On February 8, a fire started in one of four buildings at ATC Truck Covers in Garnett, Kansas. No one was injured, and the company hopes to be back to full production in a new facility within 90 days.

On February 8, ATC Truck Covers—a fiberglass truck cap and tonneau cover manufacturer in Garnett, Kansas—had a fire start in one of its four buildings around 1:00 a.m. ATC builds fiberglass truck caps, tonneau covers, sliding-bed systems and other fiberglass products.

“We’re incredibly thankful that no one was injured,” said ATC Truck Covers President and former TCAA (now TORA) Chairman Bobby Combs. “From what we can tell at this point in time, the safety features of our chemical storage area appear to have worked as designed, preventing any chemicals from being released into the environment.”

ATC has assessed the damage to its 70,000-sq.-ft. main production building, and it appears to be a total loss. However, the company's goal is to minimize any interruption of service to its customers. ATC has made arrangements to move its production to one of the three other buildings it has on the same property. Production will be limited while the company searches for another facility at or near its Garnett location.

ATC has a long history in the SEMA community and the automotive aftermarket and is committed to rebuilding. In as little as 90 days time, ATC hopes to return to full production with a better facility, equipment and systems that will allow the company to produce an even higher-quality product. It also plans to introduce new products to the automotive aftermarket.

The company would like to thank the community, employees, customers, vendors and its competitors for the support it has received during this period.

Are you hunting for a new job? The “Positions Available” section in the SEMA Member Classifieds lists more than 50 job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest classifieds posted to the website.

• Pro Comp, Smittybilt and G2 Axle & Gear is seeking a sales/tech/customer service representative for its Compton, California, office. The successful candidate will be responsible for answering heavy incoming sales/tech/customer service calls; completing warranty, tech and call logs; and traveling to all necessary trade shows as a sales representative. Requirements include knowledge of light-truck suspension, tires, wheels, axle and gear components. A minimum of two years of sales support experience is a plus.

• Anzo USA is seeking a product manager for its Chino, California, office. This position will be responsible for managing inventory levels relating to mass-merchant plan-o-gram items, along with the development of new products and licensed products. The successful candidate should have a minimum of three years of experience, a proven track record of maintaining at least five turns per year on in-house inventory and more than five years of experience working with an Asian supply chain.

• Mid America Motorworks, located in Effingham, Illinois, is hiring a web programmer/developer. The successful candidate will be responsible for building, developing and improving multiple web sites; working with the web team, marketing and merchandisers to build and grow a world-class automotive e-commerce site; and developing new web applications as identified by management through packaged and customized applications. Requirements include four to six years of experience working in a fast-paced environment for a medium- to large-sized company.

• Keystone Automotive Operations (KAO) is hiring an inside sales representative to drive sales growth and profitability in a defined territory, sell the KAO portfolio of products and related services, identify target customers and manage the product mix to increase profitability and market share. The ideal candidate must have experience in establishing customer relationships, be proficient in Microsoft Office, have an automotive background and possess a four-year college degree or equivalent work experience.

The California Supreme Court ruled that merchants can no longer ask their customers for ZIP codes during credit-card purchases since the request violates the state’s consumer-protection law. The 1990 law prohibits businesses from requesting and recording the cardholder's "personal identification information." The court ruled that the prohibition includes a ZIP code.

The court distinguished between merchants that send the ZIP code to its own company database and merchants, such as gas stations that verify a customer’s identity by sending the ZIP code directly to a bank or credit card company. The latter practice is still legal; however, the former is not because the court contends that companies can use the information to market its own product or sell to other businesses. Retailers can still request ZIP codes when selling and shipping products online or for in-store cash purchases.

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

The California Supreme Court ruled that merchants can no longer ask their customers for ZIP codes during credit-card purchases since the request violates the state’s consumer-protection law. The 1990 law prohibits businesses from requesting and recording the cardholder's "personal identification information." The court ruled that the prohibition includes a ZIP code.

The court distinguished between merchants that send the ZIP code to its own company database and merchants, such as gas stations that verify a customer’s identity by sending the ZIP code directly to a bank or credit card company. The latter practice is still legal; however, the former is not because the court contends that companies can use the information to market its own product or sell to other businesses. Retailers can still request ZIP codes when selling and shipping products online or for in-store cash purchases.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established a new safety standard intended to prevent occupants from being ejected through side windows during a vehicle rollover or side-impact crash. Vehicle manufacturers will have flexibility in determining how to meet the standard’s performance requirements. Anticipated automaker alternatives include using advanced window glazing, making side airbags larger and more robust or tethering side airbags to the base of the vehicle’s pillars.

The new safety standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 226, will be phased-in over a four-year period beginning in 2013. Manufacturers of altered vehicles and vehicles produced in multiple stages are given more time to comply. The rule applies to all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lbs. or less.

The safety standard was required under a 2005 law intended to reduce deaths and injuries associated with rollover and side-impact crashes. The same law spurred other NHTSA safety rules, including installation of electronic stability control systems and side air bags and strengthening of the roof crush standard. While the rule only applies to new-vehicle manufacturers, it is nevertheless illegal to market a product that does not conform to an applicable FMVSS or would take a vehicle out-of-compliance with a safety standard (“make inoperative”).

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established a new safety standard intended to prevent occupants from being ejected through side windows during a vehicle rollover or side-impact crash. Vehicle manufacturers will have flexibility in determining how to meet the standard’s performance requirements. Anticipated automaker alternatives include using advanced window glazing, making side airbags larger and more robust or tethering side airbags to the base of the vehicle’s pillars.

The new safety standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 226, will be phased-in over a four-year period beginning in 2013. Manufacturers of altered vehicles and vehicles produced in multiple stages are given more time to comply. The rule applies to all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lbs. or less.

The safety standard was required under a 2005 law intended to reduce deaths and injuries associated with rollover and side-impact crashes. The same law spurred other NHTSA safety rules, including installation of electronic stability control systems and side air bags and strengthening of the roof crush standard. While the rule only applies to new-vehicle manufacturers, it is nevertheless illegal to market a product that does not conform to an applicable FMVSS or would take a vehicle out-of-compliance with a safety standard (“make inoperative”).

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

As Congress continues the lengthy debate to repeal the costly 1099 reporting requirement included in last year’s health care law, SEMA is again pushing for immediate action. SEMA President and CEO Christopher Kersting sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee requesting immediate consideration of proposed repeal legislation. The Committee has since approved a repeal bill (HR 4) and a funding mechanism (HR 748), sending the important bill to the House floor for a vote. The Senate has already approved a repeal measure.  

Unless the law is repealed, businesses will be required to issue 1099 forms to all vendors from whom they buy more than $600 worth of goods or services in any year, beginning in 2012. The provision has garnered widespread opposition on Capitol Hill, and President Obama called for its repeal during his State of the Union address. The only obstacle to eliminating the provision has been finding an offset to recoup lost revenues. The requirement was intended to prompt vendors receiving 1099 forms to declare and pay taxes on the income. SEMA contends that it will fail to collect much under-reported income, but it will succeed in punishing small-business taxpayers that already comply with U.S. tax law.

SEMA is working independently and with four other industry coalitions to repeal the 1099 provision. For more information, please visit www.semapac.com or contact Dan Sadowski, congressional affairs manager, at dans@sema.org.

As Congress continues the lengthy debate to repeal the costly 1099 reporting requirement included in last year’s health care law, SEMA is again pushing for immediate action. SEMA President and CEO Christopher Kersting sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee requesting immediate consideration of proposed repeal legislation. The Committee has since approved a repeal bill (HR 4) and a funding mechanism (HR 748), sending the important bill to the House floor for a vote. The Senate has already approved a repeal measure.  

Unless the law is repealed, businesses will be required to issue 1099 forms to all vendors from whom they buy more than $600 worth of goods or services in any year, beginning in 2012. The provision has garnered widespread opposition on Capitol Hill, and President Obama called for its repeal during his State of the Union address. The only obstacle to eliminating the provision has been finding an offset to recoup lost revenues. The requirement was intended to prompt vendors receiving 1099 forms to declare and pay taxes on the income. SEMA contends that it will fail to collect much under-reported income, but it will succeed in punishing small-business taxpayers that already comply with U.S. tax law.

SEMA is working independently and with four other industry coalitions to repeal the 1099 provision. For more information, please visit www.semapac.com or contact Dan Sadowski, congressional affairs manager, at dans@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle-registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles, including kits and replicas, and provide for special license plates for these vehicles, has been introduced in the New Mexico State Legislature. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The bill has been referred to the New Mexico Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee for consideration.

Among other things, the measure allows for the use of non-original materials, creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble, only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle and provides for a one-time registration and plate fee of $100. 

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

SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle-registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles, including kits and replicas, and provide for special license plates for these vehicles, has been introduced in the New Mexico State Legislature. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The bill has been referred to the New Mexico Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee for consideration.

Among other things, the measure allows for the use of non-original materials, creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble, only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle and provides for a one-time registration and plate fee of $100. 

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