SEMA News—March 2016

Fast Facts

Classic Tube appointed Nicole Millich marketing manager. She has worked for more than 10 years in consumer and B2B arenas, focusing on the implementation of strategic and tactical marketing research. Millich will oversee all marketing strategy and tactics of Classic Tube, including print, digital and events. She will also work closely with the Classic Tube sales department to grow the company’s automotive retail, distributor and industrial customer segments. Classic Tube, Lancaster, NY; 800-882-3711.

Serra Automotive announced the appointment of Lou Lobsinger Jr. as the company’s new OEM and aftermarket accessories specialist. Lobsinger will work with all of the brands on the Al Serra Auto Plaza to launch a new accessories program. Lobsinger joins Serra Automotive after 13 years with Specialty Auto Parts USA Inc. in Warren, Michigan, and most recently with Next Advisory Group Inc. He currently writes for several automotive magazines, including Performance Business, and is the automotive correspondent for “NBC 25 Today.”

QA1 won the Materials and Process Innovation Award from the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) during the 2015 Composites and Advanced Materials Expo in Dallas. ACMA presents its awards to companies that implement innovation in composites design, manufacturing or market growth. QA1 won in the manufacturing category for its nanosilica-infused resin for use in performance automotive carbon-fiber driveshafts. The company partnered with 3M to develop Matrix Resin, which allows for redesign of composite structures, eliminating weight while improving strength and stiffness, according to QA1. QA1 Precision Products, Lakeville, MN; 952-985-6450.

RealTruck.com promoted Justin Deltener to vice president. Deltener will be responsible for managing the regular operations and administration of the company, working with managers and company executives to set strategic goals and spearheading initiatives geared toward further company growth and development. Hired as chief technology officer in 2008, Deltener has been instrumental in creating RealTruck.com’s back-end order-management and fulfillment system, the development of the company’s website and the founding of the RealTruck Fargo office. RealTruck.com, Jamestown, ND; 877-216-5446.

The Wheel Group/Wheel-1 added Shelly Urwiler to its national sales force. Urwiler has been in the wheel, tire and accessory business for more than 40 years and has worked for many well-known wheel companies. He brings many years of experience, knowledge and relationships to the company. His main focus for The Wheel Group/Wheel-1 will be expanding business with national and small chain stores. Wheel-1 has 19 warehouse locations in the United States and Canada. The Wheel Group/Wheel-1, City of Industry, CA; 626-363-1660.

Turn 14 Distribution relocated its corporate headquarters to a state-of-the-art corporate park in Horsham, Pennsylvania, to better meet the needs of its customers and vendors and facilitate continued growth. The Horsham offices will serve as the base of operations for Turn 14 Distribution’s executive offices as well as its sales, customer-support call center, purchasing, marketing, web development, IT and accounting departments. The addition of a dedicated, 55-person training room features the latest audio and video equipment. Turn 14 Distribution, Horsham, PA; 877-788-7914.

Considine Sales & Marketing received the Rep of the Year Award from Meyer Distributing. Located in the Midwest, Considine Sales & Marketing is a manufacturing representative firm that has been in business for more than 44 years, providing sales, service, product placement, jobber calls and training to the automotive aftermarket. Criteria for the award included jobber calls; communication between manufacturers and Meyer; sales visits with Meyer inside sales reps; participation in vendor days, marketing and promotions; and overall support of Meyer and its efforts to increase sales. Considine Sales & Marketing, Highland, MI; 877-611-3344.

Abdallah (Abdul) Ibrahim was named the 2015 Mitchell 1 Automotive Service Excellence Technician of the Future. The award package included a $500 cash prize and a $2,000 gift certificate for a one-year subscription to ProDemand. Ibrahim has been an automotive and diesel technician for three years. He is currently working with his father at his auto shop in Wiggins, Colorado, and is attending Northeastern Junior College, where he is working toward an associate’s degree in diesel service technology. He also holds an associate’s degree in automotive service technology from Morgan Community College. Mitchell 1, Poway, CA; 858-391-5000.

Truck Hero Inc. announced the acquisition of N-FAB Parts and Accessories, making it the ninth acquisition on the Truck Hero platform. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Truck Hero is a supplier of branded light-duty truck accessories for pickup-bed applications. Since its formation, the company has grown organically and via acquisition from two truck bed-cover brands into a diverse portfolio of seven major bed-cover and truck-cap brands and a bedliner brand. N-FAB was previously owned by Thomas Fichter.

The Petersen Automotive Museum announced a media partnership with TEN: The Enthusiast Network. TEN will house its photo archive—which includes historical Petersen Publishing material—in the new Robert E. Petersen Library & Research Center at the museum. TEN will also serve as the presenting sponsor of the museum’s Hot Rod and Customs Gallery. The TEN photo archive—the largest automotive enthusiast archive in the world, with 8 million images from 1955 to 1997—will eventually be available to the public. Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA; 323-964-6320.

Doug Stokes received the Motor Press Guild’s 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award for his public-relations contributions to motorsports and the racing industry. A member of the MPG since it was re-named from IMPA-West in the mid-’80s, Stokes has supported motorsports for more than 25 years. Stokes has served as vice president of communications at Irwindale Event Center since 2013 and has previously been honored with the Chapman Award for PR by the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association. Irwindale Event Center, Irwindale, CA; 626-358-1100.

Power Heavy Duty welcomed SR Parts as its newest member company. Established in 2001 and based in Laredo, Texas, the company is operated by Sylvia Benavides, president, and Ricardo Rivera, vice president. The addition of SR Parts to Power Heavy Duty provides the organization with a strategic new point of distribution in South Texas and includes a customer base of fleets, independent service facilities, municipalities and owner-operators. The company’s inventory includes various truck and trailer parts.

Permatex named Curtis Haines associate innovations manager and Suzanne C. Liseo associate product manager. Haines will work with the product-marketing and R&D teams to identify and develop new markets and innovate product ideas for new and existing markets. He will also oversee new-product development, research analysis and provide hands-on technical advisement. Liseo will support the product-management team with a focus on new-product development. She will also handle customer/sales data (NPD & POS), line reviews and promotions as well as price-list maintenance and management.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members.

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members. The pending EPA regulation would also make the sale of certain products for use on such vehicles illegal. The resolution will next be considered by the Senate. 

The resolution recognizes that this proposed EPA regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members.

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members. The pending EPA regulation would also make the sale of certain products for use on such vehicles illegal. The resolution will next be considered by the Senate. 

The resolution recognizes that this proposed EPA regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members.

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members. The pending EPA regulation would also make the sale of certain products for use on such vehicles illegal. The resolution will next be considered by the Senate. 

The resolution recognizes that this proposed EPA regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members.

A West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into race cars was approved by the West Virginia House in a vote by all members. The pending EPA regulation would also make the sale of certain products for use on such vehicles illegal. The resolution will next be considered by the Senate. 

The resolution recognizes that this proposed EPA regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions.

The Utah House of Representatives passed a resolution (HCR 8) that calls on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF). Despite Bonneville’s rich history of racing for more than a century, the salt flats have significantly decreased in size, strength and thickness under BLM’s management, as the agency has allowed salt brine to be channeled away from the area.

The SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions. The resolution now awaits action in the Utah Senate. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions.

The Utah House of Representatives passed a resolution (HCR 8) that calls on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF). Despite Bonneville’s rich history of racing for more than a century, the salt flats have significantly decreased in size, strength and thickness under BLM’s management, as the agency has allowed salt brine to be channeled away from the area.

The SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions. The resolution now awaits action in the Utah Senate. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions.

The Utah House of Representatives passed a resolution (HCR 8) that calls on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF). Despite Bonneville’s rich history of racing for more than a century, the salt flats have significantly decreased in size, strength and thickness under BLM’s management, as the agency has allowed salt brine to be channeled away from the area.

The SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions. The resolution now awaits action in the Utah Senate. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions.

The Utah House of Representatives passed a resolution (HCR 8) that calls on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF). Despite Bonneville’s rich history of racing for more than a century, the salt flats have significantly decreased in size, strength and thickness under BLM’s management, as the agency has allowed salt brine to be channeled away from the area.

The SEMA-supported resolution urges the U.S. Congress and Utah's congressional delegation to take action to ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions. The resolution now awaits action in the Utah Senate. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Special guest Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) [far right] arrived in style at the 2014 SEMA Washington Rally behind the wheel of a replica Cobra. He was greeted at the event by (from L-R) SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting, SEMA Immediate Past Chairman Nate Shelton and SEMA Chairman Doug Evans.

Want to give the folks in Washington, D.C., a piece of your mind? Now’s your chance. Join fellow SEMA members in the nation’s capital May 11 to show Congress the strength of the $36 billion specialty-equipment industry.

Don’t think you can have an impact on the political process? Preventing regulatory overreach by government agencies, pursuing a pro-growth manufacturing and job creation agenda, creating access to small business loans and credit, preventing higher ethanol content in gasoline and fighting counterfeit products...these are just a few of the issues facing SEMA members during this critical election year.

Take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity to connect face-to-face with your legislators on Capitol Hill and let them know what matters most to you and your business. The SEMA Washington Rally is exclusively for SEMA members.

Scheduled events include:

• Legislative briefing session with SEMA staff.
• One-on-one meetings with your congressional legislators and their staff.
• Exclusive Capitol Hill luncheon with special invited guests.
• Private reception and dinner with high-profile lawmakers.
• Opportunities to visit attractions in the nation’s capital.

To register, or for more information, visit www.sema.org/dcrally or contact Christian Robinson at 202-783-6007, ext. 20 or christianr@sema.org.

Registration deadline: May 1, 2016.