By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) named Courtney Pahlke as the council’s latest volunteer spotlight member. Pahlke is a PRO select committee volunteer and the owner of Top Coverage Ltd., a family-owned automotive restyling business.

Get to know Pahlke in her interview with SEMA below.

SEMA: What inspired you to pursue a career in restyling/manufacturing?

Courtney Pahlke: After graduating from the University of Iowa with psychology and English under my belt, I began working for my dad’s company, Top Coverage, doing sales in order to pay for grad school. I was planning on pursuing my master’s degree in forensic psychology at the Chicago Institute of Professional Psychology, but decided to grow my dad’s business instead.
Every dealership I would visit, I would hear stories about my dad Henry. Some were funny, some crazy—many about how he was there for them during hard times in their lives. Most importantly, I heard stories of how our team in Illinois would go above and beyond to take care of every customer of ours, especially when there was an issue with an install. I felt proud of my dad and our long-term staff every time I’d walk into each of our accounts, and I knew that I had to keep my dad’s empire growing the right way over time.

SEMA: Why did you decide to volunteer for PRO? How has it or will it impact you?

CP: I feel restylers need to come together now more than ever as technology and the overall automotive industry is evolving at a rapid pace. I’d like to help restylers around the world adapt to these changes and overcome some of the challenges that I see already occurring. I feel I’ve become more well-rounded at this point in my career, and I’m ready to contribute my time and ideas to this team.

SEMA: What advice do you have for someone pursuing a career in the automotive aftermarket?

CP: Adaptation is going to be one of the biggest components and challenges in today’s market for social media, technology, safety and the people you choose to hire (these are only a few things). Also, know your own market and implement what you learn while integrating in a way that works in your own market.

SEMA: What is your dream vehicle? Where would we find you in it on any weekend?

CP: I’m a Jeeper. You can find me driving to go hiking or rock climbing in my Jeep.

SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received?

CP: How you take care and service your customers should be your number-one priority.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

CP: I work for my dad’s 46-year-old business, and I guess it’s just embedded in me to keep adapting and growing it.

SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?

CP: You can find me writing, rock climbing, hiking—pretty much any sport.

Fill out a PRO member spotlight form to highlight how you or your company are contributing to the automotive restyling industry. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on PRO’s social media, SEMA eNews and future PRO-member updates.

By Luis Morales

The Stratasys Mobile Showroom is making a stop at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, Friday, August 27, between 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., to meet with our technical experts about the benefits of additive manufacturing.

Attendees will get a first-hand look at the new Origin One and F770 printers as well as the J55, F370 and Makerbot series, along with dozens of interesting sample parts. After visiting the truck, grab some refreshments and catch a tour of the SEMA Garage.

This is a free event and it is open to all SEMA members.

Register now!

For more information, contact Steve Rebensdorf at 714-815-3300 or steve.rebensdorf@stratasys.com.

By Richard Hail

SEMA’s support for young, up-and-coming vehicle builders continues, as the Young Guns category of the 2021 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition kicks off with the Eastern U.S. regional qualifier on August 14, 2021.

With three qualifier events in this year’s Young Guns program, the events are divided by regions—Eastern, Midwest and Pacific, taking place August 14, 21, and 28, respectively. Selected participants will be interviewed and judged remotely via video chat.

Top prize for one young vehicle builder (age 27 and under) at each qualifier event is an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the trade-only SEMA Show in Las Vegas, in November. The prize includes transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature vehicle spot at the Show and entry into the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

First introduced into the Battle of the Builders competition in 2017, the Young Guns category provides exposure for rising young builders who may not otherwise be able to qualify for the competition due to certain requirements.

The SEMA Battle of the Builders competition is the automotive industry’s premier vehicle competition, with participants featured at the SEMA Show, online, in magazines and on television.

“We’re seeing great innovation from our young builders”, said Ira Gabriel, SEMA vice president of marketing, PR and communications. “We are beyond excited to welcome our Young Guns back to a live SEMA Show this year.”

The Battle of the Builders competition celebrates the amazing craftsmanship and talents of people who create and build some of the most unique cars in the world. The “Young Guns” classification is exclusive to up-and-coming builders who are under 27 years old and have performed the majority of the work on their vehicles.

For more information about the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition or the SEMA Young Guns program, visit www.semabotb.com or www.semayoungguns.com.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Eddie Motorsports Hires Larry Ashley as Operations Manager

Eddie Motorsports has announced a new addition to the team. Larry Ashley, new operations manager, joined the team August 2. He brings more than 33 years of professional experience in the automotive aftermarket, having worked in key management positions at various companies that have revolutionized certain areas of the aftermarket. Some recognizable brands include California Custom USA, American Products Co., TMI Products and most recently POL Performance Online.

Pep Boys Awards $100,000 in Scholarships to 15 Aspiring Automotive Technicians Across the United States

Pep Boys has announced the 15 recipients of its annual Find Your Drive $100,000 scholarship program. The company increased its investment during this 100th year in business to $100,000 to celebrate its centennial and continue its emphasis of the critical “Race to 2026” initiative—a program designed to recruit and support the talented technicians in the automotive industry and close America’s skills gap. The 2021 scholarship winners will have a special opportunity to participate and be recognized during the #PepBoysRoadTrip—a custom Pep Boys-branded bus that is traveling across the country and visiting the communities the company serves.

This year’s scholarship program included five $10,000 scholarships to qualified students studying to become professional automotive technicians in major metro areas: Houston; Los Angeles; Orlando; Philadelphia; and Caguas, Puerto Rico. Students receiving $10,000 scholarships for the 2021–22 academic year are:

• Valentin Davy, Miami, Florida – Universal Technical Institute, Orlando, Florida
• Jonathan Cotto, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico – Mech-Tech College Caguas, Puerto Rico
• Eli Alvarez, Hutto, Texas – Texas State Technical College, Waco, Texas
• Julien Vargas, Lehighton, Pennsylvania – Universal Technical Institute, Exton, Pennsylvania
• Cecilia Ledesma, El Monte, California – Rio Hondo College, Whittier, California

The additional 10 $5,000 scholarships were awarded to qualified students in other areas of the United States. Students receiving $5,000 scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year are:

• John Paul Jansen, Bellevue, Nebraska – Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas
• Kasey Tarantino, Pennsburg, Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, Pennsylvania
• Hannah Armstrong, Shamrock, Texas – Universal Technical Institute, Irving, Texas
• Esperanza Murguia, San Dimas, California – Universal Technical Institute, Avondale, Arizona
• Daniel Gorski, Chicago, Illinois – Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois
• Mark Jones, Mountainside, New Jersey– Ohio Technical College, Cleveland, Ohio
• Erick Poole, Waukegan, Illinois – Lincoln Technical Institute, Melrose Park, Illinois
• Nicail Andres Ruiz Alcaide, San Juan, Puerto Rico – Mech-Tech College, Caguas, Puerto Rico
• Derek Deddo, Midlothian, Illinois – Lincoln Technical Institute, Melrose Park, Illinois
• Zachariah Riehle, Milan, Indiana – University of Northwestern Ohio, Lima, Ohio

This year, the Find Your Drive scholarship committee also reviewed applications and selected winners from among those who had applied through the University of the Aftermarket Foundation—a non-profit organization that helps provide funding and helps facilitate scholarships within the aftermarket for students pursuing an automotive technician degree or certification. The annual scholarship program is part of Pep Boys’ “Race to 2026” initiative that aims to increase the number of trained technicians and help fill an industry-wide talent gap projected to grow to 46,000 over the next five years.

Amna Shahzadi Newest Member of Eleven Engineering R&D Design Team

Eleven Engineering Inc. has announced that Amna Shahzadi is now the newest member of the company’s growing research and development design team. Shahzadi has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alberta.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

Here’s the ’22 Expedition in light camo, but with a twist. This prototype features twin exhaust tips, 22-in. rims and red calipers. Could this be our first look at an Expedition ST?

When you have a look at the Ford lineup, you’ll notice that other than the Mustang and Mustang Mach-E, the only other vehicles to brandish red calipers are the Explorer ST and the Edge ST. It appears that Ford might apply the same technique with ST as they did with the King Ranch and Timberline, which is copy and paste to any vehicle that starts with “Ex.”

If this Expedition does make it to market as an ST, power is expected to sit somewhere between 450–475 hp and be mated to a 10-speed automatic. This boost in power would easily give the Expedition ST a 0–60 in the five-second range.

Expect an official Expedition debut in the coming months with what appears to be a heavily revised lineup.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Here’s the ’22 Expedition in light camo, but with a twist. This prototype features twin exhaust tips, 22-in. rims and red calipers. Could this be our first look at an Expedition ST?

When you have a look at the Ford lineup, you’ll notice that other than the Mustang and Mustang Mach-E, the only other vehicles to brandish red calipers are the Explorer ST and the Edge ST. It appears that Ford might apply the same technique with ST as they did with the King Ranch and Timberline, which is copy and paste to any vehicle that starts with “Ex.”

If this Expedition does make it to market as an ST, power is expected to sit somewhere between 450–475 hp and be mated to a 10-speed automatic. This boost in power would easily give the Expedition ST a 0–60 in the five-second range.

Expect an official Expedition debut in the coming months with what appears to be a heavily revised lineup.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The current digital issue of Off-Road Business magazine features unique vehicles that have been built for the back country. Other articles describe efforts by the Trails Preservation Alliance to preserve multiple-use access public lands in the West, and tips on how to organize trail clean-ups.

View the magazine.

By SEMA Editors

Showgoers booking through onPeak—the SEMA Show housing partner—receive guaranteed low rates on a wide range of hotel properties at locations on and off the Las Vegas Strip.

onPeak not only offers discounted nightly rates for SEMA Show participants, but also offers reduced resort fees so you can save even more on your stay.

Driving to the Show? See the list below for hotels offering free parking during the Show and book through onPeak to secure your stay.

When making your hotel reservations through the SEMA Show Travel & Lodging page, you are receiving the most affordable and convenient hotel options through our partnership with onPeak—the only official hotel provider for the 2021 SEMA Show. All negotiated rates provided by onPeak include resort fees and will allow you to change or cancel your reservation without any financial penalties.

More information about the SEMA Show, Tuesday–Friday, November 2–5, is available on www.SEMAShow.com.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a study that concludes the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) should receive nearly $300 million annually, rather than the $84 million currently allocated from its portion of federal gas tax receipts. The amount is based on an analysis of fuel used for non-highway recreation from the $.18-per-gallon federal taxes collected at the pump.

The U.S. Congress directed the FHWA to conduct the study so that the revenues can be adjusted. RTP funds are used to construct and maintain trails for all types of activities, including motorized, non-motorized and mixed-use trails (off-roading, snowmobiling, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, etc.).

SEMA is urging Congress to adjust RTP revenues as it considers legislation to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure. SEMA also supports a stand-alone bill, H.R. 1864, Recreational Trails Full Funding Act of 2021, that would increase RTP funding to the FHWA study amount.

Questions? Contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The Small Business Administration (SBA) will now allow borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $150,000 or less to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. The SBA portal is designed to streamline the process and remove pressure from small lenders to handle forgiveness applications as the SBA looks to wind down the PPP loan program.

Banks responsible for originating the PPP loans must opt into direct forgiveness before their borrowers can use the SBA’s online platform. Currently, more than 500 banks have opted in and allowed their borrowers to apply for forgiveness through the SBA portal, which began accepting applications on August 4.

The deadline for seeking PPP loans ended May 31, but recipients are now seeking loan forgiveness for funds used to cover payroll, mortgage interest, rent, utilities and other costs. Loans are fully forgivable if at least 60% of loan proceeds are used on payroll costs (i.e., wages, payroll taxes, paid leave, healthcare payments, retirement and insurance contributions).

Register and apply for SBA direct forgiveness.

Questions? Contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.