The California Air Resources Board has issued a proposed rule that would require all automobile service providers to check tire pressures for every vehicle being maintained or repaired at their facility as of September 1, 2010.  The regulation would apply to auto maintenance/repair providers but not to auto parts distributers/retailers, auto body/paint facilities, auto glass installers or wreckers/dismantlers.  The deadline for commenting on the rule is July 6, 2010.  
 
The rule is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with under-inflated tires.  Service providers would be required to check and inflate the tires to the recommended tire pressure rating. The provider would have to note on the invoice that the tire inflation service was completed and then keep a copy of the service invoice for at least three years. The rule would apply to all vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds.

For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

The California Air Resources Board has issued a proposed rule that would require all automobile service providers to check tire pressures for every vehicle being maintained or repaired at their facility as of September 1, 2010.  The regulation would apply to auto maintenance/repair providers but not to auto parts distributers/retailers, auto body/paint facilities, auto glass installers or wreckers/dismantlers.  The deadline for commenting on the rule is July 6, 2010.  
 
The rule is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with under-inflated tires.  Service providers would be required to check and inflate the tires to the recommended tire pressure rating. The provider would have to note on the invoice that the tire inflation service was completed and then keep a copy of the service invoice for at least three years. The rule would apply to all vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds.

For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

	Jeep enthusiasts in China covet imported brands to upgrade and modify their off-road machines.

SEMA members who produce accessories for Jeep-brand vehicles take notice: China is awash in Jeeps, and Jeep owners are some of China’s most enthusiastic off-roaders. They are looking for imported brands when it comes to modifying their off-road machines.

Beijing Jeep, the first Sino-foreign automotive joint venture, produced Jeeps in China from 2004 until 2007. The Grand Cherokee was produced until late 2005 and the Jeep Cherokee until 2007. Now, several Jeep models are sold as imports.

There are currently more than 80,000 Jeep SUVs on the road in China, and that number is still growing. J.D. Power and Associates forecasts that from 2010 to 2017, China will import nearly 25,000 Wranglers and more than 13,000 Grand Cherokees, as well as thousands of the Jeep Commander and Compass models.

Domestically produced Jeeps may add to those numbers in a few years. Demand for SUVs is growing fast in China. Italy’s Fiat, which purchased Chrysler, will reportedly produce Jeeps at its joint venture with Guangzhou Auto, starting with the Jeep Compass. No start-of-production date has been announced, but it is likely to be several years off.

As interest in off-roading and customization grows in China, those Jeep owners will demand products made for Jeep models. SEMA members can learn more about this growing market at the SEMA-CIAPE Business Development Conference in Beijing, September 23–26. Participating SEMA members will be paired with relevant Chinese buyers in up to a dozen private, pre-scheduled meetings. One-on-one meetings with potential Chinese partners at this ground-breaking event will allow you to get to know them and the market.

Said the marketing director of a tuner shop in Beijing serving Jeep owners: “The volume is very big. There are lots of needs for Jeep modification in Beijing.”

He said his shop works on suspensions, power enhancements, intakes, and exhaust systems, among other modifications. “Almost everything, you name it.” His shop works on newer imported models and older domestically produced Jeeps, said the marketing director.

The two most popular imported models by volume are the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. But imported Jeep Compass and Commander models are growing in popularity, said the owner of another Jeep tuner company in Beijing. He is looking for parts for performance modules, lift kits, suspension components and off-road lights, among other items.

Beijing, in northern China, has a large population of Jeep owners because the brand was produced there and because there are rugged mountains just an hour or so outside of the city that are popular for off-roading. The south China province of Guangdong is another hotspot for Jeep modification because of higher income levels and an active tuner culture influenced by nearby Hong Kong.

Guangdong may soon have its own Jeep production site.

SEMA members can start to get ready for that surge in Jeep ownership if they are in Beijing in September.

For more information, visit www.sema.org/china or contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org. Priority space deadline is July 1.

	Jeep enthusiasts in China covet imported brands to upgrade and modify their off-road machines.

SEMA members who produce accessories for Jeep-brand vehicles take notice: China is awash in Jeeps, and Jeep owners are some of China’s most enthusiastic off-roaders. They are looking for imported brands when it comes to modifying their off-road machines.

Beijing Jeep, the first Sino-foreign automotive joint venture, produced Jeeps in China from 2004 until 2007. The Grand Cherokee was produced until late 2005 and the Jeep Cherokee until 2007. Now, several Jeep models are sold as imports.

There are currently more than 80,000 Jeep SUVs on the road in China, and that number is still growing. J.D. Power and Associates forecasts that from 2010 to 2017, China will import nearly 25,000 Wranglers and more than 13,000 Grand Cherokees, as well as thousands of the Jeep Commander and Compass models.

Domestically produced Jeeps may add to those numbers in a few years. Demand for SUVs is growing fast in China. Italy’s Fiat, which purchased Chrysler, will reportedly produce Jeeps at its joint venture with Guangzhou Auto, starting with the Jeep Compass. No start-of-production date has been announced, but it is likely to be several years off.

As interest in off-roading and customization grows in China, those Jeep owners will demand products made for Jeep models. SEMA members can learn more about this growing market at the SEMA-CIAPE Business Development Conference in Beijing, September 23–26. Participating SEMA members will be paired with relevant Chinese buyers in up to a dozen private, pre-scheduled meetings. One-on-one meetings with potential Chinese partners at this ground-breaking event will allow you to get to know them and the market.

Said the marketing director of a tuner shop in Beijing serving Jeep owners: “The volume is very big. There are lots of needs for Jeep modification in Beijing.”

He said his shop works on suspensions, power enhancements, intakes, and exhaust systems, among other modifications. “Almost everything, you name it.” His shop works on newer imported models and older domestically produced Jeeps, said the marketing director.

The two most popular imported models by volume are the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. But imported Jeep Compass and Commander models are growing in popularity, said the owner of another Jeep tuner company in Beijing. He is looking for parts for performance modules, lift kits, suspension components and off-road lights, among other items.

Beijing, in northern China, has a large population of Jeep owners because the brand was produced there and because there are rugged mountains just an hour or so outside of the city that are popular for off-roading. The south China province of Guangdong is another hotspot for Jeep modification because of higher income levels and an active tuner culture influenced by nearby Hong Kong.

Guangdong may soon have its own Jeep production site.

SEMA members can start to get ready for that surge in Jeep ownership if they are in Beijing in September.

For more information, visit www.sema.org/china or contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org. Priority space deadline is July 1.

	Jeep enthusiasts in China covet imported brands to upgrade and modify their off-road machines.

SEMA members who produce accessories for Jeep-brand vehicles take notice: China is awash in Jeeps, and Jeep owners are some of China’s most enthusiastic off-roaders. They are looking for imported brands when it comes to modifying their off-road machines.

Beijing Jeep, the first Sino-foreign automotive joint venture, produced Jeeps in China from 2004 until 2007. The Grand Cherokee was produced until late 2005 and the Jeep Cherokee until 2007. Now, several Jeep models are sold as imports.

There are currently more than 80,000 Jeep SUVs on the road in China, and that number is still growing. J.D. Power and Associates forecasts that from 2010 to 2017, China will import nearly 25,000 Wranglers and more than 13,000 Grand Cherokees, as well as thousands of the Jeep Commander and Compass models.

Domestically produced Jeeps may add to those numbers in a few years. Demand for SUVs is growing fast in China. Italy’s Fiat, which purchased Chrysler, will reportedly produce Jeeps at its joint venture with Guangzhou Auto, starting with the Jeep Compass. No start-of-production date has been announced, but it is likely to be several years off.

As interest in off-roading and customization grows in China, those Jeep owners will demand products made for Jeep models. SEMA members can learn more about this growing market at the SEMA-CIAPE Business Development Conference in Beijing, September 23–26. Participating SEMA members will be paired with relevant Chinese buyers in up to a dozen private, pre-scheduled meetings. One-on-one meetings with potential Chinese partners at this ground-breaking event will allow you to get to know them and the market.

Said the marketing director of a tuner shop in Beijing serving Jeep owners: “The volume is very big. There are lots of needs for Jeep modification in Beijing.”

He said his shop works on suspensions, power enhancements, intakes, and exhaust systems, among other modifications. “Almost everything, you name it.” His shop works on newer imported models and older domestically produced Jeeps, said the marketing director.

The two most popular imported models by volume are the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. But imported Jeep Compass and Commander models are growing in popularity, said the owner of another Jeep tuner company in Beijing. He is looking for parts for performance modules, lift kits, suspension components and off-road lights, among other items.

Beijing, in northern China, has a large population of Jeep owners because the brand was produced there and because there are rugged mountains just an hour or so outside of the city that are popular for off-roading. The south China province of Guangdong is another hotspot for Jeep modification because of higher income levels and an active tuner culture influenced by nearby Hong Kong.

Guangdong may soon have its own Jeep production site.

SEMA members can start to get ready for that surge in Jeep ownership if they are in Beijing in September.

For more information, visit www.sema.org/china or contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org. Priority space deadline is July 1.

	Jeep enthusiasts in China covet imported brands to upgrade and modify their off-road machines.

SEMA members who produce accessories for Jeep-brand vehicles take notice: China is awash in Jeeps, and Jeep owners are some of China’s most enthusiastic off-roaders. They are looking for imported brands when it comes to modifying their off-road machines.

Beijing Jeep, the first Sino-foreign automotive joint venture, produced Jeeps in China from 2004 until 2007. The Grand Cherokee was produced until late 2005 and the Jeep Cherokee until 2007. Now, several Jeep models are sold as imports.

There are currently more than 80,000 Jeep SUVs on the road in China, and that number is still growing. J.D. Power and Associates forecasts that from 2010 to 2017, China will import nearly 25,000 Wranglers and more than 13,000 Grand Cherokees, as well as thousands of the Jeep Commander and Compass models.

Domestically produced Jeeps may add to those numbers in a few years. Demand for SUVs is growing fast in China. Italy’s Fiat, which purchased Chrysler, will reportedly produce Jeeps at its joint venture with Guangzhou Auto, starting with the Jeep Compass. No start-of-production date has been announced, but it is likely to be several years off.

As interest in off-roading and customization grows in China, those Jeep owners will demand products made for Jeep models. SEMA members can learn more about this growing market at the SEMA-CIAPE Business Development Conference in Beijing, September 23–26. Participating SEMA members will be paired with relevant Chinese buyers in up to a dozen private, pre-scheduled meetings. One-on-one meetings with potential Chinese partners at this ground-breaking event will allow you to get to know them and the market.

Said the marketing director of a tuner shop in Beijing serving Jeep owners: “The volume is very big. There are lots of needs for Jeep modification in Beijing.”

He said his shop works on suspensions, power enhancements, intakes, and exhaust systems, among other modifications. “Almost everything, you name it.” His shop works on newer imported models and older domestically produced Jeeps, said the marketing director.

The two most popular imported models by volume are the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. But imported Jeep Compass and Commander models are growing in popularity, said the owner of another Jeep tuner company in Beijing. He is looking for parts for performance modules, lift kits, suspension components and off-road lights, among other items.

Beijing, in northern China, has a large population of Jeep owners because the brand was produced there and because there are rugged mountains just an hour or so outside of the city that are popular for off-roading. The south China province of Guangdong is another hotspot for Jeep modification because of higher income levels and an active tuner culture influenced by nearby Hong Kong.

Guangdong may soon have its own Jeep production site.

SEMA members can start to get ready for that surge in Jeep ownership if they are in Beijing in September.

For more information, visit www.sema.org/china or contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org. Priority space deadline is July 1.

Following are dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, webinars and activities. Click on an item for more details.

	The 2010 SEMA Show online floorplan allows you to see where exhibitors have reserved space—and what's still available if you're waiting until the last minute to commit!

The 2010 SEMA Show Priority Booth Space Selection concluded last week with 1,541 companies securing nearly 800,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, up more than 100,000 sq. ft. from the same time last year.

Check out the list of exhibitors and a floorplan showing each exhibitor’s location.

Site visitors are encouraged to check the floorplan regularly, as exhibitor applications continue to come in and are assigned space daily.

“Every year, our exhibitors amaze us with their innovation and ingenuity," said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. "We’re excited to see what this year’s SEMA Show will bring. Based on what we’re hearing from exhibitors, it’s clear that manufacturers have a lot of exciting new things to share with the industry, and they have big plans for sharing that news during the upcoming SEMA Show.”

Among those who have already selected their SEMA Show booth space are 267 companies exhibiting for the first time and 142 companies that sat out in 2009.

Some sections currently established, such as the Racing & Performance area and the Paint, Body & Equipment area, are nearing capacity. Show organizers are working closely with new exhibitors that sign up in these market categories to ensure their booths are strategically located.

“Even with a 2 million square-foot convention center, we’ve been challenged in the past with selling out and having to create alternative locations for exhibitors,” said MacGillivray. “We anticipate that we’ll be doing the same this year.”

Manufacturers interested in exhibiting at the 2010 SEMA Show are encouraged to view the online floorplan to see what’s available and to call 702/450-7662, ext. 120, to get more details. To reserve your space today, visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

	The 2010 SEMA Show online floorplan allows you to see where exhibitors have reserved space—and what's still available if you're waiting until the last minute to commit!

The 2010 SEMA Show Priority Booth Space Selection concluded last week with 1,541 companies securing nearly 800,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, up more than 100,000 sq. ft. from the same time last year.

Check out the list of exhibitors and a floorplan showing each exhibitor’s location.

Site visitors are encouraged to check the floorplan regularly, as exhibitor applications continue to come in and are assigned space daily.

“Every year, our exhibitors amaze us with their innovation and ingenuity," said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. "We’re excited to see what this year’s SEMA Show will bring. Based on what we’re hearing from exhibitors, it’s clear that manufacturers have a lot of exciting new things to share with the industry, and they have big plans for sharing that news during the upcoming SEMA Show.”

Among those who have already selected their SEMA Show booth space are 267 companies exhibiting for the first time and 142 companies that sat out in 2009.

Some sections currently established, such as the Racing & Performance area and the Paint, Body & Equipment area, are nearing capacity. Show organizers are working closely with new exhibitors that sign up in these market categories to ensure their booths are strategically located.

“Even with a 2 million square-foot convention center, we’ve been challenged in the past with selling out and having to create alternative locations for exhibitors,” said MacGillivray. “We anticipate that we’ll be doing the same this year.”

Manufacturers interested in exhibiting at the 2010 SEMA Show are encouraged to view the online floorplan to see what’s available and to call 702/450-7662, ext. 120, to get more details. To reserve your space today, visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

Nearly 80 companies have committed to exhibit in the 2010 SEMA Show Paint, Body & Equipment area, an increase of almost 45% compared to 2009.

The Paint, Body & Equipment (PBE) section of the SEMA Show is the fastest-growing area of the event, with nearly 45% more exhibitors already confirmed to exhibit in just the specific PBE section during the 2010 event compared to the previous year.

At the close of the Priority Booth Space Selection process, a total of 79 companies had signed up to exhibit in the 2010 SEMA Show PBE section alone, compared to 55 the previous year. In addition, there are hundreds of other companies throughout the SEMA Show this year that will be showcasing their products to the paint and body market, including such long-standing exhibitors as House of Kolor, PPG, Sherwin Williams, 3M and more.

The truly diverse line of manufacturers participating in the SEMA Show that carry products for the paint and body segment, from companies located in the Racing & Performance section, Restoration Marketplace and Tools & Equipment section, is a testament to the industry's tremendous support of the show and the value they find in exhibiting.

The growth in the PBE section in particular, which comes just one year after the section was introduced and includes 40 companies exhibiting at the SEMA Show for the first time, can be viewed through the floorplan and exhibitor list here.

“The paint and body market has increasingly become an important market,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “That’s why the Paint, Body & Equipment section of the Show was expanded in just its second year of existence. That’s also why we are partnering with industry experts to provide this audience with quality education and networking opportunities.”

Organizers partnered with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) to present Repairer Driven Education (RDE) during the SEMA Show. RDE includes 21 seminars specifically designed or chosen with the collision repair professional in mind. Each session features known and respected speakers within the industry.

SCRS will also be holding a number of meetings, forums and receptions in Las Vegas during the SEMA Show, November 2–5, making it easy and affordable for its members to participate in SCRS activities and attend the SEMA Show.

“The landscape and business of automotive paint is changing,” said MacGillivray. “At the SEMA Show, we’re constantly evolving to adjust to the changing marketplace. It’s been exciting for us to be able to meet the needs of this market and provide businesses with new opportunities and cost savings.”

Industry professionals will also be able to conveniently attend meetings with the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and participate in education from I-CAR during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

For more details about the 2010 SEMA Show or to register, please visit www.SEMAShow.com.