This year, the SEMA Board of Directors has openings for two seats in the Manufacturers category, two seats in the Distributors/Retailers category and one seat in the Services category.

The following is a message from SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting:

As a member of the association, your recommendation is needed for industry leaders to serve on the SEMA Board of Directors. Our industry has many individuals who would be an asset to the SEMA Board, but oftentimes those individuals aren’t immediately apparent to the Nominating Committee when selecting the final candidates.

Please take a moment to tell us about whom you would recommend as a potential nominee for a board member position. We also ask that you include information to help the Nominating Committee know more about the nominee’s qualifications, such as background, experience and achievements from a leadership standpoint.

For this year’s election, the following seats are open:

• Two seats in the Manufacturers category
• Two seats in the Distributors/Retailers category
• One seat in the Services category

Nominations for the 2018 SEMA Board of Directors are due Thursday, January 4, 2018. Please complete and submit the nomination form, and be sure to include the qualification information noted above.

A strong board means wise leadership and an association that serves its members well. We urge you to take part in the nominations process.

Thank you for your attention to this important request.

Chris Kersting, CAE
SEMA President and CEO

By SEMA Editors

Latest Jobs Added to SEMA Career Center

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest classifieds posted to the website.

Jobber Engagement Territory Manager: Iddea California LLC is hiring a jobber engagement territory manager for its Go Rhino and Big Country brands. This position will be responsible for driving sales by developing new, and growing existing, relationships with jobbers and dealers in the Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico territories. Focus activities include identifying key jobbers and dealers in each market who are capable and interested in actively promoting and selling Go Rhino/Big Country brands, deploying point-of-purchase displays, product education and collaboration with distributor partners. Extensive travel within the territory will be required, as field-work is the primary responsibility. A college degree is preferred, along with a minimum of three years of related experience in automotive accessories.

OEM Sales Manager: ComeUp USA Inc. is hiring an OEM sales manager. This position will require extensive sales experience within the industrial sector, specifically on the tow truck, fire truck, utility truck and trailer market segment. This role includes but is not limited to managing assigned accounts and prospecting new business opportunities. Off-road industry/product knowledge is required. 

Technical Sales Consultant: Air Flow Research is hiring a technical sales consultant focused on the sales of performance automotive cylinder heads for domestic push-rod V8 engines. Responsibilities include recommending and selling performance products, and communicating effectively locally, online and on social media with customers through various means. The ideal candidate must have proven customer support experience or experience as a client service representative. A college degree and at least five years of experience in high-performance engine parts sales are preferred.

Automotive Collision Repair/Welding Instructor: The College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, has one tenure-track faculty position available that would have joint responsibility teaching in the auto collision repair and welding programs. Assignments will emphasize teaching in the automotive refinishing or structural repair areas of the collision-repair industry. Candidates are required to have an associate’s degree, five-year collision repair or related fieldwork experience within the last 7 years and a current ASE-Collision or I-CAR certification.

Product Development Supervisor: Classic Industries is hiring a product development supervisor responsible for coordinating the gathering of OEM samples, working directly with factories and testing fit samples for quality assurance and approval. Management experience is essential. Some travel may be required occasionally. Candidates must have extensive knowledge and experience with vehicle restoration and all aspects of vehicle parts manufacturing. The ability to speak, read and write in Mandarin is a plus.

By SEMA Editors

Following are dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.

• SEMA Measuring Session: ’18 KIA Stinger, January 11, 2018, SEMA Garage, Diamond Bar, California

• MPMC Media Trade Conference, January 23–25, 2018, Embassy Suites Orange County Airport North, Santa Ana, California

• SEMA Middle East Business Development Program, April 3–8, 2018, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

• SEMA Australia Business Development Program, May 24–28, 2018, Melbourne, Australia

• Collector Car Appreciation Day (CCAD), July 13, 2018

• SEMA Show, October 30–November 2, 2018, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas

For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstore.com) at Travel Store USA, 949-930-9268.

SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities (view all here) in the Classifieds page of SEMA.org. Working for a SEMA-member company has many advantages. In addition to working for a company that supports and contributes to the success of the overall industry, being employed by a SEMA-member company enables employees to participate in webinars, access free market research, join SEMA committees and more.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA is now accepting applications for the 2018 SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund for students preparing for careers in the auto or auto-parts industries at www.sema.org/scholarships.  

New this year, high-school and part-time students can apply for a scholarship. The change is part of an effort by SEMA’s Scholarship Committee to start students down the automotive path and support their efforts at an earlier stage.

“SEMA is dedicated to activating the next-generation automotive workforce by providing financial support and career resources to students enrolled in various high schools, universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in the United States,” said SEMA Chairman-Elect Tim Martin.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship program offers financial assistance of up to $5,000 to help foster the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators. Students can apply for the scholarship at www.sema.org/scholarships. The deadline for the program is March 1, 2018.

Scholarships are available in a variety of categories, such as accounting, sales and marketing, and engineering. Dozens of awards ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 will be given out, with a $5,000 award going to the top student.

The program also includes a loan-forgiveness aspect that offers financial awards to employees of SEMA-member companies who are paying off a loan for a completed program of study at an accredited university, college or vocational/technical program within the United States.

For more information, contact SEMA Manager of Student Programs Juliet Marshall at 909-978-6655 or julietm@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA is now accepting applications for the 2018 SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund for students preparing for careers in the auto or auto-parts industries at www.sema.org/scholarships.  

New this year, high-school and part-time students can apply for a scholarship. The change is part of an effort by SEMA’s Scholarship Committee to start students down the automotive path and support their efforts at an earlier stage.

“SEMA is dedicated to activating the next-generation automotive workforce by providing financial support and career resources to students enrolled in various high schools, universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in the United States,” said SEMA Chairman-Elect Tim Martin.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship program offers financial assistance of up to $5,000 to help foster the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators. Students can apply for the scholarship at www.sema.org/scholarships. The deadline for the program is March 1, 2018.

Scholarships are available in a variety of categories, such as accounting, sales and marketing, and engineering. Dozens of awards ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 will be given out, with a $5,000 award going to the top student.

The program also includes a loan-forgiveness aspect that offers financial awards to employees of SEMA-member companies who are paying off a loan for a completed program of study at an accredited university, college or vocational/technical program within the United States.

For more information, contact SEMA Manager of Student Programs Juliet Marshall at 909-978-6655 or julietm@sema.org.

The annual report provides the latest consumer research into who’s buying what.

With the SEMA Show wrapped up and a new year on its way, SEMA-member companies are busy absorbing the latest aftermarket trends and adjusting their marketing and sales strategies for 2018. The task can seem overwhelming, especially after experiencing the dizzying array of new products and innovations that flooded the recent Show. For a successful 2018 marketing plan, you need to identify who your consumers are, what they’re currently buying, where they’re shopping, and how to target them.

The annual report provides the latest consumer research into who’s buying what.

With the SEMA Show wrapped up and a new year on its way, SEMA-member companies are busy absorbing the latest aftermarket trends and adjusting their marketing and sales strategies for 2018. The task can seem overwhelming, especially after experiencing the dizzying array of new products and innovations that flooded the recent Show. For a successful 2018 marketing plan, you need to identify who your consumers are, what they’re currently buying, where they’re shopping, and how to target them.

The annual report provides the latest consumer research into who’s buying what.

With the SEMA Show wrapped up and a new year on its way, SEMA-member companies are busy absorbing the latest aftermarket trends and adjusting their marketing and sales strategies for 2018. The task can seem overwhelming, especially after experiencing the dizzying array of new products and innovations that flooded the recent Show. For a successful 2018 marketing plan, you need to identify who your consumers are, what they’re currently buying, where they’re shopping, and how to target them.

By SEMA Editors

Team Fel-Pro from Tulsa Technology Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge 2017 Dual National Champion, with an average time of 17:06.

The final half of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge 2017 Dual National Championship took place last week at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis. It included 18 teams that battled to become one of the top four teams to compete in the Elite Eight playoffs for the 2017 Dual National Championship.

The Elite Eight Competition

A total of 45 teams competed at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show to qualify for the Elite Eight competition, which pitted the top four SEMA Show seeds against the top four PRI Trade Show seeds.

The top four teams that competed at the PRI Trade Show included Team K&N from Burton Center for Arts & Tech in Salem, Virginia, which finished in fourth place with an average time of 20:59. Team Derale from Forsyth Central High School in Cumming, Georgia, finished in third place with an average time of 20:25. Team QA1, also from Forsyth Central High School, came in second place with an average time of 18:29. In first place came Team Meziere from Burton Center for Arts & Tech with the best average time of 17:51.

The top four teams from the SEMA Show were Team Howards Cams from Lakeshore High School in Stevensville, Michigan, with an average time of 19:07. Team Fragola Performance Systems from Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois, came in second place with an average time of 20:56. Team Aeromotive from Eastern Oklahoma Technology Center in Choctaw, Oklahoma, took third place with an average time of 21:52. Team Fel-Pro from Tulsa Technology Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, came in fourth place with an average time of 23:08.

Times are based on three important parts. First, the average of the three times in which the teams competed. Second are the penalty minutes added for mistakes made during disassembly and reassembly, and the third is a 50-question written test on parts and tools identification, along with general engine and rules knowledge.

The Best Against the Best

Only three seconds separated the first- and second-place teams, and just 17 seconds between first and third place. But in the end, Team Fel-Pro from Tulsa Technology Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, came out on top with an average time of 17:06.

Each student earned scholarship opportunities ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 from Ohio Technical College, School of Automotive Machinists & Technology and Universal Technical Institute.

For more information and to view the final standings, visit www.hotroddersoftomorrow.com.