By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) Women's Leadership Forum will bring together women in the automotive aftermarket industry for three days of learning, networking and collaboration, March 11-13, in Orlando, Florida. Registration is open at sema.org/sbn-wlf.   

Returning for its fourth year, the event will empower women in the specialty-automotive market to grow in their careers by elevating their personal development and leadership skills. Centered around the theme "Unlocking Potential," the 2025 Forum will be the most impactful yet with an education program focused on emotional intelligence and high-performance leadership. Seminars will be led by industry experts and innovative speakers who will leave attendees inspired and prepared to improve their executive presence, further their skillsets, and create value in their organization. 

"Our goal is to provide a best-in-class learning experience that will help women thrive as leaders, whether they are a seasoned executive or just starting their leadership journey," said SBN Council Director Nicole Bradle. "By the end of the conference, attendees will have the strategies and confidence needed to take their leadership to the next level."

Available seminars and featured speakers are listed below (all times EST). For a full list of event activities, visit this link.   

Wednesday, March 12:   

• 9:15 – 10: 15 a.m.: Unleash Your Potential: Empowering Your Team to Take Risks and Innovate  
  • Speaker: Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE  
  • Title: CEO and President   
     
• 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Leadership Excellence Forum   
  • Speaker: Tina Woodard, Ed.D, PHR 
  • Title: CEO and Founder  
     
• 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Disrupt or Be Disrupted: How to Transform Your Innovation Pipeline  
  • Speaker: Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE 
  • Title: CEO and President   
     
• 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.: Leading With Heart: Accelerating People Performance With Emotional Intelligence  
  • Speaker: James Lawrence  
  • Title: CEO & Co-Founder
  • Speaker: Megan Cook  
  • Title: Co-Founder   
• 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Leadership Agility, Executive Presence and Coaching  
  • Speaker: Tina Woodard, Ed.D, PHR 
  • Title: CEO and Founder  
     
• 3:45 – 4:30 p.m.: Application and Action Planning Session   
  • Speaker: Tiffany Martin, CPC/CLC 
  • Title: Executive Change Strategist and Performance Coach   

Thursday, March 13:  

• 8:30 - 9:45 a.m.: From Doing to Achieving: Strategies for Optimizing Personal Success  
  • Speaker: Tiffany Martin, CPC/CLC  
  • Title: Executive Change Strategist and Performance Coach  
     
• 10:15 - 11:15 a.m.: Unlocking Competitive Advantage With Generative AI  
  • Speaker: Sharon Gai  
  • Title: Speaker and Author 
     
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Leadership Liftoff: Building Skills That Transform the Employee Experience  
  • Speaker: Candice Gottlieb-Clark  
  • Title: Founder & CEO 
     
• 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.: Manage Conflict Like Ted-Lasso New Skills for Dealing Workplace Challenges  
  • Speaker: Candice Gottlieb-Clark  
  • Title: Founder & CEO 
     
• 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.: Crafting Culture: Unlock the Secret to Organizational Success  
  • Speaker: Tiffany Martin, CPC/CLC 
  • Title: Executive Change Strategist and Performance Coach   
     
• 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.: Application and Action Planning  
  • Speaker: Tiffany Martin, CPC/CLC 
  • Title: Executive Change Strategist and Performance Coach   

Registration Now Open   

SBN members receive the added benefit of a discounted rate of $599, compared to the non-member rate of $799. With limited spots available, the event provides a unique opportunity to invest in your future and grow your skills. Visit sema.org/sbn-wlf to learn more and secure your spot today. 

By Ashley Reyes

Signups are open for aftermarket companies and industry professionals to host a table at the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN)/Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Career Fair to be held at the SEMA Garage in Detroit, Michigan. The career fair will take place on February 22, from 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. EST.  

The event is part of ETTN's and SAE's shared goal of connecting future engineers and automotive students with the industry's current workforce. During the event, participating companies will share advice and career opportunities with students looking to jumpstart their careers in the specialty-equipment industry, as well as provide feedback for those actively building vehicles for SAE Collegiate Design Competitions.

Hosting a table is free for SEMA members, and $500 for non-SEMA members. With so much industry talent gathered in one place, the career fair is a great way for aftermarket businesses to meet potential candidates, increase brand awareness and connect with the greater aftermarket community. The SEMA Garage team will also provide a tour of its facility showcasing the state-of-the-art equipment used to assist SEMA members with product development. Lunch will be provided.

Register today at this link.

By SEMA News Editors

Road & Track Unveils Its 2025 Performance Car of the Year

Road & Track has announced its selection for the 2025 performance car of the year in a recent article.

"We had aimed to crown two winners as we did last year, one coming in under $100,000 and one that costs over $100,000. But the market for reasonably priced new enthusiast machines is small, and this year's crop of new or significantly updated models was slimmer than most years'. The Miata and BMW Z4 manual--the only two cars in our test under $100,000 are excellent, but they do not constitute a class. So this year, all 10 entrants competed in a single division, resulting in a single winner. And what a car it is," David Pund wrote.

Lamborghini's new Revuelto, the first 1,001hp Lamborghini and the marque's first battery-electric hybrid, was crowned the overall winner.

Read the complete review on Road & Track here.

SuperSprings International Welcomes New Sales Leadership and Expands Team

SuperSprings International (SSI)--the Carpinteria, California-based provider of American-made innovative suspension solutions--has announced the expansion of its sales-team under the leadership of Director of Sales Justin Coulter, who joined SSI in 2023.

The new sales team structure enables the company to better support its network of upfitters, RV manufacturers, dealers and individual customers nationwide.

Joining the team are three seasoned professionals:

• Angie Klatt, business development representative: With a proven track record in building strong relationships, Klatt will focus on identifying opportunities and fostering connections to expand SSI's reach.
• Mike Maul, regional territory manager for the Western United States: Based in Minnesota, Maul brings extensive knowledge of the industry and is dedicated to providing personalized support to customers in the Western region.
• Brian Hughes, regional territory manager for the Eastern United States: Operating from Kentucky, Hughes offers a deep understanding of regional needs and will ensure that customers in the Eastern region receive tailored solutions and top-tier service.

"We are thrilled to welcome Angie, Mike, and Brian to the SuperSprings International family," said Coulter. "Together, we're enhancing our ability to meet the needs of our partners and end users, ensuring every journey is better."

For more information, visit superspringsinternational.com.

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) will host a town hall meeting at COBB Tuning in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, February 20, from 5:00–6:00 p.m. CST.  

The meeting is open to current SEMA and TORA members and will enable attendees to connect with the council's select committee and SEMA sales, who will share resources to help truck and off-road aftermarket companies succeed in the industry. Additionally, SEMA Government Affairs will provide updates on legislative issues that are impacting the truck and off-road market. Attendees will hear about topics ranging from emissions regulations to off-road trail access, and how industry members can make their voices heard in the legislative process.  

The meeting will be followed by a networking mixer and COBB Tuning Open House, offering attendees a chance to further their connections.  

Register for the meeting here.  

To learn more about TORA membership, visit sema.org/tora. 

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA-member company employees have an exclusive opportunity to apply to reduce their student debt through the SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program. Loan forgiveness applications are open now and run through March 1, at sema.org/loan-forgiveness. 

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program issues $2,000 awards to individuals who are paying off a degree or certification from a college, university or career tech school in the United States or Canada. Applicants must be employed by a SEMA member company, demonstrate a passion for the automotive industry and have a minimum of $2,000 in student loans in order to be eligible.  

"It's SEMA's mission to help our member companies succeed and prosper, and that also means supporting the employees behind those companies so that they can focus on their careers," said Jose Escobar, SEMA manager of recognition programs. "We invite everyone who qualifies to apply to take advantage of this program."

SEMA Loan Forgiveness eligibility requirements and the application can be found at sema.org/loan-forgiveness. Questions can be directed to Escobar at josee@sema.org.  

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

The state of California today withdrew its request for the Clean Air Act waiver needed to implement its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, a significant victory for those who seek a technology-neutral approach to reducing carbon emissions. SEMA and PRI celebrate this important development, which halts an effort by California to overstep its constitutional and state statutory authority, and clears the path for the automotive aftermarket industry to continue leading the way toward cleaner, safer vehicles through innovation and American ingenuity--particularly through alternative-fuel innovations, replacing older engine technologies with newer, cleaner versions, and converting older internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles to new electric- or hydrogen-powered vehicles. 

In October, SEMA and PRI filed a suit in federal court, challenging the regulation on the basis of significant constitutional questions. The lawsuit remains active as the organization considers the implications of California's action. 

SEMA and PRI now call on California to immediately cease and desist the implementation and threatened enforcement of the Advanced Clean Fleets policy, as the law is clear in regards to the state needing federal approval for its implementation. Not to mention, the policy is a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution, says SEMA Government Affairs.

"SEMA and its thousands of members in the automotive aftermarket industry are thrilled to learn of California's decision on Advanced Clean Fleets, which represents a reprieve from the significant national implications that the policy would have wrought. Advanced Clean Fleets would have crippled interstate commerce by implementing harmful EV mandates on the trucking fleets that drive our nation's economy. Now, we demand that California immediately halt its premature implementation and enforcement action already underway. The law is clear that, without its waiver, California has no foundation upon which to implement this policy," said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. "SEMA will continue our efforts to ensure the defeat of any shortsighted attempts to enact EV mandates, and instead champion a technology-neutral approach that rewards innovation, ingenuity and practicality." 

SEMA and PRI champion a technology-neutral approach that fosters innovation and ingenuity. The association will continue efforts to preserve Americans' rights to vehicle choice and the automotive aftermarket industry's ability to design, manufacture and bring to market products that help solve the emissions challenge. 

BACKGROUND 

SEMA/PRI and The Work Truck Association (NTEA) in October  filed suit in the U.S. District Court's Eastern District of California against the California Air Resources Board (CARB), seeking immediate declaratory and injunctive relief to stop electric vehicle mandates CARB intends to implement through its ACF regulations.  

CARB's ACF regulation includes requirements that only zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) may cross within California's borders, regardless of which state the vehicle was purchased or registered. Vehicles covered by the regulation include everything from heavy-duty tractors with sleeper cabs to work trucks, pickup trucks and light-duty package delivery vehicles. Interstate motor carriers and others whose trucks do not comply the ACF regulation would be barred from operating within the nation's largest single-state economy for even a moment. 

In their lawsuit, SEMA/PRI and NTEA contend that CARB's actions far exceed California's constitutional and state statutory authority and will have a dire effect on an industry that historically has led the way toward cleaner, safer vehicles through innovation and American ingenuity--particularly through alternative-fuel innovations, replacing older engine technologies with newer, cleaner versions and converting older internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to new electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles.

SEMA and PRI are not anti-EV organizations; rather, the organizations are steadfast in their belief that a technology-neutral approach is the best way to achieve lower vehicle emissions. By declaring one technology as the preferred solution of government, California would have kneecapped other potential solutions, regardless of their promise to deliver the results the state seeks. Now, innovators and the free market will have an opportunity to provide meaningful contributions to efforts to eliminate carbon emissions.

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

The state of California today withdrew its request for the Clean Air Act waiver needed to implement its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, a significant victory for those who seek a technology-neutral approach to reducing carbon emissions. SEMA and PRI celebrate this important development, which halts an effort by California to overstep its constitutional and state statutory authority, and clears the path for the automotive aftermarket industry to continue leading the way toward cleaner, safer vehicles through innovation and American ingenuity--particularly through alternative-fuel innovations, replacing older engine technologies with newer, cleaner versions, and converting older internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles to new electric- or hydrogen-powered vehicles. 

In October, SEMA and PRI filed a suit in federal court, challenging the regulation on the basis of significant constitutional questions. The lawsuit remains active as the organization considers the implications of California's action. 

SEMA and PRI now call on California to immediately cease and desist the implementation and threatened enforcement of the Advanced Clean Fleets policy, as the law is clear in regards to the state needing federal approval for its implementation. Not to mention, the policy is a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution, says SEMA Government Affairs.

"SEMA and its thousands of members in the automotive aftermarket industry are thrilled to learn of California's decision on Advanced Clean Fleets, which represents a reprieve from the significant national implications that the policy would have wrought. Advanced Clean Fleets would have crippled interstate commerce by implementing harmful EV mandates on the trucking fleets that drive our nation's economy. Now, we demand that California immediately halt its premature implementation and enforcement action already underway. The law is clear that, without its waiver, California has no foundation upon which to implement this policy," said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. "SEMA will continue our efforts to ensure the defeat of any shortsighted attempts to enact EV mandates, and instead champion a technology-neutral approach that rewards innovation, ingenuity and practicality." 

SEMA and PRI champion a technology-neutral approach that fosters innovation and ingenuity. The association will continue efforts to preserve Americans' rights to vehicle choice and the automotive aftermarket industry's ability to design, manufacture and bring to market products that help solve the emissions challenge. 

BACKGROUND 

SEMA/PRI and The Work Truck Association (NTEA) in October  filed suit in the U.S. District Court's Eastern District of California against the California Air Resources Board (CARB), seeking immediate declaratory and injunctive relief to stop electric vehicle mandates CARB intends to implement through its ACF regulations.  

CARB's ACF regulation includes requirements that only zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) may cross within California's borders, regardless of which state the vehicle was purchased or registered. Vehicles covered by the regulation include everything from heavy-duty tractors with sleeper cabs to work trucks, pickup trucks and light-duty package delivery vehicles. Interstate motor carriers and others whose trucks do not comply the ACF regulation would be barred from operating within the nation's largest single-state economy for even a moment. 

In their lawsuit, SEMA/PRI and NTEA contend that CARB's actions far exceed California's constitutional and state statutory authority and will have a dire effect on an industry that historically has led the way toward cleaner, safer vehicles through innovation and American ingenuity--particularly through alternative-fuel innovations, replacing older engine technologies with newer, cleaner versions and converting older internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to new electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles.

SEMA and PRI are not anti-EV organizations; rather, the organizations are steadfast in their belief that a technology-neutral approach is the best way to achieve lower vehicle emissions. By declaring one technology as the preferred solution of government, California would have kneecapped other potential solutions, regardless of their promise to deliver the results the state seeks. Now, innovators and the free market will have an opportunity to provide meaningful contributions to efforts to eliminate carbon emissions.

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office 

The United States Senate has begun its work to evaluate President Donald Trump's cabinet selections, with a trio of nominees important to the automotive aftermarket and racing industries on Capitol Hill this week for their confirmation hearings. SEMA continues to closely monitor the hearings for former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI), Secretary of Transportation nominee; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior nominee; and former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nominee.  

Following the hearings, the Senate committee that is responsible for overseeing the department for which the nominee has been appointed will hold a vote on whether to confirm the nominee. Once approved by the committee, which simply requires a majority, the full Senate will then vote on the nomination (simple majority required for the nominee to be confirmed). 

SEMA members are encouraged to send letters of support for each of the three nominees. Use our easy online tool to send your letter now. 

Sean Duffy 

Former Rep. Sean Duffy appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to discuss his nomination to lead the Department of Transportation. In his statement prior to questioning, Wisconsin native Duffy promised to prioritize road safety, while noting that transportation is the federal issue that most impacts Americans' daily lives. 

Doug Burgum 

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing today on North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump's choice to lead the Department of the Interior. Burgum is a passionate outdoor recreationist and enjoys off-roading on his side-by-side.  

Lee Zeldin 

Also today, former Rep. Lee Zeldin appeared before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Zeldin, from New York, vowed to help stop electric vehicle mandates. 

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office 

The United States Senate has begun its work to evaluate President Donald Trump's cabinet selections, with a trio of nominees important to the automotive aftermarket and racing industries on Capitol Hill this week for their confirmation hearings. SEMA continues to closely monitor the hearings for former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI), Secretary of Transportation nominee; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior nominee; and former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nominee.  

Following the hearings, the Senate committee that is responsible for overseeing the department for which the nominee has been appointed will hold a vote on whether to confirm the nominee. Once approved by the committee, which simply requires a majority, the full Senate will then vote on the nomination (simple majority required for the nominee to be confirmed). 

SEMA members are encouraged to send letters of support for each of the three nominees. Use our easy online tool to send your letter now. 

Sean Duffy 

Former Rep. Sean Duffy appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to discuss his nomination to lead the Department of Transportation. In his statement prior to questioning, Wisconsin native Duffy promised to prioritize road safety, while noting that transportation is the federal issue that most impacts Americans' daily lives. 

Doug Burgum 

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing today on North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump's choice to lead the Department of the Interior. Burgum is a passionate outdoor recreationist and enjoys off-roading on his side-by-side.  

Lee Zeldin 

Also today, former Rep. Lee Zeldin appeared before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Zeldin, from New York, vowed to help stop electric vehicle mandates. 

By SEMA News Editors

The HOT ROD Power Tour has revealed the schedule for its 2025 tour, which will stop at five Midwest venues this June.

Scheduled for June 9-13, the traveling car show will feature more than 1,000 miles of driving, as well as drag racing, autocross and live entertainment, and attract more than 6,000 cars and trucks of all years, makes and models. Planned stops include Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, and the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

For more information, visit hotrodpowertour.us.

See the full schedule below:

• Day 1: June 9--Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Day 2: June 10--Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Illinois
• Day 3: June 11--Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Day 4: June 12--Monroe County Fairgrounds, Monroe, Michigan
• Day 5: June 13--Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio

This story was originally published on January 16, 2025. For more industry news, visit SEMANews.com and subscribe to SEMA News at the bottom of the webpage to get the latest updates straight to your inbox, twice a week.