SEMA News—May 2015

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archive

Mr. Supercharger

The next big fad is GMC superchargers,” wrote LeRoi “Tex” Smith in the June 1964 issue of Rod & Custom magazine. He was talking about how blowers were moving from pure racing applications to the street, and the opening pages of the story included this photo of Tom Beatty in his shop in Sun Valley, California. “Mr. Supercharger himself,” as Tex called him.

The title was well earned. Beatty was one of hot rodding’s pioneers—a longtime dry-lakes and Bonneville racer who “has been working hard with the GMC blower since 1947,” said Tex. His blown motors—first for flathead Fords and later for Oldsmobiles—were potent and led to opening his own business, Tom Beatty Automotive Engineering, which specialized in supercharger components.

Along with his forced-induction expertise, Beatty is also well remembered for his innovative belly tanker. Bill Burke is credited with pioneering the use of fighter-plane drop tanks as aerodynamic envelopes for land-speed racers, but Beatty built on Burke’s idea, creating a tank that set records at the lakes and on the salt for years. This photo of Beatty (below) was shot at Bonneville in 1955 by Petersen’s Bob D’Olivo, where Beatty set a C Lakester record of 211.267 mph. Later modifications to the tank, including a switch to a blown Oldsmobile engine, allowed it to reach speeds of more than 250 mph.

“Performance,” wrote Tex at the end of his Rod & Custom story, “is spelled with a capital Puffer.”

SEMA News—May 2015

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archive

Mr. Supercharger

The next big fad is GMC superchargers,” wrote LeRoi “Tex” Smith in the June 1964 issue of Rod & Custom magazine. He was talking about how blowers were moving from pure racing applications to the street, and the opening pages of the story included this photo of Tom Beatty in his shop in Sun Valley, California. “Mr. Supercharger himself,” as Tex called him.

The title was well earned. Beatty was one of hot rodding’s pioneers—a longtime dry-lakes and Bonneville racer who “has been working hard with the GMC blower since 1947,” said Tex. His blown motors—first for flathead Fords and later for Oldsmobiles—were potent and led to opening his own business, Tom Beatty Automotive Engineering, which specialized in supercharger components.

Along with his forced-induction expertise, Beatty is also well remembered for his innovative belly tanker. Bill Burke is credited with pioneering the use of fighter-plane drop tanks as aerodynamic envelopes for land-speed racers, but Beatty built on Burke’s idea, creating a tank that set records at the lakes and on the salt for years. This photo of Beatty (below) was shot at Bonneville in 1955 by Petersen’s Bob D’Olivo, where Beatty set a C Lakester record of 211.267 mph. Later modifications to the tank, including a switch to a blown Oldsmobile engine, allowed it to reach speeds of more than 250 mph.

“Performance,” wrote Tex at the end of his Rod & Custom story, “is spelled with a capital Puffer.”

SEMA News—May 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Target: Skilled Employees, Now and in the Future

One of the more challenging quests in the specialty aftermarket is to attract, hire and develop qualified employees—people who will fill a range of roles and help our members’ businesses transition to the future. This is especially challenging as new technologies emerge at an increasing speed.

That’s why the SEMA board, councils and staff are focused on new ways to equip the next generation to find jobs and grow careers in our industry. These efforts can be divided into three fronts—development training and experiences for existing members; establishing better ties and pipelines with schools where students are already studying automotive fields; and establishing pathways to allow even more young people to aim for a career in the specialty segment of the industry.

Programs for Existing Members

SEMA has for years offered career development and training for our members. But today we are coming up with new ways to make this information available, like our new “Biz Tips” video-shorts series. These and other tools for members can be accessed through www.sema.org. Meanwhile, at the SEMA Show and PRI Show, we’ll continue to offer dozens of top-notch educational opportunities for attendees in a wide variety of different categories.

Career Paths

SEMA is also taking steps to make sure that students already studying for automotive careers will be more aware of the specialty automotive segment and the wide range of exciting career opportunities our industry offers. To accomplish this, we are actively expanding our relationships with educational institutions.

For example, we are growing the SEMA Show Student Program, which introduces students to the career opportunities in the specialty aftermarket. SEMA helped sponsor 440 students from 65 schools to attend the 2014 Show and learn about our industry. Since 2003, more than 2,950 students from North American Schools have benefitted from this networking program.

And since not all students can make it to the SEMA Show, we are offering a new initiative to bring students to SEMA member gatherings where they can interact with key professionals about career possibilities. We call it a Career Mixer, and the program will be incorporated into the existing Town Hall meetings as well as some of our Council and Network receptions and other events. The SEMA Gear-up Girl Program has had good success hosting a similar industry program for the past three years with students at the SEMA Show.

On yet another front, this summer SEMA will pilot a first-ever program to help match young people up with industry companies for short internships we call Career Windows. These internships are aimed at providing post-secondary students the opportunity to experience the business of the specialty automotive aftermarket through one- to three-week, immersive internships.

All of the above student programs are further supported by the SEMA Scholarship Fund. The fund offers scholarships to help students pay for automotive-related education. Since 1984, the fund has awarded more than 1,300 scholarships and given more than $2 million in aid. The Scholarship Fund board and SEMA staff are continuing to evolve the scholarship program to be a meaningful factor in attracting and supporting students aiming for an automotive career.

It’s easy to see that SEMA is developing a wide range of programs to introduce the next generation work force to careers in the specialty industry. And this column doesn’t have space to detail some great existing programs SEMA is supporting, such as Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, the new Alex Xydias School for Automotive Arts, and the Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Moving forward, we’ll continue to study the needs of SEMA members and the students we hope will one day work in our great industry. That will help us drive the initiatives we already have in place, and properly target new ones, so that our industry can continue to grow and prosper.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Target: Skilled Employees, Now and in the Future

One of the more challenging quests in the specialty aftermarket is to attract, hire and develop qualified employees—people who will fill a range of roles and help our members’ businesses transition to the future. This is especially challenging as new technologies emerge at an increasing speed.

That’s why the SEMA board, councils and staff are focused on new ways to equip the next generation to find jobs and grow careers in our industry. These efforts can be divided into three fronts—development training and experiences for existing members; establishing better ties and pipelines with schools where students are already studying automotive fields; and establishing pathways to allow even more young people to aim for a career in the specialty segment of the industry.

Programs for Existing Members

SEMA has for years offered career development and training for our members. But today we are coming up with new ways to make this information available, like our new “Biz Tips” video-shorts series. These and other tools for members can be accessed through www.sema.org. Meanwhile, at the SEMA Show and PRI Show, we’ll continue to offer dozens of top-notch educational opportunities for attendees in a wide variety of different categories.

Career Paths

SEMA is also taking steps to make sure that students already studying for automotive careers will be more aware of the specialty automotive segment and the wide range of exciting career opportunities our industry offers. To accomplish this, we are actively expanding our relationships with educational institutions.

For example, we are growing the SEMA Show Student Program, which introduces students to the career opportunities in the specialty aftermarket. SEMA helped sponsor 440 students from 65 schools to attend the 2014 Show and learn about our industry. Since 2003, more than 2,950 students from North American Schools have benefitted from this networking program.

And since not all students can make it to the SEMA Show, we are offering a new initiative to bring students to SEMA member gatherings where they can interact with key professionals about career possibilities. We call it a Career Mixer, and the program will be incorporated into the existing Town Hall meetings as well as some of our Council and Network receptions and other events. The SEMA Gear-up Girl Program has had good success hosting a similar industry program for the past three years with students at the SEMA Show.

On yet another front, this summer SEMA will pilot a first-ever program to help match young people up with industry companies for short internships we call Career Windows. These internships are aimed at providing post-secondary students the opportunity to experience the business of the specialty automotive aftermarket through one- to three-week, immersive internships.

All of the above student programs are further supported by the SEMA Scholarship Fund. The fund offers scholarships to help students pay for automotive-related education. Since 1984, the fund has awarded more than 1,300 scholarships and given more than $2 million in aid. The Scholarship Fund board and SEMA staff are continuing to evolve the scholarship program to be a meaningful factor in attracting and supporting students aiming for an automotive career.

It’s easy to see that SEMA is developing a wide range of programs to introduce the next generation work force to careers in the specialty industry. And this column doesn’t have space to detail some great existing programs SEMA is supporting, such as Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, the new Alex Xydias School for Automotive Arts, and the Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Moving forward, we’ll continue to study the needs of SEMA members and the students we hope will one day work in our great industry. That will help us drive the initiatives we already have in place, and properly target new ones, so that our industry can continue to grow and prosper.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Target: Skilled Employees, Now and in the Future

One of the more challenging quests in the specialty aftermarket is to attract, hire and develop qualified employees—people who will fill a range of roles and help our members’ businesses transition to the future. This is especially challenging as new technologies emerge at an increasing speed.

That’s why the SEMA board, councils and staff are focused on new ways to equip the next generation to find jobs and grow careers in our industry. These efforts can be divided into three fronts—development training and experiences for existing members; establishing better ties and pipelines with schools where students are already studying automotive fields; and establishing pathways to allow even more young people to aim for a career in the specialty segment of the industry.

Programs for Existing Members

SEMA has for years offered career development and training for our members. But today we are coming up with new ways to make this information available, like our new “Biz Tips” video-shorts series. These and other tools for members can be accessed through www.sema.org. Meanwhile, at the SEMA Show and PRI Show, we’ll continue to offer dozens of top-notch educational opportunities for attendees in a wide variety of different categories.

Career Paths

SEMA is also taking steps to make sure that students already studying for automotive careers will be more aware of the specialty automotive segment and the wide range of exciting career opportunities our industry offers. To accomplish this, we are actively expanding our relationships with educational institutions.

For example, we are growing the SEMA Show Student Program, which introduces students to the career opportunities in the specialty aftermarket. SEMA helped sponsor 440 students from 65 schools to attend the 2014 Show and learn about our industry. Since 2003, more than 2,950 students from North American Schools have benefitted from this networking program.

And since not all students can make it to the SEMA Show, we are offering a new initiative to bring students to SEMA member gatherings where they can interact with key professionals about career possibilities. We call it a Career Mixer, and the program will be incorporated into the existing Town Hall meetings as well as some of our Council and Network receptions and other events. The SEMA Gear-up Girl Program has had good success hosting a similar industry program for the past three years with students at the SEMA Show.

On yet another front, this summer SEMA will pilot a first-ever program to help match young people up with industry companies for short internships we call Career Windows. These internships are aimed at providing post-secondary students the opportunity to experience the business of the specialty automotive aftermarket through one- to three-week, immersive internships.

All of the above student programs are further supported by the SEMA Scholarship Fund. The fund offers scholarships to help students pay for automotive-related education. Since 1984, the fund has awarded more than 1,300 scholarships and given more than $2 million in aid. The Scholarship Fund board and SEMA staff are continuing to evolve the scholarship program to be a meaningful factor in attracting and supporting students aiming for an automotive career.

It’s easy to see that SEMA is developing a wide range of programs to introduce the next generation work force to careers in the specialty industry. And this column doesn’t have space to detail some great existing programs SEMA is supporting, such as Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, the new Alex Xydias School for Automotive Arts, and the Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Moving forward, we’ll continue to study the needs of SEMA members and the students we hope will one day work in our great industry. That will help us drive the initiatives we already have in place, and properly target new ones, so that our industry can continue to grow and prosper.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Target: Skilled Employees, Now and in the Future

One of the more challenging quests in the specialty aftermarket is to attract, hire and develop qualified employees—people who will fill a range of roles and help our members’ businesses transition to the future. This is especially challenging as new technologies emerge at an increasing speed.

That’s why the SEMA board, councils and staff are focused on new ways to equip the next generation to find jobs and grow careers in our industry. These efforts can be divided into three fronts—development training and experiences for existing members; establishing better ties and pipelines with schools where students are already studying automotive fields; and establishing pathways to allow even more young people to aim for a career in the specialty segment of the industry.

Programs for Existing Members

SEMA has for years offered career development and training for our members. But today we are coming up with new ways to make this information available, like our new “Biz Tips” video-shorts series. These and other tools for members can be accessed through www.sema.org. Meanwhile, at the SEMA Show and PRI Show, we’ll continue to offer dozens of top-notch educational opportunities for attendees in a wide variety of different categories.

Career Paths

SEMA is also taking steps to make sure that students already studying for automotive careers will be more aware of the specialty automotive segment and the wide range of exciting career opportunities our industry offers. To accomplish this, we are actively expanding our relationships with educational institutions.

For example, we are growing the SEMA Show Student Program, which introduces students to the career opportunities in the specialty aftermarket. SEMA helped sponsor 440 students from 65 schools to attend the 2014 Show and learn about our industry. Since 2003, more than 2,950 students from North American Schools have benefitted from this networking program.

And since not all students can make it to the SEMA Show, we are offering a new initiative to bring students to SEMA member gatherings where they can interact with key professionals about career possibilities. We call it a Career Mixer, and the program will be incorporated into the existing Town Hall meetings as well as some of our Council and Network receptions and other events. The SEMA Gear-up Girl Program has had good success hosting a similar industry program for the past three years with students at the SEMA Show.

On yet another front, this summer SEMA will pilot a first-ever program to help match young people up with industry companies for short internships we call Career Windows. These internships are aimed at providing post-secondary students the opportunity to experience the business of the specialty automotive aftermarket through one- to three-week, immersive internships.

All of the above student programs are further supported by the SEMA Scholarship Fund. The fund offers scholarships to help students pay for automotive-related education. Since 1984, the fund has awarded more than 1,300 scholarships and given more than $2 million in aid. The Scholarship Fund board and SEMA staff are continuing to evolve the scholarship program to be a meaningful factor in attracting and supporting students aiming for an automotive career.

It’s easy to see that SEMA is developing a wide range of programs to introduce the next generation work force to careers in the specialty industry. And this column doesn’t have space to detail some great existing programs SEMA is supporting, such as Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, the new Alex Xydias School for Automotive Arts, and the Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Moving forward, we’ll continue to study the needs of SEMA members and the students we hope will one day work in our great industry. That will help us drive the initiatives we already have in place, and properly target new ones, so that our industry can continue to grow and prosper.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Target: Skilled Employees, Now and in the Future

One of the more challenging quests in the specialty aftermarket is to attract, hire and develop qualified employees—people who will fill a range of roles and help our members’ businesses transition to the future. This is especially challenging as new technologies emerge at an increasing speed.

That’s why the SEMA board, councils and staff are focused on new ways to equip the next generation to find jobs and grow careers in our industry. These efforts can be divided into three fronts—development training and experiences for existing members; establishing better ties and pipelines with schools where students are already studying automotive fields; and establishing pathways to allow even more young people to aim for a career in the specialty segment of the industry.

Programs for Existing Members

SEMA has for years offered career development and training for our members. But today we are coming up with new ways to make this information available, like our new “Biz Tips” video-shorts series. These and other tools for members can be accessed through www.sema.org. Meanwhile, at the SEMA Show and PRI Show, we’ll continue to offer dozens of top-notch educational opportunities for attendees in a wide variety of different categories.

Career Paths

SEMA is also taking steps to make sure that students already studying for automotive careers will be more aware of the specialty automotive segment and the wide range of exciting career opportunities our industry offers. To accomplish this, we are actively expanding our relationships with educational institutions.

For example, we are growing the SEMA Show Student Program, which introduces students to the career opportunities in the specialty aftermarket. SEMA helped sponsor 440 students from 65 schools to attend the 2014 Show and learn about our industry. Since 2003, more than 2,950 students from North American Schools have benefitted from this networking program.

And since not all students can make it to the SEMA Show, we are offering a new initiative to bring students to SEMA member gatherings where they can interact with key professionals about career possibilities. We call it a Career Mixer, and the program will be incorporated into the existing Town Hall meetings as well as some of our Council and Network receptions and other events. The SEMA Gear-up Girl Program has had good success hosting a similar industry program for the past three years with students at the SEMA Show.

On yet another front, this summer SEMA will pilot a first-ever program to help match young people up with industry companies for short internships we call Career Windows. These internships are aimed at providing post-secondary students the opportunity to experience the business of the specialty automotive aftermarket through one- to three-week, immersive internships.

All of the above student programs are further supported by the SEMA Scholarship Fund. The fund offers scholarships to help students pay for automotive-related education. Since 1984, the fund has awarded more than 1,300 scholarships and given more than $2 million in aid. The Scholarship Fund board and SEMA staff are continuing to evolve the scholarship program to be a meaningful factor in attracting and supporting students aiming for an automotive career.

It’s easy to see that SEMA is developing a wide range of programs to introduce the next generation work force to careers in the specialty industry. And this column doesn’t have space to detail some great existing programs SEMA is supporting, such as Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, the new Alex Xydias School for Automotive Arts, and the Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Moving forward, we’ll continue to study the needs of SEMA members and the students we hope will one day work in our great industry. That will help us drive the initiatives we already have in place, and properly target new ones, so that our industry can continue to grow and prosper.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Target: Skilled Employees, Now and in the Future

One of the more challenging quests in the specialty aftermarket is to attract, hire and develop qualified employees—people who will fill a range of roles and help our members’ businesses transition to the future. This is especially challenging as new technologies emerge at an increasing speed.

That’s why the SEMA board, councils and staff are focused on new ways to equip the next generation to find jobs and grow careers in our industry. These efforts can be divided into three fronts—development training and experiences for existing members; establishing better ties and pipelines with schools where students are already studying automotive fields; and establishing pathways to allow even more young people to aim for a career in the specialty segment of the industry.

Programs for Existing Members

SEMA has for years offered career development and training for our members. But today we are coming up with new ways to make this information available, like our new “Biz Tips” video-shorts series. These and other tools for members can be accessed through www.sema.org. Meanwhile, at the SEMA Show and PRI Show, we’ll continue to offer dozens of top-notch educational opportunities for attendees in a wide variety of different categories.

Career Paths

SEMA is also taking steps to make sure that students already studying for automotive careers will be more aware of the specialty automotive segment and the wide range of exciting career opportunities our industry offers. To accomplish this, we are actively expanding our relationships with educational institutions.

For example, we are growing the SEMA Show Student Program, which introduces students to the career opportunities in the specialty aftermarket. SEMA helped sponsor 440 students from 65 schools to attend the 2014 Show and learn about our industry. Since 2003, more than 2,950 students from North American Schools have benefitted from this networking program.

And since not all students can make it to the SEMA Show, we are offering a new initiative to bring students to SEMA member gatherings where they can interact with key professionals about career possibilities. We call it a Career Mixer, and the program will be incorporated into the existing Town Hall meetings as well as some of our Council and Network receptions and other events. The SEMA Gear-up Girl Program has had good success hosting a similar industry program for the past three years with students at the SEMA Show.

On yet another front, this summer SEMA will pilot a first-ever program to help match young people up with industry companies for short internships we call Career Windows. These internships are aimed at providing post-secondary students the opportunity to experience the business of the specialty automotive aftermarket through one- to three-week, immersive internships.

All of the above student programs are further supported by the SEMA Scholarship Fund. The fund offers scholarships to help students pay for automotive-related education. Since 1984, the fund has awarded more than 1,300 scholarships and given more than $2 million in aid. The Scholarship Fund board and SEMA staff are continuing to evolve the scholarship program to be a meaningful factor in attracting and supporting students aiming for an automotive career.

It’s easy to see that SEMA is developing a wide range of programs to introduce the next generation work force to careers in the specialty industry. And this column doesn’t have space to detail some great existing programs SEMA is supporting, such as Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, the new Alex Xydias School for Automotive Arts, and the Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Moving forward, we’ll continue to study the needs of SEMA members and the students we hope will one day work in our great industry. That will help us drive the initiatives we already have in place, and properly target new ones, so that our industry can continue to grow and prosper.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2015

Fast Facts

Brake Parts Inc. (BPI) promoted Michael Caruso to vice president of finance and global controller. In his new position, Caruso will focus on acquisitions and business integration. He will lead a team of 19 people, with 14 of them located at the company’s headquarters in McHenry, Illinois, and the others located internationally. Prior to his promotion, Caruso served as BPI’s corporate controller and played a key role in establishing the new business after the company was acquired by Torque Capital Group in 2013. Brake Parts, McHenry, IL: 815-759-7658.

Action Car and Truck Accessories, located in Eastern Canada, has acquired CTP Distributors/Custom Truck Parts Inc. of Western Canada. The combined companies will consist of four major distribution centers (Surrey, Edmonton, Pickering and Moncton), four secondary distribution points (Calgary, Grande Prairie, Winnipeg and St. John’s) and 37 retail stores with installation facilities and e-commerce stores catering to wholesale, retail and commercial fleet segments. Action Car and Truck Accessories, Moncton, Canada; 506-857-0120.

Transamerican Manufacturing Group has acquired Poison Spyder Customs. “I really admire what Larry McRae [of Poison Spyder Customs] has done in building a predominant brand so quickly,” said Greg Adler, CEO of Transamerican Auto Parts. “Poison Spyder is a great fit with our brands and our customer base. We look forward to developing the full potential of what McRae and his team have already worked so diligently upon.” Transamerican Manufacturing Group, Compton, CA; 310-900-5500.

Eric Butler’s custom-built ’68 Mustang was the first recipient of the Weld President’s Award at the 2015 O’Reilly’s World of Wheels presented by Weld. Butler, who participated in the show at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, is a resident of the Kansas City metro area. Butler completed all of the work on the vehicle by himself, including custom Weld wheels with a 1996 Mustang bolt pattern. The President’s Award was presented to Butler for “the vehicle that embodies tradition, quality and durability like Weld wheels.” Weld, Kansas City, MO; 800-788-9353.

The Mothers big rig will bring some of the coolest rides to several car shows, races and festivals as it traverses the country in 2015. The custom truck will feed the detailing needs of enthusiasts and experts alike, and its crew of specialists will introduce and demonstrate the company’s latest car-care products. Highlights on the Mothers car-show calendar include the 2015 SEMA Show and SEMA Ignited, and the Barrett-Jackson collector-car auctions in Palm Beach, Las Vegas and more. Mothers Polish, Huntington Beach, CA; 714-891-3364.

Quest Automotive Products—the manufacturer of Matrix- and USC-brand automotive repair products, paints and finishes—has renewed its partnership and support of the popular reality television series “Counting Cars.” The Matrix and USC brands have supported the show since its inaugural season in 2012. The show chronicles repair projects undertaken by Danny “The Count” Koker, owner of Count’s Kustoms—a Las Vegas body shop that specializes in restoring and customizing classic cars and motorcycles. Quest Automotive Products, Massillon, OH; 330-299-8879.

SCG Brands, the parent company of Surf City Garage and Paradise Road Car Care, has retained Kahn Media Inc. as its agency of record. Kahn Media will provide strategic PR and communication services to help the Orange County-based company market its washes, waxes, polishes and surface-care products. Surf City Garage, Huntington Beach, CA; 714-894-1707. Kahn Media Inc., Moorpark, CA; 818-881-5246.

The Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) has extended its partnership with VP Racing Fuels, which will be designated the official fuel of PDRA through 2017. As part of the agreement, VP will provide trackside fuel service for the all-eighth-mile drag-racing series and post-season awards up to $1,000 in each class for the series championship. Professional Drag Racers Association. Pittsboro, N.C.; 919-799-0621.

Yokohama Tire Corp. of North America announced several organizational changes. Rick Phillips was promoted from senior director for commercial and OTR sales to vice president of sales for consumer, commercial and OTR. He will report to Takayuki Hamaya, YTC chief operating officer. Larry Kull, former senior director for tire business planning and sales operations, is now senior director for consumer sales. He will report to Phillips. Fred Koplin, former senior director for consumer sales, is now senior director of marketing. He will report to Hamaya. Andrew Briggs, former senior director of marketing, product planning and technical services, is now senior director for tire business planning, product planning and sales operations. He will report to Hamaya. Yokohama Tire Corp., Fullerton, CA; 714-870-3800.

AP Exhaust Technologies appointed Chris Ostrander as its chief executive officer and president. Evangelos Proimos will continue as executive chairman, working directly with Ostrander on developing the company’s strategic vision. Ostrander joins AP Exhaust with more than 16 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket and OEM industries. In his most recent role, he served four years as senior vice president and president of the Americas at Cooper Tire & Rubber. AP Exhaust Technologies, Goldsboro, N.C.; 919-580-2000.

Toyo Tire North America has promoted John Ferguson to director of sales. Ferguson has worked with the company since June 2012, first serving as a sales account manager. A graduate of The University of Findlay (Ohio), Ferguson has extensive sales experience with international organizations. Toyo Tire, Cypress, CA; 714-236-2080.

Wilwood Disc Brakes has partnered with Ultimate Performance—a suspension tuning and performance product supplier based in North Carolina—to enhance support to drivers at race events. As part of the partnership, Ultimate Performance owner JJ Furillo will travel to pro-touring events across the country, providing technical support and guidance to competitors on tuning suspensions to match their driving styles. Furillo founded Ultimate Performance in 2014 and has partnered with a number of performance-enhancing companies. Wilwood Engineering Inc., Camarillo, CA; 805-388-1188.

MSDP Group LLC announced that it will merge MSD and Mallory by the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2015. As part of the merger, all fuel and ignition-system products will be manufactured exclusively under the MSD brand. MSD will honor warranties for all existing Mallory products, as well as offer service and repair. MSD will also continue to make available Mallory distributor replacement parts, such as caps, rotors, points and nearly 100 other components. MSD, El Paso, TX; 915-857-5200; Mallory, Cleveland, OH 216-658-6413.

National Performance Warehouse has purchased Racer’s Equipment Warehouse, which has been in business for more than 50 years and serves all varieties of automotive enterprises in the New England area. Racer’s is the regional wholesale specialist in marketing and selling brand-name lines for Jeeps, trucks, SUVs, off-roading, hot rods, musclecars, drag and circle-track cars and street performance. Racers is also a long-standing member of The AAM Group and has a large number of Parts Pro and Total Truck jobbers in the Northeast. National Performance Warehouse, Miami, FL; 305-953-7290.

Longtime motorsports PR specialist Dave Densmore received the Founder’s Award from the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. For nearly four decades, Densmore has been the spokesperson for the top names in drag racing, as well as both top series. As the primary spokesperson for John Force, Densmore worked beside Force through his 16 Funny Car championships. He helped navigate Force through the high times of winning championships, as well as some of the team’s most devastating times, including the loss of team member Eric Medlen in a testing accident in 2007, and Force’s nearly career-ending accident later that year.

Black Book, a leading provider of electronic data and insight to the automotive industry, appointed Laird Popkin chief technology officer and senior vice president. He joins Black Book from Kaplan Inc., where he was chief enterprise architect. Popkin, who has more than 25 years of executive and technology-management experience, reports directly to Tom Cross, president of Black Book.

SEMA News—May 2015

Fast Facts

Brake Parts Inc. (BPI) promoted Michael Caruso to vice president of finance and global controller. In his new position, Caruso will focus on acquisitions and business integration. He will lead a team of 19 people, with 14 of them located at the company’s headquarters in McHenry, Illinois, and the others located internationally. Prior to his promotion, Caruso served as BPI’s corporate controller and played a key role in establishing the new business after the company was acquired by Torque Capital Group in 2013. Brake Parts, McHenry, IL: 815-759-7658.

Action Car and Truck Accessories, located in Eastern Canada, has acquired CTP Distributors/Custom Truck Parts Inc. of Western Canada. The combined companies will consist of four major distribution centers (Surrey, Edmonton, Pickering and Moncton), four secondary distribution points (Calgary, Grande Prairie, Winnipeg and St. John’s) and 37 retail stores with installation facilities and e-commerce stores catering to wholesale, retail and commercial fleet segments. Action Car and Truck Accessories, Moncton, Canada; 506-857-0120.

Transamerican Manufacturing Group has acquired Poison Spyder Customs. “I really admire what Larry McRae [of Poison Spyder Customs] has done in building a predominant brand so quickly,” said Greg Adler, CEO of Transamerican Auto Parts. “Poison Spyder is a great fit with our brands and our customer base. We look forward to developing the full potential of what McRae and his team have already worked so diligently upon.” Transamerican Manufacturing Group, Compton, CA; 310-900-5500.

Eric Butler’s custom-built ’68 Mustang was the first recipient of the Weld President’s Award at the 2015 O’Reilly’s World of Wheels presented by Weld. Butler, who participated in the show at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, is a resident of the Kansas City metro area. Butler completed all of the work on the vehicle by himself, including custom Weld wheels with a 1996 Mustang bolt pattern. The President’s Award was presented to Butler for “the vehicle that embodies tradition, quality and durability like Weld wheels.” Weld, Kansas City, MO; 800-788-9353.

The Mothers big rig will bring some of the coolest rides to several car shows, races and festivals as it traverses the country in 2015. The custom truck will feed the detailing needs of enthusiasts and experts alike, and its crew of specialists will introduce and demonstrate the company’s latest car-care products. Highlights on the Mothers car-show calendar include the 2015 SEMA Show and SEMA Ignited, and the Barrett-Jackson collector-car auctions in Palm Beach, Las Vegas and more. Mothers Polish, Huntington Beach, CA; 714-891-3364.

Quest Automotive Products—the manufacturer of Matrix- and USC-brand automotive repair products, paints and finishes—has renewed its partnership and support of the popular reality television series “Counting Cars.” The Matrix and USC brands have supported the show since its inaugural season in 2012. The show chronicles repair projects undertaken by Danny “The Count” Koker, owner of Count’s Kustoms—a Las Vegas body shop that specializes in restoring and customizing classic cars and motorcycles. Quest Automotive Products, Massillon, OH; 330-299-8879.

SCG Brands, the parent company of Surf City Garage and Paradise Road Car Care, has retained Kahn Media Inc. as its agency of record. Kahn Media will provide strategic PR and communication services to help the Orange County-based company market its washes, waxes, polishes and surface-care products. Surf City Garage, Huntington Beach, CA; 714-894-1707. Kahn Media Inc., Moorpark, CA; 818-881-5246.

The Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) has extended its partnership with VP Racing Fuels, which will be designated the official fuel of PDRA through 2017. As part of the agreement, VP will provide trackside fuel service for the all-eighth-mile drag-racing series and post-season awards up to $1,000 in each class for the series championship. Professional Drag Racers Association. Pittsboro, N.C.; 919-799-0621.

Yokohama Tire Corp. of North America announced several organizational changes. Rick Phillips was promoted from senior director for commercial and OTR sales to vice president of sales for consumer, commercial and OTR. He will report to Takayuki Hamaya, YTC chief operating officer. Larry Kull, former senior director for tire business planning and sales operations, is now senior director for consumer sales. He will report to Phillips. Fred Koplin, former senior director for consumer sales, is now senior director of marketing. He will report to Hamaya. Andrew Briggs, former senior director of marketing, product planning and technical services, is now senior director for tire business planning, product planning and sales operations. He will report to Hamaya. Yokohama Tire Corp., Fullerton, CA; 714-870-3800.

AP Exhaust Technologies appointed Chris Ostrander as its chief executive officer and president. Evangelos Proimos will continue as executive chairman, working directly with Ostrander on developing the company’s strategic vision. Ostrander joins AP Exhaust with more than 16 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket and OEM industries. In his most recent role, he served four years as senior vice president and president of the Americas at Cooper Tire & Rubber. AP Exhaust Technologies, Goldsboro, N.C.; 919-580-2000.

Toyo Tire North America has promoted John Ferguson to director of sales. Ferguson has worked with the company since June 2012, first serving as a sales account manager. A graduate of The University of Findlay (Ohio), Ferguson has extensive sales experience with international organizations. Toyo Tire, Cypress, CA; 714-236-2080.

Wilwood Disc Brakes has partnered with Ultimate Performance—a suspension tuning and performance product supplier based in North Carolina—to enhance support to drivers at race events. As part of the partnership, Ultimate Performance owner JJ Furillo will travel to pro-touring events across the country, providing technical support and guidance to competitors on tuning suspensions to match their driving styles. Furillo founded Ultimate Performance in 2014 and has partnered with a number of performance-enhancing companies. Wilwood Engineering Inc., Camarillo, CA; 805-388-1188.

MSDP Group LLC announced that it will merge MSD and Mallory by the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2015. As part of the merger, all fuel and ignition-system products will be manufactured exclusively under the MSD brand. MSD will honor warranties for all existing Mallory products, as well as offer service and repair. MSD will also continue to make available Mallory distributor replacement parts, such as caps, rotors, points and nearly 100 other components. MSD, El Paso, TX; 915-857-5200; Mallory, Cleveland, OH 216-658-6413.

National Performance Warehouse has purchased Racer’s Equipment Warehouse, which has been in business for more than 50 years and serves all varieties of automotive enterprises in the New England area. Racer’s is the regional wholesale specialist in marketing and selling brand-name lines for Jeeps, trucks, SUVs, off-roading, hot rods, musclecars, drag and circle-track cars and street performance. Racers is also a long-standing member of The AAM Group and has a large number of Parts Pro and Total Truck jobbers in the Northeast. National Performance Warehouse, Miami, FL; 305-953-7290.

Longtime motorsports PR specialist Dave Densmore received the Founder’s Award from the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. For nearly four decades, Densmore has been the spokesperson for the top names in drag racing, as well as both top series. As the primary spokesperson for John Force, Densmore worked beside Force through his 16 Funny Car championships. He helped navigate Force through the high times of winning championships, as well as some of the team’s most devastating times, including the loss of team member Eric Medlen in a testing accident in 2007, and Force’s nearly career-ending accident later that year.

Black Book, a leading provider of electronic data and insight to the automotive industry, appointed Laird Popkin chief technology officer and senior vice president. He joins Black Book from Kaplan Inc., where he was chief enterprise architect. Popkin, who has more than 25 years of executive and technology-management experience, reports directly to Tom Cross, president of Black Book.