By SEMA Editors

Stay up-to-date on the latest 2017 SEMA Show exhibitor news by regularly checking the Online Media Center.

Stay up-to-date on the latest 2017 SEMA Show exhibitor news by regularly checking the Online Media Center. Find the most relevant news quickly and efficiently by sorting by type of announcement and/or market segment.

Below are some of the latest announcements you will find in the Online Media Center:

• Skull Krushers Offroad Inc. Partners With Black Rhino Wheels
• Axalta Announces 2017 SEMA Show Event Schedule and Special Guest Appearances
• The OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational Celebrates 10 Years
• 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division Announces Newest Innovation In Painting
• DOT-Compliant Plumbing Solutions
• Transamerican Auto Parts Returns to SEMA With “Life Is Better Off-Road” SEMA Vehicle Build Award
• DECKED Debuts System For Midsize Pickups
• ColorBond Announces SEMA Show Calendar
• CRC Industries Launches GDI Service Pack at NAPA Autocare Centers, New GDI Engine Service Helps NAPA Autocare Centers Create Steady Profit While Maintaining the Performance of Customers’ GDI-Equipped Vehicles
• Steelcraft Unveils New Jeep Bumpers
• Water Transfer Printing Technology Revolutionizes Automotive Restyling Industry
• Wyotech Launches Alumni Association to Support Students Throughout Careers While Helping Employers Close Technical and Mechanical Skills Gap
• Get Your $22K a Day From Russia

Exhibitor press releases can be found at www.SEMAShow.com/press. All SEMA Show exhibitors are welcome to upload releases free of charge.

The 2017 SEMA Show will take place October 31–November 3 in Las Vegas. Register now!

By Katie Carson

The SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) is offering an incentive to its members for recruiting automotive professionals in the engineering, design and technology fields. The member with the highest number of qualified new ETTN member referrals will win an iPad*. Send the ETTN membership application to technical professionals.

ETTN provides its membership with updates on the latest advancements in automotive technology and the possible impacts on the aftermarket industry. The ETTN also holds events throughout the year concentrating on discovery, connecting with subject-matter experts and education seminars.

Any technical professional employed by a SEMA-member company is eligible to join ETTN at no cost to the company or the individual.

Learn more about ETTN. 

*The contest will run from October 19–December 31. Referrals will only be counted during that time period. The individual with the most qualified referrals will win an iPad. Qualified referrals are defined as a current employee of a current SEMA-member company who is an engineering, design, product development or technical professional. Referrals will only be counted if the new qualified member mentions the name and company of the referrer. In the event of a tie, the referrer whose name is mentioned first by date and time will be determined as the winner.

By Katie Carson

The SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) is offering an incentive to its members for recruiting automotive professionals in the engineering, design and technology fields. The member with the highest number of qualified new ETTN member referrals will win an iPad*. Send the ETTN membership application to technical professionals.

ETTN provides its membership with updates on the latest advancements in automotive technology and the possible impacts on the aftermarket industry. The ETTN also holds events throughout the year concentrating on discovery, connecting with subject-matter experts and education seminars.

Any technical professional employed by a SEMA-member company is eligible to join ETTN at no cost to the company or the individual.

Learn more about ETTN. 

*The contest will run from October 19–December 31. Referrals will only be counted during that time period. The individual with the most qualified referrals will win an iPad. Qualified referrals are defined as a current employee of a current SEMA-member company who is an engineering, design, product development or technical professional. Referrals will only be counted if the new qualified member mentions the name and company of the referrer. In the event of a tie, the referrer whose name is mentioned first by date and time will be determined as the winner.

SEMA News recently caught up to Bruiser Conversions in Tampa, Florida, for a sneak peek at their LS3-powered 6x6 Jeep Wrangler.

SEMA News recently caught up to Bruiser Conversions in Tampa, Florida, for a sneak peek at their LS3-powered 6x6 Jeep Wrangler.

By SEMA Editors

Todd Tracy

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has created two events that will put SEMA Show attendees in the room with Todd Tracy, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision.

The first session, “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” has been newly added to the agenda as a result of the trial’s results. It will be held Wednesday, November 1, from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., in Ballrooms D–E in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. A registration link will soon be announced for this session.

For those in the collision-repair industry, there is perhaps no bigger news story right now than the October 1 verdict, when a Texas jury found a Dallas-based collision-repair center liable for incorrect repairs that led to increased severity in the crash of a ’10 Honda Fit. The jury awarded the vehicle’s owners a $42 million verdict for injuries sustained as a result of the couple being trapped inside the burning vehicle. The collision-repair facility was found responsible for 75% of the damages, and the details of Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision are likely to have rippling impacts across the collision-repair landscape.

In “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” Tracy will recount crucial details of the depositions, the trial and the decision-making information presented to the jury that led to the precedent-setting verdict. Those details can:

• Help collision-repair businesses avoid their own “$42 million verdict.”
• Help clarify the facts that led a jury to conclude that OEM procedures were paramount.
• Define how business decisions made in the course of repair can have dramatic effect on both the repair outcome and ultimate responsibility.

Above understanding the intricacies of the case, understanding the liability implications is significant to collision-repair business owners and operations.

Additionally, on Thursday, November 2, from 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., SCRS will host a panel during the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit that specifically addresses repairer liability concerns and realities.

“The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology, Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities” will be moderated by technologist and author John Ellis, and will feature Tracy, and Attorney Erica Eversman (Vehicle Information Services), Mark Allen (Audi of America) and Aaron Clark (former shop owner.)

The panel will specifically address:

• An industry that is grappling with following manufacturer repair procedure requirements that are expected to be performed on every occasion.
• Insurance claims positioning that leans toward case-by-case approval.
• The implication of business decisions that can directly impact repair facility liability.

As the litigation in Texas exposes flaws in the rationale for deviating from OEM repair procedures, this discussion is critical for today’s collision-repair operator. Register today while space is available!

Registration for all Repairer Driven Education sessions during the SEMA Show can be secured at www.scrs.com/rde, or onsite outside the education classrooms.

For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, visit www.scrs.com, call toll free 877-841-0660 or email info@scrs.com.

By SEMA Editors

Todd Tracy

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has created two events that will put SEMA Show attendees in the room with Todd Tracy, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision.

The first session, “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” has been newly added to the agenda as a result of the trial’s results. It will be held Wednesday, November 1, from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., in Ballrooms D–E in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. A registration link will soon be announced for this session.

For those in the collision-repair industry, there is perhaps no bigger news story right now than the October 1 verdict, when a Texas jury found a Dallas-based collision-repair center liable for incorrect repairs that led to increased severity in the crash of a ’10 Honda Fit. The jury awarded the vehicle’s owners a $42 million verdict for injuries sustained as a result of the couple being trapped inside the burning vehicle. The collision-repair facility was found responsible for 75% of the damages, and the details of Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision are likely to have rippling impacts across the collision-repair landscape.

In “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” Tracy will recount crucial details of the depositions, the trial and the decision-making information presented to the jury that led to the precedent-setting verdict. Those details can:

• Help collision-repair businesses avoid their own “$42 million verdict.”
• Help clarify the facts that led a jury to conclude that OEM procedures were paramount.
• Define how business decisions made in the course of repair can have dramatic effect on both the repair outcome and ultimate responsibility.

Above understanding the intricacies of the case, understanding the liability implications is significant to collision-repair business owners and operations.

Additionally, on Thursday, November 2, from 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., SCRS will host a panel during the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit that specifically addresses repairer liability concerns and realities.

“The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology, Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities” will be moderated by technologist and author John Ellis, and will feature Tracy, and Attorney Erica Eversman (Vehicle Information Services), Mark Allen (Audi of America) and Aaron Clark (former shop owner.)

The panel will specifically address:

• An industry that is grappling with following manufacturer repair procedure requirements that are expected to be performed on every occasion.
• Insurance claims positioning that leans toward case-by-case approval.
• The implication of business decisions that can directly impact repair facility liability.

As the litigation in Texas exposes flaws in the rationale for deviating from OEM repair procedures, this discussion is critical for today’s collision-repair operator. Register today while space is available!

Registration for all Repairer Driven Education sessions during the SEMA Show can be secured at www.scrs.com/rde, or onsite outside the education classrooms.

For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, visit www.scrs.com, call toll free 877-841-0660 or email info@scrs.com.

By SEMA Editors

Todd Tracy

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has created two events that will put SEMA Show attendees in the room with Todd Tracy, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision.

The first session, “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” has been newly added to the agenda as a result of the trial’s results. It will be held Wednesday, November 1, from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., in Ballrooms D–E in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. A registration link will soon be announced for this session.

For those in the collision-repair industry, there is perhaps no bigger news story right now than the October 1 verdict, when a Texas jury found a Dallas-based collision-repair center liable for incorrect repairs that led to increased severity in the crash of a ’10 Honda Fit. The jury awarded the vehicle’s owners a $42 million verdict for injuries sustained as a result of the couple being trapped inside the burning vehicle. The collision-repair facility was found responsible for 75% of the damages, and the details of Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision are likely to have rippling impacts across the collision-repair landscape.

In “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” Tracy will recount crucial details of the depositions, the trial and the decision-making information presented to the jury that led to the precedent-setting verdict. Those details can:

• Help collision-repair businesses avoid their own “$42 million verdict.”
• Help clarify the facts that led a jury to conclude that OEM procedures were paramount.
• Define how business decisions made in the course of repair can have dramatic effect on both the repair outcome and ultimate responsibility.

Above understanding the intricacies of the case, understanding the liability implications is significant to collision-repair business owners and operations.

Additionally, on Thursday, November 2, from 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., SCRS will host a panel during the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit that specifically addresses repairer liability concerns and realities.

“The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology, Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities” will be moderated by technologist and author John Ellis, and will feature Tracy, and Attorney Erica Eversman (Vehicle Information Services), Mark Allen (Audi of America) and Aaron Clark (former shop owner.)

The panel will specifically address:

• An industry that is grappling with following manufacturer repair procedure requirements that are expected to be performed on every occasion.
• Insurance claims positioning that leans toward case-by-case approval.
• The implication of business decisions that can directly impact repair facility liability.

As the litigation in Texas exposes flaws in the rationale for deviating from OEM repair procedures, this discussion is critical for today’s collision-repair operator. Register today while space is available!

Registration for all Repairer Driven Education sessions during the SEMA Show can be secured at www.scrs.com/rde, or onsite outside the education classrooms.

For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, visit www.scrs.com, call toll free 877-841-0660 or email info@scrs.com.

By SEMA Editors

Todd Tracy

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has created two events that will put SEMA Show attendees in the room with Todd Tracy, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision.

The first session, “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” has been newly added to the agenda as a result of the trial’s results. It will be held Wednesday, November 1, from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., in Ballrooms D–E in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. A registration link will soon be announced for this session.

For those in the collision-repair industry, there is perhaps no bigger news story right now than the October 1 verdict, when a Texas jury found a Dallas-based collision-repair center liable for incorrect repairs that led to increased severity in the crash of a ’10 Honda Fit. The jury awarded the vehicle’s owners a $42 million verdict for injuries sustained as a result of the couple being trapped inside the burning vehicle. The collision-repair facility was found responsible for 75% of the damages, and the details of Seebachan vs. John Eagle Collision are likely to have rippling impacts across the collision-repair landscape.

In “The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict,” Tracy will recount crucial details of the depositions, the trial and the decision-making information presented to the jury that led to the precedent-setting verdict. Those details can:

• Help collision-repair businesses avoid their own “$42 million verdict.”
• Help clarify the facts that led a jury to conclude that OEM procedures were paramount.
• Define how business decisions made in the course of repair can have dramatic effect on both the repair outcome and ultimate responsibility.

Above understanding the intricacies of the case, understanding the liability implications is significant to collision-repair business owners and operations.

Additionally, on Thursday, November 2, from 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., SCRS will host a panel during the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit that specifically addresses repairer liability concerns and realities.

“The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology, Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities” will be moderated by technologist and author John Ellis, and will feature Tracy, and Attorney Erica Eversman (Vehicle Information Services), Mark Allen (Audi of America) and Aaron Clark (former shop owner.)

The panel will specifically address:

• An industry that is grappling with following manufacturer repair procedure requirements that are expected to be performed on every occasion.
• Insurance claims positioning that leans toward case-by-case approval.
• The implication of business decisions that can directly impact repair facility liability.

As the litigation in Texas exposes flaws in the rationale for deviating from OEM repair procedures, this discussion is critical for today’s collision-repair operator. Register today while space is available!

Registration for all Repairer Driven Education sessions during the SEMA Show can be secured at www.scrs.com/rde, or onsite outside the education classrooms.

For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, visit www.scrs.com, call toll free 877-841-0660 or email info@scrs.com.

By SEMA Editors

Bob Cook

Robert (Bob) F. Cook Sr. has passed away. A 2008 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee, Cook founded Bob Cook Sales in June 1979. His résumé included three consecutive terms on the SEMA Board of Directors and chairmanships of the WD of the Year Committee, Rep Committee and Dues Review Committee. 

Cook grew up in west Georgia and moved to Atlanta when he was 8 years old. His mother raised four children on her own, and he found a mentor and surrogate father in his older brother, who shared his fondness for cars and racing.

“I’d always liked cars,” Cook recalled, “and when my brother got out of the Navy, he came home with a primered ’51 Mercury that we took to the drag races. Of course, a Flathead Ford engine with a two-barrel carburetor was not very fast, but it got us started. My job at the time was to take the street tires off and put the slicks on. I was the pit crew.”

After graduating from high school, Cook studied to become an attorney at John Marshall Law School in Atlanta with the intention of getting into politics at some point, but that never materialized. Instead, he parlayed his day jobs and passion for cars into one of the most honored careers in the automotive specialty-equipment industry. He began as a delivery boy for a NAPA store called Redman Auto Parts. He moved from deliveries to stock clerking and eventually to the counter. When two of his fellow countermen left Redman to open their own parts store down the street, they lured him away.

From there, Cook went to work at a warehouse that dealt primarily with small-engine ignitions and carburetion. The carburetion link was further strengthened when he went to work for Holley Carburetor. The Holley factory team also represented the Edelbrock line and, in 1974, Cook joined several of the crew in breaking away to form a national rep firm called Performance Marketers Inc.

With a few years of the rep experience under his belt, Cook started his own agency in June of 1979. In those first years, Bob Cook Sales struggled to stay afloat. A few key people provided Cook with opportunities that helped his fledgling company survive. Vic Edelbrock and Bob Vandergriff were Cook’s first two clients.

As his company grew from just himself to a two-man and finally a 14-rep business, Cook began to help foster the industry by giving his time and his company’s sponsorships to SEMA and PWA events and functions over the years. Additional accolades included serving on the Long-Range Planning Committee, the New Products Judging Committee and the Person of the Year Committee. With his leadership, Bob Cook Sales has been honored six times with the SEMA Rep of the Year award. Cook was also a finalist for the PWA Person of the Year award nine times.

Cook retired in 2008, and enjoyed working on his farm in Georgia and spending time with his two sons, Robby and Jeffrey.

Visitation will be held Friday, October 20, from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., and the funeral will be held Saturday, October 21, at 11:00 a.m., at Lord & Stephens East, 4355 Lexington Rd., Athens, GA 30605.