration, but many sales take place in the weeks and months after the event when follow-ups lead to orders.

Collecting buyer contact information is crucial to after-Show sales. Select booth staff who can handle questions or requests and who are able to assess each buyer and find out about the buyer’s needs and budget to determine whether there is potential for business. If so, the company representative should ask for the visitor’s business card, swipe his or her badge in a lead-retrieval device (see below) or otherwise acquire contact information and even set up a future appointment or phone call at a specific time after the Show.

Be sure that booth personnel determine the lead’s purpose in attending the SEMA Show, whether he or she is in a position to make purchasing decisions and what products the lead was interested in. Also, ensure that booth personnel understand the key message points your company wants to convey at the Show, and that they return to those points in every conversation with each visitor. Use your early planning to develop those points, and employ them in your booth design, graphics, pre-Show promotion, brochures and any Show advertising your company does.

Lead Tracking

Collecting business cards or making notes provides basic information about attendees who visit your booth. But the SEMA Show attracts thousands of visitors, and advances in electronic lead retrieval make an automated tracking system almost a requirement.

Electronic systems capture information when a booth visitor simply swipes his or her Show badge. If you make getting that swipe a priority as soon as you’ve established that a buyer is a qualified lead, you capture detailed data in less than a second.

CompuSystems, the registration and lead-retrieval service used by the SEMA Show, provides a suite of products and services designed to capture and retain data on each booth visitor. When a buyer’s badge is swiped in an exhibitor’s CompuSystem device, all of the demographic information that the buyer provided during the registration process is downloaded.

Each device also allows booth personnel to quickly key in a series of codes that provide information about the quality of the lead, his or her level of buying authority, the preferred type of follow-up contact (e-mail, regular mail or a phone call) and whether the lead was provided with literature or a product demonstration. Grading the leads—cold, warm or hot—can help with follow-up after the Show.

CompuSystems offers four different CompuLEAD retrieval products that range from a handheld device with a touchscreen and stylus to a desktop unit that reads attendee badges and prints sales lead reports. All include 10 standard qualifier codes and four standard survey questions but can also be outfitted with up to 99 custom lead qualifiers for additional charges.

The company’s CompuLEAD Smart application uses the exhibitor’s own iPhone or Android device to capture leads both on and off the SEMA Show floor. Exhibitors can capture full lead information anywhere and anytime by simply scanning the QR code on the attendee’s badge or by manually entering the attendee’s badge number. If an attendee does not have his badge, exhibitors can receive full lead information by entering the attendee’s e-mail address.

The CompuLEAD Smart app offers terrific benefits for events that are held away from the Show floor, such as networking receptions or buyer dinners. About 50% of buyers and 77% of exhibitors participate in dining with vendors, clients and business contacts.

Using the CompuSystems scanners, business cards and manual notes guarantees that a SEMA Show exhibitor captures all of the information needed to create a list for immediate follow-up calls on the most qualified contacts. For high-value buyers, exhibitors should try to coordinate a specific day, time and means of contact for follow-up. Most buyers will be able to access their calendars and set meeting or call times on the spot using their smartphones.

Post-Show Follow-Up

	Collecting buyer contact information is crucial to after-Show sales. Select booth staff who can handle questions or requests and who are able to assess each buyer and find out about the buyer’s needs and budget to determine whether there is potential for business.

Part of your planning before the SEMA Show should include the timing and means by which you will follow up with the leads your company generates. Surveys indicate that salespeople do not follow up on an incredible 80% of all leads, so this step in the process can put your company miles ahead of its competitors.

You can categorize how quickly to follow up with each lead if your sales team has used some type of grading system to sort the contacts made at the Show—A, B and C levels or hot, warm and cold leads. The most qualified or interested leads should be contacted within only a few days and no more than a week after the SEMA Show. You might send the next level of contacts a personalized e-mail using details from your Show notes. And even the lowest rung of leads can be added to your e-mail lists or your catalog distribution.

Experts say that the best time to contact leads is between 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays or Thursdays, but make follow-up a priority mission no matter what grading system, contact method or time of day you choose. Make a note of when each call was made and when to make the next call or visit, and don’t hesitate to invite your leads to visit your facility to learn more about your company.

CompuSystems also offers post-event follow-up services for both exhibitors and attendees. The company’s myLeads follow-up services are included free with all CompuLEAD rentals. Exhibitors can keep track of the attendees who visited their booths, view and print lead lists, send broadcast e-mails to their lists, print mailing labels from their lists and create reports based on lead ranking, profile, leads by the hour and by geographical distribution. Attendees can view and download company information for the exhibitors they visited and send follow-up e-mails to the exhibitors.

At some point not long after the Show, perform an evaluation of how your company’s lead generation, collection and follow-up program performed. Determine what worked and what didn’t. Ensure that all of your leads from the Show were contacted. Categorize the levels of interest for all buyers whose information you collected, and determine how many prospects were converted to sales. Use this information to fine-tune your processes at your next trade event and at the 2016 SEMA Show.

Exhibiting at the SEMA Show is an investment. Developing the best return requires planning. Collecting, qualifying and following up with leads is the best way to maximize that return.

SEMA News—October 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA News—October 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA News—October 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA News—October 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA News—October 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA News—October 2015

BUSINESS

By Mike Imlay

The All-New SEMA Emissions Laboratory

Getting an E.O. for Your Performance Product Just Got Easier

	Located at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center features a newly renovated emissions laboratory boasting the latest state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage stands ready to assist SEMA members through every phase of emissions certification—a legal requirement for making and selling street-vehicle products that may affect emissions.

For many automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers, emissions certification is an essential step in developing and bringing new performance or engine-related products to market. In fact, emissions compliance is a legal requirement. It is illegal under both California and federal law to sell products that could impact emissions. However, parts makers can comply with these laws by proving that their products do not increase emissions and have been certified through the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Executive Order (E.O.) process. While this can seem expensive and confusing, especially to small manufacturers and industry newcomers, the SEMA Garage’s cutting-edge Emissions Compliance Center is here to help make the process easy and affordable.

“We’re extremely proud of our all-new, state-of-the-art emissions testing facility,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development. “The SEMA Garage at our headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, is in a unique position to provide members with a reliable and affordable way to test their products, thereby helping them get those products to market more quickly. With our dyno-equipped Emissions Compliance Center, SEMA is able to help manufacturers test and apply for E.O. certification. Basic dyno services are also available for the purpose of performance and product development as well as iterative testing. While we already offer a comprehensive list of valuable programs and services to SEMA members, we will be expanding the lab’s capacities even further in the near future.”

Addressing a Need

The Emissions Compliance Center is a major component of the 15,000-sq.-ft. SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center, which is designed to help members speed products to consumers from concept to marketing. The Garage also includes a full mechanics’ bay, a tech center with laser metrology and 3D printing equipment, a photography studio, and a conference center. Recently, SEMA invested heavily in upgrading the facility with the most sophisticated testing equipment available anywhere in the world. In addition, the SEMA Garage staff has embarked on an awareness campaign to bring association members up-to-date on the facts about emissions certification. Here are some basics:

A Chevrolet Camaro SS stands ready for testing in the lab’s new dyno lane, which can simulate a wide variety of driving conditions for gasoline vehicles ranging from sports cars to pickups.

Emissions compliance applies to almost all performance and engine products. Generally, any product that affects airflow into or out of the engine, impacts the containment or delivery of fuel or affects the functionality of an emissions control system or device requires an E.O. from CARB for that product to be legal. This includes but is not limited to intake systems, exhaust components, tuning products, turbos and superchargers.

The notion of “49-state legal” isn’t really a thing. A common misconception is that a product is 49-state legal as long as you don’t sell it in California. This is not the case. The U.S. Clean Air Act prevents the modification of vehicles with products that impact emissions unless the product is certified, just like California. In order for an engine-related product to be legal anywhere in the United States, it must complete a certification process.

California has a process that allows aftermarket manufacturers to certify their products. CARB will issue an E.O. for products that have gone through an application and testing process. The CARB E.O. is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as demonstrating emissions compliance and provides coverage for all 50 states.

Both CARB and EPA have the ability to enforce. Both government entities that oversee air quality (CARB and EPA) have the ability to administer fines against manufacturers, sellers and installers of products that do not comply with the clean-air laws.

“In short, emissions compliance should be a priority for manufacturers of engine-related products, and the SEMA Garage is here to help,” said Peter Treydte, SEMA compliance center manager, who added that SEMA’s emissions compliance center involves two primary segments. “The first is assisting members with the paperwork side of the process, from identifying products that require certification, to preparing and submitting applications, and then following through to completion and receipt of a CARB E.O.,” he explained. “The second segment is actual testing. Typically, when you submit an application to CARB, they’re going to follow up with a testing requirement, which is usually performed in an emissions laboratory.”

Precision Equipment

	A technician calibrates the lab’s new emissions measurement and analysis equipment. Among the most sophisticated in the world, it delivers precise readings for tailpipe hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide—all of which are regulated by law.

The approximately 3,500-sq.-ft. lab area currently features a control booth and one emissions test lane outfitted with a two-wheel-drive dynamometer and all of the associated analyzing equipment for tailpipe emissions. According to Treydte, there’s space to expand to two lanes, and future plans include the addition of a four-wheel-drive dyno. Much of the lab equipment was manufactured by AVL, a Germany-based company that is well known in the industry for its global, leading-edge technology.

“The certification process involves a very specific type of testing,” observed Treydte. “It’s been in place for a number of years and has been improved and modified over the course of those years, but it’s regulated very closely. So the equipment required to perform that testing is very specialized and refined, and it must produce highly repeatable results. We selected AVL as our vendor of choice for our equipment and essentially wound up with a state-of-the-art laboratory. We’re capable of performing all levels of certification for gasoline-powered vehicles initially, and we’ll be adding diesel capability at some point.”

The current dyno setup can simulate road and driving conditions for everything from a 2,000-lb. sports car to a 6,000-lb. pickup. Testing includes drive traces for cold starts, city start-and-stop driving, suburban and highway driving, and hill climbs. Meanwhile, the emissions measuring equipment takes precise readings for hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide through each drive trace.

In recent months, upward of 30 companies have already availed themselves of the remodeled and upgraded emissions lab. The SEMA Garage’s help with the E.O. process can include everything from initial paperwork all the way through assisting companies in overcoming any hurdles they may encounter as they work with CARB.

“There are actually a number of steps along the way that can be performed in the SEMA Garage,” Treydte said. “Some members may have a high level of confidence in their product, so they may simply go through the application process, get a test letter from CARB, and then bring that test letter here where we can go straight into certification testing. Other members may need to do some research and development first. We can offer that service as well. We have some unique capabilities that allow test data to be observed in a second-by-second format, so when the emissions test is being conducted, you’ll actually be able to see where certain peaks occur in the emissions output so you can target for that operation and make sure that your product is not having an adverse effect during the drive cycles of the test.”

Treydte said that a big part of SEMA’s service is simply the ability to communicate with CARB, knowing who to talk to and knowing the right questions to ask. “We’ve been able to help members at all levels through the process,” he said. “Key to making it all happen is going through an authorization process for SEMA to speak to CARB on behalf of the member company. Once that’s done, we can work on the project.”

Delivering Results

The lab’s recent success stories include WORKS, a small company with a 12-year history of manufacturing innovative performance parts for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru vehicles. Based in Sonoma, California, the company gears its products and performance services to both street enthusiasts and dedicated track racers. “We had just finalized our FR-S/BRZ turbo kits and, being in California, we wanted to make the kits CARB-compliant,” said Peter Wang, WORKS president. “We were looking for some guidance and assistance and attended a seminar at the 2014 SEMA Show and found exactly what we needed while the timing also worked out perfectly. We found the E.O. certification process less painful than previous experiences while working at other companies. Working with Peter Treydte made all the difference. He helped us every step of the way, from filling out the application to making sure the E.O. was promptly listed on the CARB website.”

WORKS Engineer Leon Vinokurov added that certifying a turbo kit—and going through it for the very first time—certainly seemed daunting. “Not only did the SEMA Garage help make this happen, but they made sure it happened quickly,” he said. “It was only just over seven months from first contact to getting the CARB E.O., and there was a lot of work done between start and finish. The most challenging and unexpected surprise was when the [product-equipped] car did not pass one of the drive-cycle tests during initial testing. The SEMA Garage advised us as to why it may have failed. We made the correction and passed with flying colors the second time.”

An experienced SEMA-member manufacturer may merely need help with a few questions or sticking points surrounding the E.O. process. A case in point is Derive Systems, based in Sanford, Florida. The company makes powertrain software designed to better customize engine performance.

“Through the SEMA Garage emissions lab, we were able to gain a bit more insight into the CARB E.O. procedures for our SCT-brand Livewire TS and X4 products,” explained Latif Taylor, the company’s calibrations compliance engineer. “We were able to reduce our time to obtain a test letter. Also, I believe the SEMA Garage emissions lab will give us an opportunity to escape the bottleneck of limited reputable test facilities. It proved to be a valuable resource, and I would recommend the Garage to other aftermarket businesses.”

Thankfully, the SEMA Garage emissions lab is designed to ease not only the time involved in E.O. certification but the costs as well. “Depending on the type of testing required and how much R&D work is necessary, costs can range, so you have to plan for some unknowns,” Treydte said. “Fortunately, our prices are extremely competitive, and we are also able to offer certain discounts for first-time users and some ongoing discounts for repeat SEMA-member users.”

In the end, SEMA members will find their R&D dollars well-spent in the expert test facility. “Even our equipment supplier, AVL, has been interested in using our facility as a showpiece to demonstrate the extent and capability of their equipment,” noted Treydte. “When SEMA members come here, they’re going to see not only a place where they can get their emissions testing done but also one that will actually provide them with the latest and greatest in terms of emissions measuring capabilities.”

Accessing the Emissions Lab

To learn more about the SEMA Garage and the emissions certification process, e-mail Peter Treydte at petert@sema.org.

SEMA News—October 2015

BUSINESS

By Mike Imlay

The All-New SEMA Emissions Laboratory

Getting an E.O. for Your Performance Product Just Got Easier

	Located at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center features a newly renovated emissions laboratory boasting the latest state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage stands ready to assist SEMA members through every phase of emissions certification—a legal requirement for making and selling street-vehicle products that may affect emissions.

For many automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers, emissions certification is an essential step in developing and bringing new performance or engine-related products to market. In fact, emissions compliance is a legal requirement. It is illegal under both California and federal law to sell products that could impact emissions. However, parts makers can comply with these laws by proving that their products do not increase emissions and have been certified through the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Executive Order (E.O.) process. While this can seem expensive and confusing, especially to small manufacturers and industry newcomers, the SEMA Garage’s cutting-edge Emissions Compliance Center is here to help make the process easy and affordable.

“We’re extremely proud of our all-new, state-of-the-art emissions testing facility,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development. “The SEMA Garage at our headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, is in a unique position to provide members with a reliable and affordable way to test their products, thereby helping them get those products to market more quickly. With our dyno-equipped Emissions Compliance Center, SEMA is able to help manufacturers test and apply for E.O. certification. Basic dyno services are also available for the purpose of performance and product development as well as iterative testing. While we already offer a comprehensive list of valuable programs and services to SEMA members, we will be expanding the lab’s capacities even further in the near future.”

Addressing a Need

The Emissions Compliance Center is a major component of the 15,000-sq.-ft. SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center, which is designed to help members speed products to consumers from concept to marketing. The Garage also includes a full mechanics’ bay, a tech center with laser metrology and 3D printing equipment, a photography studio, and a conference center. Recently, SEMA invested heavily in upgrading the facility with the most sophisticated testing equipment available anywhere in the world. In addition, the SEMA Garage staff has embarked on an awareness campaign to bring association members up-to-date on the facts about emissions certification. Here are some basics:

A Chevrolet Camaro SS stands ready for testing in the lab’s new dyno lane, which can simulate a wide variety of driving conditions for gasoline vehicles ranging from sports cars to pickups.

Emissions compliance applies to almost all performance and engine products. Generally, any product that affects airflow into or out of the engine, impacts the containment or delivery of fuel or affects the functionality of an emissions control system or device requires an E.O. from CARB for that product to be legal. This includes but is not limited to intake systems, exhaust components, tuning products, turbos and superchargers.

The notion of “49-state legal” isn’t really a thing. A common misconception is that a product is 49-state legal as long as you don’t sell it in California. This is not the case. The U.S. Clean Air Act prevents the modification of vehicles with products that impact emissions unless the product is certified, just like California. In order for an engine-related product to be legal anywhere in the United States, it must complete a certification process.

California has a process that allows aftermarket manufacturers to certify their products. CARB will issue an E.O. for products that have gone through an application and testing process. The CARB E.O. is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as demonstrating emissions compliance and provides coverage for all 50 states.

Both CARB and EPA have the ability to enforce. Both government entities that oversee air quality (CARB and EPA) have the ability to administer fines against manufacturers, sellers and installers of products that do not comply with the clean-air laws.

“In short, emissions compliance should be a priority for manufacturers of engine-related products, and the SEMA Garage is here to help,” said Peter Treydte, SEMA compliance center manager, who added that SEMA’s emissions compliance center involves two primary segments. “The first is assisting members with the paperwork side of the process, from identifying products that require certification, to preparing and submitting applications, and then following through to completion and receipt of a CARB E.O.,” he explained. “The second segment is actual testing. Typically, when you submit an application to CARB, they’re going to follow up with a testing requirement, which is usually performed in an emissions laboratory.”

Precision Equipment

	A technician calibrates the lab’s new emissions measurement and analysis equipment. Among the most sophisticated in the world, it delivers precise readings for tailpipe hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide—all of which are regulated by law.

The approximately 3,500-sq.-ft. lab area currently features a control booth and one emissions test lane outfitted with a two-wheel-drive dynamometer and all of the associated analyzing equipment for tailpipe emissions. According to Treydte, there’s space to expand to two lanes, and future plans include the addition of a four-wheel-drive dyno. Much of the lab equipment was manufactured by AVL, a Germany-based company that is well known in the industry for its global, leading-edge technology.

“The certification process involves a very specific type of testing,” observed Treydte. “It’s been in place for a number of years and has been improved and modified over the course of those years, but it’s regulated very closely. So the equipment required to perform that testing is very specialized and refined, and it must produce highly repeatable results. We selected AVL as our vendor of choice for our equipment and essentially wound up with a state-of-the-art laboratory. We’re capable of performing all levels of certification for gasoline-powered vehicles initially, and we’ll be adding diesel capability at some point.”

The current dyno setup can simulate road and driving conditions for everything from a 2,000-lb. sports car to a 6,000-lb. pickup. Testing includes drive traces for cold starts, city start-and-stop driving, suburban and highway driving, and hill climbs. Meanwhile, the emissions measuring equipment takes precise readings for hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide through each drive trace.

In recent months, upward of 30 companies have already availed themselves of the remodeled and upgraded emissions lab. The SEMA Garage’s help with the E.O. process can include everything from initial paperwork all the way through assisting companies in overcoming any hurdles they may encounter as they work with CARB.

“There are actually a number of steps along the way that can be performed in the SEMA Garage,” Treydte said. “Some members may have a high level of confidence in their product, so they may simply go through the application process, get a test letter from CARB, and then bring that test letter here where we can go straight into certification testing. Other members may need to do some research and development first. We can offer that service as well. We have some unique capabilities that allow test data to be observed in a second-by-second format, so when the emissions test is being conducted, you’ll actually be able to see where certain peaks occur in the emissions output so you can target for that operation and make sure that your product is not having an adverse effect during the drive cycles of the test.”

Treydte said that a big part of SEMA’s service is simply the ability to communicate with CARB, knowing who to talk to and knowing the right questions to ask. “We’ve been able to help members at all levels through the process,” he said. “Key to making it all happen is going through an authorization process for SEMA to speak to CARB on behalf of the member company. Once that’s done, we can work on the project.”

Delivering Results

The lab’s recent success stories include WORKS, a small company with a 12-year history of manufacturing innovative performance parts for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru vehicles. Based in Sonoma, California, the company gears its products and performance services to both street enthusiasts and dedicated track racers. “We had just finalized our FR-S/BRZ turbo kits and, being in California, we wanted to make the kits CARB-compliant,” said Peter Wang, WORKS president. “We were looking for some guidance and assistance and attended a seminar at the 2014 SEMA Show and found exactly what we needed while the timing also worked out perfectly. We found the E.O. certification process less painful than previous experiences while working at other companies. Working with Peter Treydte made all the difference. He helped us every step of the way, from filling out the application to making sure the E.O. was promptly listed on the CARB website.”

WORKS Engineer Leon Vinokurov added that certifying a turbo kit—and going through it for the very first time—certainly seemed daunting. “Not only did the SEMA Garage help make this happen, but they made sure it happened quickly,” he said. “It was only just over seven months from first contact to getting the CARB E.O., and there was a lot of work done between start and finish. The most challenging and unexpected surprise was when the [product-equipped] car did not pass one of the drive-cycle tests during initial testing. The SEMA Garage advised us as to why it may have failed. We made the correction and passed with flying colors the second time.”

An experienced SEMA-member manufacturer may merely need help with a few questions or sticking points surrounding the E.O. process. A case in point is Derive Systems, based in Sanford, Florida. The company makes powertrain software designed to better customize engine performance.

“Through the SEMA Garage emissions lab, we were able to gain a bit more insight into the CARB E.O. procedures for our SCT-brand Livewire TS and X4 products,” explained Latif Taylor, the company’s calibrations compliance engineer. “We were able to reduce our time to obtain a test letter. Also, I believe the SEMA Garage emissions lab will give us an opportunity to escape the bottleneck of limited reputable test facilities. It proved to be a valuable resource, and I would recommend the Garage to other aftermarket businesses.”

Thankfully, the SEMA Garage emissions lab is designed to ease not only the time involved in E.O. certification but the costs as well. “Depending on the type of testing required and how much R&D work is necessary, costs can range, so you have to plan for some unknowns,” Treydte said. “Fortunately, our prices are extremely competitive, and we are also able to offer certain discounts for first-time users and some ongoing discounts for repeat SEMA-member users.”

In the end, SEMA members will find their R&D dollars well-spent in the expert test facility. “Even our equipment supplier, AVL, has been interested in using our facility as a showpiece to demonstrate the extent and capability of their equipment,” noted Treydte. “When SEMA members come here, they’re going to see not only a place where they can get their emissions testing done but also one that will actually provide them with the latest and greatest in terms of emissions measuring capabilities.”

Accessing the Emissions Lab

To learn more about the SEMA Garage and the emissions certification process, e-mail Peter Treydte at petert@sema.org.

SEMA News—October 2015

BUSINESS

By Mike Imlay

The All-New SEMA Emissions Laboratory

Getting an E.O. for Your Performance Product Just Got Easier

	Located at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center features a newly renovated emissions laboratory boasting the latest state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage stands ready to assist SEMA members through every phase of emissions certification—a legal requirement for making and selling street-vehicle products that may affect emissions.

For many automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers, emissions certification is an essential step in developing and bringing new performance or engine-related products to market. In fact, emissions compliance is a legal requirement. It is illegal under both California and federal law to sell products that could impact emissions. However, parts makers can comply with these laws by proving that their products do not increase emissions and have been certified through the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Executive Order (E.O.) process. While this can seem expensive and confusing, especially to small manufacturers and industry newcomers, the SEMA Garage’s cutting-edge Emissions Compliance Center is here to help make the process easy and affordable.

“We’re extremely proud of our all-new, state-of-the-art emissions testing facility,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development. “The SEMA Garage at our headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, is in a unique position to provide members with a reliable and affordable way to test their products, thereby helping them get those products to market more quickly. With our dyno-equipped Emissions Compliance Center, SEMA is able to help manufacturers test and apply for E.O. certification. Basic dyno services are also available for the purpose of performance and product development as well as iterative testing. While we already offer a comprehensive list of valuable programs and services to SEMA members, we will be expanding the lab’s capacities even further in the near future.”

Addressing a Need

The Emissions Compliance Center is a major component of the 15,000-sq.-ft. SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center, which is designed to help members speed products to consumers from concept to marketing. The Garage also includes a full mechanics’ bay, a tech center with laser metrology and 3D printing equipment, a photography studio, and a conference center. Recently, SEMA invested heavily in upgrading the facility with the most sophisticated testing equipment available anywhere in the world. In addition, the SEMA Garage staff has embarked on an awareness campaign to bring association members up-to-date on the facts about emissions certification. Here are some basics:

A Chevrolet Camaro SS stands ready for testing in the lab’s new dyno lane, which can simulate a wide variety of driving conditions for gasoline vehicles ranging from sports cars to pickups.

Emissions compliance applies to almost all performance and engine products. Generally, any product that affects airflow into or out of the engine, impacts the containment or delivery of fuel or affects the functionality of an emissions control system or device requires an E.O. from CARB for that product to be legal. This includes but is not limited to intake systems, exhaust components, tuning products, turbos and superchargers.

The notion of “49-state legal” isn’t really a thing. A common misconception is that a product is 49-state legal as long as you don’t sell it in California. This is not the case. The U.S. Clean Air Act prevents the modification of vehicles with products that impact emissions unless the product is certified, just like California. In order for an engine-related product to be legal anywhere in the United States, it must complete a certification process.

California has a process that allows aftermarket manufacturers to certify their products. CARB will issue an E.O. for products that have gone through an application and testing process. The CARB E.O. is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as demonstrating emissions compliance and provides coverage for all 50 states.

Both CARB and EPA have the ability to enforce. Both government entities that oversee air quality (CARB and EPA) have the ability to administer fines against manufacturers, sellers and installers of products that do not comply with the clean-air laws.

“In short, emissions compliance should be a priority for manufacturers of engine-related products, and the SEMA Garage is here to help,” said Peter Treydte, SEMA compliance center manager, who added that SEMA’s emissions compliance center involves two primary segments. “The first is assisting members with the paperwork side of the process, from identifying products that require certification, to preparing and submitting applications, and then following through to completion and receipt of a CARB E.O.,” he explained. “The second segment is actual testing. Typically, when you submit an application to CARB, they’re going to follow up with a testing requirement, which is usually performed in an emissions laboratory.”

Precision Equipment

	A technician calibrates the lab’s new emissions measurement and analysis equipment. Among the most sophisticated in the world, it delivers precise readings for tailpipe hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide—all of which are regulated by law.

The approximately 3,500-sq.-ft. lab area currently features a control booth and one emissions test lane outfitted with a two-wheel-drive dynamometer and all of the associated analyzing equipment for tailpipe emissions. According to Treydte, there’s space to expand to two lanes, and future plans include the addition of a four-wheel-drive dyno. Much of the lab equipment was manufactured by AVL, a Germany-based company that is well known in the industry for its global, leading-edge technology.

“The certification process involves a very specific type of testing,” observed Treydte. “It’s been in place for a number of years and has been improved and modified over the course of those years, but it’s regulated very closely. So the equipment required to perform that testing is very specialized and refined, and it must produce highly repeatable results. We selected AVL as our vendor of choice for our equipment and essentially wound up with a state-of-the-art laboratory. We’re capable of performing all levels of certification for gasoline-powered vehicles initially, and we’ll be adding diesel capability at some point.”

The current dyno setup can simulate road and driving conditions for everything from a 2,000-lb. sports car to a 6,000-lb. pickup. Testing includes drive traces for cold starts, city start-and-stop driving, suburban and highway driving, and hill climbs. Meanwhile, the emissions measuring equipment takes precise readings for hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide through each drive trace.

In recent months, upward of 30 companies have already availed themselves of the remodeled and upgraded emissions lab. The SEMA Garage’s help with the E.O. process can include everything from initial paperwork all the way through assisting companies in overcoming any hurdles they may encounter as they work with CARB.

“There are actually a number of steps along the way that can be performed in the SEMA Garage,” Treydte said. “Some members may have a high level of confidence in their product, so they may simply go through the application process, get a test letter from CARB, and then bring that test letter here where we can go straight into certification testing. Other members may need to do some research and development first. We can offer that service as well. We have some unique capabilities that allow test data to be observed in a second-by-second format, so when the emissions test is being conducted, you’ll actually be able to see where certain peaks occur in the emissions output so you can target for that operation and make sure that your product is not having an adverse effect during the drive cycles of the test.”

Treydte said that a big part of SEMA’s service is simply the ability to communicate with CARB, knowing who to talk to and knowing the right questions to ask. “We’ve been able to help members at all levels through the process,” he said. “Key to making it all happen is going through an authorization process for SEMA to speak to CARB on behalf of the member company. Once that’s done, we can work on the project.”

Delivering Results

The lab’s recent success stories include WORKS, a small company with a 12-year history of manufacturing innovative performance parts for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru vehicles. Based in Sonoma, California, the company gears its products and performance services to both street enthusiasts and dedicated track racers. “We had just finalized our FR-S/BRZ turbo kits and, being in California, we wanted to make the kits CARB-compliant,” said Peter Wang, WORKS president. “We were looking for some guidance and assistance and attended a seminar at the 2014 SEMA Show and found exactly what we needed while the timing also worked out perfectly. We found the E.O. certification process less painful than previous experiences while working at other companies. Working with Peter Treydte made all the difference. He helped us every step of the way, from filling out the application to making sure the E.O. was promptly listed on the CARB website.”

WORKS Engineer Leon Vinokurov added that certifying a turbo kit—and going through it for the very first time—certainly seemed daunting. “Not only did the SEMA Garage help make this happen, but they made sure it happened quickly,” he said. “It was only just over seven months from first contact to getting the CARB E.O., and there was a lot of work done between start and finish. The most challenging and unexpected surprise was when the [product-equipped] car did not pass one of the drive-cycle tests during initial testing. The SEMA Garage advised us as to why it may have failed. We made the correction and passed with flying colors the second time.”

An experienced SEMA-member manufacturer may merely need help with a few questions or sticking points surrounding the E.O. process. A case in point is Derive Systems, based in Sanford, Florida. The company makes powertrain software designed to better customize engine performance.

“Through the SEMA Garage emissions lab, we were able to gain a bit more insight into the CARB E.O. procedures for our SCT-brand Livewire TS and X4 products,” explained Latif Taylor, the company’s calibrations compliance engineer. “We were able to reduce our time to obtain a test letter. Also, I believe the SEMA Garage emissions lab will give us an opportunity to escape the bottleneck of limited reputable test facilities. It proved to be a valuable resource, and I would recommend the Garage to other aftermarket businesses.”

Thankfully, the SEMA Garage emissions lab is designed to ease not only the time involved in E.O. certification but the costs as well. “Depending on the type of testing required and how much R&D work is necessary, costs can range, so you have to plan for some unknowns,” Treydte said. “Fortunately, our prices are extremely competitive, and we are also able to offer certain discounts for first-time users and some ongoing discounts for repeat SEMA-member users.”

In the end, SEMA members will find their R&D dollars well-spent in the expert test facility. “Even our equipment supplier, AVL, has been interested in using our facility as a showpiece to demonstrate the extent and capability of their equipment,” noted Treydte. “When SEMA members come here, they’re going to see not only a place where they can get their emissions testing done but also one that will actually provide them with the latest and greatest in terms of emissions measuring capabilities.”

Accessing the Emissions Lab

To learn more about the SEMA Garage and the emissions certification process, e-mail Peter Treydte at petert@sema.org.

SEMA News—October 2015

BUSINESS

By Mike Imlay

The All-New SEMA Emissions Laboratory

Getting an E.O. for Your Performance Product Just Got Easier

	Located at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center features a newly renovated emissions laboratory boasting the latest state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage stands ready to assist SEMA members through every phase of emissions certification—a legal requirement for making and selling street-vehicle products that may affect emissions.

For many automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers, emissions certification is an essential step in developing and bringing new performance or engine-related products to market. In fact, emissions compliance is a legal requirement. It is illegal under both California and federal law to sell products that could impact emissions. However, parts makers can comply with these laws by proving that their products do not increase emissions and have been certified through the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Executive Order (E.O.) process. While this can seem expensive and confusing, especially to small manufacturers and industry newcomers, the SEMA Garage’s cutting-edge Emissions Compliance Center is here to help make the process easy and affordable.

“We’re extremely proud of our all-new, state-of-the-art emissions testing facility,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development. “The SEMA Garage at our headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, is in a unique position to provide members with a reliable and affordable way to test their products, thereby helping them get those products to market more quickly. With our dyno-equipped Emissions Compliance Center, SEMA is able to help manufacturers test and apply for E.O. certification. Basic dyno services are also available for the purpose of performance and product development as well as iterative testing. While we already offer a comprehensive list of valuable programs and services to SEMA members, we will be expanding the lab’s capacities even further in the near future.”

Addressing a Need

The Emissions Compliance Center is a major component of the 15,000-sq.-ft. SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center, which is designed to help members speed products to consumers from concept to marketing. The Garage also includes a full mechanics’ bay, a tech center with laser metrology and 3D printing equipment, a photography studio, and a conference center. Recently, SEMA invested heavily in upgrading the facility with the most sophisticated testing equipment available anywhere in the world. In addition, the SEMA Garage staff has embarked on an awareness campaign to bring association members up-to-date on the facts about emissions certification. Here are some basics:

A Chevrolet Camaro SS stands ready for testing in the lab’s new dyno lane, which can simulate a wide variety of driving conditions for gasoline vehicles ranging from sports cars to pickups.

Emissions compliance applies to almost all performance and engine products. Generally, any product that affects airflow into or out of the engine, impacts the containment or delivery of fuel or affects the functionality of an emissions control system or device requires an E.O. from CARB for that product to be legal. This includes but is not limited to intake systems, exhaust components, tuning products, turbos and superchargers.

The notion of “49-state legal” isn’t really a thing. A common misconception is that a product is 49-state legal as long as you don’t sell it in California. This is not the case. The U.S. Clean Air Act prevents the modification of vehicles with products that impact emissions unless the product is certified, just like California. In order for an engine-related product to be legal anywhere in the United States, it must complete a certification process.

California has a process that allows aftermarket manufacturers to certify their products. CARB will issue an E.O. for products that have gone through an application and testing process. The CARB E.O. is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as demonstrating emissions compliance and provides coverage for all 50 states.

Both CARB and EPA have the ability to enforce. Both government entities that oversee air quality (CARB and EPA) have the ability to administer fines against manufacturers, sellers and installers of products that do not comply with the clean-air laws.

“In short, emissions compliance should be a priority for manufacturers of engine-related products, and the SEMA Garage is here to help,” said Peter Treydte, SEMA compliance center manager, who added that SEMA’s emissions compliance center involves two primary segments. “The first is assisting members with the paperwork side of the process, from identifying products that require certification, to preparing and submitting applications, and then following through to completion and receipt of a CARB E.O.,” he explained. “The second segment is actual testing. Typically, when you submit an application to CARB, they’re going to follow up with a testing requirement, which is usually performed in an emissions laboratory.”

Precision Equipment

	A technician calibrates the lab’s new emissions measurement and analysis equipment. Among the most sophisticated in the world, it delivers precise readings for tailpipe hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide—all of which are regulated by law.

The approximately 3,500-sq.-ft. lab area currently features a control booth and one emissions test lane outfitted with a two-wheel-drive dynamometer and all of the associated analyzing equipment for tailpipe emissions. According to Treydte, there’s space to expand to two lanes, and future plans include the addition of a four-wheel-drive dyno. Much of the lab equipment was manufactured by AVL, a Germany-based company that is well known in the industry for its global, leading-edge technology.

“The certification process involves a very specific type of testing,” observed Treydte. “It’s been in place for a number of years and has been improved and modified over the course of those years, but it’s regulated very closely. So the equipment required to perform that testing is very specialized and refined, and it must produce highly repeatable results. We selected AVL as our vendor of choice for our equipment and essentially wound up with a state-of-the-art laboratory. We’re capable of performing all levels of certification for gasoline-powered vehicles initially, and we’ll be adding diesel capability at some point.”

The current dyno setup can simulate road and driving conditions for everything from a 2,000-lb. sports car to a 6,000-lb. pickup. Testing includes drive traces for cold starts, city start-and-stop driving, suburban and highway driving, and hill climbs. Meanwhile, the emissions measuring equipment takes precise readings for hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide through each drive trace.

In recent months, upward of 30 companies have already availed themselves of the remodeled and upgraded emissions lab. The SEMA Garage’s help with the E.O. process can include everything from initial paperwork all the way through assisting companies in overcoming any hurdles they may encounter as they work with CARB.

“There are actually a number of steps along the way that can be performed in the SEMA Garage,” Treydte said. “Some members may have a high level of confidence in their product, so they may simply go through the application process, get a test letter from CARB, and then bring that test letter here where we can go straight into certification testing. Other members may need to do some research and development first. We can offer that service as well. We have some unique capabilities that allow test data to be observed in a second-by-second format, so when the emissions test is being conducted, you’ll actually be able to see where certain peaks occur in the emissions output so you can target for that operation and make sure that your product is not having an adverse effect during the drive cycles of the test.”

Treydte said that a big part of SEMA’s service is simply the ability to communicate with CARB, knowing who to talk to and knowing the right questions to ask. “We’ve been able to help members at all levels through the process,” he said. “Key to making it all happen is going through an authorization process for SEMA to speak to CARB on behalf of the member company. Once that’s done, we can work on the project.”

Delivering Results

The lab’s recent success stories include WORKS, a small company with a 12-year history of manufacturing innovative performance parts for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru vehicles. Based in Sonoma, California, the company gears its products and performance services to both street enthusiasts and dedicated track racers. “We had just finalized our FR-S/BRZ turbo kits and, being in California, we wanted to make the kits CARB-compliant,” said Peter Wang, WORKS president. “We were looking for some guidance and assistance and attended a seminar at the 2014 SEMA Show and found exactly what we needed while the timing also worked out perfectly. We found the E.O. certification process less painful than previous experiences while working at other companies. Working with Peter Treydte made all the difference. He helped us every step of the way, from filling out the application to making sure the E.O. was promptly listed on the CARB website.”

WORKS Engineer Leon Vinokurov added that certifying a turbo kit—and going through it for the very first time—certainly seemed daunting. “Not only did the SEMA Garage help make this happen, but they made sure it happened quickly,” he said. “It was only just over seven months from first contact to getting the CARB E.O., and there was a lot of work done between start and finish. The most challenging and unexpected surprise was when the [product-equipped] car did not pass one of the drive-cycle tests during initial testing. The SEMA Garage advised us as to why it may have failed. We made the correction and passed with flying colors the second time.”

An experienced SEMA-member manufacturer may merely need help with a few questions or sticking points surrounding the E.O. process. A case in point is Derive Systems, based in Sanford, Florida. The company makes powertrain software designed to better customize engine performance.

“Through the SEMA Garage emissions lab, we were able to gain a bit more insight into the CARB E.O. procedures for our SCT-brand Livewire TS and X4 products,” explained Latif Taylor, the company’s calibrations compliance engineer. “We were able to reduce our time to obtain a test letter. Also, I believe the SEMA Garage emissions lab will give us an opportunity to escape the bottleneck of limited reputable test facilities. It proved to be a valuable resource, and I would recommend the Garage to other aftermarket businesses.”

Thankfully, the SEMA Garage emissions lab is designed to ease not only the time involved in E.O. certification but the costs as well. “Depending on the type of testing required and how much R&D work is necessary, costs can range, so you have to plan for some unknowns,” Treydte said. “Fortunately, our prices are extremely competitive, and we are also able to offer certain discounts for first-time users and some ongoing discounts for repeat SEMA-member users.”

In the end, SEMA members will find their R&D dollars well-spent in the expert test facility. “Even our equipment supplier, AVL, has been interested in using our facility as a showpiece to demonstrate the extent and capability of their equipment,” noted Treydte. “When SEMA members come here, they’re going to see not only a place where they can get their emissions testing done but also one that will actually provide them with the latest and greatest in terms of emissions measuring capabilities.”

Accessing the Emissions Lab

To learn more about the SEMA Garage and the emissions certification process, e-mail Peter Treydte at petert@sema.org.