SEMA News—September 2020

RETAIL BEST PRACTICES

Reopening:

A Guide to COVID-19 Workplace Cleaning and Sanitation Protocol Sources

By Douglas McColloch

Making hand sanitizer available at points of sale and installing protective shielding to minimize the transfer of airborne particles are two steps retailers can take to improve in-store sanitation.

As retail businesses reopen across the country and customers gradually return to stores, companies are rolling out new policies to adapt to the “new normal” business climate afforded by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Foremost among those are new protocols for workplace cleaning and sanitation.

While auto-parts sales enjoyed record growth in the first quarter of 2020, nearly all of the gains were realized online. Since brick-and-mortar transactions still account for nearly two-thirds of all auto-parts sales, retailers are working to go the extra mile to regain the trust of their customers, and one key component of that effort is the successful implementation of industry-leading cleaning and sanitation procedures.

To learn about workplace best practices, SEMA News looked at recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and checked in with retailers sharing their own experiences in planning and executing new cleaning and sanitation protocols.

The following recommendations are from the recent CDC document, “Reopening America: Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes.” That document and other key resources can be found by visiting www.sema.org and opening the frequently updated Coronavirus information compendium. Specifically regarding reopening, the CDC offers a multi-step process for assuring safety:

Planning and Preparation

Regardless of the size and scope of your business, the CDC recommends the following action plan when strategizing new cleaning and sanitation policies.

• Evaluate the workplace: What kinds of surfaces and materials are most commonly found? Many surfaces will need only normal routine cleaning, but frequently touched surfaces such as light switches and door handles will need to be cleaned and disinfected to reduce the risk of contamination. On the other hand, if the workplace has been vacant for more than seven days, or if the workplace is outdoors and well ventilated, routine cleaning should be all that’s typically needed. (COVID-19 has never been known to survive on any surface for longer than a week, and it’s more easily transmitted in poorly ventilated indoor environs.)
• Determine what needs to be cleaned and what needs to be disinfected: Some surfaces will require only routine applications of soap and water. Those would include objects that are not often touched, as mentioned. After routine cleaning, often-touched surfaces can be disinfected with products that meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for use against SARS-COV-2. They can be viewed under “List N” at www.epa.gov.
• Determine the types of surfaces to be disinfected: This will help in choosing the appropriate disinfectants. Hard, non-porous objects or surfaces made of glass, metal or plastic (such as countertops, doorknobs and pay-station keypads) will require different disinfecting procedures than porous materials such as carpets, rugs and seat upholstery. Regardless of surface type, care must be paid to ensure that adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) is used throughout the disinfecting process. Again, the EPA and CDC websites can provide guidance.
• Determine the resources and equipment to be used: Different levels of cleaning and disinfection will require different products and varying levels of PPE to perform safely. In certain instances, it may be necessary to enlist the assistance of outside personnel with specialized training and equipment to apply disinfectants such as fumigants or fogs. The CDC’s website on “Cleaning and Disinfection for Community Facilities” can provide further information.

Work surfaces that are touched frequently, such as shopping baskets and cart handles, should be cleaned and disinfected after every use whenever possible.

Implementation and Execution

Once you’ve formulated a plan, it’s time to implement it. Read all manufacturer instructions for the cleaning and disinfection products to be used. Wear gloves and other required PPE to initiate the process of cleaning and disinfecting.

• Clean visibly dirty surfaces with soap and water: Clean surfaces and objects using soap and water prior to disinfection. Always wear the appropriate gloves, and follow directions on the disinfectant label for additional PPE needs. When finished, wash hands thoroughly. Clean or launder soft and porous materials such as seats, rugs and carpets using the warmest possible temperature setting. Dry items thoroughly.
• Use the right cleaning or disinfectant products: EPA-approved disinfectants applied according to manufacturer recommendations are effective against COVID-19. Follow the instructions on the label for all sanitation products for concentration, dilution, application, contact time and any other considerations when applying. Make sure you have adequate ventilation, and keep all disinfectants away from children.
• Maintain and revise your plan: Surfaces often touched by multiple persons, such as door handles and faucets, should be cleaned and disinfected at least daily; more frequent cleaning and disinfection may be required, depending on use. Certain surfaces and objects such as shopping carts and pay station keypads should be cleaned and disinfected before each use.

For some companies, implementing new cleaning and sanitation policies may require only increasing the frequency of existing routines. “Our retail stores have always taken great pride in their cleanliness and presentation to our customers by routinely cleaning shelves, products and displays weekly,” said Steve Kester, senior retail manager at Summit Racing Equipment, a mail-order parts company that operates retail stores in Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Arizona. “Now, with COVID-19, we do hour-by-hour disinfecting during all retail operating hours, focusing on high-touch-point areas.”

Some retailers may already have much of the needed sanitation infrastructure ready to deploy within their existing product lines. Jamie Ward, president of Tire Discounters, a regional retail chain that operates in six eastern states, explained: “Items other dealers had to scramble for were already in place and part of our day-to-day operations, such as steering wheel covers, latex gloves, seat protectors and floor mats, to name a few. It’s the little things that matter, so there were no major changes for us when it came to taking care of our customers’ vehicles.”

Because COVID-19 thrives in poorly ventilated environments, OSHA recommends that companies consider upgrading their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning filters and systems to provide optimal circulation of clean air in the workplace.

Next Step: Employee Behaviors and Customer Safety

Once the workplace is sanitary, the CDC recommends training the workforce in the proper ways to keep themselves sanitary throughout the workday. This begins with a daily—and perhaps hourly—personal cleaning regimen. Employees should wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. If employees’ hands are visibly dirty, they should use soap and water over hand sanitizer.

Employees should be instructed to clean their hands:

• Before and after work shifts
• Before and after work breaks
• After blowing their noses, coughing or sneezing
• After using the restroom
• Before eating or preparing food
• After putting on, touching or removing cloth face coverings

Employees should also avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands and should cover their mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or use the inside of the elbow. Dispose of used tissues in no-touch waste cans and immediately wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Employees should also avoid using other employees’ phones, desks, offices or other work equipment whenever possible.

Similarly, retail stores should encourage frequent hand washing and optimal disinfection practices for customers. Steps to achieve that could include installing cleaning stations that dispense hand sanitizer at entrances as well as on the sales floor and at points of sale; making face masks available to customers upon entering the store; ensuring that restrooms are regularly cleaned and well stocked with soap and fresh towels; and posting signs in restrooms advising customers on best self-cleaning practices.

Kester noted that Summit Racing’s restrooms have been additionally equipped with touchless faucets to further reduce high-touch surface areas.

Depending on the nature of the business and the configuration of the store, implementing physical distancing measures and uniform floor traffic patterns should also be considered for added customer security.

“Store aisles have been designated one way,” Kester said of Summit Racing’s retail stores. “Distancing dots were placed on the floor to encourage social distancing in areas where a customer may have to wait in a line.”

Similar measures are being taken by other retailers. Kathryn Reinhardt, senior marketing manager at 4 Wheel Parts, a chain with locations in 30 states nationwide, advised that sneeze guards have been installed at all of the company’s stores, along with stanchions and floor graphics to control customer traffic flow.

Another option for retailers is to consider removing or rearranging inventory to reduce the number of touch points on the sales floor.

“For example, we removed helmets from the sales floor,” Kester said. “When a customer wants to try a helmet for fitment, we bring it to them and provide a head sock to wear before they put the helmet on.”

Regardless of existing sanitation policies, a store’s employees—and customers, too—may face a steeper-than-expected learning curve in adjusting to the new realities of retailing.

“We’re a family-owned and -operated business, so holding open the door and shaking hands is second nature to the team,” said Tire Discounters Managing Director Anna Wood. “Adjusting to 6-ft. social distance meant breaking decades-long habits, and while the team is adaptable, it was hard for them at first to greet customers without offering a genuine smile and friendly handshake.”

Sometimes keeping abreast of changing state COVID-19 policies can pose a challenge to retailers that operate stores in multiple states.

“Having stores in almost every state in the United States made it difficult to prepare and predict each state’s assessment of the virus,” Reinhardt noted. “We made every effort to continue our communication with leadership conference calls, sharing regulation information and prepping each store with necessary policies to continue operations.”

Other Considerations

A clean workplace isn’t limited to clean surfaces and objects, however. COVID-19 is more easily transmitted in indoor environments with poor air circulation. A recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) document, “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19,” recommends installing higher-efficiency air filters in company air-conditioning systems, increasing ventilation rates in common areas, installing physical barriers such as clear plastic shields at points of sale or (where applicable) installing a drive-through window or offering curbside service for customers.

The OSHA guidance is advisory in nature and informational in content. It is not a standard or a regulation, the document advises, but it does include a link to state plans that may be applicable locally. For retailers in search of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning engineering and infrastructure solutions, environmental consulting companies such as U.S. Ecology (www.usecology.com) can provide
expert assistance.

For stores that have implemented new protocols, the response from customers has been encouraging.

“Customers loved our new services so much, that we’ve kept them in place,” said Tire Discounters Chief Customer Officer and Senior Vice President Clarissa Niese. “They appreciated having the choice to come into the showroom or take advantage of new services like curbside drop-off, text-to-pay and online add-to-cart. We’ve seen a rise in the number of people choosing alternatives to in-store shopping, and we’re happy to accommodate
those needs.”

“From a customer-service perspective, the addition of touchless curbside pickup has been the biggest win both for our customers and Summit Racing,” Kester concurred, also noting how customer-centric policy initiatives such as these can help strengthen relationships. “The best way I can describe it is like having car trouble at a cruise-in or at the race track: There is always someone willing to help you out. That’s what it feels like—a real sense of
car community.”

The auto-parts retailing industry represents an enormous part of the American economy—a $62 billion market comprising more than 60,000 businesses and 380,000 employees, according to a 2020 survey published by IBIS World, a global market research firm. A thriving economy depends on an equally thriving retail sector, so there has never been a better time to follow some simple guidelines to implement new cleaning and sanitation policies that will win back customers and drive in-store sales.

SEMA News—August 2020

PEOPLE

Compiled by SEMA News Editors

35 Under 35

Next-Gen Talent on the Rise

Since 2012, SEMA News has sought to identify the industry’s young rising stars. In spotlighting talented individuals age 35 and under, we hoped to show both younger and older generations alike that new people with new ideas and drive not only have a home in the industry but also are already achieving great things.

In the following pages, we are again pleased to present 35 young trendsetters representing diverse industry segments. In order to make our “35 Under 35” list, honorees must first be nominated by one or more industry peers. Poring through the nominations, SEMA News looks for candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds who are making significant contributions through their leadership within their organizations or businesses. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the marketplace weigh heavily in our decision-making. The selection process is never easy, since every nominee is a winner in some way or another.

The SEMA News staff thanks all the industry professionals who took time to help us identify deserving young people, and offers our sincere regret that every one of our impressive nominees could not be included. Ultimately, however, only 35 can make our special feature.

We think you’ll agree that our 2020 class of honorees is an inspiring group of people. They’re passionate, capable and on course for bright futures. If nothing else, our “35 Under 35” roster proves that the industry still has what it takes to attract a new generation of enthusiasts and that they, in turn, possess the skills and dreams that will take us in surprising new directions.

Danny Agosta, 29
Marketing Manager, Steele Rubber Products

Danny Agosta’s first memories are of his father taking him to car shows and naming the year, make and model of every vehicle in sight. His family owned an automotive business, so it seemed natural for him to get involved. Still, it was the history and relationship his family had created with people that most drew him in.

“There were so many times I’d work car shows and people would come up to the space and tell me stories about my grand-father,” Agosta recounted. “Sometimes it was quite surreal. It made me feel like I had a legacy to carry on.”

He started carrying that legacy at 12 years old, absorbing everything he could. Agosta learned about various body styles of classic cars and began developing kits and new product lines for ever-changing customer demands. Mastering the trade, he worked his way up the company to the position of marketing manager, which he still holds.

Agosta most enjoys the teamwork that creates successful projects, and he hopes to take on greater leadership roles in SEMA’s councils.

What’s in His Briefcase: “My phone, Microsoft Office, Adobe Suite, our catalogs, my own personal samples box, calipers, Super Glue, and a Leatherman multi-tool.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni. (“I’m a classic kinda guy.”)

Jeremy Benson, 29
Project Leader and Tech Support, Affordable Fuel Injection

A builder and welder since age 13, Jeremy Benson is a graduate of the University of Northern Ohio with a degree in high performance and diesel technology. He has worked at Affordable Fuel Injection (AFI) for only slightly more than a year but has already made a big impact.

Within a couple of months of starting his employment there, Benson approached AFI owner Norm Witte with an idea to design, build and market a standalone harness and components for the newer Gen V LT1 Chevrolet engine. Once he received the green light, Benson single-handedly researched, designed, built and began the marketing process for the new product, which will be featured at the 2020 SEMA Show in a ’54 Chevy truck build that he’s currently overseeing. He’s also fabricated rollcages for SCCA cars and recently designed a CNC-bent cage for the Ranger pickup. An avid off-road enthusiast, Benson includes among his future goals “the opportunity for a Baja 1000 podium finish.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Always a multi-tool and a good knife, plus my laptop and data cable, and sometimes my steering wheel, if I drive my prerunner or sandrail to work.”

Favorite pizza topping: Feta cheese.

Johannes Crepon, 32
Founder/CEO, PDM Automotive

Johannes Crepon spent most of his early life in Germany, but the one year he lived in the United States during high school had lifetime impact. Crepon spent that year around hot rods, musclecars and anything else the industry offered. He knew then that his career would be in the performance aftermarket, and he started his first company after returning to Germany at 17 years old.

Crepon grew the company but realized that his biggest challenge lay with obtaining consistent product data. Where most people saw a problem, he saw an opportunity and started Paramount Data Management to revolutionize how the automotive aftermarket industry connects, communicates and does business. For him, technology helps drive market growth, and he hopes to lead the way.

“Being able to provide customers with perfect product data that they can share with their business partners is very rewarding,” Crepon said. “It is exciting when manufacturers and resellers come to us and say how much we helped them.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Technology for sure, but also the good old fashioned pen and paper (notebook). When traveling on business, I carry my laptop, an iPhone, an iPad and essentially my entire office in the cloud.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Capricciosa.

Matt Avery, 33
Executive Producer, Mecum Auctions

A 13-year industry veteran, Matt Avery started his career as a factory-trained technician for Mercedes-Benz, but his love of storytelling led him first to film school, then to automotive journalism, and ultimately to his current position as executive content producer for the famed Mecum Auctions house in Wisconsin. Along the way, he served as senior video producer for Cars.com and PickupTrucks.com, has written a weekly Chicago newspaper auto column, “Classic Recollections,” and is the author of COPO: Camaro, Chevelle & Nova: Chevrolet’s Ultimate Muscle Cars, published in 2018 by CarTech Auto Books.

What drives Avery in his work? “Pursuing excellence,” he said. “Automotive enthusiasts crave engaging editorial and entertaining content. Whatever medium, that audience—like all of us—wants to be captivated, compelled and moved by what they see and hear. As a creator, researcher and commentator, I’m always going for the redline to deliver just that.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “A full-frame camera along with wireless mics, an audio recorder, a drone and a few LED lights to round out my remote studio kit. With a Mac laptop as production hub and a willingness to keep asking questions, I’m ready to seek out and share any kind of story.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Green peppers.

Dustin Dundore, 29
Vice President, Smash Customs

Dustin Dundore credits his father for instilling a passion for classic cars during his younger years.

“I grew up working on cars with him,” he said, adding that he joined his father’s classic-car restoration business two years ago after a stint in the Marines and a couple years working in a collision shop. As he puts it, “Smash Customs went from my father, myself and a few friends building custom classics to a 20,000-sq.-ft. shop employing 10 technicians, including veterans from the monster-truck racing circuit.”

Dundore also incorporated social media into the company’s brand-building portfolio, and his marketing videos attracted the notice of Dupont Registry, which found them useful for marketing their own vehicles as well. For the next five to 10 years, he aims to “build Smash Customs to be a shop that is known with all of the big-name shops nationwide and to have a custom car at the SEMA Show every year.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “I carry my iPhone and watch. As long as I have those two items, I am good! I also carry a pocketknife and a little good-luck charm my wife gave me.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni.

Paul Feghali, 24
Accessory Program Manager-Battery Electric Trucks, General Motors

Prior to entering the automotive space, Paul Feghali had already run a six-person landscaping and repair service and had designed two patented devices—one to help direct firefighters out of burning buildings and the other a percutaneous medical feeding tube—before graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech in 2018.

Fast forward two years, and he now manages a multimillion-dollar future vehicle portfolio for General Motors, overseeing accessory development for the automaker’s first-gen battery electric trucks. He has also managed internal-combustion engine programs but finds the ever-changing EV landscape much more challenging. “For me, this challenge brings excitement,” he said.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, he is establishing the Next Generation Advisory Board at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he will provide fundraising leadership for young donors.

“My desire is to be in a position where I can make the most impact on people’s lives,” he explained. “I’ve learned that you do not have to be the smartest person to change the world. You just have to be hungry and passionate enough to do it.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Paper, pen and my drone.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: “I’ll eat anything.”

Jason Fink, 35
Product Manager, Lippert Components

Working in the aftermarket is second nature for Jason Fink. “I’m the third generation of my family in the industry, so you could say it’s in my blood,” he explained.

Fink’s involvement in SEMA’s Young Executives Network and his promotions to management levels throughout the various companies where he has worked speak to his industry achievements over the last 17 years.

“My greatest career accomplishment is that I have excelled in each position I have been assigned,” Fink said. “What defines an employee is a constant quest to perform at the highest level so that the organization flourishes long beyond their tenure.”

As product manager at Lippert Components, he finds the constant changes in vehicle platforms and technologies challenging, but in a good way.

“It’s exciting to work with companies that are changing the world,” he said. “Many of my direct customers are vehicle manufacturers who are motivated to offer cool, affordable, value-adding products to consumers.”

As for his future, Fink is striving toward a senior-level management position where he can further help propel the industry forward.

What’s in His Briefcase: Typically, he carries a laptop, a notebook, a pen, “too many chargers,” sunglasses and gum.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Meat.

Joseph Durso, 34
Director of Sales and Marketing, Pedal Commander

In his position with Pedal Commander, Joseph Durso and his team have implemented unique techniques to increase the company’s brand awareness and sales conversion. Durso is credited with increasing company profits 400% from 2017 to 2019 and is on track to reach eight figures for 2020. In so doing, he has grown the marketplace for sensor-related aftermarket products in general.

“When I first started with Pedal Commander, there was a major roadblock to get over: the misunderstanding of what throttle-response controller technologies actually do for end users,” Durso explained. “We managed to overcome that through direct targeting, capturing niche markets and setting the tone for the brand in a unique but universal, relatable way to consumers.”

A longtime automotive enthusiast, Durso rebuilt his first engine at 14 with his father’s guidance. At 16, he restored his first car—a ’74 Dodge Dart Sport. However, he considers his greatest accomplishment to be raising his daughter. He hopes one day to “be chilling with her at the Mint 400, getting ready to watch her jam out and show up her dad.”

What’s in His Briefcase: A laptop, six cell phones with broken screens, headphones and business cards.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni and peperoncini.

Nikki Fulton, 34
Owner/CEO, Bullet Upfitters—Bullet Liner of Central Ohio

As the owner and CEO of Bullet Upfitters—Bullet Liner of Central Ohio, Nikki Fulton oversees a team of 15 employees. Her busy shop continues to get high reviews and was named the Bullet Liner Nationwide Top Shop in 2019. So what’s behind the operation’s success?

“Let’s start with the most important thing, our people,” she said. “Cultivating a culture of respect for the individual and exceptional service creates a place where people look forward to coming to work. That translates to a positive customer experience.”

And she means it. Amid COVID-19 lockdowns, Fulton worked to maintain 100% of her manpower at full wages.

“I’ve always been a Jeep and truck girl,” she said. “Growing up in rural Ohio, pulling a camper and riding in my dad’s trucks are among my fondest memories. We’re given the opportunity to collaborate with customers and make their dreams a reality. Most recently, we completed several Jeep Gladiator builds and several spectacular truck builds. I enjoy watching our new hires grow into skilled tradesmen and then into leaders.”

What’s in Her Briefcase: A Microsoft Surface Pro, Microsoft 360 Business Standard software, OneNote, an iPhone and her team’s support.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Mushrooms.

Brandon Harding, 27
Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Vintage Air

Brandon Harding’s route to Vintage Air included work as an environmental engineer, a chemical process engineer and a business-development analyst, all before his 28th year on the planet.

He holds a master’s degree in management science and engineering and a B.S. in chemical engineering—a background that made him a go-to guy for driving process-improvement projects at Vintage Air. He optimized the plant’s safety and environmental programs, fine-tuned the plant production schedule, and made substantial contributions in new-product research and development.

Harding also tackled regulatory compliance for Proposition 65, putting the company ahead of the curve and making himself an industry expert in the process. In previous roles, he was credited with designing and implementing process improvements that saved more than $2 million annually.

“I’ve always enjoyed learning new skills and applying them in different ways,” he told us. As a SEMA Young Executives Network member, he put himself in a position to share. “I also love the people in this industry. This industry has an extremely collaborative culture.”

What’s in His Briefcase: A calculator, caliper, notebook and No. 2 pencil.

Favorite Pizza Topping: BBQ chicken.

Austin Grabowski, 31
Founder and Owner, Grabowski Speed Shop

Hot rodding is in Austin Grabowski’s blood. He has been working on vehicles since the age of six, helping his grandfather and his father on their projects. His passion led him to obtain a degree in business and a minor in automotive restoration while concurrently working on his own builds. He found employment in the industry working for shops and private collectors. Then, four years ago, he opened Grabowski Speed Shop, specializing in traditional American hot rods.

Slowly but steadily, he began to build notoriety, and his work has been featured on car-magazine covers a few times—Hot Rod Deluxe, among others. Since then, he has continued to build for customers and advance his craft.

“The most exciting part of my business has been creating and reinventing the look, performance and drivability of a traditional hot rod but also being able to tune and work with old technology,” Grabowski said. “I always want to keep evolving and growing, not just myself as a builder, but also my business.”

What’s in His Briefcase: Some 20 tape measures and 200 Sharpies.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Sausage.

Jeremy Headlee, 31
Marketing Manager, ICON Vehicle Dynamics

Jeremy Headlee loves car culture—the people, the events and the custom rides. As a marketing manager for ICON Vehicle Dynamics, he has created a large network of friends throughout the country—the people he relies on at events and tradeshows to stay connected with the emerging trends and latest news from all of the industry’s many segments.

For Headlee, the most challenging aspect to his current position with ICON is the growing competition within the market. His main focus is monitoring enthusiast trends and working with his team to develop products that cater to those, making ICON a recognized innovator.

“Manufacturing technology and the rise of social media marketing have allowed many more companies to enter the market each offering a different feature, color, or mode,” Headlee said. “It’s the constant ‘sharpening of the sword’ that’s necessary in a company’s marketing and sales efforts that makes things exciting.”

In the near future, Headlee hopes to work with a larger creative team to develop a lifestyle and community around the brand he represents. A member of SEMA’s Young Executives Network, he also plans to expand his industry involvement, devoting his time and energy to key issues.

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, a pen and a notepad.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pineapple.

Bryan Kiefer, 33
President/CEO, Kies Motorsports

At 17, modifying his first vehicle piece by piece—a Honda Accord—Bryan Kiefer found his passion. It wasn’t about the vehicle itself; after all, Kiefer’s dream car at the time was a Volkswagen GTI. It’s that he wanted to make a car his own in look and feel. That experience, and the good and poor decisions he made, inspired him to learn all he could about performance and styling upgrades.

Kiefer applied that tenacity to one of his first jobs, at a car dealership, where the techs gave him the nickname “Questions” for the hours he spent absorbing knowledge.

Nowadays, through his company Kies Motorsports, Kiefer and his team produce quality how-to and DIY videos for BMWs, and provide retrofits, performance and aesthetic parts for BMWs. Kiefer has found a livelihood and enjoys having a positive impact on enthusiasts looking to modify their vehicles.

“Our customers have been amazing from the beginning, and we love giving back by providing free tips and tricks of what we’ve learned along the way,” said Kiefer. Without followers, customers and supporters, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love each day.”

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, the Bible App and a MacBook Pro.

Favorite Pizza Topping: BBQ chicken.

Jake Hindes, 31
Owner, Prism Supply and The Congregation Show

Mechanically inclined from early on, Jake Hindes founded Prism Supply with his brother Zach in 2012 to make high-quality, handcrafted motorcycle components. In 2016, the business added The Congregation Show, now one of the largest traditional automobile and motorcycle events in the United States.

“Getting big was never our goal,” Hindes observed. “Our goal was to stay true to what we like and never try to cater to the masses. We want our events to stay organic and, fortunately, our attendees respect that. I feel like I was born into the motorcycle and hot-rod scene. I love the history of the vehicles and thinking about who has driven them and where.”

Vintage aesthetics has been a winning formula for Prism Supply. “We did an episode on a Discovery Channel’s ‘#Bikerlive’—a build-off competition that we won!” he said. “We’ve also been invited as builders at the Born Free Motorcycle Show for multiple years.” In the future, Hindes plans to grow Prism Supply and expand The Congregation Show to new cities.

What’s in His Briefcase: “Coffee! Plus Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Apple Notes, Shapr3D, Fusion 360, Shopify, an Okuma CNC mill and an Ercolina CNC bender.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Cheese.

Oksana Ignatova, 30
Owner, Stitch Girl Inc.

At 23, Oksana Ignatova bought a sewing machine and tried her hand at upholstery. “I fell in love with it and found myself,” she said. Armed with a drive for quality and an eye for creativity, she learned the automotive upholstery trade herself and quickly built a successful enterprise. Her completed projects have since graced the social-media posts of several well-known aftermarket leather suppliers.

Ignatova said that most of her clients are looking for ideas that are fresh and new, not to mention painstaking attention to detail. To that end, she turns to such leading-edge technologies as laser engraving and 3-D printing to achieve one-of-a-kind results individualized for each customer.

“My favorite part is helping clients realize their dreams and ideas,” she said. “It’s exciting to work with the part of a car where an owner will spend the most time. The feel, the smell—my goal is to make sure they enjoy every moment spent inside. When I see other shops or trimmers following my ideas, it shows me that I’m doing everything right.”

What’s in Her Briefcase: “My secret weapon is my husband, who helps me stay focused on the creative aspects.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Chicken Alfredo.

Matt Kossoff, 33
Founder and Chief Product Officer, The Retrofit Source

As a young car enthusiast with an idea and an entrepreneurial drive, Matt Kossoff created a successful business that now employs nearly 70 people and sells all over the world. After figuring out how to retrofit modern projector headlights into older cars and sharing the results on an automotive forum, he ended up building an aftermarket automotive lighting company that now includes seven well-recognized brands, all catering to an enthusiast customer base that insists on high-performance nighttime visibility.

His company eventually attracted private-equity investors that allowed him to expand, quadrupling revenue in just two years. Most recently, he brought on a new CEO to enable him to get back to what he is most passionate about: product design and development. He has plenty of ideas in his back pocket.

“I’m on a mission to save manual transmissions in sports cars,” he said. “If you happen to read this and take my business idea before I get to it, please do. I’ll be your customer.”

What’s in His Briefcase: A 27-in. iMac, an ergonomic keyboard, an adjustable 12V power supply—and a single-serve espresso machine.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni and green peppers.

Alex Luft, 33
Executive Editor, Motrolix

As an executive editor in the automotive aftermarket, Alex Luft feels that the main focus of today’s media outlets is to reap the early benefits of being the first to provide breaking news. Unfortunately, he noted, that shift in media priorities has led to decreased levels of accuracy.

“The most exciting part of the job is the balancing act of timeliness and accuracy,” Luft observed. “The challenge is chasing a story and informing the world, but the Motrolix team’s goal is to deliver accurate information that our readers can depend on. In other words, we approach the job as journalists.”

For Luft, hiring a team of talented, passionate pros who enjoy working on publications is one of his greatest accomplishments. Whether it’s rumors about future products, in-depth looks at company services or plans for new engines, the team is dedicated to “getting it out and getting it right.” Perhaps that approach is why Motrolix’s Ford Authority and GM Authority websites have surpassed five million monthly page views.

Luft’s ongoing goal is to take the business to new levels by expanding the amount of automotive news and analysis his team delivers to enthusiasts.

What’s in His Briefcase: A MacBook, an iPhone and AirPods.

Favorite Pizza Topping: “Just cheese.”

Christopher Manfre, 32
Sales and Marketing Manager, ESCO

Christopher Manfre began working with ESCO, a leading manufacturer of tire service tools and equipment, in 2009 while still completing his bachelor’s degree in marketing at the University of South Florida, Tampa. His first ESCO work revolved around the curation and development of digital media and product videos. Before long, Manfre was taking on the design of ESCO’s tire service tool and equipment catalog. Now, more than 10 years later, he oversees the entire marketing department, assisting with product and sales development, branding and general business operations.

“Reflecting on my career growth with ESCO, I think my proudest achievement was being assigned to lead product development of a line of tire tools and accessories,” Manfre said. “The exciting part of the tire and wheel market really boils down to product development and innovations in tools for mounting and demounting tires and wheels. Our customers range from the DIY automotive enthusiast who wants the right tools to work safely and correctly on his hot rod or project to the skilled professional tire technician replacing the largest of tires on the biggest haul trucks.”

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, a tablet or a MacBook, gum and “way too many pens.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: “Pepperoni or bust!”

Tony Mandella, 34
CFO, Operations Manager, PMR Enterprises

After graduating from college in the early days of the Great Recession, Tony Mandella entered his family’s race-car-building business, which his father Phil started in the ’80s. Despite the difficulties facing the company during the economic downturn, he managed to grow the PMR Race and Speed Shop Enterprise from a four-person staff to a 10-person operation, in the process tripling revenues since 2008.

But Mandella doesn’t only build and prep drag racers—he also competes in them and has enjoyed considerable success. He’s a three-time NHRA Division 7 Competition Eliminator champion and has finished in the Top 10 nationally in both Comp Eliminator and Super Stock several times. His goal for the next five to 10 years: “To double our sales volume and inventory and to expand our showroom to create that ‘wow’ factor for our customers.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “My tools are my Google Pixel 4XL, a Dell laptop, and pen and paper. I’ve been using Google’s platform, their apps, such as Drive and photo storage, that allows me to keep organized as I manage all of our current projects—22 cars—plus our waiting list of more than 30 cars.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Hawaiian toppings.

McKenzie Moffett, 30
Owner/CEO, Mods Hot Rod Shop

Originally introduced to classic cars as a young girl by her enthusiast father, McKenzie Moffett took a leap of faith at age 26 when she launched her own Arizona restoration shop, along with partners Rob Actis and Shawn Smith. Despite having, in her own words, “no training or experience in running a business” and relying on “many situations of trial and error,” she managed in four years to transform her classic-car and restoration business into “a one-stop shop for all things hot rodding, full restoration, custom fabrication, off-roading and overlanding, and maintaining and repairing vehicles and bikes of all years, makes and models.”

“Heck,” she added, “we’re currently restoring a rare World War II gun turret and a giant tour bus.”

Despite a busy shop filled with interesting projects—or perhaps because of it—she recently began hosting a podcast. Entitled “Hot Rods, Mods, Bikes and Babes,” she hopes that it will help to grow a nationwide audience for Mods Hot Rods.

What’s in Her Briefcase: “My notebook, titled ‘Girl Boss,’ which goes everywhere with me. Every note you can think of makes an entry, from project memos to team members’ birthdays. It’s my brain.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: “Everything—supreme pizza all the way!”

Caleb Montez, 26
Executive Vice President, Coverlay Manufacturing

Because he started as an hourly employee on the Coverlay Manufacturing assembly line, Caleb Montez can say that he has learned the business from the ground up. Early on, he also worked as a marketing coordinator before returning to school to earn a second degree in business. His contributions since then include work as director of human resources and now as an executive vice president who projects an attitude of positive teamwork.

“Managing people is the most exciting and challenging aspect of our business segment right now,” he told us, having played a role in steering the automotive interior replacement parts company through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Meeting the needs of such a diverse group of employees and customers can be challenging at times, but the smile we put on their faces is what motivates us.”

As dedicated as he is to Coverlay, he also carves out time to lead Life Groups with his wife Casey. He is actively involved in his community, his local church and various outreach activities.

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, a charger, a calculator, red and black pens, a calendar and “a picture of my wife and puppy.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Mushrooms.

Eri Muca, 34
Global Aftermarket TPMS Manager, ATEQ TPMS Tools LC

A visit to the 2009 SEMA Show provided Eri Muca with the inspiration to apply his professional skills to the automotive aftermarket.

“I came to ATEQ with an electronic engineering background when the concept of TPMS was first introduced in 2008,” he explained. “I was eager to learn about this new technology and saw it as a challenge due to its novelty. In 2009, I attended my first SEMA Show, which further solidified my interest in the industry.”

Now Muca manages the North American and European aftermarket operations of a $100 million company that sells and services its product line to more than 5,000 manufacturers and suppliers. He is also involved with numerous industry associations, including ETI, the Auto Care Association, AMRA, SEMA and TIA. Looking ahead, he sees almost limitless opportunity for his company and for others in the segment.

“Considering that TPMS was developed in the past 10 years, there’s no telling what will be developed 10 years from now,” he said.

What’s in His Briefcase: “I can’t go anywhere without my trusty iPhone and laptop.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Capricciosa toppings.

Austin Moore, 26
Paint and Body Professional, Detroit Speed Inc.

When Austin Moore turned 16, his father bought him a ’68 Charger.

“It was our project build together,” Austin explained. “When I turned 18, I moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, and attended the NASCAR Technical Institute. While there, I met Kyle Tucker with Detroit Speed when I was looking for build parts, and I immediately wanted to be part of their team!”

That wish came true, and now he’s earned a reputation for his many paint and body skills, helping to create head-turning builds for Detroit Speed’s clients.

“We are fortunate with the customers who come to us,” he noted. “They have ideas in their heads for their cars but allow us to use our talents to transform their dreams into reality.”

Moore’s favorite build is the third-generation Camaro “DSEZ.” As he explained, gen-three Camaros are becoming extremely popular and make perfect bases for race cars.

“The ‘DSEZ’ still has a factory look and a factory paint code from 1987, along with subtle interior modifications,” he said. “But underneath the hood and undercarriage, it’s far from factory.”

What’s in His Briefcase: Homemade acrylic sanding blocks, Bondo spreader and a SATA paint gun.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Banana peppers.

Charlotte G. O’Rourke, 35
Owner/Marketing Consultant, Accelerate Marketing Business Solutions

“I grew up around cars, trucks, motorcycles, racing and car clubs, so to me it was part of my everyday life,” said Charlotte O’Rourke. After completing the Business Marketing and Management Program and earning a diploma at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada, O’Rourke first broke into the industry with Auto-Guide.com in 2011, then moved onto PASMAG in 2013, among other roles.

In 2019, out of frustration turned motivation, she started Accelerate Marketing Business Solutions to provide aftermarket companies with turnkey marketing, digital and e-commerce website solutions that include comprehensive product data. “Anyone can sell a red shirt in seven different sizes,” she said. “But that doesn’t come close to having the depth and knowledge of dealing with aftermarket parts, ACES and PIES, and the 64 data points that are associated with every single part. I’m focused on making it easier for aftermarket companies to do business online, especially those here in Canada.” In fact, her advocacy for that market was recently recognized when she led a panel discussion on Canada at the 2019 SEMA Export Fair.

What’s in Her Briefcase: Phone, laptop and social-media apps.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Canadian-style, with pepperoni, mushrooms and bacon.

Alex Ortega, 34
Director of Business Development, Team Allied Distribution

A 16-year industry veteran, Alex Ortega began his career at Driven Performance Brands (B&M, Flowmaster, Hurst, XDR) and rose through the ranks to be promoted, at age 29, to vice president of sales. At Driven Performance Brands, he oversaw domestic and international sales, launched numerous successful programs and managed a talented team during his tenure. He also helped the company break into new markets overseas.

“My greatest accomplishment was when I successfully launched an American-made performance exhaust brand throughout Central and South America,” he said. “The boost in sales certainly felt good, but contributing to American production lines was the ultimate reward.”

Now at Team Allied, a proud 100%-employee-owned company, he oversees the business development of an organization that services multiple distribution channels comprised of online vendors and traditional brick-and-mortar shops.

What’s in His Briefcase: “Either an Apple MacBook or a Dell laptop, along with additional chargers and battery packs. The most valuable item inside my briefcase is the pocket-size family portrait. It serves as a reminder of who I’m truly working hard for.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Crushed red pepper.

Taylor Perkins, 29
Marketing Communications, Manager—North America, Apollo Vredestein Tires Inc.

After successfully helping to get Exomotive (a small kit-car manufacturer) featured in several iterations of the Forza Motorsport video game, Taylor Perkins is now helping European tier-one tire maker Apollo Vredestein gain traction in the North American market. It’s a challenge she relishes.

“Tire technology is constantly adapting and changing,” she said. “Even when we win, we have to keep our eyes forward, as the competition is evolving right alongside us. After a successful brand launch, I’m looking forward to working for an even larger Apollo Vredestein network here in the States in the next few years.”

Perkins first caught the automotive bug while tinkering on a Honda del Sol—or her “del Slow” as she affectionately calls it.

“Once I realized that I’d become obsessed with learning all things automotive, I knew I had to translate that into my career,” she explained.

Since then, Perkins has added a couple more cars to her fleet, but she calls the del Sol her “lifetime car.”

What’s in Her Briefcase: A smashed-up, outdated, personal iPhone 7, an immaculate iPhone 8 for work, the keys to her del Sol, NB Miata and NA Exocet, and a camera.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Artichokes.

Garrett Pahlke, 32
CEO, Top Coverage Ltd.

A second-generation business owner, Garrett Pahlke has always been a creative thinker. At age 21, before the widespread introduction of advanced driver-assistance systems on OE production platforms, he had already designed and installed his own blind-spot detection system for a company car utilizing cameras in the side- and rearview mirrors.

His family restyling company, Top Coverage, has since grown under his leadership into the largest Chicago-area sunroof installer, and it was among the top three nationwide in 2017 in volume of aftermarket sunroof installations for new- and used-car dealerships. (“We couldn’t have done that without the expertise and professionalism of my staff,” he was quick to add.)

What continues to motivate Pahlke in his work is “the ability to design and customize the appearance of vehicles. It’s a really enjoyable feeling to create trends in our market that car buyers favor over the factory appearance.” With two locations currently serving some 350 dealerships, Pahlke continues to strive for growth: “We want to increase the number of our locations.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Sixty percent of the human body is made up of water. That 60% in me is coffee. Couldn’t function without it.”

Favorite pizza topping: Bacon.

Nick Purciello, 31
Product Line Director, Whipple Superchargers

A racing aficionado from childhood, Nick Purciello joined Edelbrock as a technical writer in 2016, but his comprehensive knowledge of the company’s supercharger market soon led him to a management position coordinating engineering, marketing, sales and manufacturing and acting as the company spokesperson across all social-media and television channels.

Purciello said that his proudest achievement to date has been taking the lead in transforming what started from a direct message on Instagram into what many now know as the KONG 2650 LSA and LS9 superchargers. His efforts helped to grow the Edelbrock-branded supercharger product category by 35% in a single year and turned the company’s supercharger line from a frequent qualifier to a consistent podium-placer. In fact, one of his project’s latest triumphs was winning the inaugural Eaton TVS Supercharger Throwdown in 2019.

This year, Purciello accepted a new product-line director position at Whipple Superchargers. He’s excited to see what lies ahead.

“When you work hard and love what you do, opportunities present themselves,” he said.

What’s in His Briefcase: “Social media is one of the most important and regularly used tools in my toolbox. Oh, sticky notes are great, too, when you have a chalkboard memory!”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni.

Kyle Ringwald, 35
Engineering, ACME High-Performance Laboratories

A fabrication specialist, Kyle Ringwald said that his interest in automotive building dates back to his childhood. “My maternal grandfather built street rods as a hobby,” he recalled. Today, he said, you can find him working on “anything from a $1-million-plus ’59 Corvette owned by a steel industry mogul to a ’57 Fairlane owned by a local construction worker who autocrosses on weekends.”

Ringwald has also garnered numerous awards, including a 2018 Goodguys Street Machine of the Year award, and he was part of the team at Detroit Speed that built the 2018 SEMA Battle of the Builders Hot Rod winner. His work has graced the cover of Hot Rod, and he helped to develop a system to retrofit modified Jeep Wranglers in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter so that they could be engaged in under a minute for optimal rapid deployment.

What’s in His Briefcase: “CAD software. I wouldn’t be half the fabricator I am today without CAD of some sort. Looking back, I don’t know how I was able to do things without it but am thankful I learned the fabrication side first.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pineapple and barbecue sauce.

Bryce Thompson, 29
Owner, Dixie 4 Wheel Drive

Bryce Thompson fondly recalls childhood trips in the family Willys and helping his dad build trails in the Sandhollow Recreation Area of St. George, Utah. Today, he’s still working to pave the trailways and make the park a must-visit spot. Along the way, he has also added two truck and off-road shops to his portfolio.

“When I joined Dixie 4 Wheel Drive, I had a vision of what we could be,” he said. “Through a lot of hard work, I was able to come on as an owner and help build two of the nicest four-wheel-drive shops in the western United States. There’s nothing more fulfilling than putting your customers behind the wheels of new builds and seeing their faces light up like kids at Christmas.”

Sales, marketing and turning wrenches all energize Thompson, and he’s dived in to revitalizing the Moab area for off-roaders at his location there.

“I want to push the business forward, break into a few new avenues, and raise my two little girls to enjoy the same off-road lifestyle that I have,” he said.

What’s in His Briefcase: Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, five Jeep keys, and his sister on speed dial.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Cheese.

Mike Robins, 30
Business Planning Analyst, Ford Motor Company

As a vehicle-personalization business planning analyst at Ford, Mike Robins’ mission is to understand the needs of the enthusiast community and help optimize the aftermarket interface at the company. A true enthusiast himself, he looks for win-win opportunities and the best ways for the OEM organization to work with Ford’s loyal customer base.

In seven years at the company, he has managed the Ford Performance Information Center; gotten involved in the Mustang GT350 launch; and assumed responsibility for the Ford Performance Parts engine business. He also had a hand in rolling out a new manufacturing strategy for Ford Performance engines, which resulted in increased production and customer experience.

“My passion for cars attracted me to the industry,” he told us. “But what kept me so engaged over the last several years is the people.”

A past aftermarket student chairperson for Northwood University, he’s also found time to get involved in the SEMA Young Executives Network and has been recognized by the Society of Automotive Analysts.

What’s in His Briefcase: A laptop, two phones, “as many computer monitors as I can fit wherever I’m working,” two calendars (paper and electronic), a gel pen and a highlighter.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni.

Richard Thornton, 28
Auto Restoration, Thornton Muscle Cars

A Philly suburb native, Richard Thornton is a fourth-generation musclecar restoration expert. At 17, he painted a full frame-off restoration at his family’s shop, and that first completed build sold for $150,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction. At 24, he not only developed his own paint line for classics—Guru Colors—but also went on to purchase a commercial sewing machine and teach himself the craft of custom upholstery to broaden his personal skill set.

Thornton’s drive for further growing and improving the family business is strong. He helped build the business’ website and aside from performing restorations, he’s worked with his father Troy in the design and fitment of GM reproduction parts. Future plans involve investing in 3-D printers and CNC machining equipment “to improve both the parts and our builds,” and joining the custom world.

What’s in His Briefcase: “I carry a backpack with me to and from work. It includes a Microsoft Surface Pro, and I always have a Sharpie in my pocket. You never know when you’ll have to write on a box or label a part.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Cheese steak with onion and hot peppers.

David Varner, 32
Regional Manager, Tire Discounters/Owner, Import Drag Solutions

Fifteen years ago, David Varner began work at Tire Discounters as an entry-level technician. After rising through a succession of higher positions, he’s now a regional manager who is responsible for overseeing 10 stores and hundreds of employees. Let’s call that “Accomplishment One.” His second big accomplishment was founding Import Drag Solutions (IDS) five years ago and running it as a second job.

“I love my career, and I’m a proud Tire Discounters employee,” he confessed. “But I’m prouder that I accomplished all that while following my passion for racing and owning my own company these past five years.”

Colleagues vouch for Varner’s talents as a racer and tuner. He has competed all over the country, including in Ultra Street, SCT and FL2k/WCF events. Meanwhile, some of the biggest names in import drag racing use IDS suspensions to win and set records.

“The constant progression of the industry is what interests me the most,” he said. “Technology evolves so quickly. I love learning and being able to pass on what I’ve learned to my employees and watch them grow. That’s exciting.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “My dad was right: Always have a pen in your pocket.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Peppers.

Kevin Yen, 33
General Manager, Hansen VTF Labs

At Hansen VTF Labs, Kevin Yen leads the way in establishing a calibration facility for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) under the company’s existing ISO 9001:2015 certification. His job also includes training future ADAS technologists and working closely with SEMA and SAE International to stay on top of trends and best practices in that fast-emerging field.

Along with ADAS, Hansen VTF Labs assists specialty-equipment manufacturers to design and test-fit new products, and Yen takes pride in helping to reduce their costs and time to market.

“The thought of working in this industry didn’t originally occur to me,” he said. “It was reading about vehicle technology such as ADAS that really caught my interest. I’m a person who loves learning how a product works and verifying that it works as designed. Automotive technology is constantly evolving, which keeps things new and exciting.”

Yen sees raising awareness of ADAS technologies, their importance and function as a crucial industry challenge.

“As we race toward autonomous vehicles, we’ll see more advanced sensors,” he observed. “The future is exciting, but everyone needs to adapt to whatever may come.”

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, AirPods and internet access.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Italian sausage.

Matthew C. Witzgall, 28
Vice President, North American Operations, EMM Specialties

Matthew Witzgall worked several years as a U.S. Defense Department financial manager, but as he tells it, “When presented with the opportunity to switch gears, I was all in. There’s a pace and energy to collision repair that’s irresistible.”

Among other achievements at EMM Specialties, he is credited with taking the company from monthly loss status to net positive territory, yielding a bottom-line improvement of more than 400% year over year. However, Witzgall said that his biggest accomplishment to date is helping maintain EMM’s position amid the COVID-19 climate so that the company could remain a strong resource for its customers.

“I’d been here for a short time, and there was a global pandemic before I got my feet underneath me,” he explained. “As a manufacturer supplying the PBE market and collision-repair segment, we had to pivot, innovate and adapt to the changing landscape and keep trust with our customers to weather the storm. Developing more robust newsletters, adopting video calls and overall better outreach showed we were still here, providing our customers with the necessary products to keep them working.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “An iPhone, simply to stay connected, informed and aware.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Buffalo chicken.

The Nominations Continue…

Do you know a rising star within the specialty-equipment industry, age 35 or younger? To nominate them for future 35 Under 35 recognition, visit www.sema.org/35-under-35.

SEMA News—August 2020

PEOPLE

Compiled by SEMA News Editors

35 Under 35

Next-Gen Talent on the Rise

Since 2012, SEMA News has sought to identify the industry’s young rising stars. In spotlighting talented individuals age 35 and under, we hoped to show both younger and older generations alike that new people with new ideas and drive not only have a home in the industry but also are already achieving great things.

In the following pages, we are again pleased to present 35 young trendsetters representing diverse industry segments. In order to make our “35 Under 35” list, honorees must first be nominated by one or more industry peers. Poring through the nominations, SEMA News looks for candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds who are making significant contributions through their leadership within their organizations or businesses. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the marketplace weigh heavily in our decision-making. The selection process is never easy, since every nominee is a winner in some way or another.

The SEMA News staff thanks all the industry professionals who took time to help us identify deserving young people, and offers our sincere regret that every one of our impressive nominees could not be included. Ultimately, however, only 35 can make our special feature.

We think you’ll agree that our 2020 class of honorees is an inspiring group of people. They’re passionate, capable and on course for bright futures. If nothing else, our “35 Under 35” roster proves that the industry still has what it takes to attract a new generation of enthusiasts and that they, in turn, possess the skills and dreams that will take us in surprising new directions.

Danny Agosta, 29
Marketing Manager, Steele Rubber Products

Danny Agosta’s first memories are of his father taking him to car shows and naming the year, make and model of every vehicle in sight. His family owned an automotive business, so it seemed natural for him to get involved. Still, it was the history and relationship his family had created with people that most drew him in.

“There were so many times I’d work car shows and people would come up to the space and tell me stories about my grand-father,” Agosta recounted. “Sometimes it was quite surreal. It made me feel like I had a legacy to carry on.”

He started carrying that legacy at 12 years old, absorbing everything he could. Agosta learned about various body styles of classic cars and began developing kits and new product lines for ever-changing customer demands. Mastering the trade, he worked his way up the company to the position of marketing manager, which he still holds.

Agosta most enjoys the teamwork that creates successful projects, and he hopes to take on greater leadership roles in SEMA’s councils.

What’s in His Briefcase: “My phone, Microsoft Office, Adobe Suite, our catalogs, my own personal samples box, calipers, Super Glue, and a Leatherman multi-tool.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni. (“I’m a classic kinda guy.”)

Jeremy Benson, 29
Project Leader and Tech Support, Affordable Fuel Injection

A builder and welder since age 13, Jeremy Benson is a graduate of the University of Northern Ohio with a degree in high performance and diesel technology. He has worked at Affordable Fuel Injection (AFI) for only slightly more than a year but has already made a big impact.

Within a couple of months of starting his employment there, Benson approached AFI owner Norm Witte with an idea to design, build and market a standalone harness and components for the newer Gen V LT1 Chevrolet engine. Once he received the green light, Benson single-handedly researched, designed, built and began the marketing process for the new product, which will be featured at the 2020 SEMA Show in a ’54 Chevy truck build that he’s currently overseeing. He’s also fabricated rollcages for SCCA cars and recently designed a CNC-bent cage for the Ranger pickup. An avid off-road enthusiast, Benson includes among his future goals “the opportunity for a Baja 1000 podium finish.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Always a multi-tool and a good knife, plus my laptop and data cable, and sometimes my steering wheel, if I drive my prerunner or sandrail to work.”

Favorite pizza topping: Feta cheese.

Johannes Crepon, 32
Founder/CEO, PDM Automotive

Johannes Crepon spent most of his early life in Germany, but the one year he lived in the United States during high school had lifetime impact. Crepon spent that year around hot rods, musclecars and anything else the industry offered. He knew then that his career would be in the performance aftermarket, and he started his first company after returning to Germany at 17 years old.

Crepon grew the company but realized that his biggest challenge lay with obtaining consistent product data. Where most people saw a problem, he saw an opportunity and started Paramount Data Management to revolutionize how the automotive aftermarket industry connects, communicates and does business. For him, technology helps drive market growth, and he hopes to lead the way.

“Being able to provide customers with perfect product data that they can share with their business partners is very rewarding,” Crepon said. “It is exciting when manufacturers and resellers come to us and say how much we helped them.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Technology for sure, but also the good old fashioned pen and paper (notebook). When traveling on business, I carry my laptop, an iPhone, an iPad and essentially my entire office in the cloud.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Capricciosa.

Matt Avery, 33
Executive Producer, Mecum Auctions

A 13-year industry veteran, Matt Avery started his career as a factory-trained technician for Mercedes-Benz, but his love of storytelling led him first to film school, then to automotive journalism, and ultimately to his current position as executive content producer for the famed Mecum Auctions house in Wisconsin. Along the way, he served as senior video producer for Cars.com and PickupTrucks.com, has written a weekly Chicago newspaper auto column, “Classic Recollections,” and is the author of COPO: Camaro, Chevelle & Nova: Chevrolet’s Ultimate Muscle Cars, published in 2018 by CarTech Auto Books.

What drives Avery in his work? “Pursuing excellence,” he said. “Automotive enthusiasts crave engaging editorial and entertaining content. Whatever medium, that audience—like all of us—wants to be captivated, compelled and moved by what they see and hear. As a creator, researcher and commentator, I’m always going for the redline to deliver just that.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “A full-frame camera along with wireless mics, an audio recorder, a drone and a few LED lights to round out my remote studio kit. With a Mac laptop as production hub and a willingness to keep asking questions, I’m ready to seek out and share any kind of story.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Green peppers.

Dustin Dundore, 29
Vice President, Smash Customs

Dustin Dundore credits his father for instilling a passion for classic cars during his younger years.

“I grew up working on cars with him,” he said, adding that he joined his father’s classic-car restoration business two years ago after a stint in the Marines and a couple years working in a collision shop. As he puts it, “Smash Customs went from my father, myself and a few friends building custom classics to a 20,000-sq.-ft. shop employing 10 technicians, including veterans from the monster-truck racing circuit.”

Dundore also incorporated social media into the company’s brand-building portfolio, and his marketing videos attracted the notice of Dupont Registry, which found them useful for marketing their own vehicles as well. For the next five to 10 years, he aims to “build Smash Customs to be a shop that is known with all of the big-name shops nationwide and to have a custom car at the SEMA Show every year.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “I carry my iPhone and watch. As long as I have those two items, I am good! I also carry a pocketknife and a little good-luck charm my wife gave me.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni.

Paul Feghali, 24
Accessory Program Manager-Battery Electric Trucks, General Motors

Prior to entering the automotive space, Paul Feghali had already run a six-person landscaping and repair service and had designed two patented devices—one to help direct firefighters out of burning buildings and the other a percutaneous medical feeding tube—before graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech in 2018.

Fast forward two years, and he now manages a multimillion-dollar future vehicle portfolio for General Motors, overseeing accessory development for the automaker’s first-gen battery electric trucks. He has also managed internal-combustion engine programs but finds the ever-changing EV landscape much more challenging. “For me, this challenge brings excitement,” he said.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, he is establishing the Next Generation Advisory Board at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he will provide fundraising leadership for young donors.

“My desire is to be in a position where I can make the most impact on people’s lives,” he explained. “I’ve learned that you do not have to be the smartest person to change the world. You just have to be hungry and passionate enough to do it.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Paper, pen and my drone.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: “I’ll eat anything.”

Jason Fink, 35
Product Manager, Lippert Components

Working in the aftermarket is second nature for Jason Fink. “I’m the third generation of my family in the industry, so you could say it’s in my blood,” he explained.

Fink’s involvement in SEMA’s Young Executives Network and his promotions to management levels throughout the various companies where he has worked speak to his industry achievements over the last 17 years.

“My greatest career accomplishment is that I have excelled in each position I have been assigned,” Fink said. “What defines an employee is a constant quest to perform at the highest level so that the organization flourishes long beyond their tenure.”

As product manager at Lippert Components, he finds the constant changes in vehicle platforms and technologies challenging, but in a good way.

“It’s exciting to work with companies that are changing the world,” he said. “Many of my direct customers are vehicle manufacturers who are motivated to offer cool, affordable, value-adding products to consumers.”

As for his future, Fink is striving toward a senior-level management position where he can further help propel the industry forward.

What’s in His Briefcase: Typically, he carries a laptop, a notebook, a pen, “too many chargers,” sunglasses and gum.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Meat.

Joseph Durso, 34
Director of Sales and Marketing, Pedal Commander

In his position with Pedal Commander, Joseph Durso and his team have implemented unique techniques to increase the company’s brand awareness and sales conversion. Durso is credited with increasing company profits 400% from 2017 to 2019 and is on track to reach eight figures for 2020. In so doing, he has grown the marketplace for sensor-related aftermarket products in general.

“When I first started with Pedal Commander, there was a major roadblock to get over: the misunderstanding of what throttle-response controller technologies actually do for end users,” Durso explained. “We managed to overcome that through direct targeting, capturing niche markets and setting the tone for the brand in a unique but universal, relatable way to consumers.”

A longtime automotive enthusiast, Durso rebuilt his first engine at 14 with his father’s guidance. At 16, he restored his first car—a ’74 Dodge Dart Sport. However, he considers his greatest accomplishment to be raising his daughter. He hopes one day to “be chilling with her at the Mint 400, getting ready to watch her jam out and show up her dad.”

What’s in His Briefcase: A laptop, six cell phones with broken screens, headphones and business cards.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni and peperoncini.

Nikki Fulton, 34
Owner/CEO, Bullet Upfitters—Bullet Liner of Central Ohio

As the owner and CEO of Bullet Upfitters—Bullet Liner of Central Ohio, Nikki Fulton oversees a team of 15 employees. Her busy shop continues to get high reviews and was named the Bullet Liner Nationwide Top Shop in 2019. So what’s behind the operation’s success?

“Let’s start with the most important thing, our people,” she said. “Cultivating a culture of respect for the individual and exceptional service creates a place where people look forward to coming to work. That translates to a positive customer experience.”

And she means it. Amid COVID-19 lockdowns, Fulton worked to maintain 100% of her manpower at full wages.

“I’ve always been a Jeep and truck girl,” she said. “Growing up in rural Ohio, pulling a camper and riding in my dad’s trucks are among my fondest memories. We’re given the opportunity to collaborate with customers and make their dreams a reality. Most recently, we completed several Jeep Gladiator builds and several spectacular truck builds. I enjoy watching our new hires grow into skilled tradesmen and then into leaders.”

What’s in Her Briefcase: A Microsoft Surface Pro, Microsoft 360 Business Standard software, OneNote, an iPhone and her team’s support.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Mushrooms.

Brandon Harding, 27
Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Vintage Air

Brandon Harding’s route to Vintage Air included work as an environmental engineer, a chemical process engineer and a business-development analyst, all before his 28th year on the planet.

He holds a master’s degree in management science and engineering and a B.S. in chemical engineering—a background that made him a go-to guy for driving process-improvement projects at Vintage Air. He optimized the plant’s safety and environmental programs, fine-tuned the plant production schedule, and made substantial contributions in new-product research and development.

Harding also tackled regulatory compliance for Proposition 65, putting the company ahead of the curve and making himself an industry expert in the process. In previous roles, he was credited with designing and implementing process improvements that saved more than $2 million annually.

“I’ve always enjoyed learning new skills and applying them in different ways,” he told us. As a SEMA Young Executives Network member, he put himself in a position to share. “I also love the people in this industry. This industry has an extremely collaborative culture.”

What’s in His Briefcase: A calculator, caliper, notebook and No. 2 pencil.

Favorite Pizza Topping: BBQ chicken.

Austin Grabowski, 31
Founder and Owner, Grabowski Speed Shop

Hot rodding is in Austin Grabowski’s blood. He has been working on vehicles since the age of six, helping his grandfather and his father on their projects. His passion led him to obtain a degree in business and a minor in automotive restoration while concurrently working on his own builds. He found employment in the industry working for shops and private collectors. Then, four years ago, he opened Grabowski Speed Shop, specializing in traditional American hot rods.

Slowly but steadily, he began to build notoriety, and his work has been featured on car-magazine covers a few times—Hot Rod Deluxe, among others. Since then, he has continued to build for customers and advance his craft.

“The most exciting part of my business has been creating and reinventing the look, performance and drivability of a traditional hot rod but also being able to tune and work with old technology,” Grabowski said. “I always want to keep evolving and growing, not just myself as a builder, but also my business.”

What’s in His Briefcase: Some 20 tape measures and 200 Sharpies.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Sausage.

Jeremy Headlee, 31
Marketing Manager, ICON Vehicle Dynamics

Jeremy Headlee loves car culture—the people, the events and the custom rides. As a marketing manager for ICON Vehicle Dynamics, he has created a large network of friends throughout the country—the people he relies on at events and tradeshows to stay connected with the emerging trends and latest news from all of the industry’s many segments.

For Headlee, the most challenging aspect to his current position with ICON is the growing competition within the market. His main focus is monitoring enthusiast trends and working with his team to develop products that cater to those, making ICON a recognized innovator.

“Manufacturing technology and the rise of social media marketing have allowed many more companies to enter the market each offering a different feature, color, or mode,” Headlee said. “It’s the constant ‘sharpening of the sword’ that’s necessary in a company’s marketing and sales efforts that makes things exciting.”

In the near future, Headlee hopes to work with a larger creative team to develop a lifestyle and community around the brand he represents. A member of SEMA’s Young Executives Network, he also plans to expand his industry involvement, devoting his time and energy to key issues.

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, a pen and a notepad.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pineapple.

Bryan Kiefer, 33
President/CEO, Kies Motorsports

At 17, modifying his first vehicle piece by piece—a Honda Accord—Bryan Kiefer found his passion. It wasn’t about the vehicle itself; after all, Kiefer’s dream car at the time was a Volkswagen GTI. It’s that he wanted to make a car his own in look and feel. That experience, and the good and poor decisions he made, inspired him to learn all he could about performance and styling upgrades.

Kiefer applied that tenacity to one of his first jobs, at a car dealership, where the techs gave him the nickname “Questions” for the hours he spent absorbing knowledge.

Nowadays, through his company Kies Motorsports, Kiefer and his team produce quality how-to and DIY videos for BMWs, and provide retrofits, performance and aesthetic parts for BMWs. Kiefer has found a livelihood and enjoys having a positive impact on enthusiasts looking to modify their vehicles.

“Our customers have been amazing from the beginning, and we love giving back by providing free tips and tricks of what we’ve learned along the way,” said Kiefer. Without followers, customers and supporters, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love each day.”

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, the Bible App and a MacBook Pro.

Favorite Pizza Topping: BBQ chicken.

Jake Hindes, 31
Owner, Prism Supply and The Congregation Show

Mechanically inclined from early on, Jake Hindes founded Prism Supply with his brother Zach in 2012 to make high-quality, handcrafted motorcycle components. In 2016, the business added The Congregation Show, now one of the largest traditional automobile and motorcycle events in the United States.

“Getting big was never our goal,” Hindes observed. “Our goal was to stay true to what we like and never try to cater to the masses. We want our events to stay organic and, fortunately, our attendees respect that. I feel like I was born into the motorcycle and hot-rod scene. I love the history of the vehicles and thinking about who has driven them and where.”

Vintage aesthetics has been a winning formula for Prism Supply. “We did an episode on a Discovery Channel’s ‘#Bikerlive’—a build-off competition that we won!” he said. “We’ve also been invited as builders at the Born Free Motorcycle Show for multiple years.” In the future, Hindes plans to grow Prism Supply and expand The Congregation Show to new cities.

What’s in His Briefcase: “Coffee! Plus Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Apple Notes, Shapr3D, Fusion 360, Shopify, an Okuma CNC mill and an Ercolina CNC bender.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Cheese.

Oksana Ignatova, 30
Owner, Stitch Girl Inc.

At 23, Oksana Ignatova bought a sewing machine and tried her hand at upholstery. “I fell in love with it and found myself,” she said. Armed with a drive for quality and an eye for creativity, she learned the automotive upholstery trade herself and quickly built a successful enterprise. Her completed projects have since graced the social-media posts of several well-known aftermarket leather suppliers.

Ignatova said that most of her clients are looking for ideas that are fresh and new, not to mention painstaking attention to detail. To that end, she turns to such leading-edge technologies as laser engraving and 3-D printing to achieve one-of-a-kind results individualized for each customer.

“My favorite part is helping clients realize their dreams and ideas,” she said. “It’s exciting to work with the part of a car where an owner will spend the most time. The feel, the smell—my goal is to make sure they enjoy every moment spent inside. When I see other shops or trimmers following my ideas, it shows me that I’m doing everything right.”

What’s in Her Briefcase: “My secret weapon is my husband, who helps me stay focused on the creative aspects.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Chicken Alfredo.

Matt Kossoff, 33
Founder and Chief Product Officer, The Retrofit Source

As a young car enthusiast with an idea and an entrepreneurial drive, Matt Kossoff created a successful business that now employs nearly 70 people and sells all over the world. After figuring out how to retrofit modern projector headlights into older cars and sharing the results on an automotive forum, he ended up building an aftermarket automotive lighting company that now includes seven well-recognized brands, all catering to an enthusiast customer base that insists on high-performance nighttime visibility.

His company eventually attracted private-equity investors that allowed him to expand, quadrupling revenue in just two years. Most recently, he brought on a new CEO to enable him to get back to what he is most passionate about: product design and development. He has plenty of ideas in his back pocket.

“I’m on a mission to save manual transmissions in sports cars,” he said. “If you happen to read this and take my business idea before I get to it, please do. I’ll be your customer.”

What’s in His Briefcase: A 27-in. iMac, an ergonomic keyboard, an adjustable 12V power supply—and a single-serve espresso machine.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni and green peppers.

Alex Luft, 33
Executive Editor, Motrolix

As an executive editor in the automotive aftermarket, Alex Luft feels that the main focus of today’s media outlets is to reap the early benefits of being the first to provide breaking news. Unfortunately, he noted, that shift in media priorities has led to decreased levels of accuracy.

“The most exciting part of the job is the balancing act of timeliness and accuracy,” Luft observed. “The challenge is chasing a story and informing the world, but the Motrolix team’s goal is to deliver accurate information that our readers can depend on. In other words, we approach the job as journalists.”

For Luft, hiring a team of talented, passionate pros who enjoy working on publications is one of his greatest accomplishments. Whether it’s rumors about future products, in-depth looks at company services or plans for new engines, the team is dedicated to “getting it out and getting it right.” Perhaps that approach is why Motrolix’s Ford Authority and GM Authority websites have surpassed five million monthly page views.

Luft’s ongoing goal is to take the business to new levels by expanding the amount of automotive news and analysis his team delivers to enthusiasts.

What’s in His Briefcase: A MacBook, an iPhone and AirPods.

Favorite Pizza Topping: “Just cheese.”

Christopher Manfre, 32
Sales and Marketing Manager, ESCO

Christopher Manfre began working with ESCO, a leading manufacturer of tire service tools and equipment, in 2009 while still completing his bachelor’s degree in marketing at the University of South Florida, Tampa. His first ESCO work revolved around the curation and development of digital media and product videos. Before long, Manfre was taking on the design of ESCO’s tire service tool and equipment catalog. Now, more than 10 years later, he oversees the entire marketing department, assisting with product and sales development, branding and general business operations.

“Reflecting on my career growth with ESCO, I think my proudest achievement was being assigned to lead product development of a line of tire tools and accessories,” Manfre said. “The exciting part of the tire and wheel market really boils down to product development and innovations in tools for mounting and demounting tires and wheels. Our customers range from the DIY automotive enthusiast who wants the right tools to work safely and correctly on his hot rod or project to the skilled professional tire technician replacing the largest of tires on the biggest haul trucks.”

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, a tablet or a MacBook, gum and “way too many pens.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: “Pepperoni or bust!”

Tony Mandella, 34
CFO, Operations Manager, PMR Enterprises

After graduating from college in the early days of the Great Recession, Tony Mandella entered his family’s race-car-building business, which his father Phil started in the ’80s. Despite the difficulties facing the company during the economic downturn, he managed to grow the PMR Race and Speed Shop Enterprise from a four-person staff to a 10-person operation, in the process tripling revenues since 2008.

But Mandella doesn’t only build and prep drag racers—he also competes in them and has enjoyed considerable success. He’s a three-time NHRA Division 7 Competition Eliminator champion and has finished in the Top 10 nationally in both Comp Eliminator and Super Stock several times. His goal for the next five to 10 years: “To double our sales volume and inventory and to expand our showroom to create that ‘wow’ factor for our customers.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “My tools are my Google Pixel 4XL, a Dell laptop, and pen and paper. I’ve been using Google’s platform, their apps, such as Drive and photo storage, that allows me to keep organized as I manage all of our current projects—22 cars—plus our waiting list of more than 30 cars.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Hawaiian toppings.

McKenzie Moffett, 30
Owner/CEO, Mods Hot Rod Shop

Originally introduced to classic cars as a young girl by her enthusiast father, McKenzie Moffett took a leap of faith at age 26 when she launched her own Arizona restoration shop, along with partners Rob Actis and Shawn Smith. Despite having, in her own words, “no training or experience in running a business” and relying on “many situations of trial and error,” she managed in four years to transform her classic-car and restoration business into “a one-stop shop for all things hot rodding, full restoration, custom fabrication, off-roading and overlanding, and maintaining and repairing vehicles and bikes of all years, makes and models.”

“Heck,” she added, “we’re currently restoring a rare World War II gun turret and a giant tour bus.”

Despite a busy shop filled with interesting projects—or perhaps because of it—she recently began hosting a podcast. Entitled “Hot Rods, Mods, Bikes and Babes,” she hopes that it will help to grow a nationwide audience for Mods Hot Rods.

What’s in Her Briefcase: “My notebook, titled ‘Girl Boss,’ which goes everywhere with me. Every note you can think of makes an entry, from project memos to team members’ birthdays. It’s my brain.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: “Everything—supreme pizza all the way!”

Caleb Montez, 26
Executive Vice President, Coverlay Manufacturing

Because he started as an hourly employee on the Coverlay Manufacturing assembly line, Caleb Montez can say that he has learned the business from the ground up. Early on, he also worked as a marketing coordinator before returning to school to earn a second degree in business. His contributions since then include work as director of human resources and now as an executive vice president who projects an attitude of positive teamwork.

“Managing people is the most exciting and challenging aspect of our business segment right now,” he told us, having played a role in steering the automotive interior replacement parts company through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Meeting the needs of such a diverse group of employees and customers can be challenging at times, but the smile we put on their faces is what motivates us.”

As dedicated as he is to Coverlay, he also carves out time to lead Life Groups with his wife Casey. He is actively involved in his community, his local church and various outreach activities.

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, a charger, a calculator, red and black pens, a calendar and “a picture of my wife and puppy.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Mushrooms.

Eri Muca, 34
Global Aftermarket TPMS Manager, ATEQ TPMS Tools LC

A visit to the 2009 SEMA Show provided Eri Muca with the inspiration to apply his professional skills to the automotive aftermarket.

“I came to ATEQ with an electronic engineering background when the concept of TPMS was first introduced in 2008,” he explained. “I was eager to learn about this new technology and saw it as a challenge due to its novelty. In 2009, I attended my first SEMA Show, which further solidified my interest in the industry.”

Now Muca manages the North American and European aftermarket operations of a $100 million company that sells and services its product line to more than 5,000 manufacturers and suppliers. He is also involved with numerous industry associations, including ETI, the Auto Care Association, AMRA, SEMA and TIA. Looking ahead, he sees almost limitless opportunity for his company and for others in the segment.

“Considering that TPMS was developed in the past 10 years, there’s no telling what will be developed 10 years from now,” he said.

What’s in His Briefcase: “I can’t go anywhere without my trusty iPhone and laptop.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Capricciosa toppings.

Austin Moore, 26
Paint and Body Professional, Detroit Speed Inc.

When Austin Moore turned 16, his father bought him a ’68 Charger.

“It was our project build together,” Austin explained. “When I turned 18, I moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, and attended the NASCAR Technical Institute. While there, I met Kyle Tucker with Detroit Speed when I was looking for build parts, and I immediately wanted to be part of their team!”

That wish came true, and now he’s earned a reputation for his many paint and body skills, helping to create head-turning builds for Detroit Speed’s clients.

“We are fortunate with the customers who come to us,” he noted. “They have ideas in their heads for their cars but allow us to use our talents to transform their dreams into reality.”

Moore’s favorite build is the third-generation Camaro “DSEZ.” As he explained, gen-three Camaros are becoming extremely popular and make perfect bases for race cars.

“The ‘DSEZ’ still has a factory look and a factory paint code from 1987, along with subtle interior modifications,” he said. “But underneath the hood and undercarriage, it’s far from factory.”

What’s in His Briefcase: Homemade acrylic sanding blocks, Bondo spreader and a SATA paint gun.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Banana peppers.

Charlotte G. O’Rourke, 35
Owner/Marketing Consultant, Accelerate Marketing Business Solutions

“I grew up around cars, trucks, motorcycles, racing and car clubs, so to me it was part of my everyday life,” said Charlotte O’Rourke. After completing the Business Marketing and Management Program and earning a diploma at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada, O’Rourke first broke into the industry with Auto-Guide.com in 2011, then moved onto PASMAG in 2013, among other roles.

In 2019, out of frustration turned motivation, she started Accelerate Marketing Business Solutions to provide aftermarket companies with turnkey marketing, digital and e-commerce website solutions that include comprehensive product data. “Anyone can sell a red shirt in seven different sizes,” she said. “But that doesn’t come close to having the depth and knowledge of dealing with aftermarket parts, ACES and PIES, and the 64 data points that are associated with every single part. I’m focused on making it easier for aftermarket companies to do business online, especially those here in Canada.” In fact, her advocacy for that market was recently recognized when she led a panel discussion on Canada at the 2019 SEMA Export Fair.

What’s in Her Briefcase: Phone, laptop and social-media apps.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Canadian-style, with pepperoni, mushrooms and bacon.

Alex Ortega, 34
Director of Business Development, Team Allied Distribution

A 16-year industry veteran, Alex Ortega began his career at Driven Performance Brands (B&M, Flowmaster, Hurst, XDR) and rose through the ranks to be promoted, at age 29, to vice president of sales. At Driven Performance Brands, he oversaw domestic and international sales, launched numerous successful programs and managed a talented team during his tenure. He also helped the company break into new markets overseas.

“My greatest accomplishment was when I successfully launched an American-made performance exhaust brand throughout Central and South America,” he said. “The boost in sales certainly felt good, but contributing to American production lines was the ultimate reward.”

Now at Team Allied, a proud 100%-employee-owned company, he oversees the business development of an organization that services multiple distribution channels comprised of online vendors and traditional brick-and-mortar shops.

What’s in His Briefcase: “Either an Apple MacBook or a Dell laptop, along with additional chargers and battery packs. The most valuable item inside my briefcase is the pocket-size family portrait. It serves as a reminder of who I’m truly working hard for.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Crushed red pepper.

Taylor Perkins, 29
Marketing Communications, Manager—North America, Apollo Vredestein Tires Inc.

After successfully helping to get Exomotive (a small kit-car manufacturer) featured in several iterations of the Forza Motorsport video game, Taylor Perkins is now helping European tier-one tire maker Apollo Vredestein gain traction in the North American market. It’s a challenge she relishes.

“Tire technology is constantly adapting and changing,” she said. “Even when we win, we have to keep our eyes forward, as the competition is evolving right alongside us. After a successful brand launch, I’m looking forward to working for an even larger Apollo Vredestein network here in the States in the next few years.”

Perkins first caught the automotive bug while tinkering on a Honda del Sol—or her “del Slow” as she affectionately calls it.

“Once I realized that I’d become obsessed with learning all things automotive, I knew I had to translate that into my career,” she explained.

Since then, Perkins has added a couple more cars to her fleet, but she calls the del Sol her “lifetime car.”

What’s in Her Briefcase: A smashed-up, outdated, personal iPhone 7, an immaculate iPhone 8 for work, the keys to her del Sol, NB Miata and NA Exocet, and a camera.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Artichokes.

Garrett Pahlke, 32
CEO, Top Coverage Ltd.

A second-generation business owner, Garrett Pahlke has always been a creative thinker. At age 21, before the widespread introduction of advanced driver-assistance systems on OE production platforms, he had already designed and installed his own blind-spot detection system for a company car utilizing cameras in the side- and rearview mirrors.

His family restyling company, Top Coverage, has since grown under his leadership into the largest Chicago-area sunroof installer, and it was among the top three nationwide in 2017 in volume of aftermarket sunroof installations for new- and used-car dealerships. (“We couldn’t have done that without the expertise and professionalism of my staff,” he was quick to add.)

What continues to motivate Pahlke in his work is “the ability to design and customize the appearance of vehicles. It’s a really enjoyable feeling to create trends in our market that car buyers favor over the factory appearance.” With two locations currently serving some 350 dealerships, Pahlke continues to strive for growth: “We want to increase the number of our locations.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “Sixty percent of the human body is made up of water. That 60% in me is coffee. Couldn’t function without it.”

Favorite pizza topping: Bacon.

Nick Purciello, 31
Product Line Director, Whipple Superchargers

A racing aficionado from childhood, Nick Purciello joined Edelbrock as a technical writer in 2016, but his comprehensive knowledge of the company’s supercharger market soon led him to a management position coordinating engineering, marketing, sales and manufacturing and acting as the company spokesperson across all social-media and television channels.

Purciello said that his proudest achievement to date has been taking the lead in transforming what started from a direct message on Instagram into what many now know as the KONG 2650 LSA and LS9 superchargers. His efforts helped to grow the Edelbrock-branded supercharger product category by 35% in a single year and turned the company’s supercharger line from a frequent qualifier to a consistent podium-placer. In fact, one of his project’s latest triumphs was winning the inaugural Eaton TVS Supercharger Throwdown in 2019.

This year, Purciello accepted a new product-line director position at Whipple Superchargers. He’s excited to see what lies ahead.

“When you work hard and love what you do, opportunities present themselves,” he said.

What’s in His Briefcase: “Social media is one of the most important and regularly used tools in my toolbox. Oh, sticky notes are great, too, when you have a chalkboard memory!”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni.

Kyle Ringwald, 35
Engineering, ACME High-Performance Laboratories

A fabrication specialist, Kyle Ringwald said that his interest in automotive building dates back to his childhood. “My maternal grandfather built street rods as a hobby,” he recalled. Today, he said, you can find him working on “anything from a $1-million-plus ’59 Corvette owned by a steel industry mogul to a ’57 Fairlane owned by a local construction worker who autocrosses on weekends.”

Ringwald has also garnered numerous awards, including a 2018 Goodguys Street Machine of the Year award, and he was part of the team at Detroit Speed that built the 2018 SEMA Battle of the Builders Hot Rod winner. His work has graced the cover of Hot Rod, and he helped to develop a system to retrofit modified Jeep Wranglers in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter so that they could be engaged in under a minute for optimal rapid deployment.

What’s in His Briefcase: “CAD software. I wouldn’t be half the fabricator I am today without CAD of some sort. Looking back, I don’t know how I was able to do things without it but am thankful I learned the fabrication side first.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pineapple and barbecue sauce.

Bryce Thompson, 29
Owner, Dixie 4 Wheel Drive

Bryce Thompson fondly recalls childhood trips in the family Willys and helping his dad build trails in the Sandhollow Recreation Area of St. George, Utah. Today, he’s still working to pave the trailways and make the park a must-visit spot. Along the way, he has also added two truck and off-road shops to his portfolio.

“When I joined Dixie 4 Wheel Drive, I had a vision of what we could be,” he said. “Through a lot of hard work, I was able to come on as an owner and help build two of the nicest four-wheel-drive shops in the western United States. There’s nothing more fulfilling than putting your customers behind the wheels of new builds and seeing their faces light up like kids at Christmas.”

Sales, marketing and turning wrenches all energize Thompson, and he’s dived in to revitalizing the Moab area for off-roaders at his location there.

“I want to push the business forward, break into a few new avenues, and raise my two little girls to enjoy the same off-road lifestyle that I have,” he said.

What’s in His Briefcase: Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, five Jeep keys, and his sister on speed dial.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Cheese.

Mike Robins, 30
Business Planning Analyst, Ford Motor Company

As a vehicle-personalization business planning analyst at Ford, Mike Robins’ mission is to understand the needs of the enthusiast community and help optimize the aftermarket interface at the company. A true enthusiast himself, he looks for win-win opportunities and the best ways for the OEM organization to work with Ford’s loyal customer base.

In seven years at the company, he has managed the Ford Performance Information Center; gotten involved in the Mustang GT350 launch; and assumed responsibility for the Ford Performance Parts engine business. He also had a hand in rolling out a new manufacturing strategy for Ford Performance engines, which resulted in increased production and customer experience.

“My passion for cars attracted me to the industry,” he told us. “But what kept me so engaged over the last several years is the people.”

A past aftermarket student chairperson for Northwood University, he’s also found time to get involved in the SEMA Young Executives Network and has been recognized by the Society of Automotive Analysts.

What’s in His Briefcase: A laptop, two phones, “as many computer monitors as I can fit wherever I’m working,” two calendars (paper and electronic), a gel pen and a highlighter.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Pepperoni.

Richard Thornton, 28
Auto Restoration, Thornton Muscle Cars

A Philly suburb native, Richard Thornton is a fourth-generation musclecar restoration expert. At 17, he painted a full frame-off restoration at his family’s shop, and that first completed build sold for $150,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction. At 24, he not only developed his own paint line for classics—Guru Colors—but also went on to purchase a commercial sewing machine and teach himself the craft of custom upholstery to broaden his personal skill set.

Thornton’s drive for further growing and improving the family business is strong. He helped build the business’ website and aside from performing restorations, he’s worked with his father Troy in the design and fitment of GM reproduction parts. Future plans involve investing in 3-D printers and CNC machining equipment “to improve both the parts and our builds,” and joining the custom world.

What’s in His Briefcase: “I carry a backpack with me to and from work. It includes a Microsoft Surface Pro, and I always have a Sharpie in my pocket. You never know when you’ll have to write on a box or label a part.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Cheese steak with onion and hot peppers.

David Varner, 32
Regional Manager, Tire Discounters/Owner, Import Drag Solutions

Fifteen years ago, David Varner began work at Tire Discounters as an entry-level technician. After rising through a succession of higher positions, he’s now a regional manager who is responsible for overseeing 10 stores and hundreds of employees. Let’s call that “Accomplishment One.” His second big accomplishment was founding Import Drag Solutions (IDS) five years ago and running it as a second job.

“I love my career, and I’m a proud Tire Discounters employee,” he confessed. “But I’m prouder that I accomplished all that while following my passion for racing and owning my own company these past five years.”

Colleagues vouch for Varner’s talents as a racer and tuner. He has competed all over the country, including in Ultra Street, SCT and FL2k/WCF events. Meanwhile, some of the biggest names in import drag racing use IDS suspensions to win and set records.

“The constant progression of the industry is what interests me the most,” he said. “Technology evolves so quickly. I love learning and being able to pass on what I’ve learned to my employees and watch them grow. That’s exciting.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “My dad was right: Always have a pen in your pocket.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Peppers.

Kevin Yen, 33
General Manager, Hansen VTF Labs

At Hansen VTF Labs, Kevin Yen leads the way in establishing a calibration facility for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) under the company’s existing ISO 9001:2015 certification. His job also includes training future ADAS technologists and working closely with SEMA and SAE International to stay on top of trends and best practices in that fast-emerging field.

Along with ADAS, Hansen VTF Labs assists specialty-equipment manufacturers to design and test-fit new products, and Yen takes pride in helping to reduce their costs and time to market.

“The thought of working in this industry didn’t originally occur to me,” he said. “It was reading about vehicle technology such as ADAS that really caught my interest. I’m a person who loves learning how a product works and verifying that it works as designed. Automotive technology is constantly evolving, which keeps things new and exciting.”

Yen sees raising awareness of ADAS technologies, their importance and function as a crucial industry challenge.

“As we race toward autonomous vehicles, we’ll see more advanced sensors,” he observed. “The future is exciting, but everyone needs to adapt to whatever may come.”

What’s in His Briefcase: An iPhone, AirPods and internet access.

Favorite Pizza Topping: Italian sausage.

Matthew C. Witzgall, 28
Vice President, North American Operations, EMM Specialties

Matthew Witzgall worked several years as a U.S. Defense Department financial manager, but as he tells it, “When presented with the opportunity to switch gears, I was all in. There’s a pace and energy to collision repair that’s irresistible.”

Among other achievements at EMM Specialties, he is credited with taking the company from monthly loss status to net positive territory, yielding a bottom-line improvement of more than 400% year over year. However, Witzgall said that his biggest accomplishment to date is helping maintain EMM’s position amid the COVID-19 climate so that the company could remain a strong resource for its customers.

“I’d been here for a short time, and there was a global pandemic before I got my feet underneath me,” he explained. “As a manufacturer supplying the PBE market and collision-repair segment, we had to pivot, innovate and adapt to the changing landscape and keep trust with our customers to weather the storm. Developing more robust newsletters, adopting video calls and overall better outreach showed we were still here, providing our customers with the necessary products to keep them working.”

What’s in His Briefcase: “An iPhone, simply to stay connected, informed and aware.”

Favorite Pizza Topping: Buffalo chicken.

The Nominations Continue…

Do you know a rising star within the specialty-equipment industry, age 35 or younger? To nominate them for future 35 Under 35 recognition, visit www.sema.org/35-under-35.

SEMA News—September 2020

HERITAGE

Stillborn Shelby

By Drew Hardin

Photography Courtesy Darrel Norenberg, Petersen Publishing Company Archive

The film Ford v Ferrari gave us a taste of the turbulent relationship Carroll Shelby had with the Ford Motor Company. Despite nearly constant friction between the maverick in Los Angeles and management in Dearborn, there were great successes, to be sure. But there were also some missed opportunities. Such was the case with the Type 65, also known as the Daytona Super Coupe.

The Type 65, like the championship-winning Shelby Daytona Coupes that came before it, was designed by Peter Brock, who was photographed for Sports Car Graphic magazine in February 1965 with a scale clay model of the car. Brock called the Type 65 Shelby’s “back-up plan in case he didn’t get the hoped-for GT40 program.”

Even with the Daytona Coupe’s racing success, Shelby’s role in the GT40 program was not secure in 1965. Middle managers at Ford “were long-time backers of Holman Moody and felt any race program should be awarded there,” Brock said. As a result, Shelby received just a partial contract to work on the GT40. The Type 65, then, was a contingency, “to be ready for the last part of 1965 and 1966 and be competitive with whatever Ford had.”

Mechanically, the Type 65 would be like the Mk II Cobras in development at the time. It would be built on the Mk II’s 92-in.-wheelbase chassis and be powered by a big-block engine.

“It was a bigger car all around,” Brock said. “It was a clean-sheet design, but everything was taken from the Daytona. Everything I learned on the Daytona that was wrong—I made a lot of mistakes—was refined on this car.”

Two interesting details are visible on the model. The low power bulge on the hood made room for a single four-barrel carburetor on top of an all-aluminum 390ci V8.

“We learned from the 427 engines, after Ford tried all kinds of carburetors, that they ran best with a four-barrel carburetor,” Brock said.

Also note the window in the roof.

“One thing I learned from the original Daytona Coupe was that the banking at Daytona was so steep, when the driver looked out the windshield, he could only see about 100 yards ahead,” Brock recalled. “With the brakes we had in those days, there was no way to stop in that distance going almost 200 mph. But if the driver could look out of the roof, he could see all the way down the track where he was going and plan what he wanted to do.”

The aluminum bridge behind the model was a tool Brock used with rods placed in its holes “so I could measure the model and draw up the car’s plans,” he explained. Brock and Shelby intended to have the Type 65’s aluminum body made by Carrozzeria Grand Sport in Modena, Italy, which had built five of the six Daytona Coupe bodies. Ford had other plans.

“Unknown to Carroll at the time, Ford had decided that Shelby was going to be ‘the team’ to represent Ford in 1966, so obviously they weren’t too happy to learn Carroll had his own car planned,” Brock said. The Type 65’s plans “were given to Ford guy Peyton Cramer, who, without telling Shelby—and probably under secret Ford orders—gave them to a company called Harold Radford in the UK.”

Radford was under contract to make interiors for the GT40s, but its work was so expensive—“seven thousand bucks apiece for them,” Brock said—that Cramer was tasked with cancelling the contract. Desperate to keep the job, Radford offered to throw in work on the Type 65.

“They had zero experience in building race cars and proved totally incompetent,” Brock said. He went to England to try to put things right, “but it was hopeless. They couldn’t get the right materials and didn’t have the right people with the right skills to build it.”

The Type 65 got to about 80% complete, but it was “so badly built—so heavy and badly proportioned—that it wasn’t close to what I intended,” Brock said.

In the end, it didn’t matter. Ford gave Shelby the full GT40 program, at which point “Shelby didn’t care anymore about the Type 65,” Brock said. The project was cancelled, and the in-progress car was shipped back to Los Angeles and “lost” in a warehouse. It was later sold at Shelby’s liquidation auction, was ultimately finished, participated in several vintage races, and sold at a collector-car auction in 2007 for more than $1.3 million.

“Had the car been built in Italy as planned, it would have been a handsome car and competitive with the GT40s,” Brock believes to this day. “But, of course, Ford didn’t want any more competition than they were already facing with Enzo!”

SEMA News—September 2020

HERITAGE

Stillborn Shelby

By Drew Hardin

Photography Courtesy Darrel Norenberg, Petersen Publishing Company Archive

The film Ford v Ferrari gave us a taste of the turbulent relationship Carroll Shelby had with the Ford Motor Company. Despite nearly constant friction between the maverick in Los Angeles and management in Dearborn, there were great successes, to be sure. But there were also some missed opportunities. Such was the case with the Type 65, also known as the Daytona Super Coupe.

The Type 65, like the championship-winning Shelby Daytona Coupes that came before it, was designed by Peter Brock, who was photographed for Sports Car Graphic magazine in February 1965 with a scale clay model of the car. Brock called the Type 65 Shelby’s “back-up plan in case he didn’t get the hoped-for GT40 program.”

Even with the Daytona Coupe’s racing success, Shelby’s role in the GT40 program was not secure in 1965. Middle managers at Ford “were long-time backers of Holman Moody and felt any race program should be awarded there,” Brock said. As a result, Shelby received just a partial contract to work on the GT40. The Type 65, then, was a contingency, “to be ready for the last part of 1965 and 1966 and be competitive with whatever Ford had.”

Mechanically, the Type 65 would be like the Mk II Cobras in development at the time. It would be built on the Mk II’s 92-in.-wheelbase chassis and be powered by a big-block engine.

“It was a bigger car all around,” Brock said. “It was a clean-sheet design, but everything was taken from the Daytona. Everything I learned on the Daytona that was wrong—I made a lot of mistakes—was refined on this car.”

Two interesting details are visible on the model. The low power bulge on the hood made room for a single four-barrel carburetor on top of an all-aluminum 390ci V8.

“We learned from the 427 engines, after Ford tried all kinds of carburetors, that they ran best with a four-barrel carburetor,” Brock said.

Also note the window in the roof.

“One thing I learned from the original Daytona Coupe was that the banking at Daytona was so steep, when the driver looked out the windshield, he could only see about 100 yards ahead,” Brock recalled. “With the brakes we had in those days, there was no way to stop in that distance going almost 200 mph. But if the driver could look out of the roof, he could see all the way down the track where he was going and plan what he wanted to do.”

The aluminum bridge behind the model was a tool Brock used with rods placed in its holes “so I could measure the model and draw up the car’s plans,” he explained. Brock and Shelby intended to have the Type 65’s aluminum body made by Carrozzeria Grand Sport in Modena, Italy, which had built five of the six Daytona Coupe bodies. Ford had other plans.

“Unknown to Carroll at the time, Ford had decided that Shelby was going to be ‘the team’ to represent Ford in 1966, so obviously they weren’t too happy to learn Carroll had his own car planned,” Brock said. The Type 65’s plans “were given to Ford guy Peyton Cramer, who, without telling Shelby—and probably under secret Ford orders—gave them to a company called Harold Radford in the UK.”

Radford was under contract to make interiors for the GT40s, but its work was so expensive—“seven thousand bucks apiece for them,” Brock said—that Cramer was tasked with cancelling the contract. Desperate to keep the job, Radford offered to throw in work on the Type 65.

“They had zero experience in building race cars and proved totally incompetent,” Brock said. He went to England to try to put things right, “but it was hopeless. They couldn’t get the right materials and didn’t have the right people with the right skills to build it.”

The Type 65 got to about 80% complete, but it was “so badly built—so heavy and badly proportioned—that it wasn’t close to what I intended,” Brock said.

In the end, it didn’t matter. Ford gave Shelby the full GT40 program, at which point “Shelby didn’t care anymore about the Type 65,” Brock said. The project was cancelled, and the in-progress car was shipped back to Los Angeles and “lost” in a warehouse. It was later sold at Shelby’s liquidation auction, was ultimately finished, participated in several vintage races, and sold at a collector-car auction in 2007 for more than $1.3 million.

“Had the car been built in Italy as planned, it would have been a handsome car and competitive with the GT40s,” Brock believes to this day. “But, of course, Ford didn’t want any more competition than they were already facing with Enzo!”

SEMA News—September 2020

Update 2020: Association Priorities and Strategic Agenda 

Chris Kersting

SEMA is a member-driven organization that is governed by a Board of Directors who are elected by member companies. In this way, the industry guides its own strategic direction, sets priorities, and balances goals and opportunities.

Board members work closely with the executive staff to consider how to help members and, ultimately, the industry. Even as the COVID-19 disruption unfolds, the Board continues to stay on course, and the staff continues work to accomplish the vision.

Because SEMA has successfully built reserves over the years to sustain programs during lean times, the annual budget is appropriately lean while also allowing the organization to maintain program continuity and allow for strategic investment. One of those investments will be to replace the Product Management Information System (PIMS) for the SEMA Data Co-op.

It’s no secret that online sales have become a key driver of commerce in past months, and the expectation is that the trend will continue. Adding an improved, user-friendly PIMS to help more companies create and deliver high-quality digitized product information makes sense for our industry, and now is the time to do it.

A second major initiative is aimed at the racing segment. A number of years ago, SEMA acquired the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show and its publications. That was a first step. Now the Board is leading efforts to help motorsports racing grow and succeed. We are doing that by offering racing businesses, tracks, racers and enthusiasts the kind of association services, tools and government advocacy that SEMA members have enjoyed for many years.

SEMA recently hired a seasoned executive—Dr. Jamie Meyer—to head up the PRI division and open a new PRI office in Indianapolis.

The PRI team is already working to provide assistance to the racing industry during the COVID pandemic and to track owners and operators as they work to restart their businesses. Look for more from the PRI team in the coming months.

On the vehicle-technology front, plans to establish a SEMA Garage in the Detroit area are moving forward. Meanwhile, SEMA’s first-ever virtual Detroit ADAS Forum and Vehicle Review brought together 15 leading expert speakers and members and demonstrated a new way to engage and learn.

Back in Diamond Bar, the SEMA Garage has been fully operational for emissions testing, 3-D printing services and Tech Transfer activity. A new Mustang is among the vehicles recently acquired for scanning and product development purposes, and a horsepower dyno has been installed.

Along with these long-term programs, the day-to-day work of the association goes on. There has been much activity focused on assisting members with COVID-related challenges—developing and updating a dedicated site for members to access information on federal and state regulations and other resources to navigate the pandemic.

Overall, the Board and staff see these challenging times as a moment when the association can step up to help members and move forward with initiatives that will help the industry the most. Just as we all did during and after the recession, we’re confident that our industry will once again persevere, innovate, and thrive.

SEMA News—September 2020

FROM THE HILL

SEMA News Goes Behind the Scenes With U.S. Senator Mike Braun

By Eric Snyder

Sen. Mike Braun (center), his wife Maureen, and SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting (right) toured the PRI Trade Show.

While many lawmakers spend their entire adult lives in government, U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) chose a different path, entering public service after spending more than three decades working in the automotive aftermarket. His experience in the industry and in dealing with government regulations shaped his views on a range of issues, which is why Sen. Braun is using his platform to make government friendlier to small businesses, taxpayers and automotive enthusiasts.

The past two and half years have been a rollercoaster ride for Sen. Braun, who went from being a long-shot candidate in the Republican primary for U.S Senate to a leading voice in Congress for everything from reforming healthcare to tackling the federal debt. Sen. Braun’s evenhanded approach to policymaking is refreshing, as he provides a much-needed perspective to Congress at a time when partisan grandstanding often overshadows the need to work with colleagues who have a different perspective on a given issue in order to build consensus. While Congress faces many impediments to addressing the most important issues of our time, Sen. Braun’s leadership in growing Meyer Distributing from a local small business into a national warehouse distributor and his role as community leader have helped prepare him to tackle the many challenges that our country faces.

A native Hoosier, Sen. Braun graduated from Jasper High School in 1972 in Jasper, Indiana. It was there that he took his first foray into politics, serving as senior class president. He went on to Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he graduated summa cum laude with an economics degree and served as president of the student body. In 1976, he married his high-school sweetheart, Maureen, and enrolled in Harvard Business School. After earning an MBA degree from Harvard in 1978, Braun took a different path from many of his classmates by choosing to move back to Indiana to start his career.

In 1979, he co-founded Crystal Farms Inc., which became one of the largest turkey operations in the Midwest. Just two years later, he started working for Meyer Body Co. and transitioned its business from manufacturing to distribution, forming Meyer Distributing. Over the following decades, Braun grew the business into a national distribution and logistics company.

While Braun is an automotive enthusiast, he is also a man of many hobbies. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting and fishing, riding ATVs, and forestry-related activities, including tree planting and timber-stand improvement.

In addition to his success in the aftermarket and passion for the automotive performance hobby, Sen. Braun has shown a steadfast commitment to helping in his community. As a former high-school football and basketball player, he used his experience on the field to coach youth sports. Braun also served on the Jasper School Board from 2004–2014, and the Indiana House of Representatives from 2015–2017.

When he stepped down from the Indiana State Legislature to run for U.S. Senate, Braun proved that he was not afraid to go all in. Given the importance of the decisions being made in the nation’s capital, Braun believed that Washington needed people with private sector experience to turn things around.

When he kicked off his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2017, political pundits favored then-U.S. Representatives Luke Messer (R-IN) or Todd Rokita (R-IN) to be the Republican nominee. However, Braun’s record of growing a small business helped to differentiate him from the career politicians in the race, and he won the May 2018 primary by more than 11%. He handily won the general election a few months later, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) by a margin of 53% to 43%. Braun’s hard-fought victory was integral in helping Republicans retain and grow their majority in the U.S. Senate.

Since arriving on Capitol Hill in January 2019, Sen. Braun developed a reputation as a pragmatist and someone who injects real-world experience into the public policymaking process. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Agriculture; Budget; Environment and Public Works; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; and the Special Committee on Aging, and he is one of the strongest voices for small business in Congress.

As a result of his experience as president and CEO of Meyer Distributing, Sen. Braun understands the challenge that businesses face in providing quality healthcare to their employees. Sen. Braun has introduced a bill to require health insurers to disclose the rates they have negotiated and paid for each healthcare service provided to plan enrollees. He has championed legislation to accelerate a pathway for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve drugs that are authorized to be marketed in other countries. Sen. Braun has also drafted common-sense proposals to prohibit members of Congress from being paid until both houses pass budget and appropriations bills for that fiscal year, which does not allow lawmakers to receive retroactive pay, and a bill to prohibit high-income individuals from receiving a federal tax credit for purchasing plug-in electric vehicles.

SEMA News recently had a chance to interview Sen. Braun and talk about everything from cars to political advocacy. Below are some highlights.

SEMA PAC Chairman John Hotchkis (right) and Sen. Braun pose for a picture after a July 2019 meeting.

SEMA News: What was your first car or truck?

Mike Braun: Let’s go back to 1970; it was a VW Super Beetle with a sunroof. When you like to fish and hunt like I do, and occasionally do outdoor projects, it may not have been the most practical car. I remember I had a dilemma one day. I had an extension ladder for a project and ended up having to stick it out of the sunroof. Back in that age, I don’t think I bothered to put a red flag on it. It really wasn’t a practical vehicle. Soon after that, I owned a ’72 Dodge Charger that I had for several years. It was brown and had a white vinyl top along with a shift on the console and an eight-track tape player. I quickly transitioned into pickups.

SN: How did you take Meyer from a small company to a leading distributor?

MB: In the original business, we had a sideline market where we bought and sold used trucks. Most of the market was farmers. I started in ’81, and that was the year of the farm crisis, so we quickly had to do something else. That’s when I started dabbling in truck accessories. We were a rural dealer. Stand-up bug shields and rollbars were a big deal. Drop-in bedliners had just started, and step bumpers were a big deal, since most pickup trucks came without them. The business was hitting its stride until the ’88 GM came out and they packaged bumpers into the truck. It didn’t take long before Ford and Dodge followed suit.

The business started as an installation facility, and we morphed into a distribution company. That’s when we moved into the first real warehouse, where my office is still tucked into a corner. The warehouse was 25,000 sq. ft. Prior to that, we had stuff stashed in the rafters. We didn’t have a loading dock for 17 years. It was the most hardscrabble of a beginning, and to think of where the industry is today—we’re an amazing industry of entrepreneurs who started businesses that create products that are so broad and so great.

My first office was in a mobile home. When I first came to D.C. about a year ago, they introduced me and said, “When this guy started his business, his office was in a double-wide.” I said, “I want to correct you. It was actually a single-wide.” That humble start turned into 70 locations and 46 states, and Meyer is still running it like a large small business. That’s in the culture. Three of my four children run the business, along with a great young executive team. Many of our employees have been there since the beginning.

SN: What motivated you to run for elected office?

MB: During that long journey, I saw government was not being neutral—a barrier to doing business. As we increased our footprint across the country, there were some states that made it nearly impossible to operate. It was frustrating to hear the news reports about the decisions being made by our elected officials, and I grew tired of being an armchair politician. That’s when I decided to run for state representative back in 2013.

I served in the Indiana State Legislature through 2017. I also served on the local school board for 10 years before that. I wanted to give back and see if I had the temperament to do more. Then everything fell into place. I took on an unlikely task of running for U.S. Senate. It was harder, since the race was compacted into 15 months. When I declared my candidacy for Senate, I started at 1% in the first poll.

The government moves at a very different speed than the way things do for entrepreneurs. Sadly, the government up until a few years ago was doing things that hurt small business. The Trump administration has done an unbelievable job of getting some those regulations down to where they are a little more reasonable. There is a need for regulations, but it was in overdrive. That is part of what is at stake in the election that is coming up.

SN: You have spent some time with President Trump over the past two years on the campaign trail and in official meetings. What is it like to work with the president?

Sen. Braun spoke with representatives from Hurco Companies Inc. at a recent PRI Trade Show.

MB: What you see is what you get. I know it infuriates half the country and elates the other half. The difference is that so much of it gets portrayed through the media lens as we go through this great American crisis of the coronavirus. A lot of this would not have gone so quickly had there been someone more bureaucratic running things.

The president’s agility and thinking outside the box has made a difference. You don’t know how that’s going to be different from a business point of view until you go back to the way it was before. There were rules like Waters of the U.S. that the EPA had put into overdrive—and I’m a conservationist. I’m the first Republican to join the climate caucus. Trump came from the outside and thinks differently.

Congress hasn’t exactly been knocking it out of the park lately. No one seems to think that a $1 trillion deficit is a big deal. Before I started running, $100 billion was considered a big deficit. Things are going to come to a head up here. We weren’t supposed to be $26 trillion in debt until 2023/2024. I’m concerned that some lawmakers just shrug it off and think that there’s no end to what we can borrow simply because rates are very low. We’re the only reserve currency. All of that could change quickly.

Like most things that happen up here, it’ll be solved in a crisis, not preemptively. That’s what I’m here to do during my time in the Senate—speak truthfully about it while most put it off till tomorrow.

SN: What advice do you have for automotive enthusiasts who want to make their voices heard in the public policy arena?

MB: Do what I did. Get off the couch and stop complaining at whatever level, whether it is local government, state government or Congress. I want everybody to stay engaged. If you don’t speak up, if you don’t talk about the enterprise that’s so intertwined with SEMA in other sectors of the economy, you will have bureaucrats creating regulations that dominate the landscape. That’s what evolved over the last few decades, regardless of whether it’s Republicans or Democrats running things. No other entities run an operation in that fashion. Get involved.

SN: What are the most important public policy issues where you believe there is a real chance for Congress to come together and enact meaningful legislation?

MB: When I got here, we were in the middle of a government shutdown. We got through that, and we actually did some committee work on reforming healthcare. That’s still the number-one issue out there, and it’s only been exacerbated by the coronavirus, but we do not have a transparent competitive system.

Most Republicans defend a broken industry. Democrats want more government involved. There were 80 senators who came forward with ideas as to what to do. It’ll still be the number-one issue, whether it’s tackled this year or next year. What are the chances of the Hatfields and McCoys getting together? For healthcare, everyone believes that it needs to be fixed, but it’s a question of how we go about doing it.

The climate is going to be the biggest long-term issue for younger generations. It has a direct impact on our industry, because some of the rules that impact auto parts have a climate component. Republicans have been foot-draggers on the climate discussion, whereas most of the industry that has businesses with a stake in climate are actively willing and wanting to be proactive and preemptive. We have not caught up to that in the Republican conference. The Democrats are on board, but they espouse heavy regulations that are too draconian. There’s a lot of lower-hanging fruit where I think we can work together.

SEMA News—September 2020

FROM THE HILL

SEMA News Goes Behind the Scenes With U.S. Senator Mike Braun

By Eric Snyder

Sen. Mike Braun (center), his wife Maureen, and SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting (right) toured the PRI Trade Show.

While many lawmakers spend their entire adult lives in government, U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) chose a different path, entering public service after spending more than three decades working in the automotive aftermarket. His experience in the industry and in dealing with government regulations shaped his views on a range of issues, which is why Sen. Braun is using his platform to make government friendlier to small businesses, taxpayers and automotive enthusiasts.

The past two and half years have been a rollercoaster ride for Sen. Braun, who went from being a long-shot candidate in the Republican primary for U.S Senate to a leading voice in Congress for everything from reforming healthcare to tackling the federal debt. Sen. Braun’s evenhanded approach to policymaking is refreshing, as he provides a much-needed perspective to Congress at a time when partisan grandstanding often overshadows the need to work with colleagues who have a different perspective on a given issue in order to build consensus. While Congress faces many impediments to addressing the most important issues of our time, Sen. Braun’s leadership in growing Meyer Distributing from a local small business into a national warehouse distributor and his role as community leader have helped prepare him to tackle the many challenges that our country faces.

A native Hoosier, Sen. Braun graduated from Jasper High School in 1972 in Jasper, Indiana. It was there that he took his first foray into politics, serving as senior class president. He went on to Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he graduated summa cum laude with an economics degree and served as president of the student body. In 1976, he married his high-school sweetheart, Maureen, and enrolled in Harvard Business School. After earning an MBA degree from Harvard in 1978, Braun took a different path from many of his classmates by choosing to move back to Indiana to start his career.

In 1979, he co-founded Crystal Farms Inc., which became one of the largest turkey operations in the Midwest. Just two years later, he started working for Meyer Body Co. and transitioned its business from manufacturing to distribution, forming Meyer Distributing. Over the following decades, Braun grew the business into a national distribution and logistics company.

While Braun is an automotive enthusiast, he is also a man of many hobbies. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting and fishing, riding ATVs, and forestry-related activities, including tree planting and timber-stand improvement.

In addition to his success in the aftermarket and passion for the automotive performance hobby, Sen. Braun has shown a steadfast commitment to helping in his community. As a former high-school football and basketball player, he used his experience on the field to coach youth sports. Braun also served on the Jasper School Board from 2004–2014, and the Indiana House of Representatives from 2015–2017.

When he stepped down from the Indiana State Legislature to run for U.S. Senate, Braun proved that he was not afraid to go all in. Given the importance of the decisions being made in the nation’s capital, Braun believed that Washington needed people with private sector experience to turn things around.

When he kicked off his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2017, political pundits favored then-U.S. Representatives Luke Messer (R-IN) or Todd Rokita (R-IN) to be the Republican nominee. However, Braun’s record of growing a small business helped to differentiate him from the career politicians in the race, and he won the May 2018 primary by more than 11%. He handily won the general election a few months later, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) by a margin of 53% to 43%. Braun’s hard-fought victory was integral in helping Republicans retain and grow their majority in the U.S. Senate.

Since arriving on Capitol Hill in January 2019, Sen. Braun developed a reputation as a pragmatist and someone who injects real-world experience into the public policymaking process. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Agriculture; Budget; Environment and Public Works; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; and the Special Committee on Aging, and he is one of the strongest voices for small business in Congress.

As a result of his experience as president and CEO of Meyer Distributing, Sen. Braun understands the challenge that businesses face in providing quality healthcare to their employees. Sen. Braun has introduced a bill to require health insurers to disclose the rates they have negotiated and paid for each healthcare service provided to plan enrollees. He has championed legislation to accelerate a pathway for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve drugs that are authorized to be marketed in other countries. Sen. Braun has also drafted common-sense proposals to prohibit members of Congress from being paid until both houses pass budget and appropriations bills for that fiscal year, which does not allow lawmakers to receive retroactive pay, and a bill to prohibit high-income individuals from receiving a federal tax credit for purchasing plug-in electric vehicles.

SEMA News recently had a chance to interview Sen. Braun and talk about everything from cars to political advocacy. Below are some highlights.

SEMA PAC Chairman John Hotchkis (right) and Sen. Braun pose for a picture after a July 2019 meeting.

SEMA News: What was your first car or truck?

Mike Braun: Let’s go back to 1970; it was a VW Super Beetle with a sunroof. When you like to fish and hunt like I do, and occasionally do outdoor projects, it may not have been the most practical car. I remember I had a dilemma one day. I had an extension ladder for a project and ended up having to stick it out of the sunroof. Back in that age, I don’t think I bothered to put a red flag on it. It really wasn’t a practical vehicle. Soon after that, I owned a ’72 Dodge Charger that I had for several years. It was brown and had a white vinyl top along with a shift on the console and an eight-track tape player. I quickly transitioned into pickups.

SN: How did you take Meyer from a small company to a leading distributor?

MB: In the original business, we had a sideline market where we bought and sold used trucks. Most of the market was farmers. I started in ’81, and that was the year of the farm crisis, so we quickly had to do something else. That’s when I started dabbling in truck accessories. We were a rural dealer. Stand-up bug shields and rollbars were a big deal. Drop-in bedliners had just started, and step bumpers were a big deal, since most pickup trucks came without them. The business was hitting its stride until the ’88 GM came out and they packaged bumpers into the truck. It didn’t take long before Ford and Dodge followed suit.

The business started as an installation facility, and we morphed into a distribution company. That’s when we moved into the first real warehouse, where my office is still tucked into a corner. The warehouse was 25,000 sq. ft. Prior to that, we had stuff stashed in the rafters. We didn’t have a loading dock for 17 years. It was the most hardscrabble of a beginning, and to think of where the industry is today—we’re an amazing industry of entrepreneurs who started businesses that create products that are so broad and so great.

My first office was in a mobile home. When I first came to D.C. about a year ago, they introduced me and said, “When this guy started his business, his office was in a double-wide.” I said, “I want to correct you. It was actually a single-wide.” That humble start turned into 70 locations and 46 states, and Meyer is still running it like a large small business. That’s in the culture. Three of my four children run the business, along with a great young executive team. Many of our employees have been there since the beginning.

SN: What motivated you to run for elected office?

MB: During that long journey, I saw government was not being neutral—a barrier to doing business. As we increased our footprint across the country, there were some states that made it nearly impossible to operate. It was frustrating to hear the news reports about the decisions being made by our elected officials, and I grew tired of being an armchair politician. That’s when I decided to run for state representative back in 2013.

I served in the Indiana State Legislature through 2017. I also served on the local school board for 10 years before that. I wanted to give back and see if I had the temperament to do more. Then everything fell into place. I took on an unlikely task of running for U.S. Senate. It was harder, since the race was compacted into 15 months. When I declared my candidacy for Senate, I started at 1% in the first poll.

The government moves at a very different speed than the way things do for entrepreneurs. Sadly, the government up until a few years ago was doing things that hurt small business. The Trump administration has done an unbelievable job of getting some those regulations down to where they are a little more reasonable. There is a need for regulations, but it was in overdrive. That is part of what is at stake in the election that is coming up.

SN: You have spent some time with President Trump over the past two years on the campaign trail and in official meetings. What is it like to work with the president?

Sen. Braun spoke with representatives from Hurco Companies Inc. at a recent PRI Trade Show.

MB: What you see is what you get. I know it infuriates half the country and elates the other half. The difference is that so much of it gets portrayed through the media lens as we go through this great American crisis of the coronavirus. A lot of this would not have gone so quickly had there been someone more bureaucratic running things.

The president’s agility and thinking outside the box has made a difference. You don’t know how that’s going to be different from a business point of view until you go back to the way it was before. There were rules like Waters of the U.S. that the EPA had put into overdrive—and I’m a conservationist. I’m the first Republican to join the climate caucus. Trump came from the outside and thinks differently.

Congress hasn’t exactly been knocking it out of the park lately. No one seems to think that a $1 trillion deficit is a big deal. Before I started running, $100 billion was considered a big deficit. Things are going to come to a head up here. We weren’t supposed to be $26 trillion in debt until 2023/2024. I’m concerned that some lawmakers just shrug it off and think that there’s no end to what we can borrow simply because rates are very low. We’re the only reserve currency. All of that could change quickly.

Like most things that happen up here, it’ll be solved in a crisis, not preemptively. That’s what I’m here to do during my time in the Senate—speak truthfully about it while most put it off till tomorrow.

SN: What advice do you have for automotive enthusiasts who want to make their voices heard in the public policy arena?

MB: Do what I did. Get off the couch and stop complaining at whatever level, whether it is local government, state government or Congress. I want everybody to stay engaged. If you don’t speak up, if you don’t talk about the enterprise that’s so intertwined with SEMA in other sectors of the economy, you will have bureaucrats creating regulations that dominate the landscape. That’s what evolved over the last few decades, regardless of whether it’s Republicans or Democrats running things. No other entities run an operation in that fashion. Get involved.

SN: What are the most important public policy issues where you believe there is a real chance for Congress to come together and enact meaningful legislation?

MB: When I got here, we were in the middle of a government shutdown. We got through that, and we actually did some committee work on reforming healthcare. That’s still the number-one issue out there, and it’s only been exacerbated by the coronavirus, but we do not have a transparent competitive system.

Most Republicans defend a broken industry. Democrats want more government involved. There were 80 senators who came forward with ideas as to what to do. It’ll still be the number-one issue, whether it’s tackled this year or next year. What are the chances of the Hatfields and McCoys getting together? For healthcare, everyone believes that it needs to be fixed, but it’s a question of how we go about doing it.

The climate is going to be the biggest long-term issue for younger generations. It has a direct impact on our industry, because some of the rules that impact auto parts have a climate component. Republicans have been foot-draggers on the climate discussion, whereas most of the industry that has businesses with a stake in climate are actively willing and wanting to be proactive and preemptive. We have not caught up to that in the Republican conference. The Democrats are on board, but they espouse heavy regulations that are too draconian. There’s a lot of lower-hanging fruit where I think we can work together.

SEMA News—September 2020

FROM THE HILL

SEMA News Goes Behind the Scenes With U.S. Senator Mike Braun

By Eric Snyder

Sen. Mike Braun (center), his wife Maureen, and SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting (right) toured the PRI Trade Show.

While many lawmakers spend their entire adult lives in government, U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) chose a different path, entering public service after spending more than three decades working in the automotive aftermarket. His experience in the industry and in dealing with government regulations shaped his views on a range of issues, which is why Sen. Braun is using his platform to make government friendlier to small businesses, taxpayers and automotive enthusiasts.

The past two and half years have been a rollercoaster ride for Sen. Braun, who went from being a long-shot candidate in the Republican primary for U.S Senate to a leading voice in Congress for everything from reforming healthcare to tackling the federal debt. Sen. Braun’s evenhanded approach to policymaking is refreshing, as he provides a much-needed perspective to Congress at a time when partisan grandstanding often overshadows the need to work with colleagues who have a different perspective on a given issue in order to build consensus. While Congress faces many impediments to addressing the most important issues of our time, Sen. Braun’s leadership in growing Meyer Distributing from a local small business into a national warehouse distributor and his role as community leader have helped prepare him to tackle the many challenges that our country faces.

A native Hoosier, Sen. Braun graduated from Jasper High School in 1972 in Jasper, Indiana. It was there that he took his first foray into politics, serving as senior class president. He went on to Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he graduated summa cum laude with an economics degree and served as president of the student body. In 1976, he married his high-school sweetheart, Maureen, and enrolled in Harvard Business School. After earning an MBA degree from Harvard in 1978, Braun took a different path from many of his classmates by choosing to move back to Indiana to start his career.

In 1979, he co-founded Crystal Farms Inc., which became one of the largest turkey operations in the Midwest. Just two years later, he started working for Meyer Body Co. and transitioned its business from manufacturing to distribution, forming Meyer Distributing. Over the following decades, Braun grew the business into a national distribution and logistics company.

While Braun is an automotive enthusiast, he is also a man of many hobbies. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting and fishing, riding ATVs, and forestry-related activities, including tree planting and timber-stand improvement.

In addition to his success in the aftermarket and passion for the automotive performance hobby, Sen. Braun has shown a steadfast commitment to helping in his community. As a former high-school football and basketball player, he used his experience on the field to coach youth sports. Braun also served on the Jasper School Board from 2004–2014, and the Indiana House of Representatives from 2015–2017.

When he stepped down from the Indiana State Legislature to run for U.S. Senate, Braun proved that he was not afraid to go all in. Given the importance of the decisions being made in the nation’s capital, Braun believed that Washington needed people with private sector experience to turn things around.

When he kicked off his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2017, political pundits favored then-U.S. Representatives Luke Messer (R-IN) or Todd Rokita (R-IN) to be the Republican nominee. However, Braun’s record of growing a small business helped to differentiate him from the career politicians in the race, and he won the May 2018 primary by more than 11%. He handily won the general election a few months later, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) by a margin of 53% to 43%. Braun’s hard-fought victory was integral in helping Republicans retain and grow their majority in the U.S. Senate.

Since arriving on Capitol Hill in January 2019, Sen. Braun developed a reputation as a pragmatist and someone who injects real-world experience into the public policymaking process. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Agriculture; Budget; Environment and Public Works; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; and the Special Committee on Aging, and he is one of the strongest voices for small business in Congress.

As a result of his experience as president and CEO of Meyer Distributing, Sen. Braun understands the challenge that businesses face in providing quality healthcare to their employees. Sen. Braun has introduced a bill to require health insurers to disclose the rates they have negotiated and paid for each healthcare service provided to plan enrollees. He has championed legislation to accelerate a pathway for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve drugs that are authorized to be marketed in other countries. Sen. Braun has also drafted common-sense proposals to prohibit members of Congress from being paid until both houses pass budget and appropriations bills for that fiscal year, which does not allow lawmakers to receive retroactive pay, and a bill to prohibit high-income individuals from receiving a federal tax credit for purchasing plug-in electric vehicles.

SEMA News recently had a chance to interview Sen. Braun and talk about everything from cars to political advocacy. Below are some highlights.

SEMA PAC Chairman John Hotchkis (right) and Sen. Braun pose for a picture after a July 2019 meeting.

SEMA News: What was your first car or truck?

Mike Braun: Let’s go back to 1970; it was a VW Super Beetle with a sunroof. When you like to fish and hunt like I do, and occasionally do outdoor projects, it may not have been the most practical car. I remember I had a dilemma one day. I had an extension ladder for a project and ended up having to stick it out of the sunroof. Back in that age, I don’t think I bothered to put a red flag on it. It really wasn’t a practical vehicle. Soon after that, I owned a ’72 Dodge Charger that I had for several years. It was brown and had a white vinyl top along with a shift on the console and an eight-track tape player. I quickly transitioned into pickups.

SN: How did you take Meyer from a small company to a leading distributor?

MB: In the original business, we had a sideline market where we bought and sold used trucks. Most of the market was farmers. I started in ’81, and that was the year of the farm crisis, so we quickly had to do something else. That’s when I started dabbling in truck accessories. We were a rural dealer. Stand-up bug shields and rollbars were a big deal. Drop-in bedliners had just started, and step bumpers were a big deal, since most pickup trucks came without them. The business was hitting its stride until the ’88 GM came out and they packaged bumpers into the truck. It didn’t take long before Ford and Dodge followed suit.

The business started as an installation facility, and we morphed into a distribution company. That’s when we moved into the first real warehouse, where my office is still tucked into a corner. The warehouse was 25,000 sq. ft. Prior to that, we had stuff stashed in the rafters. We didn’t have a loading dock for 17 years. It was the most hardscrabble of a beginning, and to think of where the industry is today—we’re an amazing industry of entrepreneurs who started businesses that create products that are so broad and so great.

My first office was in a mobile home. When I first came to D.C. about a year ago, they introduced me and said, “When this guy started his business, his office was in a double-wide.” I said, “I want to correct you. It was actually a single-wide.” That humble start turned into 70 locations and 46 states, and Meyer is still running it like a large small business. That’s in the culture. Three of my four children run the business, along with a great young executive team. Many of our employees have been there since the beginning.

SN: What motivated you to run for elected office?

MB: During that long journey, I saw government was not being neutral—a barrier to doing business. As we increased our footprint across the country, there were some states that made it nearly impossible to operate. It was frustrating to hear the news reports about the decisions being made by our elected officials, and I grew tired of being an armchair politician. That’s when I decided to run for state representative back in 2013.

I served in the Indiana State Legislature through 2017. I also served on the local school board for 10 years before that. I wanted to give back and see if I had the temperament to do more. Then everything fell into place. I took on an unlikely task of running for U.S. Senate. It was harder, since the race was compacted into 15 months. When I declared my candidacy for Senate, I started at 1% in the first poll.

The government moves at a very different speed than the way things do for entrepreneurs. Sadly, the government up until a few years ago was doing things that hurt small business. The Trump administration has done an unbelievable job of getting some those regulations down to where they are a little more reasonable. There is a need for regulations, but it was in overdrive. That is part of what is at stake in the election that is coming up.

SN: You have spent some time with President Trump over the past two years on the campaign trail and in official meetings. What is it like to work with the president?

Sen. Braun spoke with representatives from Hurco Companies Inc. at a recent PRI Trade Show.

MB: What you see is what you get. I know it infuriates half the country and elates the other half. The difference is that so much of it gets portrayed through the media lens as we go through this great American crisis of the coronavirus. A lot of this would not have gone so quickly had there been someone more bureaucratic running things.

The president’s agility and thinking outside the box has made a difference. You don’t know how that’s going to be different from a business point of view until you go back to the way it was before. There were rules like Waters of the U.S. that the EPA had put into overdrive—and I’m a conservationist. I’m the first Republican to join the climate caucus. Trump came from the outside and thinks differently.

Congress hasn’t exactly been knocking it out of the park lately. No one seems to think that a $1 trillion deficit is a big deal. Before I started running, $100 billion was considered a big deficit. Things are going to come to a head up here. We weren’t supposed to be $26 trillion in debt until 2023/2024. I’m concerned that some lawmakers just shrug it off and think that there’s no end to what we can borrow simply because rates are very low. We’re the only reserve currency. All of that could change quickly.

Like most things that happen up here, it’ll be solved in a crisis, not preemptively. That’s what I’m here to do during my time in the Senate—speak truthfully about it while most put it off till tomorrow.

SN: What advice do you have for automotive enthusiasts who want to make their voices heard in the public policy arena?

MB: Do what I did. Get off the couch and stop complaining at whatever level, whether it is local government, state government or Congress. I want everybody to stay engaged. If you don’t speak up, if you don’t talk about the enterprise that’s so intertwined with SEMA in other sectors of the economy, you will have bureaucrats creating regulations that dominate the landscape. That’s what evolved over the last few decades, regardless of whether it’s Republicans or Democrats running things. No other entities run an operation in that fashion. Get involved.

SN: What are the most important public policy issues where you believe there is a real chance for Congress to come together and enact meaningful legislation?

MB: When I got here, we were in the middle of a government shutdown. We got through that, and we actually did some committee work on reforming healthcare. That’s still the number-one issue out there, and it’s only been exacerbated by the coronavirus, but we do not have a transparent competitive system.

Most Republicans defend a broken industry. Democrats want more government involved. There were 80 senators who came forward with ideas as to what to do. It’ll still be the number-one issue, whether it’s tackled this year or next year. What are the chances of the Hatfields and McCoys getting together? For healthcare, everyone believes that it needs to be fixed, but it’s a question of how we go about doing it.

The climate is going to be the biggest long-term issue for younger generations. It has a direct impact on our industry, because some of the rules that impact auto parts have a climate component. Republicans have been foot-draggers on the climate discussion, whereas most of the industry that has businesses with a stake in climate are actively willing and wanting to be proactive and preemptive. We have not caught up to that in the Republican conference. The Democrats are on board, but they espouse heavy regulations that are too draconian. There’s a lot of lower-hanging fruit where I think we can work together.

SEMA News—September 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

Ford Mustang Mach 1 The Ford Mustang Bullitt is set to be sunsetted after the ’20 model year, and its replacement—the Mustang Mach 1—is set to arrive for 2021. These shots give the most comprehensive look at what to expect when the Mach 1 hits dealers. This Mach 1 prototype wears thin camo front and rear and matches the recently teased shots of the Mach 1, even down to the rims. Inside, however, sits a Bullitt badge where you’d expect to see a Mach 1 steering-wheel logo. On top of that, the six-speed manual shift knob from the Bullitt is clearly visible. It’s assumed that these are just carryover parts used for the prototype, but it’s still interesting to see that they raided the Bullitt parts bin.
Land Rover Discovery Land Rover will launch its first hybrid Discovery as part of a roster of updates aimed at boosting the model’s sale. Considering the amount of disguising for what’s being called a “model-year update,” this could be a hybrid test mule. Land Rover has yet to confirm which hybrid powertrain it’s going to use for the Discovery. It’s possible that the brand is considering introducing a plug-in with the four-cylinder system used on the Range Rover and RR Sport. However, it’s likely going to be a mild hybrid using the 48V system added to the Range Rover last year. The only current LR system suitable for a car of this size is the latest 3.0L straight-six turbo engine mated to a starter/generator and 48V battery.
Porsche Cayman GT4 RS The Porsche Cayman GT4 is about to be usurped as the range-topping Cayman by an even hotter RS model of the mid-engine sports car, pictured here. Porsche engine guru Markus Baumann said that pilfering the GT3’s parts bin would liberate tech to take the GT4’s flat six even further. Adding a dry sump, new valve gear and titanium internals would “enable this engine for more power and more revs,” he added. Chassis mods would be likely to include new tires, race-spec suspension components and new aero fixtures to create extra grip in corners. YNACA ducts at the front of the mid-engine GT4 RS snatch air for brake cooling, and Porsche engineers funneled extra air into the upgraded flat six with louvers in the rear side windows.