Compiled by SEMA Editors

Jeff Morgan

Permatex Promotes Jeff Morgan to National Account Manager of Automotive Groups – U.S.

Permatex has promoted Jeff Morgan to national account manager of automotive groups–U.S. In this new role, Morgan is responsible for developing and maintaining account relationships, growing sales and creating promotional and advertising programs to drive business to group members. In addition to the major accounts, Morgan will also manage smaller, independent automotive buying groups. During his two decades with Permatex, Morgan has served as account manager–Southeast U.S., account manager–key accounts, national sales manager–groups and key accounts, and district manager. Prior to joining Permatex, Morgan also worked with Loctite Corp., Pet Dairy, Frito-Lay and Pepsico in a variety of distribution and sales positions.

Marx Group and Eisbrenner Public Relations Will Merge to Form Marx Buscemi Eisbrenner Group

Marx Group and Eisbrenner Public Relations have agreed to merge and form Marx Buscemi Eisbrenner Group LLC. The deal will close in April 2019. The new agency brings together two experienced firms to provide integrated B2B and B2C marketing communications services to the global automotive, mobility, tech, trucking and consumer goods industries. Marx Buscemi Eisbrenner Group will be headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with a second location in San Rafael, California. The company will be led by Frank Buscemi, who will serve as CEO and chief creative officer; Tom Eisbrenner, president; and Tom Marx, chairman and chief strategy officer. The Eisbrenner team will relocate from Royal Oak to Bloomfield Hills during the spring of 2019. The new agency will continue the affiliation that Marx Group has with Near Perfect Media, which provides public relations and marketing for professionals, corporations and celebrities.

Bonnier Corp. Hires Industry Veteran Peter MacGillivray to Lead Off-Road and Motorsports Events

Peter MacGillivray has been named vice president off-road and motorsports vertical leader for Bonnier Corp. MacGillivray will oversee a portfolio that includes Off-Road Expo, Sand Sports Super Show, 4Wheel Jamboree, Street Machine Nationals and Jeep Invasion. MacGillivray spent the past 17 years working as vice president of events and business development for the SEMA Show.

Voodoo Ride Announces Distribution Partnership With O’Reilly Auto Parts

Voodoo Ride has announced a partnership with O’Reilly Auto Parts that will allow the parts retailer to carry Voodoo Ride products in more than 2,600 stores and online. The O’Reilly Auto Parts will carry a number of Voodoo Ride’s car-detailing products, including its all-surface detailer, acid-free wheel cleaner, car soap and tire dressing. Consumers will also have the option to order detailing products on the O’Reilly website and have them shipped to the nearest store location. This partnership will provide key distribution channels for Voodoo Ride’s line of automotive detailing and car-care products and will lay the groundwork for future product-line expansion.

The Brembo Group has inaugurated its new 40,000-square-meter production hub for the manufacturing of aluminum brake calipers in Nanjing, China.

Brembo Inaugurates Its New Aluminum Brake Caliper Production Hub in Nanjing

The Brembo Group has inaugurated its new production hub for the manufacturing of aluminum brake calipers in Nanjing, located in China's Jiangsu province. President Alberto Bombassei was there to welcome the distinguished Italian and Chinese authorities who were present. After nearly 20 years of operating in the Chinese market, Brembo has set up a new production hub next to the existing plant where brake discs are manufactured. The hub covers an area measuring almost 40,000 square meters. All of the production stages in the value chain have been integrated into the new site, from delivery of raw material to shipping the finished product. Doing so ensures better service for the factories belonging to Brembo customers in Europe, Asia and America that operate in Asia. The plant contributes about 100 million euros per year to the Group’s turnover and employs 450 people. With 67 production lines, from calipers to knuckles, and the foundry, the facility offers a production capacity of more than 2 million pieces per year and adopts the most advanced technologies available today.

Battery-Biz Secures the Goodyear Brand for Tire Inflators

Battery-Biz has announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Goodyear, and will launch an all-new line of Goodyear-branded tire inflators. The collection of inflators is set to start shipping this summer in North America. Under the agreement, Battery-Biz will have the right to sell Goodyear-branded tire inflators through all major retail channels in the United States and Canada.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

Wade Kawasaki shares details about the many ways that SEMA helps businesses succeed, and what the association does for the automotive industry overall. From legislative efforts to an event app, SEMA advocates for the automotive specialty-equipment industry.

Wade Kawasaki shares details about the many ways that SEMA helps businesses succeed, and what the association does for the automotive industry overall. From legislative efforts to an event app, SEMA advocates for the automotive specialty-equipment industry.

The Mustang Bullitt just debuted last year at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), so this seems a bit early for a refresh. Just a couple weeks ago spy shooters caught a glimpse of a camo’ed GT and had speculated (per sources) that it may be a mule for a Mustang hybrid. That could be a solid option, but it's confirmed that this Bullitt was packing a 5.0 V8, as the driver made a point of revving the engine as he drove by.

Looking at the Bullitt, the only real changes that can be seen are the placement of the foglights, which appear to sit a couple inches higher on the front fascia, and the area below the foglights, which now appears to angle in toward the grille. Around back, there are virtually no changes, just a hacked-up lower rear fascia with some testing tips.

If this is just a refresh for the Bullitt, expect an official debut by the end of the year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Mustang Bullitt just debuted last year at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), so this seems a bit early for a refresh. Just a couple weeks ago spy shooters caught a glimpse of a camo’ed GT and had speculated (per sources) that it may be a mule for a Mustang hybrid. That could be a solid option, but it's confirmed that this Bullitt was packing a 5.0 V8, as the driver made a point of revving the engine as he drove by.

Looking at the Bullitt, the only real changes that can be seen are the placement of the foglights, which appear to sit a couple inches higher on the front fascia, and the area below the foglights, which now appears to angle in toward the grille. Around back, there are virtually no changes, just a hacked-up lower rear fascia with some testing tips.

If this is just a refresh for the Bullitt, expect an official debut by the end of the year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Mustang Bullitt just debuted last year at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), so this seems a bit early for a refresh. Just a couple weeks ago spy shooters caught a glimpse of a camo’ed GT and had speculated (per sources) that it may be a mule for a Mustang hybrid. That could be a solid option, but it's confirmed that this Bullitt was packing a 5.0 V8, as the driver made a point of revving the engine as he drove by.

Looking at the Bullitt, the only real changes that can be seen are the placement of the foglights, which appear to sit a couple inches higher on the front fascia, and the area below the foglights, which now appears to angle in toward the grille. Around back, there are virtually no changes, just a hacked-up lower rear fascia with some testing tips.

If this is just a refresh for the Bullitt, expect an official debut by the end of the year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Mustang Bullitt just debuted last year at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), so this seems a bit early for a refresh. Just a couple weeks ago spy shooters caught a glimpse of a camo’ed GT and had speculated (per sources) that it may be a mule for a Mustang hybrid. That could be a solid option, but it's confirmed that this Bullitt was packing a 5.0 V8, as the driver made a point of revving the engine as he drove by.

Looking at the Bullitt, the only real changes that can be seen are the placement of the foglights, which appear to sit a couple inches higher on the front fascia, and the area below the foglights, which now appears to angle in toward the grille. Around back, there are virtually no changes, just a hacked-up lower rear fascia with some testing tips.

If this is just a refresh for the Bullitt, expect an official debut by the end of the year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Mustang Bullitt just debuted last year at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), so this seems a bit early for a refresh. Just a couple weeks ago spy shooters caught a glimpse of a camo’ed GT and had speculated (per sources) that it may be a mule for a Mustang hybrid. That could be a solid option, but it's confirmed that this Bullitt was packing a 5.0 V8, as the driver made a point of revving the engine as he drove by.

Looking at the Bullitt, the only real changes that can be seen are the placement of the foglights, which appear to sit a couple inches higher on the front fascia, and the area below the foglights, which now appears to angle in toward the grille. Around back, there are virtually no changes, just a hacked-up lower rear fascia with some testing tips.

If this is just a refresh for the Bullitt, expect an official debut by the end of the year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Mustang Bullitt just debuted last year at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), so this seems a bit early for a refresh. Just a couple weeks ago spy shooters caught a glimpse of a camo’ed GT and had speculated (per sources) that it may be a mule for a Mustang hybrid. That could be a solid option, but it's confirmed that this Bullitt was packing a 5.0 V8, as the driver made a point of revving the engine as he drove by.

Looking at the Bullitt, the only real changes that can be seen are the placement of the foglights, which appear to sit a couple inches higher on the front fascia, and the area below the foglights, which now appears to angle in toward the grille. Around back, there are virtually no changes, just a hacked-up lower rear fascia with some testing tips.

If this is just a refresh for the Bullitt, expect an official debut by the end of the year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By Chad Simon

More than 160 SEMA-member manufacturers and media registered for a Measuring Session featuring the return of the Toyota Supra after a 21-year hiatus. The event was hosted by the SEMA Garage, located in Diamond Bar, California, April 3–4.

“There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the ’20 Supra,” said Sam De La Garza, Toyota vehicle marketing and communications small car senior manager. “The reasons why people buy cars like this is they’ve got to be fun to drive and look great, and the Supra delivers on both of those things really well. We’re here at SEMA to excite and inspire the aftermarket. We want them to see this car and be inspired to go out and do some fun things with it. We are giving SEMA and aftermarket suppliers a first look at the car, and to me, it’s exciting to give them the ability to experience the legend that the Supra is.”

The fifth-generation Supra was developed in collaboration with BMW and designed to perform like a pure sports car. Powered by a 3.0L turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine producing 335 hp and mated to an eight-speed transmission with paddle shifters, the Supra also features standard active differential and adaptive suspension. It can hit 0–60 in 4.1 seconds.

Four ’20 Supra models were on display in various locations throughout the SEMA Garage for SEMA-member manufacturers to measure.

Based on Toyota’s ’14 FT-1 concept, the Supra has a wide stance, and its lightweight body is due to its aluminum-constructed hood and doors. The Supra rests on standard 19-in. forged aluminum wheels and are wrapped with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. A double-bubble roof and an integrated rear spoiler, a 97.2-in wheelbase and a 62.8-in. front and 62.6-in rear track suggest that the Supra is engineered for agility and aerodynamics.

Eight color options include Absolute Zero White, Downshift Blue, Nitro Yellow, Nocturnal Black, Phantom Matte Grey, Renaissance Red 2.0, Tungsten Silver and Turbulence Grey. Available only in Absolute Zero and Nocturnal color options, the Launch Edition features red mirror caps, black wheels and a red/black interior.

The interior was designed for race-bred functionality, with features including an 8.8-in. high-definition color monitor and gauges, a driver’s right knee pad, genuine carbon-fiber trim, a color head-up display and a standard 6.5-in. dash-mounted touchscreen interface.

Starting at around $50,000, the Supra will be available for sale in summer 2019 as a ’20 model. The first 1,500 units are designated for the Launch Edition.