By Della Domingo

With nearly 3,000 media in attendance, exhibiting companies will benefit by spotlighting their newest and most innovative products to direct media attention to their booths.

Stay up-to-date on the latest 2018 SEMA Show exhibitor news by regularly checking the Online Media Center. Find the most relevant news quickly and efficiently by sorting by type of announcement and/or market segment.

Below are some of the latest announcements found in the Online Media Center:

• REMA TIP TOP’S new Gooseneck Stitcher Is Designed to Improve Maneuverability and Reduce Stress and Fatigue
• Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk and Dodge SUV Performance Header and Exhaust Kits From Kooks Headers
• Dual-Weave Interior Towels
• Daystar Dual Wheel Chock with 3-in. Plasma Rope
• ’07–’18 Jeep Wrangler JK 4-in. Lift Kit
• Extra-Large PFM Edgeless Drying Towel
• ’15–’18 Colorado/Canyon Leveling Kit
• Tuff Mudder High-Amp Alternators for Jeep Wrangler
• Borderless Design Provides Edge-to-Edge Absorbency
• Ensure Nothing But Supple Microfiber Touches Your Paint
• BrakeQuip Dealers Have the Adaptability to Provide Hose Assemblies for Your Custom Application
• Anderson Composites Introduces Carbon-Fiber Type-OE Hood for the ’18 Dodge Demon
• Ditch Hitch Is Serious About Vehicle Recovery Safety
• Focus Auto Design Inc. Releases Side Visors to Match Fender Flare
• HaulGauge Delivers Weight, Payload, Tongue Weight and More to Your Smart Phone via Bluetooth
• KISAE Expands Best-Selling Charger Lineup With Launch of DC-DC Models for RVs, Van Conversions and Off-Road
• HPS Performance ’04–’07 Subaru WRX STi 2.5L Turbo Black Shortram Air Intake and Heat Shield

Exhibitor Press releases can be found at www.semashow.com/press. Find all SEMA Show news at www.semashow.com/news.

All SEMA Show exhibitors are welcome to upload releases free of charge.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Inc. Magazine Ranks Kahn Media, Web River Group in the Inc. 5000

Inc. magazine has revealed that Kahn Media is No. 2,848 on its 37th annual Inc. 5000—a ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Web River Group, parent company of 4WheelOnline.com was ranked No. 4,242. The list represents a look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s small-business segment. The companies in the 2018 Inc. 5000 have been competitive within their markets, and have achieved a three-year average growth of 538.2%, and a median rate of 171.8%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $206.1 billion in 2017, accounting for 664,095 jobs over the past three years. This announcement comes as Kahn Media is experiencing its 10th year in business, having recently been named the No. 1 PR agency in the region by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal and being selected as part of the Forbes Agency Council.

LIQUI MOLY to Become Official Sponsor of 2019 World Handball Championship

The German oil and additive specialist LIQUI MOLY is now the official sponsor of the World Handball Championship, which will take place in Denmark and Germany in January. During the 96 games of the world championship, the blue and red logo will be visible behind the goal and on the LED hoardings, among other places.

Rancho Jeep Wrangler JL Suspension System Passes Federal Rollover Safety Test

Engineered for versatile on- and off-road performance, the latest Rancho performance suspension system for the ’18 Jeep Wrangler JL recently met the requirements of the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 126–Electronic Stability Control Systems (FMVSS-126) test. The Rancho team tested an ’18 Jeep Wrangler JL that utilized a Rancho 4.5-in. crawler short-arm system, RS5000X shock absorbers, BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/AKO2 37/12.50/17 tires and Vision Nemesis 17-in. wheels. The Jeep JL testing took place at Arizona Proving Grounds in Wittman, Arizona, and was completed by Link Engineering Company of Dearborn, Michigan.

River City Rods & Fabrication will display a ’76 Ford GTB100 project truck in the Energy Suspension booth at the 2018 SEMA Show.

River City’s Build “El Chapo” Begins to Take Shape

Work is progressing on River City Rods & Fabrication’s ’76 Ford GTB100 project truck that’s headed to the Energy Suspension booth at the 2018 SEMA Show. A follow-up to the Davenport, Iowa, shop’s ’68 C30 camper project that took last year’s SEMA Show by storm, the GTB100 build recently passed two milestones—completion of its Roadster Shop chassis, and selection of the nickname “El Chapo,” which translates to “Shorty.” Currently, the crew is continuing fabrication work, even as it prepares to drop the retro-influenced Coyote engine into the turnkey chassis. One of the shops goals is to professionally represent the project’s cadre of manufacturer sponsors, which includes: Energy Suspension, PPG, ididit, Odyssey Battery, Performance Business Media, Painless Performance Products, Holley, Magnaflow, Wilwood, Thermo-Tec, Currie Enterprises, Precision Weatherstripping, Kicker, Falken Tires, Jalopy Hat Company, Aeromotive, Ridetech, 3M, White Diamond Detail Products, Coverking, Dakota Digital, Roadster Shop and Billet Specialties. The GTB100’s SEMA Show unveiling is set for Tuesday, October 30, at 10:30 a.m. in the Energy Suspension Booth #23267 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Rep. Posey (center) accepts an award from Doug Evans, SEMA’s immediate past-chair/secretary of the Board of Directors (left) and Chris Kersting, SEMA’s President and CEO.

U.S. Representative Bill Posey (R-FL) is a former racer and has been one of SEMA’s strongest allies in Congress since he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. As the House co-chair of the Congressional Automotive Performance & Motorsports Caucus, SEMA works closely with Congressman Posey and his staff. This longstanding relationship dates back to Rep. Posey’s days in the Florida State Legislature, when SEMA worked with him to pass laws simplifying the process for titling and registering street rods, creating a new classification for custom vehicles and exempting vehicles that occasionally transport personal property to a motorsports facility from commercial motor carrier regulations.

Eddy Dunn (left), owner of Truck City Accessories, and Rick Podliska from Rep. Posey’s office outside of the company’s Melbourne, Florida, showroom.

Earlier this week, Rick Podliska, senior policy adviser to Rep. Posey, and Kyra Thomas, executive assistant, sat down with Eddy Dunn, owner of Truck City Accessories, at the company’s Melbourne, Florida, showroom. Established in 1993, Truck City Accessories retails and installs a wide variety of products for trucks, RVs and SUVs. Products range from bed caps, liners and extenders to hitches, grilles, running boards, lighting and exhaust systems, to name a few.

“It was a pleasure to host key members of Representative Posey’s staff at Truck City Accessories,” said Dunn. “As a small-business owner, I appreciated Rick and Kyra taking time to meet with me. We had a great discussion on the topics important to me and other SEMA members, including the current economy and our ability to gain access to the financing needed to continue growing our business.”

If you would like to host your member of Congress or their staff at your business, please contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Rep. Posey (center) accepts an award from Doug Evans, SEMA’s immediate past-chair/secretary of the Board of Directors (left) and Chris Kersting, SEMA’s President and CEO.

U.S. Representative Bill Posey (R-FL) is a former racer and has been one of SEMA’s strongest allies in Congress since he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. As the House co-chair of the Congressional Automotive Performance & Motorsports Caucus, SEMA works closely with Congressman Posey and his staff. This longstanding relationship dates back to Rep. Posey’s days in the Florida State Legislature, when SEMA worked with him to pass laws simplifying the process for titling and registering street rods, creating a new classification for custom vehicles and exempting vehicles that occasionally transport personal property to a motorsports facility from commercial motor carrier regulations.

Eddy Dunn (left), owner of Truck City Accessories, and Rick Podliska from Rep. Posey’s office outside of the company’s Melbourne, Florida, showroom.

Earlier this week, Rick Podliska, senior policy adviser to Rep. Posey, and Kyra Thomas, executive assistant, sat down with Eddy Dunn, owner of Truck City Accessories, at the company’s Melbourne, Florida, showroom. Established in 1993, Truck City Accessories retails and installs a wide variety of products for trucks, RVs and SUVs. Products range from bed caps, liners and extenders to hitches, grilles, running boards, lighting and exhaust systems, to name a few.

“It was a pleasure to host key members of Representative Posey’s staff at Truck City Accessories,” said Dunn. “As a small-business owner, I appreciated Rick and Kyra taking time to meet with me. We had a great discussion on the topics important to me and other SEMA members, including the current economy and our ability to gain access to the financing needed to continue growing our business.”

If you would like to host your member of Congress or their staff at your business, please contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Rep. Posey (center) accepts an award from Doug Evans, SEMA’s immediate past-chair/secretary of the Board of Directors (left) and Chris Kersting, SEMA’s President and CEO.

U.S. Representative Bill Posey (R-FL) is a former racer and has been one of SEMA’s strongest allies in Congress since he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. As the House co-chair of the Congressional Automotive Performance & Motorsports Caucus, SEMA works closely with Congressman Posey and his staff. This longstanding relationship dates back to Rep. Posey’s days in the Florida State Legislature, when SEMA worked with him to pass laws simplifying the process for titling and registering street rods, creating a new classification for custom vehicles and exempting vehicles that occasionally transport personal property to a motorsports facility from commercial motor carrier regulations.

Eddy Dunn (left), owner of Truck City Accessories, and Rick Podliska from Rep. Posey’s office outside of the company’s Melbourne, Florida, showroom.

Earlier this week, Rick Podliska, senior policy adviser to Rep. Posey, and Kyra Thomas, executive assistant, sat down with Eddy Dunn, owner of Truck City Accessories, at the company’s Melbourne, Florida, showroom. Established in 1993, Truck City Accessories retails and installs a wide variety of products for trucks, RVs and SUVs. Products range from bed caps, liners and extenders to hitches, grilles, running boards, lighting and exhaust systems, to name a few.

“It was a pleasure to host key members of Representative Posey’s staff at Truck City Accessories,” said Dunn. “As a small-business owner, I appreciated Rick and Kyra taking time to meet with me. We had a great discussion on the topics important to me and other SEMA members, including the current economy and our ability to gain access to the financing needed to continue growing our business.”

If you would like to host your member of Congress or their staff at your business, please contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Danny Thompson crew with Challenger 2.

Team Vesco crew with Turbinator II.

At least five vehicles have driven more than 400 mph during Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Located in northwestern Utah, Bonneville is central to the history of motorsports, where hundreds of land-speed records have been set and broken in a variety of automotive classes. Speed Week began in 1949 and is the largest annual racing event held at Bonneville, with hundreds of teams racing every type of vehicle, from hot rods, roadsters and belly tankers to motorcycles, lakesters and streamliners. In addition to Speed Week, there are four other major racing events at Bonneville during August and September.

In 1960, Mickey Thompson, was the first American racer to break the 400-mph barrier with a one-time speed of 406.60 mph in the Challenger I. This week, his son Danny Thompson set a new land-speed record at 448.757 mph in the Challenger II. That record was quickly broken by the Team Vesco’s Turbinator II land-speed record at 455.107 mph.

While the racing news is positive, the conditions at Bonneville have deteriorated since the 1960s. Today, the salt crust is measured in inches rather than feet, and the 13-mile race track is now eight miles or less. The Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). However, SEMA has helped to develop a 10-year program to restore the salt flats to ensure that speed records continue to be made at Bonneville by future generations. SEMA urges the public to contact their U.S. Representative and Senators and ask for their support in funding the measure. 

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Danny Thompson crew with Challenger 2.

Team Vesco crew with Turbinator II.

At least five vehicles have driven more than 400 mph during Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Located in northwestern Utah, Bonneville is central to the history of motorsports, where hundreds of land-speed records have been set and broken in a variety of automotive classes. Speed Week began in 1949 and is the largest annual racing event held at Bonneville, with hundreds of teams racing every type of vehicle, from hot rods, roadsters and belly tankers to motorcycles, lakesters and streamliners. In addition to Speed Week, there are four other major racing events at Bonneville during August and September.

In 1960, Mickey Thompson, was the first American racer to break the 400-mph barrier with a one-time speed of 406.60 mph in the Challenger I. This week, his son Danny Thompson set a new land-speed record at 448.757 mph in the Challenger II. That record was quickly broken by the Team Vesco’s Turbinator II land-speed record at 455.107 mph.

While the racing news is positive, the conditions at Bonneville have deteriorated since the 1960s. Today, the salt crust is measured in inches rather than feet, and the 13-mile race track is now eight miles or less. The Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). However, SEMA has helped to develop a 10-year program to restore the salt flats to ensure that speed records continue to be made at Bonneville by future generations. SEMA urges the public to contact their U.S. Representative and Senators and ask for their support in funding the measure. 

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Danny Thompson crew with Challenger 2.

Team Vesco crew with Turbinator II.

At least five vehicles have driven more than 400 mph during Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Located in northwestern Utah, Bonneville is central to the history of motorsports, where hundreds of land-speed records have been set and broken in a variety of automotive classes. Speed Week began in 1949 and is the largest annual racing event held at Bonneville, with hundreds of teams racing every type of vehicle, from hot rods, roadsters and belly tankers to motorcycles, lakesters and streamliners. In addition to Speed Week, there are four other major racing events at Bonneville during August and September.

In 1960, Mickey Thompson, was the first American racer to break the 400-mph barrier with a one-time speed of 406.60 mph in the Challenger I. This week, his son Danny Thompson set a new land-speed record at 448.757 mph in the Challenger II. That record was quickly broken by the Team Vesco’s Turbinator II land-speed record at 455.107 mph.

While the racing news is positive, the conditions at Bonneville have deteriorated since the 1960s. Today, the salt crust is measured in inches rather than feet, and the 13-mile race track is now eight miles or less. The Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). However, SEMA has helped to develop a 10-year program to restore the salt flats to ensure that speed records continue to be made at Bonneville by future generations. SEMA urges the public to contact their U.S. Representative and Senators and ask for their support in funding the measure. 

By Zane Clark

Attorney Eugene Zelek will return the 2018 SEMA Show to lead an important session on MAP policies and practices.

Forbes contributor Siimon Reynolds once asked the question, “What is the most crucial aspect of business to focus on to ensure success?” Reynolds suggested that answers to this question would likely include sales, marketing, leadership, systems and financial acumen. However, he concluded that the underlying element contributing to success is urgency.

According to Reynolds, “The No. 1 gripe of executives and entrepreneurs today is that they can’t get enough done.”

One implication is that executives and entrepreneurs must empower their staff by providing the tools and resources to help move the business forward and ensure success by creating a shared sense of urgency.

Below are five sessions that will help your team do just that:

Effectively Dealing With Online and Other Discounting: A No-Nonsense Panel Discussion
Resale price erosion in the automotive aftermarket is a growing problem that affects every level of distribution—manufacturers, warehouse/distributors and both brick-and-mortar and online dealers and retailers. Industry panelists will pass on the lessons they’ve learned along the way—both the positives and the pitfalls.

Winning the Innovation Game
Participants will learn the four building blocks for executing an innovation strategy in an environment where change is happening at an ever-increasing rate. Extensive research done at Stanford University, MIT, Harvard and in the field by hundreds of practitioners has been brought together in a simple and powerful framework that leaders at all levels can take advantage of in the pursuit of their goals, given high levels of change.

Killing Status Quo with Principles to Fortune
Crush your competition from anywhere in the world with the power of the internet and an empowered workforce. No Ivy League degree or resources required. Learn why and how to craft a culture to massively grow your business. Q&A around work culture, e-commerce and killing status quo.

Why You Make More Money When You Have a Business Plan
All businesses in the trade were started with an idea. Unfortunately, most ideas were never written down and developed into a plan of action. This session explains how a business plan is not primarily for obtaining a loan, but is intended to help the owner develop the right course for the business and is to be used to keep the business and owner on track over the life of the business.

Build Your Tribe. Cut the Noise. Grow Your Business
Every day we are bombarded with information. “Push”-style messages trying to force us to buy this or recommend that. “Pull”-type messages promise untold wealth and happiness if we just do these three things! Find out direct from small-business boot-strappers and global business road warriors why employing on a more focused and authentic approach will enable you to punch through the “noise.”

Sign Up. Show Up. Preview all sessions and register.

Contact SEMA’s Senior Director of Education Zane Clark for additional information.

By Zane Clark

Attorney Eugene Zelek will return the 2018 SEMA Show to lead an important session on MAP policies and practices.

Forbes contributor Siimon Reynolds once asked the question, “What is the most crucial aspect of business to focus on to ensure success?” Reynolds suggested that answers to this question would likely include sales, marketing, leadership, systems and financial acumen. However, he concluded that the underlying element contributing to success is urgency.

According to Reynolds, “The No. 1 gripe of executives and entrepreneurs today is that they can’t get enough done.”

One implication is that executives and entrepreneurs must empower their staff by providing the tools and resources to help move the business forward and ensure success by creating a shared sense of urgency.

Below are five sessions that will help your team do just that:

Effectively Dealing With Online and Other Discounting: A No-Nonsense Panel Discussion
Resale price erosion in the automotive aftermarket is a growing problem that affects every level of distribution—manufacturers, warehouse/distributors and both brick-and-mortar and online dealers and retailers. Industry panelists will pass on the lessons they’ve learned along the way—both the positives and the pitfalls.

Winning the Innovation Game
Participants will learn the four building blocks for executing an innovation strategy in an environment where change is happening at an ever-increasing rate. Extensive research done at Stanford University, MIT, Harvard and in the field by hundreds of practitioners has been brought together in a simple and powerful framework that leaders at all levels can take advantage of in the pursuit of their goals, given high levels of change.

Killing Status Quo with Principles to Fortune
Crush your competition from anywhere in the world with the power of the internet and an empowered workforce. No Ivy League degree or resources required. Learn why and how to craft a culture to massively grow your business. Q&A around work culture, e-commerce and killing status quo.

Why You Make More Money When You Have a Business Plan
All businesses in the trade were started with an idea. Unfortunately, most ideas were never written down and developed into a plan of action. This session explains how a business plan is not primarily for obtaining a loan, but is intended to help the owner develop the right course for the business and is to be used to keep the business and owner on track over the life of the business.

Build Your Tribe. Cut the Noise. Grow Your Business
Every day we are bombarded with information. “Push”-style messages trying to force us to buy this or recommend that. “Pull”-type messages promise untold wealth and happiness if we just do these three things! Find out direct from small-business boot-strappers and global business road warriors why employing on a more focused and authentic approach will enable you to punch through the “noise.”

Sign Up. Show Up. Preview all sessions and register.

Contact SEMA’s Senior Director of Education Zane Clark for additional information.