Compiled by Jason Catullo

LINE-X Protective Coatings Purchases American Aftermarket Group
LINE-X Protective Coatings announced the purchase of leading automotive aftermarket supplier, American Aftermarket Group (AAG). According to a recent release, the partnership will allow LINE-X franchise locations to offer consumers a more personalized and complete truck-accessory customization experience through AAG’s accessories product fulfillment portal. LINE-X purchased AAG with support from Graham Partners. LINE-X has been one of Graham Partners’ portfolio companies for the past eight years. More information regarding the LINE-X Franchise Network integration with the AAG system will be announced in the coming months.

	Betts Company announced that it hired Bob Herold as vice president of sales.

Betts Company Hires Bob Herold as VP of Sales
Betts Company announced that it hired Bob Herold as vice president of sales. He is responsible for all sales activities at Betts Company’s two manufacturing divisions—BettsHD and Betts Spring Manufacturing. Prior to joining Betts, Herold was most recently the vice president of product development and sales for off-road equipment manufacturer Trail-Gear Inc. Prior to that assignment he was senior director of field services for 3VR Security Inc. and spent 15 years at Pelco Manufacturing in a variety of roles.

"Bob contributes an extensive background in sales and engineering to our team," said Bill Betts, vice president, Betts Company. "His commitment to customer centric support and passion for innovation will drive future growth for Betts Company in targeted transportation and industrial markets."

B.R.A.K.E.S. Offers Safe-Driving Course for Teens
The non-profit organization B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), founded by former NHRA and IHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Herbert, is heading to historic Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia, August 17–18, to conduct its Teen Pro-Active Driving School for young motorists age 15–19. The NHRA, owners of Atlanta Dragway, have provided the racing facility to B.R.A.K.E.S. for the upcoming course, while Kia Motors has shown its support for this life-saving program by providing the vehicles used during the sessions. “The continued support from Kia and the NHRA has been incredible,” says Herbert.  “We are looking forward to giving Georgia teens the B.R.A.K.E.S. behind-the-wheel training that will keep them safer on the roads and give them the valuable information they need to make better decisions behind the steering wheel of a car.” Registration for the Atlanta school is available by contacting Martha Walker (martha.walker@putonthebrakes.com) or Lisa Bickford (lisa@putonthebrakes.com) at B.R.A.K.E.S. or 704-720-3806. The deadline to register is August 16. 

Ernst & Young named MagnaFlow Founder and CEO Jerry Paolone the 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

MagnaFlow's Jerry Paolone Honored by Ernst & Young LLP
Ernst & Young LLP recently named MagnaFlow Founder and CEO Jerry Paolone the 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Paolone moved from Italy to the United States more than 30 years ago and built Car Sound Exhaust Systems Inc., now MagnaFlow, from the ground up. The award finalists and winners were selected by an independent panel of judges and honored at a gala event at the St. Regis Resort in Laguna Niguel, California, in June.  

MGP Signs Licensing Agreement With Mopar
MGP LLC has signed license agreement with Mopar to launch and distribute officially licensed Mopar-, Dodge-, Chrysler-, and Jeep-branded caliper covers. Some of the official logos available include: Mopar, Hemi, Challenger, Charger, Chrysler, 300, Crossfire, R/T, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Wrangler. With the latest agreement, MGP Caliper Covers’ list of official licenses now includes Ford, GM, Mopar, Chrysler, Jeep and Shelby American.  

Workshop Hero selected Frank Fritz of History's hit TV series "American Pickers" to serve as its spokesman.

"American Pickers" Frank Fritz Named Workshop Hero Spokesman
Workshop Hero has teamed up with Frank Fritz from History's hit TV series "American Pickers" to serve as its spokesman. Fritz, a picker by trade, sees the damage and loss that results from rust and corrosion first-hand, making him an ideal spokesman to promote Workshop Hero rust-removal and rust-preventative products. Fritz became a fan of the Workshop Hero Metal Rescue and Dry Coat after using the products in his own workshop.

"My Classic Car" Moves to MAVTV and Velocity
"My Classic Car," a weekly television show that captures America's love affair with the automobile, has new network homes. In August, "My Classic Car" will air on MAVTV five times a week—Sunday, 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (EDT), Thursday, 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. (EDT), Saturday 12:00 p.m. (EDT). Starting January 2014, the show will also air on Velocity (a Discovery network), Sunday, 9:30 a.m. (EDT) and Saturday, 6:30 a.m. (EDT).

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.

By Della Domingo

	The SEMA Show map and floorplan will help you navigate the Las Vegas Convention Center's one million square feet of exhibit space.

The 2013 SEMA Show, held in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), November 5–8, will include more than one million square feet of exhibit space, as well as an additional one million square feet of features an attractions outside of the LVCC. Here are some tips and suggestions in advance for navigating the 2013 SEMA Show.

Get a Map and Floorplan

• The map will typically show you an overview of the LVCC and give you a general idea about where key features and attractions are located. If you go to www.SEMAShow.com/floorplan, the first thing you will see is the map. Think of this as a map of the United States where you can see where all the different states are located. The SEMA Show map will show you that there are three main halls: North Hall, Central Hall and South Hall.
  
  You’ll see that South Hall is the only hall that has two levels: Upper South and Lower South. You’ll also see that to the north of North Hall there is a bridge that connects you to the LVH, where some SEMA Show exhibitors and many Show activities will be. Near the bridge to the LVH are meeting rooms where many seminars take place.
  
  Between North and Central Hall is the Grand Lobby. The Grand Lobby is typically considered to be the main entrance to the LVCC. Outside this area is where taxis often drop off passengers.
  
  Between Central and South Halls on the west side is another bridge, where you will find the Center for International Commerce, the Media Center and the Show Management office. On the east side between Central and South Halls is a convenient walkway. Because South Hall is the longest hall going east to west, the walkway is a great way to get from one hall to another when you are on the east side of Central or South Hall.

• The floorplan will give you more detailed information than the map. Think of the maps (or GPS) you use when driving in your car. Just as the maps show you street names, the floorplan includes booth numbers and shows you where aisles are located. You’ll want to use this when trying to identify specific locations within a hall.

• Visit www.SEMAShow.com/floorplan and you will see immediately see a map of the SEMA Show. From that same page you will be able to view the floorplan for the event.

• Printed copies of both the map and the floorplan will be available from the SEMA Association Center (in the Grand Lobby) during the Show.

More tips and suggestions on how buyers get the most from the 2013 SEMA Show will be available in upcoming issues of SEMA eNews. In addition, all of the information will also be presented during an upcoming SEMA webinar. The date and time of the webinar will be announced in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews.

By Della Domingo

	The SEMA Show map and floorplan will help you navigate the Las Vegas Convention Center's one million square feet of exhibit space.

The 2013 SEMA Show, held in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), November 5–8, will include more than one million square feet of exhibit space, as well as an additional one million square feet of features an attractions outside of the LVCC. Here are some tips and suggestions in advance for navigating the 2013 SEMA Show.

Get a Map and Floorplan

• The map will typically show you an overview of the LVCC and give you a general idea about where key features and attractions are located. If you go to www.SEMAShow.com/floorplan, the first thing you will see is the map. Think of this as a map of the United States where you can see where all the different states are located. The SEMA Show map will show you that there are three main halls: North Hall, Central Hall and South Hall.
  
  You’ll see that South Hall is the only hall that has two levels: Upper South and Lower South. You’ll also see that to the north of North Hall there is a bridge that connects you to the LVH, where some SEMA Show exhibitors and many Show activities will be. Near the bridge to the LVH are meeting rooms where many seminars take place.
  
  Between North and Central Hall is the Grand Lobby. The Grand Lobby is typically considered to be the main entrance to the LVCC. Outside this area is where taxis often drop off passengers.
  
  Between Central and South Halls on the west side is another bridge, where you will find the Center for International Commerce, the Media Center and the Show Management office. On the east side between Central and South Halls is a convenient walkway. Because South Hall is the longest hall going east to west, the walkway is a great way to get from one hall to another when you are on the east side of Central or South Hall.

• The floorplan will give you more detailed information than the map. Think of the maps (or GPS) you use when driving in your car. Just as the maps show you street names, the floorplan includes booth numbers and shows you where aisles are located. You’ll want to use this when trying to identify specific locations within a hall.

• Visit www.SEMAShow.com/floorplan and you will see immediately see a map of the SEMA Show. From that same page you will be able to view the floorplan for the event.

• Printed copies of both the map and the floorplan will be available from the SEMA Association Center (in the Grand Lobby) during the Show.

More tips and suggestions on how buyers get the most from the 2013 SEMA Show will be available in upcoming issues of SEMA eNews. In addition, all of the information will also be presented during an upcoming SEMA webinar. The date and time of the webinar will be announced in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews.

SEMA News—June 2013

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
By Jon Wyly

Do-It-Yourself Product Data Management?

It’s Easier Than You Think!

Not too long ago, it took an expert in HTML to enable you to launch a website for your business. It was all very mysterious and was often communicated in a “trust us, you wouldn’t understand” manner. Today, there are numerous ready-to-go platform solutions that have made what was once an expensive and expertise-intensive process into a do-it-yourself reality. In fact, many business owners today are finding that understanding their business technology and managing the details internally is not only relatively easy to do, but also brings a whole new level of control into the business that most often produces better results while saving money.

Much like web platform solutions, a lot has changed in the wonderful world of product data management. There are now tools that take away the mystery of this apparently complex and labor-intensive task. Specifically, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) Product Information Management Systems (PIMS) has automated the complex elements of data management into a user-friendly web interface that truly puts you in control.

The SDC has packaged all the mystery and complexity of the industry data standards into a state-of-the-art solution designed with users in mind. In fact, it almost looks too easy! You can start with almost any data file you have, and our fulltime live help desk will work with you to identify and fill out any missing data elements, upload the file into the system, validate your data for compliance to the standards and store it securely in our repository for export to your customers.

This highly efficient process not only produces customer-specific data exports, but also does so in minutes and hours—rather than days, weeks or months. For example, let’s say you are launching a new product and you want to get it on the street as soon as possible. As a Data Co-op member, you simply upload or manually enter the new product into the system, send it to real-time validation and, if it passes, the data goes directly to the repository for distribution to your customers. The system will automatically notify your customers that you have new product information waiting, and they can download it immediately or receive it on their next scheduled delivery.

Another important feature of the SDC is our close relationship with each of your customers. We work directly with each of these “receivers” of data to document their specific data needs, and we design and store a custom export format especially for them. As you know, some receivers can use standard ACES and PIES exports, but many have specific requirements that can become a real management chore (think load sheets). For an SDC user, the system automatically takes care of all data exports, ensuring consistent, accurate data exports with literally no effort!

It really comes down to this: Find a part-time resource in your company who can own the process of gathering, updating and loading your data into the SDC system, and let the technology do the rest. After all, nobody is more qualified to create your product data than you are, and to rely on an outside source to control your published product details and content is risky at best. With the SDC, not only will you take direct control of your data, content and marketing messages, but you will also own the result 100%, as it should be.

Don’t let a lack of understanding keep you from managing this critical business element! We’ll show you how our DIY approach will save you time and money and produce better results than you have ever experienced, without all the mystery, delays and expense that are costing you dollars and sales.

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact Director of Membership Jim Graven at the SEMA Data Co-op at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or call 888-958-6698 x4.

SEMA News—June 2013

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
By Jon Wyly

Do-It-Yourself Product Data Management?

It’s Easier Than You Think!

Not too long ago, it took an expert in HTML to enable you to launch a website for your business. It was all very mysterious and was often communicated in a “trust us, you wouldn’t understand” manner. Today, there are numerous ready-to-go platform solutions that have made what was once an expensive and expertise-intensive process into a do-it-yourself reality. In fact, many business owners today are finding that understanding their business technology and managing the details internally is not only relatively easy to do, but also brings a whole new level of control into the business that most often produces better results while saving money.

Much like web platform solutions, a lot has changed in the wonderful world of product data management. There are now tools that take away the mystery of this apparently complex and labor-intensive task. Specifically, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) Product Information Management Systems (PIMS) has automated the complex elements of data management into a user-friendly web interface that truly puts you in control.

The SDC has packaged all the mystery and complexity of the industry data standards into a state-of-the-art solution designed with users in mind. In fact, it almost looks too easy! You can start with almost any data file you have, and our fulltime live help desk will work with you to identify and fill out any missing data elements, upload the file into the system, validate your data for compliance to the standards and store it securely in our repository for export to your customers.

This highly efficient process not only produces customer-specific data exports, but also does so in minutes and hours—rather than days, weeks or months. For example, let’s say you are launching a new product and you want to get it on the street as soon as possible. As a Data Co-op member, you simply upload or manually enter the new product into the system, send it to real-time validation and, if it passes, the data goes directly to the repository for distribution to your customers. The system will automatically notify your customers that you have new product information waiting, and they can download it immediately or receive it on their next scheduled delivery.

Another important feature of the SDC is our close relationship with each of your customers. We work directly with each of these “receivers” of data to document their specific data needs, and we design and store a custom export format especially for them. As you know, some receivers can use standard ACES and PIES exports, but many have specific requirements that can become a real management chore (think load sheets). For an SDC user, the system automatically takes care of all data exports, ensuring consistent, accurate data exports with literally no effort!

It really comes down to this: Find a part-time resource in your company who can own the process of gathering, updating and loading your data into the SDC system, and let the technology do the rest. After all, nobody is more qualified to create your product data than you are, and to rely on an outside source to control your published product details and content is risky at best. With the SDC, not only will you take direct control of your data, content and marketing messages, but you will also own the result 100%, as it should be.

Don’t let a lack of understanding keep you from managing this critical business element! We’ll show you how our DIY approach will save you time and money and produce better results than you have ever experienced, without all the mystery, delays and expense that are costing you dollars and sales.

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact Director of Membership Jim Graven at the SEMA Data Co-op at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or call 888-958-6698 x4.

SEMA News—June 2013

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
By Jon Wyly

Do-It-Yourself Product Data Management?

It’s Easier Than You Think!

Not too long ago, it took an expert in HTML to enable you to launch a website for your business. It was all very mysterious and was often communicated in a “trust us, you wouldn’t understand” manner. Today, there are numerous ready-to-go platform solutions that have made what was once an expensive and expertise-intensive process into a do-it-yourself reality. In fact, many business owners today are finding that understanding their business technology and managing the details internally is not only relatively easy to do, but also brings a whole new level of control into the business that most often produces better results while saving money.

Much like web platform solutions, a lot has changed in the wonderful world of product data management. There are now tools that take away the mystery of this apparently complex and labor-intensive task. Specifically, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) Product Information Management Systems (PIMS) has automated the complex elements of data management into a user-friendly web interface that truly puts you in control.

The SDC has packaged all the mystery and complexity of the industry data standards into a state-of-the-art solution designed with users in mind. In fact, it almost looks too easy! You can start with almost any data file you have, and our fulltime live help desk will work with you to identify and fill out any missing data elements, upload the file into the system, validate your data for compliance to the standards and store it securely in our repository for export to your customers.

This highly efficient process not only produces customer-specific data exports, but also does so in minutes and hours—rather than days, weeks or months. For example, let’s say you are launching a new product and you want to get it on the street as soon as possible. As a Data Co-op member, you simply upload or manually enter the new product into the system, send it to real-time validation and, if it passes, the data goes directly to the repository for distribution to your customers. The system will automatically notify your customers that you have new product information waiting, and they can download it immediately or receive it on their next scheduled delivery.

Another important feature of the SDC is our close relationship with each of your customers. We work directly with each of these “receivers” of data to document their specific data needs, and we design and store a custom export format especially for them. As you know, some receivers can use standard ACES and PIES exports, but many have specific requirements that can become a real management chore (think load sheets). For an SDC user, the system automatically takes care of all data exports, ensuring consistent, accurate data exports with literally no effort!

It really comes down to this: Find a part-time resource in your company who can own the process of gathering, updating and loading your data into the SDC system, and let the technology do the rest. After all, nobody is more qualified to create your product data than you are, and to rely on an outside source to control your published product details and content is risky at best. With the SDC, not only will you take direct control of your data, content and marketing messages, but you will also own the result 100%, as it should be.

Don’t let a lack of understanding keep you from managing this critical business element! We’ll show you how our DIY approach will save you time and money and produce better results than you have ever experienced, without all the mystery, delays and expense that are costing you dollars and sales.

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact Director of Membership Jim Graven at the SEMA Data Co-op at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or call 888-958-6698 x4.

By SEMA Editors

	SEMA is looking for collector vehicles to display at this year's Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser. This ’65 Ford Mustang was on display at the 2012 SEMA Show.

SEMA is looking for a limited number of collector vehicles to be displayed onsite at the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, held July 26, 2013, at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Convention Center in Pomona, California.

The annual Installation Banquet serves as the venue where we thank our association's outgoing Board members and welcome those who have been newly elected. It is also the setting in which we announce the newest selections for the SEMA Hall of Fame. This year's inductees include George Barris, Eric Grant, Wade Kawasaki and Joe Schubeck. Proceeds from the gala will be donated to SEMA Cares charities.

For more information about the gala, visit www.sema.org/gala or register now. If you're interested in displaying your vehicle, contact Jamie Eriksen at 909-978-6737 or jamiee@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

	SEMA is looking for collector vehicles to display at this year's Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser. This ’65 Ford Mustang was on display at the 2012 SEMA Show.

SEMA is looking for a limited number of collector vehicles to be displayed onsite at the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, held July 26, 2013, at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Convention Center in Pomona, California.

The annual Installation Banquet serves as the venue where we thank our association's outgoing Board members and welcome those who have been newly elected. It is also the setting in which we announce the newest selections for the SEMA Hall of Fame. This year's inductees include George Barris, Eric Grant, Wade Kawasaki and Joe Schubeck. Proceeds from the gala will be donated to SEMA Cares charities.

For more information about the gala, visit www.sema.org/gala or register now. If you're interested in displaying your vehicle, contact Jamie Eriksen at 909-978-6737 or jamiee@sema.org.