The new Ford Flex is among the 2009 models for which Ford is accepting project-vehicle proposals.

SEMA members: The deadline to submit a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury project-vehicle proposal is Monday, March 3. Ford's program includes the new 2009 Ford Flex, F-150 and Mercury MKS models. For proposal criteria and the submission deadline, visit www.sema.org/oem and click on the 2008 Image Vehicle Program link under the Ford logo.

New for this year: A limited number of awards will be given this year for vehicle modifications that result in significant improvements in vehicle fuel economy and/or reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Such modifications must not impair vehicle emissions performance. Projects that explore opportunities beyond bio-fuel conversion will be given greater consideration.

For additional information on project-vehicle programs, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org.

From now until Monday, March 31, free domestic ground shipping is available for every order of $25 or more on www.SEMAstore.com. The site carries men’s and women’s golf shirts, T-shirts and hoodies, as well as lapel pins, headwear and an assortment of collectibles—all featuring the SEMA name.

     
Head to www.SEMAstore.com for men's and women's apparel and other collectibles from the SEMA Show.

More about the SEMA Show is available at www.SEMAShow.com.   

SEMA manufacturing members are invited to preview and gather measurements of Ford's 2009 E-/F-Series trucks. The Measuring Session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, at the Ford Conference and Event Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The limit is two persons per company. Upon confirmation, maps and hotel information will be e-mailed to attendees. Please click here for registration. (If your browser does not link directly, copy and paste the following URL into your browser's address bar):
https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/topics/E_F-Series_Measuring_Session_Form.html.

The event will be separated into a morning and an afternoon session. The agenda (subject to change) is:

Morning Session

• 8:00 a.m.–9:15 a.m.: Classroom-style introduction and discussion with question-and-answer session
• 9:15 a.m.–9:30 a.m.: Break (beverages served)
• 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Measuring session in the garage area

Afternoon Session

• 1:00 p.m.–2:15 p.m.: Classroom-style introduction and discussion with question-and-answer session
• 2:15 p.m.–2:30 p.m.: Break (beverages served)
• 2:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.: Measuring session in the garage area

For information on SEMA Measuring Sessions or OEM Relations, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org.

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Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 100 years of case law related to the agreement to set minimum retail or resale prices. SEMA-member companies need to stay aware of the recent developments on antitrust laws related to minimum advertised pricing (MAP) programs and other pricing issues. SEMA has several resources available to help members learn the legal and practical significance of these decisions and how it can affect their retail business.

The latest webinar session covering MAP programs and the recent developments in the related antitrust laws will be available online at www.sema.org/webinar within the next week. The session addresses the following regarding MAP programs:

• What are the antitrust laws related to set retail pricing?
• What are the legal decisions on minimum advertise pricing (MAP)?
• How can these antitrust laws affect your retail business?

Get Familiar With MAP
Discover the fundamental elements of MAP programs by accessing the previously conducted webinar, "MAP Programs: How to Influence Product Prices Legally Through Minimum Advertised Pricing." Presented by Barbara Sicalides of the Law Offices of Pepper Hamilton LLP, the session can be accessed below.

• To download the audio and video portion of the webinar, click here.
• To download the PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file, click here.

SEMA's Webinar Program
The SEMA webinar program brings the world-class business seminars featured during the SEMA Show Education Week right to your desktop. Different business-building sessions are constantly being added to the program, offering members the latest insight and practices from today’s leading speakers. All SEMA webinars are conducted live and are open to all employees of SEMA-member companies free of charge. To participate, all you need is a computer with Internet access and a telephone.

All previously conducted SEMA webinars are available to download anytime by clicking here. To view upcoming presentations that you can attend via the telephone and Internet, click here.

For additional information on the SEMA webinar program, contact Pat Talaska-Benson at patt@sema.org.

Are you making money or losing money? Are your expenses in line with sales or excessive? Is your gross profit retention covering your expenses while providing a reasonable return for your efforts? How can you tell? Passion for the business you’re involved in aside, it’s the “bottom line” that makes the difference. 

Check out SEMA's webinar, "Analyzing the Income Statement: The Nuts and Bolts," on Thursday, March 6, (10:00 a.m. PST) to learn how to use your company's income statement to manage and determine the financial health of your business.  

The income statement is a vital device for reading a business' financial tea leaves. It’s one of the most important management tools that help you determine your business' financial success or lack thereof.  And for most managers and owners it’s a “score card” of the operational efforts they are responsible for during any one given period of time, such as a month, three months or one year.  A solid understanding of what the financial statement is, what it includes, how to read it and use it is essential to your ongoing success.

• Learn the basic income statement structure.
• Understand the different elements of the income statement and their relationships to each other.
• Discover how net profit is affected by sales, gross profit and expenses.
• Learn three effective methods for income statement analysis.

For more information, visit www.sema.org/webinar.

SEMA's Webinar Program
The SEMA webinar program brings the world-class business seminars featured during the SEMA Show Education Week right to your desktop. Different business-building sessions are constantly being added to the program, offering members the latest insight and practices from today’s leading speakers. All SEMA webinars are conducted live and are open to all employees of SEMA-member companies free of charge. To participate, all you need is a computer with Internet access and a telephone.

All previously conducted SEMA webinars are available to download anytime by clicking here. To view upcoming presentations that you can attend via the telephone and Internet, click here.

For additional information on the SEMA webinar program, contact Pat Talaska-Benson at patt@sema.org.

Scheduled for a 2011 model year debut, Jaguar's new XJ replacement is caught here winter testing in Sweden by Brenda Priddy and Co. photographers. Cloaked in current-model sheetmetal, the new XJ, codenamed X351, is expected to follow the new XF design cues. It's also, according to Priddy's sources, set-up to ride on the current model's aluminum chassis and have a four-door coupe feel, a la the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Primary power is expected to come from Jaguar’s 5.0L V8.

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The U.S. Congress passed legislation designed to protect children from injuries or deaths in non-traffic vehicle incidents. President Bush is expected to sign the bill (HR 1216) into law. The measure directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require new vehicles be equipped with a means of alerting the driver if a child is behind the vehicle when it is being backed-up. The specialty-equipment industry has been at the forefront of offering cameras and sensors to address the issue. 

It is estimated that at least 1,350 children have died in back-over incidents since 2000. According to the NHTSA, some vehicles, such as SUVs, are particularly vulnerable to blind spots. Under the legislation, the NHTSA is directed to establish performance requirements within Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 (Rearview Mirrors) to effectively mandate installation of cameras or sensors on new cars. The NHTSA will have three years to establish the requirements and up to four more years to phase-in full compliance on new vehicles. 

The bill also directs the NHTSA to consider requiring power windows and panels to automatically reverse direction if there is an obstruction in the path, such as a child’s head or arm. If the agency decides this is impractical or unnecessary, the NHTSA will be required to explain how it came to that conclusion. Additionally, starting in model year 2011, all cars with an automatic transmission will have to have a brake shift interlock to help prevent vehicle roll-away. The driver is then required to apply the brake in order to shift the vehicle out of park.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.