SEMA News—September 2014

EVENTS
By Steve Campbell

Planning Your 2014 SEMA SHOW Success

Advice for First-Time (and Even Long-Time) Exhibitors

That “bit of research” starts with the Exhibitor Services Manual (ESM), which is available online. The ESM contains virtually every detail an exhibiting company needs in order to set a Show budget, acquire booth space, set up and coordinate displays and then attract, capture and follow up sales leads. The manual offers information on programs and provides advice on everything from pre-Show promotion and organizing a press conference to sponsorship and advertising avenues that will attract maximum attention.

The first stop in the ESM should be the “About the Show” tab, which is at the top of the navigation menu. It is designed to anticipate and answer the most commonly asked questions pertaining to a successful exhibit. Top priorities for initial planning include the budget checklist, the deadline checklist and the contact information page.

The budget and deadline checklists can help exhibitors decide which items they need for their exhibits and provide information about cost-saving target dates. The contact page provides a listing of SEMA Show personnel who can help with every facet of planning and logistics, including freight or material handling, labor and electrical needs, press and media services, exhibitor product training sessions, booth and feature-vehicle placement, advertising, sponsorships and much more.

New Products Showcase

For first-time exhibitors, the New Products Showcase is probably the most beneficial but also the most commonly overlooked promotional tool of the SEMA Show, which is all about new products. The thousands of buyers who come from around the globe discover innovations that will sell in their home markets, which range from Dallas and Denver to Denmark and Dubai. It’s the premier search area for many buyers—the place they visit first to see what innovations are on display—and it’s a great place to introduce buyers to companies and products they may not already be familiar with.

A new product is one that is manufactured or exclusively distributed by a company exhibiting at the 2014 SEMA Show, was introduced to the marketplace after last year’s Show and is available for shipment within 90 days after the close of this year’s Show. New products entered by SEMA- or TIA-member companies are eligible to be judged for new-product awards, provided they are delivered on-site within the eligible times.

SEMA also offers exhibitors the opportunity to enter and display any product as a featured product adjacent to the New Products Showcase. Featured products may have been previously introduced and do not need to meet the definition of “new” noted above, but they are not eligible for awards judging.

The SEMA Show organizers say that exhibitors should combine their New Product Showcase efforts with the displays in their booths as well as in pre- and post-Show marketing. New or featured products should be displayed in a booth location that is readily seen and accessible by buyers. The entire exhibit should be centered on the new or featured products, and the pre- and post-Show marketing should also promote those products.

Whether new or featured, each product is professionally photographed and is displayed with a description and contact information. The photos are used for numerous promotions, such as inclusion in SEMA News magazine, and they may be accessed by hundreds of media outlets worldwide via the Internet.

The first product entered by each exhibitor in the New Products Showcase is free when submitted online. All additional entries are $75 per product category if entered by Friday, October 11. After that, the fee is $150 per product category. Entries submitted on-site will be accepted based on space availability. A complete description of the New Products Showcase program is available.

Included With Each Booth

A booth at the SEMA Show isn’t just a patch of floor space. Each booth comes with drape backdrops and side dividers (except for island exhibits) as well as a company identification sign, 24-hour hall access and aisle carpets.

Every exhibitor also receives one SEMA Industry Awards Banquet ticket for each 100 sq. ft. of exhibit space up to a maximum of 10 tickets per exhibitor (while tickets last). And each company whose booth is confirmed by August 29 receives a listing in the official 2014 SEMA Show Pocket Guide as well as in the 2014 SEMA Show Directory. (After August 29, companies are listed in the Show Directory Addendum.) Each company and product listing remains posted throughout the year in the online SEMA Show photo repository. In addition, every exhibitor receives access to the dozens of business and marketing seminars that are conducted by expert presenters during Educations Days of Show week.

Public Relations Opportunities

Media from around the world attend the SEMA Show searching for content, so exhibitors should take advantage of the opportunity to generate coverage of their products. Even before the Show, a large percentage of the writers, editors and producers who attend visit the SEMA Show Online Media Center to track down press releases and product information that they can use to inform and entertain their audiences, and it’s easy to include your exhibiting company’s releases on the site. In addition to being featured in the online media center, your release may be featured in SEMA’s publications—including the SEMA Show Daily, SEMA News and SEMA eNews—as well as in global publications.

Pre-Show SEMA publications will use such releases based on the order in which they are received, and unpublished items will be placed on a waiting list and then included when and if additional space becomes available. SEMA also alerts other media when new releases have been added to the website.

During the SEMA Show, exhibitors may place copies of their press releases or press kits in the on-site Media Center in the LVCC. The Media Center is located in room N110 across from Central Hall and is a gathering point and a workplace for media representatives. The Center will first open on Saturday and Sunday, November 1–2, from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and will remain open during Show hours for the rest of the week. SEMA recommends that PR materials be delivered to the Center before Monday, November 3, and suggests that exhibitors initially stock 75 to 100 copies of materials and then check their inventories periodically during Show week.

• Press conferences, which are ideal for exhibitors that will have live announcements that may be of interest to a large number of media.
• One-on-one meetings with journalists during the week.
• Celebrity appearances that may bring not only media but also buyers to a specific booth or location. (To have your celebrities’ appearances included on a list that will appear on the SEMA Show website and in SEMA’s pre-show publications, complete the Celebrity Appearance Notification form in the online ESM).
• Product training sessions in which exhibitors may demonstrate the technical applications of their products in a private environment.
• Social-media connections on the SEMA Show Facebook page and on Twitter (using #sema2014).
• After-hours parties, which will receive promotion on the “SEMA After Dark” section of the SEMA Show Facebook page.

At its discretion, SEMA will also include newsworthy events in the official SEMA Show Media Calendar. For details about these and other SEMA Show exhibitor PR opportunities, e-mail Della Domingo at dellad@sema.org or call 909-978-6723.

Generate and Follow Up Buyer Leads

It’s important for exhibitors to record the contact information of buyers who come into their booths for follow-up after the SEMA Show. Some exhibitors rely on writing the information down or collecting business cards, but there is a better way. The ESM contains instructions for renting countertop lead-retrieval devices that can be used to scan each buyer’s badge and electronically capture their business and contact data. There is now even a smartphone app that uses the phone’s camera function to read the barcode on the buyer’s SEMA Show badge. A description in the ESM shows how to download the app.

The app and other devices available from CompuSystems, SEMA’s official registration provider, are part of a suite of products designed to help exhibitors maximize the return on their investments through converting booth visits by qualified buyers into sales. The process begins even before the Show with the TrafficMax attendee promotional service, which can be used to send a customized marketing message to a target audience. Once buyers are on-site, the lead-retrieval products help capture and qualify leads on the Show floor. And when the Show ends, exhibitors who have used the devices also have access to the myLeads follow-up service.

To learn more, use the ESM.

Displaying a Vehicle

The SEMA Show is a huge trade event, but it is also one of the world’s most exclusive car shows. It is open only to industry professionals, and it is populated with some of the coolest and most innovative vehicles on the face of the planet. The cars and trucks are major drawing cards, but exhibitors should take care that the vehicles they either house in a booth or endorse as a feature vehicle are treated as an extension of their exhibit space. There are strict rules regarding the branding of non-exhibiting manufacturers on these vehicles (see the Vehicles/Car Display Opportunities tab in the online ESM, where you’ll also find a feature-vehicle application form as well as a booth-vehicle application form.)

Whether displayed as booth vehicles or feature vehicles, cars and trucks should be treated as an adjunct of the exhibit space. A car that wouldn’t be representative of the exhibitor’s company in the booth likely shouldn’t be showcased as a feature vehicle either. Just putting a sticker of the exhibiting company’s logo in a window is not representative of the company’s brand. But a vehicle that is outfitted with appropriate product can help showcase the company and attract interested buyers.

SEMA Publications and Sponsorship Opportunities

Displaying at the SEMA Show requires a significant investment. Getting the biggest bang for the buck requires thought and planning. Depending upon the size of the splash a company wishes to make, the Show offers everything from basic exhibitor packages to attention-grabbing sponsorship and advertising programs, starting with the association’s own publications. The monthly SEMA News always provides a viable opportunity to reach not only exhibitors at the SEMA Show through expanded distribution, but also regular readers of the publication who begin to see event news well before the November Show dates.

The SEMA Show itself is also a prime marketing venue through a series of sponsorship packages. From floor ads and kiosk panels to fully realized major sponsorships that include logo displays, multiple top-tier feature car positioning, multi-page color ads in Show publications, banners in Show exhibit areas, a dozen individual P.A. announcements during the event and much more, the sponsorship packages are layered to provide progressively greater exposure. And there is even a first-time exhibitor’s package that provides an affordable yet effective way to enhance a company’s prominence at the Show.

For complete information about the available packages and programs, contact the SEMA Show sales team at 909-396-0289
or sales@sema.org.

Webinar for First-Timers

Exhibiting at the SEMA Show takes preparation, and there are a number of details that may not occur to a first-timer until just a few weeks before the doors open. The first priority should be to examine the ESM from start to finish, but the Show organizers have also put together a webinar—an online seminar that requires only a computer and an Internet connection for participation—designed to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. They include what to do when you arrive at your hotel, how and where to arrange transportation, where to park while at the Show, moving in and moving out, taking care of yourself, eating well and much more.

The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20, 2014, from 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. PDT. For information about participating and to register, visit www.sema.org/events/webinars.

SEMA News—September 2014

BUSINESS
By Chad Simon

Retail Spotlight

Jotech Motorsports’ Formula for Success: Love What You Do and See Projects Through

A One-Stop Shop

A SEMA Show exhibitor since 1997, Jotech has transformed itself into a one-stop retail shop that offers installation and tuning services for Toyota, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Nissan customers.

In Jotech’s infancy, the demographic was predominantly low-mid-income young adults between the ages of 16 and 30. As time progressed, the same set of clientele grew and moved into a higher bracket with more disposable income. They started driving nicer cars worth $30,000 to $40,000 that they wanted to modify. All-wheel-drive models such as the Nissan GT-R now serve as the foundation of the company’s success.

“For a customer who walks in with a GT-R, for example, we can offer accessories, performance modifications, suspension, tires, tuning, engine building, fabrication, vehicle wraps, window tinting, stereo installation or paint work,” said Kenny Tran, the business’ owner and an accomplished racer. “There’s nothing that we would turn down. If we can’t do it in-house, we’ll farm it out and take care of everything.”

A Labor of Love

“The bottom line is that you have to have a labor of love to be successful,” he said. “It’s been a long, hard road. If I was working for someone else this hard, with the many hours I’ve put into this business, I don’t think I would have survived this long. Because it’s your baby, you’re more biased, and you tend to make decisions that are more emotional. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, but for the most part, it does guide you through the hard times, and because it’s your baby, you’re willing to put more effort into it to make it survive and grow.”

Redefining Customer Service

It may sound clichéd, but experts say that the secret to surviving—in any business—is providing outstanding customer service. Everyone has his or her own philosophy and definition of what that entails. Tran’s is walking the customer through the entire process.

“We do it better than most companies because we take our customers very seriously,” he said. “Their time is valuable to them, so we treat them the way we would want to be treated. The main thing that separates us from our competitors is our attention to detail and the quality of service we provide. We see our projects through and ensure that they get done from start to finish, from giving customers advice to sales and installation. Even after the sale, we perform maintenance and follow up with them. It’s very time-consuming, but everyone who comes in gets our full attention; it’s almost like a marriage. We establish a unique relationship with them by educating them and giving them all the details they need.”

Added incentives are a great customer-service example and can improve the odds of repeat business. Jotech offers online packages and promotions for free delivery or pickup and may throw in bonus discounts through labor, shipping and freight for return customers. When customers order in bulk, Jotech’s vendors will offer the company a kickback if their quota is met. If vendors are kicking back an additional 10%, Jotech will typically do the same for their clients, according to Tran.

Gambling on the Future

Tran has faced numerous challenges throughout the course of Jotech’s existence—the most crucial being the decision to move into a large facility at the height of the recession. He took a huge gamble, and it paid off. He knew it was a good time to buy a piece of land cheap, and he counted on the housing market bouncing back. Tran said that he made the decision because the economy hadn’t been as devastated in Texas as it was elsewhere.

“Overall sales dropped by only 2%, and I didn’t see that Texas was going to be hugely affected by the recession, so we invested in this larger facility while everyone else was pulling out,” Tran said. “Now it’s almost impossible to find a building like this at an affordable price. We had family investors who were wary of my decision, because if we’re not making money, they’re not making money, and there I was asking them to spend more money. It was a tough sell. I believe in this market, and I believe that our team could get it done. We have a stable core of quality employees who helped us out and even took a pay cut just so that we could do this.”

Looking ahead five years, Tran plans to expand his inventory and move into a larger facility right on the interstate, where the company will have more of a retail presence.

“As a business owner, expanding is a never-ending, natural progression, because you always want more space,” Tran said. “My advice to others looking to break into a retail business is that you’ve got to love what you do. That trumps everything. You have a prerequisite set of skills that you need to start and manage your company, but the overall single variable you have to have in order to survive in this cutthroat economy is you have to love it, and you have to be able to do it even when times are tough.”

SEMA News—September 2014

BUSINESS
By Chad Simon

Retail Spotlight

Jotech Motorsports’ Formula for Success: Love What You Do and See Projects Through

A One-Stop Shop

A SEMA Show exhibitor since 1997, Jotech has transformed itself into a one-stop retail shop that offers installation and tuning services for Toyota, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Nissan customers.

In Jotech’s infancy, the demographic was predominantly low-mid-income young adults between the ages of 16 and 30. As time progressed, the same set of clientele grew and moved into a higher bracket with more disposable income. They started driving nicer cars worth $30,000 to $40,000 that they wanted to modify. All-wheel-drive models such as the Nissan GT-R now serve as the foundation of the company’s success.

“For a customer who walks in with a GT-R, for example, we can offer accessories, performance modifications, suspension, tires, tuning, engine building, fabrication, vehicle wraps, window tinting, stereo installation or paint work,” said Kenny Tran, the business’ owner and an accomplished racer. “There’s nothing that we would turn down. If we can’t do it in-house, we’ll farm it out and take care of everything.”

A Labor of Love

“The bottom line is that you have to have a labor of love to be successful,” he said. “It’s been a long, hard road. If I was working for someone else this hard, with the many hours I’ve put into this business, I don’t think I would have survived this long. Because it’s your baby, you’re more biased, and you tend to make decisions that are more emotional. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, but for the most part, it does guide you through the hard times, and because it’s your baby, you’re willing to put more effort into it to make it survive and grow.”

Redefining Customer Service

It may sound clichéd, but experts say that the secret to surviving—in any business—is providing outstanding customer service. Everyone has his or her own philosophy and definition of what that entails. Tran’s is walking the customer through the entire process.

“We do it better than most companies because we take our customers very seriously,” he said. “Their time is valuable to them, so we treat them the way we would want to be treated. The main thing that separates us from our competitors is our attention to detail and the quality of service we provide. We see our projects through and ensure that they get done from start to finish, from giving customers advice to sales and installation. Even after the sale, we perform maintenance and follow up with them. It’s very time-consuming, but everyone who comes in gets our full attention; it’s almost like a marriage. We establish a unique relationship with them by educating them and giving them all the details they need.”

Added incentives are a great customer-service example and can improve the odds of repeat business. Jotech offers online packages and promotions for free delivery or pickup and may throw in bonus discounts through labor, shipping and freight for return customers. When customers order in bulk, Jotech’s vendors will offer the company a kickback if their quota is met. If vendors are kicking back an additional 10%, Jotech will typically do the same for their clients, according to Tran.

Gambling on the Future

Tran has faced numerous challenges throughout the course of Jotech’s existence—the most crucial being the decision to move into a large facility at the height of the recession. He took a huge gamble, and it paid off. He knew it was a good time to buy a piece of land cheap, and he counted on the housing market bouncing back. Tran said that he made the decision because the economy hadn’t been as devastated in Texas as it was elsewhere.

“Overall sales dropped by only 2%, and I didn’t see that Texas was going to be hugely affected by the recession, so we invested in this larger facility while everyone else was pulling out,” Tran said. “Now it’s almost impossible to find a building like this at an affordable price. We had family investors who were wary of my decision, because if we’re not making money, they’re not making money, and there I was asking them to spend more money. It was a tough sell. I believe in this market, and I believe that our team could get it done. We have a stable core of quality employees who helped us out and even took a pay cut just so that we could do this.”

Looking ahead five years, Tran plans to expand his inventory and move into a larger facility right on the interstate, where the company will have more of a retail presence.

“As a business owner, expanding is a never-ending, natural progression, because you always want more space,” Tran said. “My advice to others looking to break into a retail business is that you’ve got to love what you do. That trumps everything. You have a prerequisite set of skills that you need to start and manage your company, but the overall single variable you have to have in order to survive in this cutthroat economy is you have to love it, and you have to be able to do it even when times are tough.”

SEMA News—September 2014

BUSINESS
By Chad Simon

Retail Spotlight

Jotech Motorsports’ Formula for Success: Love What You Do and See Projects Through

A One-Stop Shop

A SEMA Show exhibitor since 1997, Jotech has transformed itself into a one-stop retail shop that offers installation and tuning services for Toyota, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Nissan customers.

In Jotech’s infancy, the demographic was predominantly low-mid-income young adults between the ages of 16 and 30. As time progressed, the same set of clientele grew and moved into a higher bracket with more disposable income. They started driving nicer cars worth $30,000 to $40,000 that they wanted to modify. All-wheel-drive models such as the Nissan GT-R now serve as the foundation of the company’s success.

“For a customer who walks in with a GT-R, for example, we can offer accessories, performance modifications, suspension, tires, tuning, engine building, fabrication, vehicle wraps, window tinting, stereo installation or paint work,” said Kenny Tran, the business’ owner and an accomplished racer. “There’s nothing that we would turn down. If we can’t do it in-house, we’ll farm it out and take care of everything.”

A Labor of Love

“The bottom line is that you have to have a labor of love to be successful,” he said. “It’s been a long, hard road. If I was working for someone else this hard, with the many hours I’ve put into this business, I don’t think I would have survived this long. Because it’s your baby, you’re more biased, and you tend to make decisions that are more emotional. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, but for the most part, it does guide you through the hard times, and because it’s your baby, you’re willing to put more effort into it to make it survive and grow.”

Redefining Customer Service

It may sound clichéd, but experts say that the secret to surviving—in any business—is providing outstanding customer service. Everyone has his or her own philosophy and definition of what that entails. Tran’s is walking the customer through the entire process.

“We do it better than most companies because we take our customers very seriously,” he said. “Their time is valuable to them, so we treat them the way we would want to be treated. The main thing that separates us from our competitors is our attention to detail and the quality of service we provide. We see our projects through and ensure that they get done from start to finish, from giving customers advice to sales and installation. Even after the sale, we perform maintenance and follow up with them. It’s very time-consuming, but everyone who comes in gets our full attention; it’s almost like a marriage. We establish a unique relationship with them by educating them and giving them all the details they need.”

Added incentives are a great customer-service example and can improve the odds of repeat business. Jotech offers online packages and promotions for free delivery or pickup and may throw in bonus discounts through labor, shipping and freight for return customers. When customers order in bulk, Jotech’s vendors will offer the company a kickback if their quota is met. If vendors are kicking back an additional 10%, Jotech will typically do the same for their clients, according to Tran.

Gambling on the Future

Tran has faced numerous challenges throughout the course of Jotech’s existence—the most crucial being the decision to move into a large facility at the height of the recession. He took a huge gamble, and it paid off. He knew it was a good time to buy a piece of land cheap, and he counted on the housing market bouncing back. Tran said that he made the decision because the economy hadn’t been as devastated in Texas as it was elsewhere.

“Overall sales dropped by only 2%, and I didn’t see that Texas was going to be hugely affected by the recession, so we invested in this larger facility while everyone else was pulling out,” Tran said. “Now it’s almost impossible to find a building like this at an affordable price. We had family investors who were wary of my decision, because if we’re not making money, they’re not making money, and there I was asking them to spend more money. It was a tough sell. I believe in this market, and I believe that our team could get it done. We have a stable core of quality employees who helped us out and even took a pay cut just so that we could do this.”

Looking ahead five years, Tran plans to expand his inventory and move into a larger facility right on the interstate, where the company will have more of a retail presence.

“As a business owner, expanding is a never-ending, natural progression, because you always want more space,” Tran said. “My advice to others looking to break into a retail business is that you’ve got to love what you do. That trumps everything. You have a prerequisite set of skills that you need to start and manage your company, but the overall single variable you have to have in order to survive in this cutthroat economy is you have to love it, and you have to be able to do it even when times are tough.”

SEMA News—September 2014

BUSINESS
By Chad Simon

Retail Spotlight

Jotech Motorsports’ Formula for Success: Love What You Do and See Projects Through

A One-Stop Shop

A SEMA Show exhibitor since 1997, Jotech has transformed itself into a one-stop retail shop that offers installation and tuning services for Toyota, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Nissan customers.

In Jotech’s infancy, the demographic was predominantly low-mid-income young adults between the ages of 16 and 30. As time progressed, the same set of clientele grew and moved into a higher bracket with more disposable income. They started driving nicer cars worth $30,000 to $40,000 that they wanted to modify. All-wheel-drive models such as the Nissan GT-R now serve as the foundation of the company’s success.

“For a customer who walks in with a GT-R, for example, we can offer accessories, performance modifications, suspension, tires, tuning, engine building, fabrication, vehicle wraps, window tinting, stereo installation or paint work,” said Kenny Tran, the business’ owner and an accomplished racer. “There’s nothing that we would turn down. If we can’t do it in-house, we’ll farm it out and take care of everything.”

A Labor of Love

“The bottom line is that you have to have a labor of love to be successful,” he said. “It’s been a long, hard road. If I was working for someone else this hard, with the many hours I’ve put into this business, I don’t think I would have survived this long. Because it’s your baby, you’re more biased, and you tend to make decisions that are more emotional. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, but for the most part, it does guide you through the hard times, and because it’s your baby, you’re willing to put more effort into it to make it survive and grow.”

Redefining Customer Service

It may sound clichéd, but experts say that the secret to surviving—in any business—is providing outstanding customer service. Everyone has his or her own philosophy and definition of what that entails. Tran’s is walking the customer through the entire process.

“We do it better than most companies because we take our customers very seriously,” he said. “Their time is valuable to them, so we treat them the way we would want to be treated. The main thing that separates us from our competitors is our attention to detail and the quality of service we provide. We see our projects through and ensure that they get done from start to finish, from giving customers advice to sales and installation. Even after the sale, we perform maintenance and follow up with them. It’s very time-consuming, but everyone who comes in gets our full attention; it’s almost like a marriage. We establish a unique relationship with them by educating them and giving them all the details they need.”

Added incentives are a great customer-service example and can improve the odds of repeat business. Jotech offers online packages and promotions for free delivery or pickup and may throw in bonus discounts through labor, shipping and freight for return customers. When customers order in bulk, Jotech’s vendors will offer the company a kickback if their quota is met. If vendors are kicking back an additional 10%, Jotech will typically do the same for their clients, according to Tran.

Gambling on the Future

Tran has faced numerous challenges throughout the course of Jotech’s existence—the most crucial being the decision to move into a large facility at the height of the recession. He took a huge gamble, and it paid off. He knew it was a good time to buy a piece of land cheap, and he counted on the housing market bouncing back. Tran said that he made the decision because the economy hadn’t been as devastated in Texas as it was elsewhere.

“Overall sales dropped by only 2%, and I didn’t see that Texas was going to be hugely affected by the recession, so we invested in this larger facility while everyone else was pulling out,” Tran said. “Now it’s almost impossible to find a building like this at an affordable price. We had family investors who were wary of my decision, because if we’re not making money, they’re not making money, and there I was asking them to spend more money. It was a tough sell. I believe in this market, and I believe that our team could get it done. We have a stable core of quality employees who helped us out and even took a pay cut just so that we could do this.”

Looking ahead five years, Tran plans to expand his inventory and move into a larger facility right on the interstate, where the company will have more of a retail presence.

“As a business owner, expanding is a never-ending, natural progression, because you always want more space,” Tran said. “My advice to others looking to break into a retail business is that you’ve got to love what you do. That trumps everything. You have a prerequisite set of skills that you need to start and manage your company, but the overall single variable you have to have in order to survive in this cutthroat economy is you have to love it, and you have to be able to do it even when times are tough.”

SEMA News—September 2014

BUSINESS
By Chad Simon

Retail Spotlight

Jotech Motorsports’ Formula for Success: Love What You Do and See Projects Through

A One-Stop Shop

A SEMA Show exhibitor since 1997, Jotech has transformed itself into a one-stop retail shop that offers installation and tuning services for Toyota, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Nissan customers.

In Jotech’s infancy, the demographic was predominantly low-mid-income young adults between the ages of 16 and 30. As time progressed, the same set of clientele grew and moved into a higher bracket with more disposable income. They started driving nicer cars worth $30,000 to $40,000 that they wanted to modify. All-wheel-drive models such as the Nissan GT-R now serve as the foundation of the company’s success.

“For a customer who walks in with a GT-R, for example, we can offer accessories, performance modifications, suspension, tires, tuning, engine building, fabrication, vehicle wraps, window tinting, stereo installation or paint work,” said Kenny Tran, the business’ owner and an accomplished racer. “There’s nothing that we would turn down. If we can’t do it in-house, we’ll farm it out and take care of everything.”

A Labor of Love

“The bottom line is that you have to have a labor of love to be successful,” he said. “It’s been a long, hard road. If I was working for someone else this hard, with the many hours I’ve put into this business, I don’t think I would have survived this long. Because it’s your baby, you’re more biased, and you tend to make decisions that are more emotional. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, but for the most part, it does guide you through the hard times, and because it’s your baby, you’re willing to put more effort into it to make it survive and grow.”

Redefining Customer Service

It may sound clichéd, but experts say that the secret to surviving—in any business—is providing outstanding customer service. Everyone has his or her own philosophy and definition of what that entails. Tran’s is walking the customer through the entire process.

“We do it better than most companies because we take our customers very seriously,” he said. “Their time is valuable to them, so we treat them the way we would want to be treated. The main thing that separates us from our competitors is our attention to detail and the quality of service we provide. We see our projects through and ensure that they get done from start to finish, from giving customers advice to sales and installation. Even after the sale, we perform maintenance and follow up with them. It’s very time-consuming, but everyone who comes in gets our full attention; it’s almost like a marriage. We establish a unique relationship with them by educating them and giving them all the details they need.”

Added incentives are a great customer-service example and can improve the odds of repeat business. Jotech offers online packages and promotions for free delivery or pickup and may throw in bonus discounts through labor, shipping and freight for return customers. When customers order in bulk, Jotech’s vendors will offer the company a kickback if their quota is met. If vendors are kicking back an additional 10%, Jotech will typically do the same for their clients, according to Tran.

Gambling on the Future

Tran has faced numerous challenges throughout the course of Jotech’s existence—the most crucial being the decision to move into a large facility at the height of the recession. He took a huge gamble, and it paid off. He knew it was a good time to buy a piece of land cheap, and he counted on the housing market bouncing back. Tran said that he made the decision because the economy hadn’t been as devastated in Texas as it was elsewhere.

“Overall sales dropped by only 2%, and I didn’t see that Texas was going to be hugely affected by the recession, so we invested in this larger facility while everyone else was pulling out,” Tran said. “Now it’s almost impossible to find a building like this at an affordable price. We had family investors who were wary of my decision, because if we’re not making money, they’re not making money, and there I was asking them to spend more money. It was a tough sell. I believe in this market, and I believe that our team could get it done. We have a stable core of quality employees who helped us out and even took a pay cut just so that we could do this.”

Looking ahead five years, Tran plans to expand his inventory and move into a larger facility right on the interstate, where the company will have more of a retail presence.

“As a business owner, expanding is a never-ending, natural progression, because you always want more space,” Tran said. “My advice to others looking to break into a retail business is that you’ve got to love what you do. That trumps everything. You have a prerequisite set of skills that you need to start and manage your company, but the overall single variable you have to have in order to survive in this cutthroat economy is you have to love it, and you have to be able to do it even when times are tough.”

SEMA News—September 2014

BUSINESS
By Chad Simon

Retail Spotlight

Jotech Motorsports’ Formula for Success: Love What You Do and See Projects Through

A One-Stop Shop

A SEMA Show exhibitor since 1997, Jotech has transformed itself into a one-stop retail shop that offers installation and tuning services for Toyota, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Nissan customers.

In Jotech’s infancy, the demographic was predominantly low-mid-income young adults between the ages of 16 and 30. As time progressed, the same set of clientele grew and moved into a higher bracket with more disposable income. They started driving nicer cars worth $30,000 to $40,000 that they wanted to modify. All-wheel-drive models such as the Nissan GT-R now serve as the foundation of the company’s success.

“For a customer who walks in with a GT-R, for example, we can offer accessories, performance modifications, suspension, tires, tuning, engine building, fabrication, vehicle wraps, window tinting, stereo installation or paint work,” said Kenny Tran, the business’ owner and an accomplished racer. “There’s nothing that we would turn down. If we can’t do it in-house, we’ll farm it out and take care of everything.”

A Labor of Love

“The bottom line is that you have to have a labor of love to be successful,” he said. “It’s been a long, hard road. If I was working for someone else this hard, with the many hours I’ve put into this business, I don’t think I would have survived this long. Because it’s your baby, you’re more biased, and you tend to make decisions that are more emotional. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, but for the most part, it does guide you through the hard times, and because it’s your baby, you’re willing to put more effort into it to make it survive and grow.”

Redefining Customer Service

It may sound clichéd, but experts say that the secret to surviving—in any business—is providing outstanding customer service. Everyone has his or her own philosophy and definition of what that entails. Tran’s is walking the customer through the entire process.

“We do it better than most companies because we take our customers very seriously,” he said. “Their time is valuable to them, so we treat them the way we would want to be treated. The main thing that separates us from our competitors is our attention to detail and the quality of service we provide. We see our projects through and ensure that they get done from start to finish, from giving customers advice to sales and installation. Even after the sale, we perform maintenance and follow up with them. It’s very time-consuming, but everyone who comes in gets our full attention; it’s almost like a marriage. We establish a unique relationship with them by educating them and giving them all the details they need.”

Added incentives are a great customer-service example and can improve the odds of repeat business. Jotech offers online packages and promotions for free delivery or pickup and may throw in bonus discounts through labor, shipping and freight for return customers. When customers order in bulk, Jotech’s vendors will offer the company a kickback if their quota is met. If vendors are kicking back an additional 10%, Jotech will typically do the same for their clients, according to Tran.

Gambling on the Future

Tran has faced numerous challenges throughout the course of Jotech’s existence—the most crucial being the decision to move into a large facility at the height of the recession. He took a huge gamble, and it paid off. He knew it was a good time to buy a piece of land cheap, and he counted on the housing market bouncing back. Tran said that he made the decision because the economy hadn’t been as devastated in Texas as it was elsewhere.

“Overall sales dropped by only 2%, and I didn’t see that Texas was going to be hugely affected by the recession, so we invested in this larger facility while everyone else was pulling out,” Tran said. “Now it’s almost impossible to find a building like this at an affordable price. We had family investors who were wary of my decision, because if we’re not making money, they’re not making money, and there I was asking them to spend more money. It was a tough sell. I believe in this market, and I believe that our team could get it done. We have a stable core of quality employees who helped us out and even took a pay cut just so that we could do this.”

Looking ahead five years, Tran plans to expand his inventory and move into a larger facility right on the interstate, where the company will have more of a retail presence.

“As a business owner, expanding is a never-ending, natural progression, because you always want more space,” Tran said. “My advice to others looking to break into a retail business is that you’ve got to love what you do. That trumps everything. You have a prerequisite set of skills that you need to start and manage your company, but the overall single variable you have to have in order to survive in this cutthroat economy is you have to love it, and you have to be able to do it even when times are tough.”

SEMA News—September 2014

NEW PRODUCTS

WD-40 Co.

Telescoping Marksman Spout

WD-40 Co. has developed the Telescoping Marksman Spout product for its 3-in-One multi-purpose oil, known for lubricating moving parts, penetrating rust and cleaning and protecting tools and equipment. Providing 6 in. of extra flexibility, the Telescoping Marksman Spout comes in handy when precise control is required, even in hard-to-reach places, and its on-and-off twist tip helps avoid unwanted spilling.

WD-40 Co.
888-324-7596
www.wd40company.com

Caig Laboratories

DeoxIT D5S-6 and DeoxIT Gold G5S-6 Spray

Ever wonder why electronic or electrical devices have glitches, intermittents or data errors or wonder how you can prevent them from happening? According to Caig Laboratories, those problems are caused by one of the thousands of metal connections in a system or device. Caig Labs’ new DeoxIT Products solve these issues. Already spec’d in by many automotive, railroad and heavy-equipment manufacturers, DeoxIT products are formulated to clean, improve conductivity and provide long-lasting protection on all metal connections, even under the most severe environments. Try one of the company’s most popular items—DeoxIT D5S-6 spray (multi-purpose) and DeoxIT Gold G5S-6 spray (for gold surfaces).

DeoxIT Products
800-224-4123
www.caig.com

3M

Cubitron II Grinding Wheels

According to 3M, Cubitron II Grinding Wheels are ideally suited for use on carbon steels, tool steels and high-alloy steels. They produce optimal results with high infeed rates, high grinding pressures and high material-removal rates. “As we expand our Cubitron II vitrified portfolio beyond our original product offering in gear grinding, the advantages of the 3M precision-shaped grain technology are now being realized in more industries and applications such as camshaft grinding,” said Dan Cunningham, director of sales and marketing for 3M Abrasive Systems. To learn more about Cubitron II Grinding Wheels, visit www.3m.com/precisionppr.

3M
877-481-8753 (option-2)
www.3m.com/precisionppr

QuietRide Solutions

Acousti Hood

QuietRide Solutions introduces Acousti Hood, a solution for insulating and covering the underside of hoods on Ford, GM and Chrysler/MOPAR cars and trucks. The Acousti Hood kit adds improved insulation and a finished look to the underhood and comes with an optional vehicle name and logo molded in 3D. Acousti Hood dresses up the underhood, protects the insulation from damage and helps stop the vibration and noise generated by hood panels carried by air movement into the passenger cabin.

QuietRide Solutions
888-777-3410
www.quietride.com

Fuelab

Fuel Pressure Regulator

Fuelab introduces its electronic fuel-pressure regulator. The new unit works directly with the company’s Prodigy line of fuel pumps to reduce heat buildup and vapor-lock conditions related to street/strip operation. Prodigy pumps use an input signal to determine the desired operating speed. When the pumps are used with the new 529 series electronic regulator, customers can set the pressure mechanically, as with a traditional bypass regulator, then let the electronic regulator’s demand-based speed control take care of the rest. According to Fuelab, it’s a totally independent system; no other connections or calibration required.

Fuelab
217-324-3737
www.fuelab.com

CTEK

MUS 4.3 Test and Charge

The MUS 4.3 Test and Charge is CTEK’s unique battery charger, providing consumers with a complete picture of the health of their vehicles’ charging systems. It’s designed for batteries from 1.2Ah up to 110Ah. Three easy-to-use programs test battery voltage, start power and alternator performance to provide a complete picture of the battery and vehicle charging systems. The MUS 4.3 Test and Charge is fully automatic for optimal charging of all 12-volt lead-acid batteries.

CTEK
330-963-0981
www.smartercharger.com

Malco Products

Extractor Kit

Malco Products introduces its new Extractor Kit featuring left-handed Cobalt drill bits and straight-fluted extractors to make screw and bolt extraction faster, easier and safer. Left-handed Cobalt drill bits create a pilot hole for the extractor and also loosen or even remove corroded, stripped-out or headless threaded fasteners with the momentum of the left-turning bit.

Malco Products
800-328-3530
www.malcotools.com

PML

Transmission Pan

PML has added a great-looking, solid-construction transmission pan to its line of products especially for automobile enthusiasts. The new transmission pan is designed specifically for C5 Corvette owners who push their Corvettes to the limit and for owners who just want to take care of their Corvettes. According to the company, this pan would also be useful for customers who are using LS-series engines and transmissions in their early vehicles.

PML
310-671-4345
www.yourcovers.com

UnderCover

The Elite

The Elite by UnderCover is the most refined UnderCover to date. According to the company, it is meticulously designed, engineered and produced, but it’s the remarkable features that set it apart. The new tonneau features a completely new design, including a handle on the back, a code-able lock and a brighter and a removable LED light.

UnderCover
866-900-8800
www.undercoverinfo.com

SEMA News—September 2014

NEW PRODUCTS

WD-40 Co.

Telescoping Marksman Spout

WD-40 Co. has developed the Telescoping Marksman Spout product for its 3-in-One multi-purpose oil, known for lubricating moving parts, penetrating rust and cleaning and protecting tools and equipment. Providing 6 in. of extra flexibility, the Telescoping Marksman Spout comes in handy when precise control is required, even in hard-to-reach places, and its on-and-off twist tip helps avoid unwanted spilling.

WD-40 Co.
888-324-7596
www.wd40company.com

Caig Laboratories

DeoxIT D5S-6 and DeoxIT Gold G5S-6 Spray

Ever wonder why electronic or electrical devices have glitches, intermittents or data errors or wonder how you can prevent them from happening? According to Caig Laboratories, those problems are caused by one of the thousands of metal connections in a system or device. Caig Labs’ new DeoxIT Products solve these issues. Already spec’d in by many automotive, railroad and heavy-equipment manufacturers, DeoxIT products are formulated to clean, improve conductivity and provide long-lasting protection on all metal connections, even under the most severe environments. Try one of the company’s most popular items—DeoxIT D5S-6 spray (multi-purpose) and DeoxIT Gold G5S-6 spray (for gold surfaces).

DeoxIT Products
800-224-4123
www.caig.com

3M

Cubitron II Grinding Wheels

According to 3M, Cubitron II Grinding Wheels are ideally suited for use on carbon steels, tool steels and high-alloy steels. They produce optimal results with high infeed rates, high grinding pressures and high material-removal rates. “As we expand our Cubitron II vitrified portfolio beyond our original product offering in gear grinding, the advantages of the 3M precision-shaped grain technology are now being realized in more industries and applications such as camshaft grinding,” said Dan Cunningham, director of sales and marketing for 3M Abrasive Systems. To learn more about Cubitron II Grinding Wheels, visit www.3m.com/precisionppr.

3M
877-481-8753 (option-2)
www.3m.com/precisionppr

QuietRide Solutions

Acousti Hood

QuietRide Solutions introduces Acousti Hood, a solution for insulating and covering the underside of hoods on Ford, GM and Chrysler/MOPAR cars and trucks. The Acousti Hood kit adds improved insulation and a finished look to the underhood and comes with an optional vehicle name and logo molded in 3D. Acousti Hood dresses up the underhood, protects the insulation from damage and helps stop the vibration and noise generated by hood panels carried by air movement into the passenger cabin.

QuietRide Solutions
888-777-3410
www.quietride.com

Fuelab

Fuel Pressure Regulator

Fuelab introduces its electronic fuel-pressure regulator. The new unit works directly with the company’s Prodigy line of fuel pumps to reduce heat buildup and vapor-lock conditions related to street/strip operation. Prodigy pumps use an input signal to determine the desired operating speed. When the pumps are used with the new 529 series electronic regulator, customers can set the pressure mechanically, as with a traditional bypass regulator, then let the electronic regulator’s demand-based speed control take care of the rest. According to Fuelab, it’s a totally independent system; no other connections or calibration required.

Fuelab
217-324-3737
www.fuelab.com

CTEK

MUS 4.3 Test and Charge

The MUS 4.3 Test and Charge is CTEK’s unique battery charger, providing consumers with a complete picture of the health of their vehicles’ charging systems. It’s designed for batteries from 1.2Ah up to 110Ah. Three easy-to-use programs test battery voltage, start power and alternator performance to provide a complete picture of the battery and vehicle charging systems. The MUS 4.3 Test and Charge is fully automatic for optimal charging of all 12-volt lead-acid batteries.

CTEK
330-963-0981
www.smartercharger.com

Malco Products

Extractor Kit

Malco Products introduces its new Extractor Kit featuring left-handed Cobalt drill bits and straight-fluted extractors to make screw and bolt extraction faster, easier and safer. Left-handed Cobalt drill bits create a pilot hole for the extractor and also loosen or even remove corroded, stripped-out or headless threaded fasteners with the momentum of the left-turning bit.

Malco Products
800-328-3530
www.malcotools.com

PML

Transmission Pan

PML has added a great-looking, solid-construction transmission pan to its line of products especially for automobile enthusiasts. The new transmission pan is designed specifically for C5 Corvette owners who push their Corvettes to the limit and for owners who just want to take care of their Corvettes. According to the company, this pan would also be useful for customers who are using LS-series engines and transmissions in their early vehicles.

PML
310-671-4345
www.yourcovers.com

UnderCover

The Elite

The Elite by UnderCover is the most refined UnderCover to date. According to the company, it is meticulously designed, engineered and produced, but it’s the remarkable features that set it apart. The new tonneau features a completely new design, including a handle on the back, a code-able lock and a brighter and a removable LED light.

UnderCover
866-900-8800
www.undercoverinfo.com

SEMA News—September 2014

NEW PRODUCTS

WD-40 Co.

Telescoping Marksman Spout

WD-40 Co. has developed the Telescoping Marksman Spout product for its 3-in-One multi-purpose oil, known for lubricating moving parts, penetrating rust and cleaning and protecting tools and equipment. Providing 6 in. of extra flexibility, the Telescoping Marksman Spout comes in handy when precise control is required, even in hard-to-reach places, and its on-and-off twist tip helps avoid unwanted spilling.

WD-40 Co.
888-324-7596
www.wd40company.com

Caig Laboratories

DeoxIT D5S-6 and DeoxIT Gold G5S-6 Spray

Ever wonder why electronic or electrical devices have glitches, intermittents or data errors or wonder how you can prevent them from happening? According to Caig Laboratories, those problems are caused by one of the thousands of metal connections in a system or device. Caig Labs’ new DeoxIT Products solve these issues. Already spec’d in by many automotive, railroad and heavy-equipment manufacturers, DeoxIT products are formulated to clean, improve conductivity and provide long-lasting protection on all metal connections, even under the most severe environments. Try one of the company’s most popular items—DeoxIT D5S-6 spray (multi-purpose) and DeoxIT Gold G5S-6 spray (for gold surfaces).

DeoxIT Products
800-224-4123
www.caig.com

3M

Cubitron II Grinding Wheels

According to 3M, Cubitron II Grinding Wheels are ideally suited for use on carbon steels, tool steels and high-alloy steels. They produce optimal results with high infeed rates, high grinding pressures and high material-removal rates. “As we expand our Cubitron II vitrified portfolio beyond our original product offering in gear grinding, the advantages of the 3M precision-shaped grain technology are now being realized in more industries and applications such as camshaft grinding,” said Dan Cunningham, director of sales and marketing for 3M Abrasive Systems. To learn more about Cubitron II Grinding Wheels, visit www.3m.com/precisionppr.

3M
877-481-8753 (option-2)
www.3m.com/precisionppr

QuietRide Solutions

Acousti Hood

QuietRide Solutions introduces Acousti Hood, a solution for insulating and covering the underside of hoods on Ford, GM and Chrysler/MOPAR cars and trucks. The Acousti Hood kit adds improved insulation and a finished look to the underhood and comes with an optional vehicle name and logo molded in 3D. Acousti Hood dresses up the underhood, protects the insulation from damage and helps stop the vibration and noise generated by hood panels carried by air movement into the passenger cabin.

QuietRide Solutions
888-777-3410
www.quietride.com

Fuelab

Fuel Pressure Regulator

Fuelab introduces its electronic fuel-pressure regulator. The new unit works directly with the company’s Prodigy line of fuel pumps to reduce heat buildup and vapor-lock conditions related to street/strip operation. Prodigy pumps use an input signal to determine the desired operating speed. When the pumps are used with the new 529 series electronic regulator, customers can set the pressure mechanically, as with a traditional bypass regulator, then let the electronic regulator’s demand-based speed control take care of the rest. According to Fuelab, it’s a totally independent system; no other connections or calibration required.

Fuelab
217-324-3737
www.fuelab.com

CTEK

MUS 4.3 Test and Charge

The MUS 4.3 Test and Charge is CTEK’s unique battery charger, providing consumers with a complete picture of the health of their vehicles’ charging systems. It’s designed for batteries from 1.2Ah up to 110Ah. Three easy-to-use programs test battery voltage, start power and alternator performance to provide a complete picture of the battery and vehicle charging systems. The MUS 4.3 Test and Charge is fully automatic for optimal charging of all 12-volt lead-acid batteries.

CTEK
330-963-0981
www.smartercharger.com

Malco Products

Extractor Kit

Malco Products introduces its new Extractor Kit featuring left-handed Cobalt drill bits and straight-fluted extractors to make screw and bolt extraction faster, easier and safer. Left-handed Cobalt drill bits create a pilot hole for the extractor and also loosen or even remove corroded, stripped-out or headless threaded fasteners with the momentum of the left-turning bit.

Malco Products
800-328-3530
www.malcotools.com

PML

Transmission Pan

PML has added a great-looking, solid-construction transmission pan to its line of products especially for automobile enthusiasts. The new transmission pan is designed specifically for C5 Corvette owners who push their Corvettes to the limit and for owners who just want to take care of their Corvettes. According to the company, this pan would also be useful for customers who are using LS-series engines and transmissions in their early vehicles.

PML
310-671-4345
www.yourcovers.com

UnderCover

The Elite

The Elite by UnderCover is the most refined UnderCover to date. According to the company, it is meticulously designed, engineered and produced, but it’s the remarkable features that set it apart. The new tonneau features a completely new design, including a handle on the back, a code-able lock and a brighter and a removable LED light.

UnderCover
866-900-8800
www.undercoverinfo.com