SEMA News—October 2015

INTERNATIONAL

By Alysha Webb

Rigid Industries: Prowess in Exporting

The company has had an average growth rate of 104% over the last three years, and international sales have accounted for about 30% of total revenue each year, said Rigid Industries International Account Manager Robert Park (far left). All of the company’s lights are made in the U.S.A. Park is pictured showing the firm’s lights to buyers at a SEMA event in Russia. Rigid has also participated on SEMA business-development programs to China and the Middle East.

This is another in a periodic series of reports on SEMA-member companies that have successfully grown their international sales. Each of the companies has utilized one or more SEMA resources or programs designed to assist member companies in growing their export sales. This month’s story features Arizona-based Rigid Industries. SEMA News talked to the firm’s international account manager, Robert Park.

In May, Rigid Industries received a President’s “E” Award for its prowess at exporting. The maker of LED lighting for vehicles has clients in 45 countries, and its international sales are skyrocketing.

“We receive several inquiries a week from customers wanting to distribute our products,” said Park. “The struggle is finding the right person to promote and sell Rigid.”

Rigid Industries is well known in the North American off-road world. Founded in 2006, the company is famous for its super-powerful LED light bars. Rigid is entering new market segments domestically and overseas in response to the flattening U.S. off-road market, Park said. He shared some insights into the company’s strong export growth.

Park said that the true off-road enthusiast market is still growing overseas, especially in Australia and throughout Europe. The company has had an average growth rate of 104% over the last three years, and international sales have accounted for about 30% of total revenue each year.

All of Rigid’s lights are made in the U.S.A. and will fit most vehicles, whether U.S. or foreign models, Park said. In addition, Rigid has found opportunities to expand by selling to police, fire and rescue departments as well as agriculture and mining markets.

Rigid prefers to go through distributors rather than dealers in overseas markets. Distributors often have a good-size marketing budget and a sales staff that can promote products. That alleviates Rigid from having to add staff to handle those tasks.

“Having a distributor model allows Rigid to maintain local inventory, and the end customer doesn’t have to deal with delays when their product ships from the United States,” Park said.

Attending international trade shows and events is critical to Rigid’s international success. Park said that he meets many potential distributors at those events. That includes the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. International companies willing to spend the time and money to be in Vegas are typically good partners to team up with, Park said.

Rigid has also participated in SEMA trips to China, Russia and the Middle East. At the SEMA Russia pilot program, Park met Rigid’s distributor face-to-face and found that it was the best distributor to have in that market. The trips also provided Rigid with the opportunity to network with other U.S. companies and see how they deal with those countries and attain success.

Park meets potential partners at SEMA events such as the SEMA Show International Happy Hour and roundtables. The people at those events are always the big players in the international markets.

Follow-up is key. Park always tries to have a one-on-one conversation immediately after the event with a person he wants to stay in touch with. He also highly recommends working with the U.S. Commercial Service. Rigid meets with U.S. Commercial Service representatives around the world to identify the best markets to target. Company staff also attends local Commercial Service events to educate the company about specific markets.

For example, the U.S. Commercial Service’s Export Trading Control Seminar taught Rigid about the type of import paperwork required for each country—a potential barrier to entry if not done correctly. The Commercial Service can also help with local certification.

Companies that have few qualifications will often present themselves as distributors, Park warned. The Commercial Service’s Matching Gold Key Service saves time and money by pre-screening potential distributors. It also helps Rigid identify key distributors in specific verticals that might not be accessible to the company otherwise.

Country-Specific Products and Marketing

In the past, Rigid sold products overseas that were originally created for the United States market. Now the company is looking for opportunities to create products for overseas niches. It developed several lights for the Norwegian military, for example—a project driven by Rigid’s Norway distributor and its public safety manager,
said Park.

Rigid Industries traditionally had international distributors adapt the U.S. marketing material to their market. Now, Rigid Industries is considering creating country-specific marketing to gain more market share.

For more information about SEMA’s international programs and resources, including the upcoming March SEMA trip to the Middle East and a trip in May to Russia, visit www.sema.org/international or contact Linda Spencer, SEMA’s international director, at lindas@sema.org.

SEMA News—October 2015

INTERNATIONAL

By Alysha Webb

Rigid Industries: Prowess in Exporting

The company has had an average growth rate of 104% over the last three years, and international sales have accounted for about 30% of total revenue each year, said Rigid Industries International Account Manager Robert Park (far left). All of the company’s lights are made in the U.S.A. Park is pictured showing the firm’s lights to buyers at a SEMA event in Russia. Rigid has also participated on SEMA business-development programs to China and the Middle East.

This is another in a periodic series of reports on SEMA-member companies that have successfully grown their international sales. Each of the companies has utilized one or more SEMA resources or programs designed to assist member companies in growing their export sales. This month’s story features Arizona-based Rigid Industries. SEMA News talked to the firm’s international account manager, Robert Park.

In May, Rigid Industries received a President’s “E” Award for its prowess at exporting. The maker of LED lighting for vehicles has clients in 45 countries, and its international sales are skyrocketing.

“We receive several inquiries a week from customers wanting to distribute our products,” said Park. “The struggle is finding the right person to promote and sell Rigid.”

Rigid Industries is well known in the North American off-road world. Founded in 2006, the company is famous for its super-powerful LED light bars. Rigid is entering new market segments domestically and overseas in response to the flattening U.S. off-road market, Park said. He shared some insights into the company’s strong export growth.

Park said that the true off-road enthusiast market is still growing overseas, especially in Australia and throughout Europe. The company has had an average growth rate of 104% over the last three years, and international sales have accounted for about 30% of total revenue each year.

All of Rigid’s lights are made in the U.S.A. and will fit most vehicles, whether U.S. or foreign models, Park said. In addition, Rigid has found opportunities to expand by selling to police, fire and rescue departments as well as agriculture and mining markets.

Rigid prefers to go through distributors rather than dealers in overseas markets. Distributors often have a good-size marketing budget and a sales staff that can promote products. That alleviates Rigid from having to add staff to handle those tasks.

“Having a distributor model allows Rigid to maintain local inventory, and the end customer doesn’t have to deal with delays when their product ships from the United States,” Park said.

Attending international trade shows and events is critical to Rigid’s international success. Park said that he meets many potential distributors at those events. That includes the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. International companies willing to spend the time and money to be in Vegas are typically good partners to team up with, Park said.

Rigid has also participated in SEMA trips to China, Russia and the Middle East. At the SEMA Russia pilot program, Park met Rigid’s distributor face-to-face and found that it was the best distributor to have in that market. The trips also provided Rigid with the opportunity to network with other U.S. companies and see how they deal with those countries and attain success.

Park meets potential partners at SEMA events such as the SEMA Show International Happy Hour and roundtables. The people at those events are always the big players in the international markets.

Follow-up is key. Park always tries to have a one-on-one conversation immediately after the event with a person he wants to stay in touch with. He also highly recommends working with the U.S. Commercial Service. Rigid meets with U.S. Commercial Service representatives around the world to identify the best markets to target. Company staff also attends local Commercial Service events to educate the company about specific markets.

For example, the U.S. Commercial Service’s Export Trading Control Seminar taught Rigid about the type of import paperwork required for each country—a potential barrier to entry if not done correctly. The Commercial Service can also help with local certification.

Companies that have few qualifications will often present themselves as distributors, Park warned. The Commercial Service’s Matching Gold Key Service saves time and money by pre-screening potential distributors. It also helps Rigid identify key distributors in specific verticals that might not be accessible to the company otherwise.

Country-Specific Products and Marketing

In the past, Rigid sold products overseas that were originally created for the United States market. Now the company is looking for opportunities to create products for overseas niches. It developed several lights for the Norwegian military, for example—a project driven by Rigid’s Norway distributor and its public safety manager,
said Park.

Rigid Industries traditionally had international distributors adapt the U.S. marketing material to their market. Now, Rigid Industries is considering creating country-specific marketing to gain more market share.

For more information about SEMA’s international programs and resources, including the upcoming March SEMA trip to the Middle East and a trip in May to Russia, visit www.sema.org/international or contact Linda Spencer, SEMA’s international director, at lindas@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

After all the hard work of developing innovative new performance products, how do you legally get them into the market? Do your company’s products require certification testing to comply with both the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) regulations and the U.S. Clean Air Act, as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

SEMA has untangled these compliance requirements and can assist product manufacturers during the process of developing marketable, emissions-compliant products and ready them for store shelves. The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

Presented by SEMA experts from the legal, technical and service ends of the equation, this informative 2015 SEMA Show seminar provides an overview of how you can minimize both costs and time in reaching compliance status and avoid costly enforcement actions. EPA and CARB compliance and enforcement staff will be in attendance to participate, speak and answer questions. This is a can’t-miss opportunity!

When: Thursday, November 5, 2015
Where: LVCC, Room N258
Time: 3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.

Presented by:

• Russ Deane, SEMA General Counsel
• Mike Spagnola SEMA Vice President, OE Relations and Product Development
• Peter Treydte, SEMA Compliance Center Manager
• Jim McFarland, SEMA Technical Consultant
• Evan Belser, United States EPA, Mobile Source Enforcement Branch, Branch Chief
• A CARB Representative (TBA)

Register for The SEMA Way to Emissions Legal Products online.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

After all the hard work of developing innovative new performance products, how do you legally get them into the market? Do your company’s products require certification testing to comply with both the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) regulations and the U.S. Clean Air Act, as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

SEMA has untangled these compliance requirements and can assist product manufacturers during the process of developing marketable, emissions-compliant products and ready them for store shelves. The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

Presented by SEMA experts from the legal, technical and service ends of the equation, this informative 2015 SEMA Show seminar provides an overview of how you can minimize both costs and time in reaching compliance status and avoid costly enforcement actions. EPA and CARB compliance and enforcement staff will be in attendance to participate, speak and answer questions. This is a can’t-miss opportunity!

When: Thursday, November 5, 2015
Where: LVCC, Room N258
Time: 3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.

Presented by:

• Russ Deane, SEMA General Counsel
• Mike Spagnola SEMA Vice President, OE Relations and Product Development
• Peter Treydte, SEMA Compliance Center Manager
• Jim McFarland, SEMA Technical Consultant
• Evan Belser, United States EPA, Mobile Source Enforcement Branch, Branch Chief
• A CARB Representative (TBA)

Register for The SEMA Way to Emissions Legal Products online.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

After all the hard work of developing innovative new performance products, how do you legally get them into the market? Do your company’s products require certification testing to comply with both the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) regulations and the U.S. Clean Air Act, as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

SEMA has untangled these compliance requirements and can assist product manufacturers during the process of developing marketable, emissions-compliant products and ready them for store shelves. The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

Presented by SEMA experts from the legal, technical and service ends of the equation, this informative 2015 SEMA Show seminar provides an overview of how you can minimize both costs and time in reaching compliance status and avoid costly enforcement actions. EPA and CARB compliance and enforcement staff will be in attendance to participate, speak and answer questions. This is a can’t-miss opportunity!

When: Thursday, November 5, 2015
Where: LVCC, Room N258
Time: 3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.

Presented by:

• Russ Deane, SEMA General Counsel
• Mike Spagnola SEMA Vice President, OE Relations and Product Development
• Peter Treydte, SEMA Compliance Center Manager
• Jim McFarland, SEMA Technical Consultant
• Evan Belser, United States EPA, Mobile Source Enforcement Branch, Branch Chief
• A CARB Representative (TBA)

Register for The SEMA Way to Emissions Legal Products online.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

After all the hard work of developing innovative new performance products, how do you legally get them into the market? Do your company’s products require certification testing to comply with both the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) regulations and the U.S. Clean Air Act, as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

SEMA has untangled these compliance requirements and can assist product manufacturers during the process of developing marketable, emissions-compliant products and ready them for store shelves. The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

Presented by SEMA experts from the legal, technical and service ends of the equation, this informative 2015 SEMA Show seminar provides an overview of how you can minimize both costs and time in reaching compliance status and avoid costly enforcement actions. EPA and CARB compliance and enforcement staff will be in attendance to participate, speak and answer questions. This is a can’t-miss opportunity!

When: Thursday, November 5, 2015
Where: LVCC, Room N258
Time: 3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.

Presented by:

• Russ Deane, SEMA General Counsel
• Mike Spagnola SEMA Vice President, OE Relations and Product Development
• Peter Treydte, SEMA Compliance Center Manager
• Jim McFarland, SEMA Technical Consultant
• Evan Belser, United States EPA, Mobile Source Enforcement Branch, Branch Chief
• A CARB Representative (TBA)

Register for The SEMA Way to Emissions Legal Products online.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

After all the hard work of developing innovative new performance products, how do you legally get them into the market? Do your company’s products require certification testing to comply with both the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) regulations and the U.S. Clean Air Act, as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

SEMA has untangled these compliance requirements and can assist product manufacturers during the process of developing marketable, emissions-compliant products and ready them for store shelves. The new SEMA Emissions Compliance Center can perform R&D or certification emissions testing, assist in the analysis of test data (including modal data), prepare certification applications and provide other laboratory and marketing services.

Presented by SEMA experts from the legal, technical and service ends of the equation, this informative 2015 SEMA Show seminar provides an overview of how you can minimize both costs and time in reaching compliance status and avoid costly enforcement actions. EPA and CARB compliance and enforcement staff will be in attendance to participate, speak and answer questions. This is a can’t-miss opportunity!

When: Thursday, November 5, 2015
Where: LVCC, Room N258
Time: 3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.

Presented by:

• Russ Deane, SEMA General Counsel
• Mike Spagnola SEMA Vice President, OE Relations and Product Development
• Peter Treydte, SEMA Compliance Center Manager
• Jim McFarland, SEMA Technical Consultant
• Evan Belser, United States EPA, Mobile Source Enforcement Branch, Branch Chief
• A CARB Representative (TBA)

Register for The SEMA Way to Emissions Legal Products online.

SEMA News—October 2015

SEMA DATA CO-OP

By Jon Wyly

Budget Time Approaching? Plan Your Data Management Strategy Now!

	Jon Wyly

As 2015 rapidly comes to a close, most of us are busy preparing for the SEMA Show and getting next year’s budgets in order. If you are not yet working with the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) to take total management control and ownership of your product data, now is a perfect time to plan for engagement in 2016, just in time for the spring selling season. And remember, the SDC doesn’t charge any initial onboarding or setup fees. In fact, you don’t pay anything until your data is ready to distribute, so you can start the process today and not affect your calendar 2015 budget.

As this issue goes to press, the SEMA Data Co-op is celebrating an exciting new status as the largest and most comprehensive product data repository in the automotive specialty parts market. Launched in March of 2012 as a key SEMA initiative to serve the association’s members, the SDC spent the first year designing, building and implementing the industry’s most comprehensive online tool set for do-it-yourself (with a lot of help) data management. Now, after just under three years in business, the SDC is instrumental in helping more than 300 member companies representing more than 400 product brands manage and distribute their product data to more than 700 resellers across the industry. And we’re just getting started!

To date, the SEMA Data Co-op houses well over 4 million part numbers, more than 40 million vehicle application records and more than 2 million unique product images. Participating manufacturers (suppliers) are working with the SDC team every day to improve the quality and completeness of their data under the Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum score-carding program, which was launched just under a year ago. Be sure to check out their progress in the “SDC Data Directory” on p. 141 of this issue.

As you can see, there are many reasons to get involved with the SDC now in preparation for the new year, but we understand that you might have some questions or concerns before getting started. Here are a few of the most common questions the SDC receives:

Question: How much staff time will we have to invest to onboard and manage our data?

SDC: The time required varies, depending on how much initial data you have to send over to us and how many changes/additions you typically make. On average, expect to devote about half of someone’s time to the initial process for a few weeks, and a few hours a month for ongoing maintenance.

Question: Does the SDC offer do-it-for-me (DIFM) services if I don’t have the time to participate in the onboarding process?

SDC: Yes, the SDC can provide a very reasonable quote for DIFM onboarding, which would significantly limit the amount of work necessary by your staff to get your data into the system. After the onboarding is complete, we will train your staff to do the ongoing data maintenance.

Question: Are there any limits to how much data I can store and deliver in the SDC system?

SDC: No, we can accommodate any amount of data, including all available images, videos, sound bytes, instruction sheets and more. We encourage all participating suppliers to build out their data to our Platinum standard of quality to get the most sales value in the marketplace.

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact SEMA Data Co-op Director of Membership Jim Graven at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or 888-958-6698 x4.

SEMA News—October 2015

SEMA DATA CO-OP

By Jon Wyly

Budget Time Approaching? Plan Your Data Management Strategy Now!

	Jon Wyly

As 2015 rapidly comes to a close, most of us are busy preparing for the SEMA Show and getting next year’s budgets in order. If you are not yet working with the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) to take total management control and ownership of your product data, now is a perfect time to plan for engagement in 2016, just in time for the spring selling season. And remember, the SDC doesn’t charge any initial onboarding or setup fees. In fact, you don’t pay anything until your data is ready to distribute, so you can start the process today and not affect your calendar 2015 budget.

As this issue goes to press, the SEMA Data Co-op is celebrating an exciting new status as the largest and most comprehensive product data repository in the automotive specialty parts market. Launched in March of 2012 as a key SEMA initiative to serve the association’s members, the SDC spent the first year designing, building and implementing the industry’s most comprehensive online tool set for do-it-yourself (with a lot of help) data management. Now, after just under three years in business, the SDC is instrumental in helping more than 300 member companies representing more than 400 product brands manage and distribute their product data to more than 700 resellers across the industry. And we’re just getting started!

To date, the SEMA Data Co-op houses well over 4 million part numbers, more than 40 million vehicle application records and more than 2 million unique product images. Participating manufacturers (suppliers) are working with the SDC team every day to improve the quality and completeness of their data under the Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum score-carding program, which was launched just under a year ago. Be sure to check out their progress in the “SDC Data Directory” on p. 141 of this issue.

As you can see, there are many reasons to get involved with the SDC now in preparation for the new year, but we understand that you might have some questions or concerns before getting started. Here are a few of the most common questions the SDC receives:

Question: How much staff time will we have to invest to onboard and manage our data?

SDC: The time required varies, depending on how much initial data you have to send over to us and how many changes/additions you typically make. On average, expect to devote about half of someone’s time to the initial process for a few weeks, and a few hours a month for ongoing maintenance.

Question: Does the SDC offer do-it-for-me (DIFM) services if I don’t have the time to participate in the onboarding process?

SDC: Yes, the SDC can provide a very reasonable quote for DIFM onboarding, which would significantly limit the amount of work necessary by your staff to get your data into the system. After the onboarding is complete, we will train your staff to do the ongoing data maintenance.

Question: Are there any limits to how much data I can store and deliver in the SDC system?

SDC: No, we can accommodate any amount of data, including all available images, videos, sound bytes, instruction sheets and more. We encourage all participating suppliers to build out their data to our Platinum standard of quality to get the most sales value in the marketplace.

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact SEMA Data Co-op Director of Membership Jim Graven at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or 888-958-6698 x4.

SEMA News—October 2015

SEMA DATA CO-OP

By Jon Wyly

Budget Time Approaching? Plan Your Data Management Strategy Now!

	Jon Wyly

As 2015 rapidly comes to a close, most of us are busy preparing for the SEMA Show and getting next year’s budgets in order. If you are not yet working with the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) to take total management control and ownership of your product data, now is a perfect time to plan for engagement in 2016, just in time for the spring selling season. And remember, the SDC doesn’t charge any initial onboarding or setup fees. In fact, you don’t pay anything until your data is ready to distribute, so you can start the process today and not affect your calendar 2015 budget.

As this issue goes to press, the SEMA Data Co-op is celebrating an exciting new status as the largest and most comprehensive product data repository in the automotive specialty parts market. Launched in March of 2012 as a key SEMA initiative to serve the association’s members, the SDC spent the first year designing, building and implementing the industry’s most comprehensive online tool set for do-it-yourself (with a lot of help) data management. Now, after just under three years in business, the SDC is instrumental in helping more than 300 member companies representing more than 400 product brands manage and distribute their product data to more than 700 resellers across the industry. And we’re just getting started!

To date, the SEMA Data Co-op houses well over 4 million part numbers, more than 40 million vehicle application records and more than 2 million unique product images. Participating manufacturers (suppliers) are working with the SDC team every day to improve the quality and completeness of their data under the Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum score-carding program, which was launched just under a year ago. Be sure to check out their progress in the “SDC Data Directory” on p. 141 of this issue.

As you can see, there are many reasons to get involved with the SDC now in preparation for the new year, but we understand that you might have some questions or concerns before getting started. Here are a few of the most common questions the SDC receives:

Question: How much staff time will we have to invest to onboard and manage our data?

SDC: The time required varies, depending on how much initial data you have to send over to us and how many changes/additions you typically make. On average, expect to devote about half of someone’s time to the initial process for a few weeks, and a few hours a month for ongoing maintenance.

Question: Does the SDC offer do-it-for-me (DIFM) services if I don’t have the time to participate in the onboarding process?

SDC: Yes, the SDC can provide a very reasonable quote for DIFM onboarding, which would significantly limit the amount of work necessary by your staff to get your data into the system. After the onboarding is complete, we will train your staff to do the ongoing data maintenance.

Question: Are there any limits to how much data I can store and deliver in the SDC system?

SDC: No, we can accommodate any amount of data, including all available images, videos, sound bytes, instruction sheets and more. We encourage all participating suppliers to build out their data to our Platinum standard of quality to get the most sales value in the marketplace.

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact SEMA Data Co-op Director of Membership Jim Graven at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or 888-958-6698 x4.