By SEMA Editors

The first-ever Manufacturer of the Year award will be presented at the 2016 SEMA Show banquet on November 3.

Nominations are being accepted for SEMA’s prestigious annual awards. New for 2016 is the Manufacturer of the Year award. All SEMA members are invited to nominate individuals and companies who have made a significant impact on the specialty-equipment market. The award winners will be celebrated for their accomplishments at the 2016 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 3, during the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The new SEMA awards website provides photos from previous banquets and information regarding the rich history of award winners, award criteria and how to nominate industry leaders to win awards in multiple categories.

Nominate Now!

Manufacturer of the Year

SEMA has introduced the Manufacturer of the Year award this year. The winner of this award will have made outstanding strides in the manufacturing category. Nominate for Manufacturer of the Year.

Also nominate for:

• Person of the Year
• Rep Agency of the Year
• Warehouse Distributor of the Year
• GEN-III Innovator of the Year

By SEMA Editors

The first-ever Manufacturer of the Year award will be presented at the 2016 SEMA Show banquet on November 3.

Nominations are being accepted for SEMA’s prestigious annual awards. New for 2016 is the Manufacturer of the Year award. All SEMA members are invited to nominate individuals and companies who have made a significant impact on the specialty-equipment market. The award winners will be celebrated for their accomplishments at the 2016 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 3, during the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The new SEMA awards website provides photos from previous banquets and information regarding the rich history of award winners, award criteria and how to nominate industry leaders to win awards in multiple categories.

Nominate Now!

Manufacturer of the Year

SEMA has introduced the Manufacturer of the Year award this year. The winner of this award will have made outstanding strides in the manufacturing category. Nominate for Manufacturer of the Year.

Also nominate for:

• Person of the Year
• Rep Agency of the Year
• Warehouse Distributor of the Year
• GEN-III Innovator of the Year

By SEMA Editors

The first-ever Manufacturer of the Year award will be presented at the 2016 SEMA Show banquet on November 3.

Nominations are being accepted for SEMA’s prestigious annual awards. New for 2016 is the Manufacturer of the Year award. All SEMA members are invited to nominate individuals and companies who have made a significant impact on the specialty-equipment market. The award winners will be celebrated for their accomplishments at the 2016 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 3, during the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The new SEMA awards website provides photos from previous banquets and information regarding the rich history of award winners, award criteria and how to nominate industry leaders to win awards in multiple categories.

Nominate Now!

Manufacturer of the Year

SEMA has introduced the Manufacturer of the Year award this year. The winner of this award will have made outstanding strides in the manufacturing category. Nominate for Manufacturer of the Year.

Also nominate for:

• Person of the Year
• Rep Agency of the Year
• Warehouse Distributor of the Year
• GEN-III Innovator of the Year

By SEMA Editors

The first-ever Manufacturer of the Year award will be presented at the 2016 SEMA Show banquet on November 3.

Nominations are being accepted for SEMA’s prestigious annual awards. New for 2016 is the Manufacturer of the Year award. All SEMA members are invited to nominate individuals and companies who have made a significant impact on the specialty-equipment market. The award winners will be celebrated for their accomplishments at the 2016 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 3, during the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The new SEMA awards website provides photos from previous banquets and information regarding the rich history of award winners, award criteria and how to nominate industry leaders to win awards in multiple categories.

Nominate Now!

Manufacturer of the Year

SEMA has introduced the Manufacturer of the Year award this year. The winner of this award will have made outstanding strides in the manufacturing category. Nominate for Manufacturer of the Year.

Also nominate for:

• Person of the Year
• Rep Agency of the Year
• Warehouse Distributor of the Year
• GEN-III Innovator of the Year

By Chad Simon

SEMA Custom Car Camp will be held July 18–22, at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California.

SEMA is hosting a summer camp designed to give kids ages 10–13 a hands-on competitive experience by customizing and racing Traxxas RC cars. Campers will learn basic vehicle mechanics by taking them apart and putting them back together. Using the SEMA Garage’s 3D printer, campers will then create parts to customize their vehicles for performance, aesthetics and speed.

At the end of the week, there will be a car show with local customized vehicles, and the campers will race the vehicles they have worked on all week.

“As SEMA looks to the future and how we can help the hobby continue to grow, we believe it’s critical that we engage some of the youngest consumers and help infect them with the car bug,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA vice president of councils and membership. “Through this summer camp pilot program, we test drive one of many ways that the industry can reach and influence the next generation.”

Campers will also attend a field trip to the NHRA Museum and enjoy celebrity appearances by Sung Kang from “The Fast and the Furious” films and nationally recognized vehicle builder Steve Strope. 

SEMA Custom Car Camp will be held July 18–22 at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California. Drop off is at 9:00 a.m., and pickup at 4:00 p.m. The cost is $95 per camper. For more information, including a complete schedule of events, visit the SEMA Custom Car Camp website.

Register now!

By Chad Simon

SEMA Custom Car Camp will be held July 18–22, at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California.

SEMA is hosting a summer camp designed to give kids ages 10–13 a hands-on competitive experience by customizing and racing Traxxas RC cars. Campers will learn basic vehicle mechanics by taking them apart and putting them back together. Using the SEMA Garage’s 3D printer, campers will then create parts to customize their vehicles for performance, aesthetics and speed.

At the end of the week, there will be a car show with local customized vehicles, and the campers will race the vehicles they have worked on all week.

“As SEMA looks to the future and how we can help the hobby continue to grow, we believe it’s critical that we engage some of the youngest consumers and help infect them with the car bug,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA vice president of councils and membership. “Through this summer camp pilot program, we test drive one of many ways that the industry can reach and influence the next generation.”

Campers will also attend a field trip to the NHRA Museum and enjoy celebrity appearances by Sung Kang from “The Fast and the Furious” films and nationally recognized vehicle builder Steve Strope. 

SEMA Custom Car Camp will be held July 18–22 at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California. Drop off is at 9:00 a.m., and pickup at 4:00 p.m. The cost is $95 per camper. For more information, including a complete schedule of events, visit the SEMA Custom Car Camp website.

Register now!

By Della Domingo

The SEMA Show serves as the premier event for the automotive aftermarket, bringing manufacturers together with buyers from all over the world.

FOX Sports has selected High Impact Television (HIT) to produce a one-hour television special covering the 50th SEMA Show. For more than 20 years, HIT has produced auto show specials, including the Los Angeles, New York and Detroit Auto Shows, for multiple networks, such as FOX Sports, NBC, NBCSN, MSNBC, CNBC and ESPN.

“From all of the customization and accessories to drifting and rock crawling, it’s all at SEMA. This show is the center of the universe for what’s happening in the car world,” says Tore Dietrich, the TV show’s host. “And since the SEMA Show is a trade-only event and not open to the public, we are really excited to be bringing the SEMA Show to automotive enthusiasts in an all-access way that they’ve never seen.”

“We are very excited to be working with FOX Sports and High Impact Television in giving automotive enthusiasts and the general population an inside look at the 2016 SEMA Show, especially, since 2016 is our 50th Anniversary celebration. Anyone who drives a car or truck will be amazed at the things they will see, and we are proud to be sharing the excitement that happens at the SEMA Show with everyone,” said Della Domingo, SEMA public relations director.

The SEMA Show takes place Tuesday–Friday, November 1–4, 2016, in Las Vegas. The trade-only event serves as the premier event for the automotive aftermarket, bringing manufacturers together with buyers from all over the world.

By Della Domingo

The SEMA Show serves as the premier event for the automotive aftermarket, bringing manufacturers together with buyers from all over the world.

FOX Sports has selected High Impact Television (HIT) to produce a one-hour television special covering the 50th SEMA Show. For more than 20 years, HIT has produced auto show specials, including the Los Angeles, New York and Detroit Auto Shows, for multiple networks, such as FOX Sports, NBC, NBCSN, MSNBC, CNBC and ESPN.

“From all of the customization and accessories to drifting and rock crawling, it’s all at SEMA. This show is the center of the universe for what’s happening in the car world,” says Tore Dietrich, the TV show’s host. “And since the SEMA Show is a trade-only event and not open to the public, we are really excited to be bringing the SEMA Show to automotive enthusiasts in an all-access way that they’ve never seen.”

“We are very excited to be working with FOX Sports and High Impact Television in giving automotive enthusiasts and the general population an inside look at the 2016 SEMA Show, especially, since 2016 is our 50th Anniversary celebration. Anyone who drives a car or truck will be amazed at the things they will see, and we are proud to be sharing the excitement that happens at the SEMA Show with everyone,” said Della Domingo, SEMA public relations director.

The SEMA Show takes place Tuesday–Friday, November 1–4, 2016, in Las Vegas. The trade-only event serves as the premier event for the automotive aftermarket, bringing manufacturers together with buyers from all over the world.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to eliminate fines imposed on companies with fewer than 50 employees that do not sponsor health care plans but provide pre-tax dollars to workers through Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). The bill has also been introduced in the Senate and has strong bipartisan support.

HRAs are employer-funded plans that allow a company to reimburse its workers for health care premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses. In 2013, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled that the Affordable Care Act made it illegal for the company to fund HRAs not tied to a group plan. The Small Business Health Care Relief Act (H.R. 5447) allows these companies to use pretax dollars to continue providing health care assistance outside a group plan. If not enacted into law, the IRS will impose a $100 per day/per employee penalty for improperly using an HRA.  

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to eliminate fines imposed on companies with fewer than 50 employees that do not sponsor health care plans but provide pre-tax dollars to workers through Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). The bill has also been introduced in the Senate and has strong bipartisan support.

HRAs are employer-funded plans that allow a company to reimburse its workers for health care premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses. In 2013, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled that the Affordable Care Act made it illegal for the company to fund HRAs not tied to a group plan. The Small Business Health Care Relief Act (H.R. 5447) allows these companies to use pretax dollars to continue providing health care assistance outside a group plan. If not enacted into law, the IRS will impose a $100 per day/per employee penalty for improperly using an HRA.  

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.