Thu, 04/14/2016 - 09:33

By SEMA Editors

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.

  • Salesperson: The Wheel Group/Wheel-1 is hiring an automotive aftermarket salesperson to provide information regarding products, account inquiries and order status via phone or email and sell company products in accordance with company requirements and customer needs. The successful candidate must must be willing to travel and have prior sales experience and strong customer service skills. Experience in the aftermarket wheel industry is a plus.
  • Buyer: JEGS Automotive Inc. is hiring a high-performance buyer with strong negotiating and analytical skills and solid experience in the automotive performance market. Responsibilities include evaluating new products from both new and existing vendors; negotiating pricing, payment terms, freight, stock adjustments and allowances/rebates; maintaining the correct product assortment, competitive pricing and creative marketing programs; and maintaining current supplier relationships and account lines.
  • Operations Manager: Hellwig Products Co. Inc. is hiring an operations manager responsible for product production, maintenance and upkeep of all equipment, installation/implementation of all purchased new equipment, planning and scheduling orders received, purchasing and controlling overhead costs. The successful candidate will have a four-year degree with an emphasis in engineering, industrial or manufacturing engineering and prior professional work experience in managing a manufacturing plant.
  • Customer Service Rep: HP Tuners LLC is hiring a customer service rep with experience in electronic fuel-injection system troubleshooting and diagnosis, PC-based tuning software and troubleshooting and general PC software troubleshooting. This position will be responsible for handling questions via telephone and email, addressing both hardware- and software-related issues, effectively communicating technical information with team members and customers alike and diagnosing and providing a path to resolve technical issues.

SEMA recently launched the SEMA Career Center to address the employment challenges of automotive companies and facilitate a talent pipeline for entering into the automotive aftermarket industry. Through an automotive network that includes the Auto Care Association, the SEMA Career Center will expand the volume and reach of job openings from automotive companies throughout the country.

Thu, 04/14/2016 - 09:30

Strengthen Your Company Through Community

No matter what niche you're in—rods, restoration, racing, restyling, reps, trucks or wheels and tires—there's a SEMA council or professional network that's right for your company. SEMA councils and networks offer members a variety of market-specific programs and activities designed to provide educational and networking opportunities while promoting their particular industry segment.


HRIA Logo 
Visit HRIA's website
hria

SEMA Career Center Aligns with HRIA Futures in Hot Rodding Initiative

Futures in Hot Rodding continues to be a priority initiative for the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA). At its core, this program was built to promote and connect the industry’s next generation with hot-rodding careers. The automotive industry, and this segment in particular, are driven by passion, community and camaraderie, and can be an exciting career opportunity for young people. The challenge with Futures in Hot Rodding has been the ability to connect the dots from interest to employment on a broad scale.

SEMA has recently introduced a new Career Center and Job Board that will help bridge the gap and create a talent pipeline into hot rodding. The SEMA Career Center will serve to address industry employment challenges, and through SEMA’s growing network of school contacts, create a direct link for young people looking to enter the automotive workforce.

HRIA is excited about this opportunity and encourages its membership to take advantage of this resource for your own business. As a community of hot rodders with a shared interest in promoting the hobby, we can effect change by sharing our respective job postings through social channels with a common tagline:  “another Futures in Hot Rodding job opening,” and then linking/sharing the actual job posting from the SEMA Career Center.  This will help to promote your own businesses, increase application views and create awareness for the hot-rodding industry as whole.

Be sure to check out SEMA’s Career Center. If you have a job opening to post, make it “Another Futures in Hot Rodding job opening.”

For questions about the Career Center, contact SEMA’s Director of Education Zane Clark. For questions about HRIA, contact Council Director Jim Skelly.

Back to Top


ARMO Logo
Visit ARMO's website.

ARMO Industry Mixer

ARMO is hosting an industry mixer at Spring Carlisle amongst the top restored vehicles in the country. Gather in the ARMO Hot Products Tent, conveniently located in the middle of the fairgrounds, for drinks and finger food. Network with industry friends while checking out the hottest products in restoration. SEMA staff and council leadership will be there to discuss council initiatives and benefits for your company. The mixer will take place Thursday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. We’ll see you there!

armo
The ARMO Hot Products Showcase is an exciting and valuable opportunity for ARMO-member companies to put their product(s) in front of 100,000 restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle.

Register Your Products for ARMO’s Hot Products Showcase

The ARMO Hot Products Showcase is an exciting and valuable opportunity for ARMO-member companies to put their product(s) in front of 100,000 restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle. The Showcase is open Thursday–Saturday, April 21–23. For just the cost of shipping your product(s) to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, you’ll receive:

  • Product placement in the ARMO Hot Products Tent, located strategically in the center of the event grounds.
  • Professional product photography.
  • Product photo placement in the ARMO booth at the SEMA Show and in a photo gallery on SEMA.org.
  • Consideration for an ARMO New Product award in one of nine categories.

If you are going to Carlisle, you can save on shipping costs by dropping off and picking up your product on site.

Register your product(s) by April 14 to ensure signage deliverables.

For more information, contact Council Director Jim Skelly at 909-978-6690 or jimsk@sema.org.

Back to Top


YEN Logo
Visit YEN's website
james
James Snoddy and his family.

Young Executives Network (YEN) Member of the Month: James Snoddy, Jammock

Tell us about yourself.

I’m originally from Rochester, New York. I am an alumnus of the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in English literature and of the Johns Hopkins University, with a masters in writing. I’m the inventor of the Jammock (it’s a hammock for your Jeep or truck). I own and run the company. Jammock does more than $200,000 in sales each year worldwide.

I’m a former U.S. Army infantry officer, following seven years of enlisted service as a military policeman. I served as a stryker platoon leader for 16 months in Iraq and led more than 480 combat patrols and raids, finishing my tour with zero U.S. casualties under my command, which I regard as my greatest achievement. I’ve served the United States in every major theater of the Global War on Terror, including as a military policeman guarding the Pentagon crash site following 9-11; a prison guard at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; an infantry officer in Mosul, Baghdad, and Hamam al-Alil, Iraq; and (very briefly) as a cooperative biological engagement program project manager in Kabul, Afghanistan.

I led a project reducing biological threats in Afghanistan for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. I’m a member of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council. I’ve previously served in the Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism as a regional affairs officer for the Maghreb. I am a former Presidential Management Fellow. I also served as an intern at the White House and for the New York State Attorney General.

I am a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge among other decorations, and I'm an Eagle Scout. I am currently serving the United States overseas.

Who/what are your major influences?

Comfort! I was influenced to create the Jammock because I like Jeeps, chilling and reading. The Jammock allows me to do all three. My stepfather, Jerry Erban, was a salesman all his life. I’ve been in the Army and in government. I don’t have an MBA or any sales experience, except for selling Boy Scout Christmas wreaths. My stepdad was there as a consultant and confidant to help me focus my efforts and gain confidence. He’s old-school sales. He’s snailmail to 150 Jeep dealers in Florida old-school. He’s a coffee-mug-with-no-lid-on-the-dash-of-the-Oldsmobile-to-make-a-sales-call old school. He taught me when to take a deal, leave a deal and make a deal. He gave me confidence in my product and ideas during the dark times. Between he and my wife, they’re the reason the company exists.

What is Jammock? How does it work?

It’s a hammock for your Jeep (or truck bed). It’s a very simple invention that improves on another (as so many great inventions do). We took the 1,000-year-old design of the hammock and engineered it to fit into the space over a Jeep and in a truck bed. Once installed, it does not have to be removed. It is six products in one: a Jammock, load-bearing soft-top, windjammer, lounge chair, overhead storage, and sling-seat off the vehicle. The Jammock will hold more than 350 lbs., and will not interfere with OEM tops.

What was the hardest part of bringing your product to market?

The color. Can you believe it? The color almost sunk me. When I first started, I ordered 100 Jammocks in “Sahara Tan” because that’s the color my Jeep was. No one—let me repeat that—no one wanted to buy a tan Jammock. Everyone kept saying they’d buy one if it was black. I was more of the Henry Ford mold at that time. “They can have any color Jammock they want as long as it’s tan!” I wasn’t willing to budge because I’d sunk a few thousand dollars into the Sahara Tan production run. Eventually, the market budged me, but the real push—and the saving grace of Jammock as a concept and as a company—was my genius wife, Nadia, suggesting that I do a pre-order round to finance the next production run of our newly created Jammock Black. When pre-orders opened, we sold a ton the first day and paid off the factory. Sales have increased substantially since then.  

On the eve of launch, after months of R&D followed by testing and evaluating the Jammock, I had a nightmare: will it fit in a JK (the current Jeep Wrangler model)? I had the previous-generation model (TJ), and that was where I’d conducted all the testing, including fitment. I went to a Jeep dealer and told him that I was interested in buying a new Jeep, but only if it would fit my awesome Jammock. We got the Jammock installed only to find that the TJ had a lot more room up top than the JK. I had to cut 3 in. off the width of the Jammock to make it a universal fit.

For the JammockTruck, I had to build a replica of a truck bed in my basement to check size, fit and installation since I didn’t own a truck. We fit several people at once on the Jammock during human testing. I conducted further testing after I sold my house, but I still didn’t own a truck, so I had to rent a Zip Car (cars and trucks by the hour) near the Pentagon. The truck never left the parking spot. I was there conducting tests; it was a pain.  

Having the time was also difficult. I have a day job. I have a wife. I have a kid. I have to run. I have other interests. There’s lots of demands on the time of the small businessman. But you chip away at it and get it done when you find time. You end up becoming very efficient in everything you do in order to finish everything. You have to be or you will not survive in this business.

How has social media and the Internet changed how you get your product to the end consumer?

I hired Erica Taylor as the voice of Jammock. She runs the Twitter feed and handles all the press, blogs, ad infinitum. Erica has been with Jammock for almost a year and my sales have doubled since then. The Internet hasn’t changed how I get Jammocks to Jeepers because I never had a business model without it. The website is my main vehicle for sales, both retail and wholesale. There are some brick-and-mortars, but it’s mostly Internet. I would not be in business without it—too much overhead to lease a store. My fulfillment company is fully integrated into the website and they take care of filling orders. I’m at the point now where I can commit my time to thinking strategy.  

What is the marketing technique that you find most effective when reaching your audience?

Getting butts in Jammocks. It’s old-fashioned and labor intensive, but it is pound for pound the best way to make a sale. The Jammock does not look all that comfortable. It’s tough to see how heavy duty it is, how well built and how high quality all the components are. People who sit in it tend to love it forever.

What should we look for from Jammock in the future? Any new products you are working on?

The JammockTruck is still in the nascent stage. But it’s going to revolutionize the motel and taxi industry. What?! The JammockTruck, either in good weather or with a truck bed cap will enable you to sleep in your truck. Driving cross country and don’t want to spring for a motel? Sleep in your truck. At the bar and had one too many? Save money in legal fees and sleep in your truck.  

After building your own business, what advice would you give to someone chasing a new idea?

Take advice but make your own decisions. You are in command and thus are responsible for everything your unit does or fails to do. You’re the one who will pay or profit based on the decisions you make, so own them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but own them as well, learn from them and move on. Model your business off of other successful businesses. There’s no need to reinvent anything. Tried and true are tried and true for a reason. Don’t be afraid to spend money—but don’t buy into the sunk cost fallacy either. Most of all is this: procrastinators and liars do not last long as entrepreneurs. You will live and die by good customer service. A lie may save you a few grand in the short run, but it’ll burn you in the long run. You have got to get off your butt and execute or your idea will remain just that.

 Back to Top

Thu, 04/14/2016 - 09:30

Strengthen Your Company Through Community

No matter what niche you're in—rods, restoration, racing, restyling, reps, trucks or wheels and tires—there's a SEMA council or professional network that's right for your company. SEMA councils and networks offer members a variety of market-specific programs and activities designed to provide educational and networking opportunities while promoting their particular industry segment.


HRIA Logo 
Visit HRIA's website
hria

SEMA Career Center Aligns with HRIA Futures in Hot Rodding Initiative

Futures in Hot Rodding continues to be a priority initiative for the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA). At its core, this program was built to promote and connect the industry’s next generation with hot-rodding careers. The automotive industry, and this segment in particular, are driven by passion, community and camaraderie, and can be an exciting career opportunity for young people. The challenge with Futures in Hot Rodding has been the ability to connect the dots from interest to employment on a broad scale.

SEMA has recently introduced a new Career Center and Job Board that will help bridge the gap and create a talent pipeline into hot rodding. The SEMA Career Center will serve to address industry employment challenges, and through SEMA’s growing network of school contacts, create a direct link for young people looking to enter the automotive workforce.

HRIA is excited about this opportunity and encourages its membership to take advantage of this resource for your own business. As a community of hot rodders with a shared interest in promoting the hobby, we can effect change by sharing our respective job postings through social channels with a common tagline:  “another Futures in Hot Rodding job opening,” and then linking/sharing the actual job posting from the SEMA Career Center.  This will help to promote your own businesses, increase application views and create awareness for the hot-rodding industry as whole.

Be sure to check out SEMA’s Career Center. If you have a job opening to post, make it “Another Futures in Hot Rodding job opening.”

For questions about the Career Center, contact SEMA’s Director of Education Zane Clark. For questions about HRIA, contact Council Director Jim Skelly.

Back to Top


ARMO Logo
Visit ARMO's website.

ARMO Industry Mixer

ARMO is hosting an industry mixer at Spring Carlisle amongst the top restored vehicles in the country. Gather in the ARMO Hot Products Tent, conveniently located in the middle of the fairgrounds, for drinks and finger food. Network with industry friends while checking out the hottest products in restoration. SEMA staff and council leadership will be there to discuss council initiatives and benefits for your company. The mixer will take place Thursday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. We’ll see you there!

armo
The ARMO Hot Products Showcase is an exciting and valuable opportunity for ARMO-member companies to put their product(s) in front of 100,000 restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle.

Register Your Products for ARMO’s Hot Products Showcase

The ARMO Hot Products Showcase is an exciting and valuable opportunity for ARMO-member companies to put their product(s) in front of 100,000 restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle. The Showcase is open Thursday–Saturday, April 21–23. For just the cost of shipping your product(s) to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, you’ll receive:

  • Product placement in the ARMO Hot Products Tent, located strategically in the center of the event grounds.
  • Professional product photography.
  • Product photo placement in the ARMO booth at the SEMA Show and in a photo gallery on SEMA.org.
  • Consideration for an ARMO New Product award in one of nine categories.

If you are going to Carlisle, you can save on shipping costs by dropping off and picking up your product on site.

Register your product(s) by April 14 to ensure signage deliverables.

For more information, contact Council Director Jim Skelly at 909-978-6690 or jimsk@sema.org.

Back to Top


YEN Logo
Visit YEN's website
james
James Snoddy and his family.

Young Executives Network (YEN) Member of the Month: James Snoddy, Jammock

Tell us about yourself.

I’m originally from Rochester, New York. I am an alumnus of the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in English literature and of the Johns Hopkins University, with a masters in writing. I’m the inventor of the Jammock (it’s a hammock for your Jeep or truck). I own and run the company. Jammock does more than $200,000 in sales each year worldwide.

I’m a former U.S. Army infantry officer, following seven years of enlisted service as a military policeman. I served as a stryker platoon leader for 16 months in Iraq and led more than 480 combat patrols and raids, finishing my tour with zero U.S. casualties under my command, which I regard as my greatest achievement. I’ve served the United States in every major theater of the Global War on Terror, including as a military policeman guarding the Pentagon crash site following 9-11; a prison guard at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; an infantry officer in Mosul, Baghdad, and Hamam al-Alil, Iraq; and (very briefly) as a cooperative biological engagement program project manager in Kabul, Afghanistan.

I led a project reducing biological threats in Afghanistan for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. I’m a member of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council. I’ve previously served in the Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism as a regional affairs officer for the Maghreb. I am a former Presidential Management Fellow. I also served as an intern at the White House and for the New York State Attorney General.

I am a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge among other decorations, and I'm an Eagle Scout. I am currently serving the United States overseas.

Who/what are your major influences?

Comfort! I was influenced to create the Jammock because I like Jeeps, chilling and reading. The Jammock allows me to do all three. My stepfather, Jerry Erban, was a salesman all his life. I’ve been in the Army and in government. I don’t have an MBA or any sales experience, except for selling Boy Scout Christmas wreaths. My stepdad was there as a consultant and confidant to help me focus my efforts and gain confidence. He’s old-school sales. He’s snailmail to 150 Jeep dealers in Florida old-school. He’s a coffee-mug-with-no-lid-on-the-dash-of-the-Oldsmobile-to-make-a-sales-call old school. He taught me when to take a deal, leave a deal and make a deal. He gave me confidence in my product and ideas during the dark times. Between he and my wife, they’re the reason the company exists.

What is Jammock? How does it work?

It’s a hammock for your Jeep (or truck bed). It’s a very simple invention that improves on another (as so many great inventions do). We took the 1,000-year-old design of the hammock and engineered it to fit into the space over a Jeep and in a truck bed. Once installed, it does not have to be removed. It is six products in one: a Jammock, load-bearing soft-top, windjammer, lounge chair, overhead storage, and sling-seat off the vehicle. The Jammock will hold more than 350 lbs., and will not interfere with OEM tops.

What was the hardest part of bringing your product to market?

The color. Can you believe it? The color almost sunk me. When I first started, I ordered 100 Jammocks in “Sahara Tan” because that’s the color my Jeep was. No one—let me repeat that—no one wanted to buy a tan Jammock. Everyone kept saying they’d buy one if it was black. I was more of the Henry Ford mold at that time. “They can have any color Jammock they want as long as it’s tan!” I wasn’t willing to budge because I’d sunk a few thousand dollars into the Sahara Tan production run. Eventually, the market budged me, but the real push—and the saving grace of Jammock as a concept and as a company—was my genius wife, Nadia, suggesting that I do a pre-order round to finance the next production run of our newly created Jammock Black. When pre-orders opened, we sold a ton the first day and paid off the factory. Sales have increased substantially since then.  

On the eve of launch, after months of R&D followed by testing and evaluating the Jammock, I had a nightmare: will it fit in a JK (the current Jeep Wrangler model)? I had the previous-generation model (TJ), and that was where I’d conducted all the testing, including fitment. I went to a Jeep dealer and told him that I was interested in buying a new Jeep, but only if it would fit my awesome Jammock. We got the Jammock installed only to find that the TJ had a lot more room up top than the JK. I had to cut 3 in. off the width of the Jammock to make it a universal fit.

For the JammockTruck, I had to build a replica of a truck bed in my basement to check size, fit and installation since I didn’t own a truck. We fit several people at once on the Jammock during human testing. I conducted further testing after I sold my house, but I still didn’t own a truck, so I had to rent a Zip Car (cars and trucks by the hour) near the Pentagon. The truck never left the parking spot. I was there conducting tests; it was a pain.  

Having the time was also difficult. I have a day job. I have a wife. I have a kid. I have to run. I have other interests. There’s lots of demands on the time of the small businessman. But you chip away at it and get it done when you find time. You end up becoming very efficient in everything you do in order to finish everything. You have to be or you will not survive in this business.

How has social media and the Internet changed how you get your product to the end consumer?

I hired Erica Taylor as the voice of Jammock. She runs the Twitter feed and handles all the press, blogs, ad infinitum. Erica has been with Jammock for almost a year and my sales have doubled since then. The Internet hasn’t changed how I get Jammocks to Jeepers because I never had a business model without it. The website is my main vehicle for sales, both retail and wholesale. There are some brick-and-mortars, but it’s mostly Internet. I would not be in business without it—too much overhead to lease a store. My fulfillment company is fully integrated into the website and they take care of filling orders. I’m at the point now where I can commit my time to thinking strategy.  

What is the marketing technique that you find most effective when reaching your audience?

Getting butts in Jammocks. It’s old-fashioned and labor intensive, but it is pound for pound the best way to make a sale. The Jammock does not look all that comfortable. It’s tough to see how heavy duty it is, how well built and how high quality all the components are. People who sit in it tend to love it forever.

What should we look for from Jammock in the future? Any new products you are working on?

The JammockTruck is still in the nascent stage. But it’s going to revolutionize the motel and taxi industry. What?! The JammockTruck, either in good weather or with a truck bed cap will enable you to sleep in your truck. Driving cross country and don’t want to spring for a motel? Sleep in your truck. At the bar and had one too many? Save money in legal fees and sleep in your truck.  

After building your own business, what advice would you give to someone chasing a new idea?

Take advice but make your own decisions. You are in command and thus are responsible for everything your unit does or fails to do. You’re the one who will pay or profit based on the decisions you make, so own them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but own them as well, learn from them and move on. Model your business off of other successful businesses. There’s no need to reinvent anything. Tried and true are tried and true for a reason. Don’t be afraid to spend money—but don’t buy into the sunk cost fallacy either. Most of all is this: procrastinators and liars do not last long as entrepreneurs. You will live and die by good customer service. A lie may save you a few grand in the short run, but it’ll burn you in the long run. You have got to get off your butt and execute or your idea will remain just that.

 Back to Top

Thu, 04/14/2016 - 09:30

Strengthen Your Company Through Community

No matter what niche you're in—rods, restoration, racing, restyling, reps, trucks or wheels and tires—there's a SEMA council or professional network that's right for your company. SEMA councils and networks offer members a variety of market-specific programs and activities designed to provide educational and networking opportunities while promoting their particular industry segment.


HRIA Logo 
Visit HRIA's website
hria

SEMA Career Center Aligns with HRIA Futures in Hot Rodding Initiative

Futures in Hot Rodding continues to be a priority initiative for the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA). At its core, this program was built to promote and connect the industry’s next generation with hot-rodding careers. The automotive industry, and this segment in particular, are driven by passion, community and camaraderie, and can be an exciting career opportunity for young people. The challenge with Futures in Hot Rodding has been the ability to connect the dots from interest to employment on a broad scale.

SEMA has recently introduced a new Career Center and Job Board that will help bridge the gap and create a talent pipeline into hot rodding. The SEMA Career Center will serve to address industry employment challenges, and through SEMA’s growing network of school contacts, create a direct link for young people looking to enter the automotive workforce.

HRIA is excited about this opportunity and encourages its membership to take advantage of this resource for your own business. As a community of hot rodders with a shared interest in promoting the hobby, we can effect change by sharing our respective job postings through social channels with a common tagline:  “another Futures in Hot Rodding job opening,” and then linking/sharing the actual job posting from the SEMA Career Center.  This will help to promote your own businesses, increase application views and create awareness for the hot-rodding industry as whole.

Be sure to check out SEMA’s Career Center. If you have a job opening to post, make it “Another Futures in Hot Rodding job opening.”

For questions about the Career Center, contact SEMA’s Director of Education Zane Clark. For questions about HRIA, contact Council Director Jim Skelly.

Back to Top


ARMO Logo
Visit ARMO's website.

ARMO Industry Mixer

ARMO is hosting an industry mixer at Spring Carlisle amongst the top restored vehicles in the country. Gather in the ARMO Hot Products Tent, conveniently located in the middle of the fairgrounds, for drinks and finger food. Network with industry friends while checking out the hottest products in restoration. SEMA staff and council leadership will be there to discuss council initiatives and benefits for your company. The mixer will take place Thursday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. We’ll see you there!

armo
The ARMO Hot Products Showcase is an exciting and valuable opportunity for ARMO-member companies to put their product(s) in front of 100,000 restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle.

Register Your Products for ARMO’s Hot Products Showcase

The ARMO Hot Products Showcase is an exciting and valuable opportunity for ARMO-member companies to put their product(s) in front of 100,000 restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle. The Showcase is open Thursday–Saturday, April 21–23. For just the cost of shipping your product(s) to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, you’ll receive:

  • Product placement in the ARMO Hot Products Tent, located strategically in the center of the event grounds.
  • Professional product photography.
  • Product photo placement in the ARMO booth at the SEMA Show and in a photo gallery on SEMA.org.
  • Consideration for an ARMO New Product award in one of nine categories.

If you are going to Carlisle, you can save on shipping costs by dropping off and picking up your product on site.

Register your product(s) by April 14 to ensure signage deliverables.

For more information, contact Council Director Jim Skelly at 909-978-6690 or jimsk@sema.org.

Back to Top


YEN Logo
Visit YEN's website
james
James Snoddy and his family.

Young Executives Network (YEN) Member of the Month: James Snoddy, Jammock

Tell us about yourself.

I’m originally from Rochester, New York. I am an alumnus of the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in English literature and of the Johns Hopkins University, with a masters in writing. I’m the inventor of the Jammock (it’s a hammock for your Jeep or truck). I own and run the company. Jammock does more than $200,000 in sales each year worldwide.

I’m a former U.S. Army infantry officer, following seven years of enlisted service as a military policeman. I served as a stryker platoon leader for 16 months in Iraq and led more than 480 combat patrols and raids, finishing my tour with zero U.S. casualties under my command, which I regard as my greatest achievement. I’ve served the United States in every major theater of the Global War on Terror, including as a military policeman guarding the Pentagon crash site following 9-11; a prison guard at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; an infantry officer in Mosul, Baghdad, and Hamam al-Alil, Iraq; and (very briefly) as a cooperative biological engagement program project manager in Kabul, Afghanistan.

I led a project reducing biological threats in Afghanistan for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. I’m a member of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council. I’ve previously served in the Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism as a regional affairs officer for the Maghreb. I am a former Presidential Management Fellow. I also served as an intern at the White House and for the New York State Attorney General.

I am a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge among other decorations, and I'm an Eagle Scout. I am currently serving the United States overseas.

Who/what are your major influences?

Comfort! I was influenced to create the Jammock because I like Jeeps, chilling and reading. The Jammock allows me to do all three. My stepfather, Jerry Erban, was a salesman all his life. I’ve been in the Army and in government. I don’t have an MBA or any sales experience, except for selling Boy Scout Christmas wreaths. My stepdad was there as a consultant and confidant to help me focus my efforts and gain confidence. He’s old-school sales. He’s snailmail to 150 Jeep dealers in Florida old-school. He’s a coffee-mug-with-no-lid-on-the-dash-of-the-Oldsmobile-to-make-a-sales-call old school. He taught me when to take a deal, leave a deal and make a deal. He gave me confidence in my product and ideas during the dark times. Between he and my wife, they’re the reason the company exists.

What is Jammock? How does it work?

It’s a hammock for your Jeep (or truck bed). It’s a very simple invention that improves on another (as so many great inventions do). We took the 1,000-year-old design of the hammock and engineered it to fit into the space over a Jeep and in a truck bed. Once installed, it does not have to be removed. It is six products in one: a Jammock, load-bearing soft-top, windjammer, lounge chair, overhead storage, and sling-seat off the vehicle. The Jammock will hold more than 350 lbs., and will not interfere with OEM tops.

What was the hardest part of bringing your product to market?

The color. Can you believe it? The color almost sunk me. When I first started, I ordered 100 Jammocks in “Sahara Tan” because that’s the color my Jeep was. No one—let me repeat that—no one wanted to buy a tan Jammock. Everyone kept saying they’d buy one if it was black. I was more of the Henry Ford mold at that time. “They can have any color Jammock they want as long as it’s tan!” I wasn’t willing to budge because I’d sunk a few thousand dollars into the Sahara Tan production run. Eventually, the market budged me, but the real push—and the saving grace of Jammock as a concept and as a company—was my genius wife, Nadia, suggesting that I do a pre-order round to finance the next production run of our newly created Jammock Black. When pre-orders opened, we sold a ton the first day and paid off the factory. Sales have increased substantially since then.  

On the eve of launch, after months of R&D followed by testing and evaluating the Jammock, I had a nightmare: will it fit in a JK (the current Jeep Wrangler model)? I had the previous-generation model (TJ), and that was where I’d conducted all the testing, including fitment. I went to a Jeep dealer and told him that I was interested in buying a new Jeep, but only if it would fit my awesome Jammock. We got the Jammock installed only to find that the TJ had a lot more room up top than the JK. I had to cut 3 in. off the width of the Jammock to make it a universal fit.

For the JammockTruck, I had to build a replica of a truck bed in my basement to check size, fit and installation since I didn’t own a truck. We fit several people at once on the Jammock during human testing. I conducted further testing after I sold my house, but I still didn’t own a truck, so I had to rent a Zip Car (cars and trucks by the hour) near the Pentagon. The truck never left the parking spot. I was there conducting tests; it was a pain.  

Having the time was also difficult. I have a day job. I have a wife. I have a kid. I have to run. I have other interests. There’s lots of demands on the time of the small businessman. But you chip away at it and get it done when you find time. You end up becoming very efficient in everything you do in order to finish everything. You have to be or you will not survive in this business.

How has social media and the Internet changed how you get your product to the end consumer?

I hired Erica Taylor as the voice of Jammock. She runs the Twitter feed and handles all the press, blogs, ad infinitum. Erica has been with Jammock for almost a year and my sales have doubled since then. The Internet hasn’t changed how I get Jammocks to Jeepers because I never had a business model without it. The website is my main vehicle for sales, both retail and wholesale. There are some brick-and-mortars, but it’s mostly Internet. I would not be in business without it—too much overhead to lease a store. My fulfillment company is fully integrated into the website and they take care of filling orders. I’m at the point now where I can commit my time to thinking strategy.  

What is the marketing technique that you find most effective when reaching your audience?

Getting butts in Jammocks. It’s old-fashioned and labor intensive, but it is pound for pound the best way to make a sale. The Jammock does not look all that comfortable. It’s tough to see how heavy duty it is, how well built and how high quality all the components are. People who sit in it tend to love it forever.

What should we look for from Jammock in the future? Any new products you are working on?

The JammockTruck is still in the nascent stage. But it’s going to revolutionize the motel and taxi industry. What?! The JammockTruck, either in good weather or with a truck bed cap will enable you to sleep in your truck. Driving cross country and don’t want to spring for a motel? Sleep in your truck. At the bar and had one too many? Save money in legal fees and sleep in your truck.  

After building your own business, what advice would you give to someone chasing a new idea?

Take advice but make your own decisions. You are in command and thus are responsible for everything your unit does or fails to do. You’re the one who will pay or profit based on the decisions you make, so own them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but own them as well, learn from them and move on. Model your business off of other successful businesses. There’s no need to reinvent anything. Tried and true are tried and true for a reason. Don’t be afraid to spend money—but don’t buy into the sunk cost fallacy either. Most of all is this: procrastinators and liars do not last long as entrepreneurs. You will live and die by good customer service. A lie may save you a few grand in the short run, but it’ll burn you in the long run. You have got to get off your butt and execute or your idea will remain just that.

 Back to Top

Thu, 04/14/2016 - 09:28
Wed, 04/13/2016 - 10:17

Compiled by SEMA Editors

casey
Casey Brammer

Rev’d Media Group Hires Casey Brammer as New Publisher

Rev’d Media Group has hired Casey Brammer as the new publisher overseeing all titles in the Rev’d Media portfolio. Looking to add to its growing magazine lineup, Rev’d will unveil its all-new car audio and 12V title—TunedIN Magazine for Q3 2016.

DENSO Invests in Semiconductor Laser Technology Startup TriLumina

DENSO International America Inc. has invested in TriLumina Corp.—a semiconductor laser technology company that focuses on providing light sources for LiDAR and interior illumination products. DENSO is looking to speed up the adoption of LiDAR and driver-monitoring technologies in advanced driver assistance systems, which are key technologies used in autonomous vehicles. This strategic investment enables TriLumina to gain broader access to the automotive market. TriLumina has developed eye-safe semiconductor lasers, and is helping to accelerate the automotive industry’s adoption of semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles by providing lasers for 100% solid-state LiDAR products and advanced driver monitoring systems (DMS). TriLumina is targeting LiDAR and DMS in the advance driver assistance system, as well as depth-sensing and gesture control for the industrial robotics, commercial and consumer electronics markets. DENSO’s Silicon Valley office actively works with startup companies, and through these types of partnerships, expects to gain access to new technologies in the areas of autonomous drive, electric vehicles, transportation, batteries and energy storage while also expanding DENSO’s overall presence and visibility within entrepreneurial networks.

Rev’n Launches in Bakersfield With Cocola Broadcasting’s KCBT

Luken Communications LLC and Rev’n LLC have welcomed the latest Rev’n affiliate, KCBT in Bakersfield, California (DMA 126). KCBT, owned by Cocola Broadcasting Companies, launched Rev’n, Tuesday, April 5. Bakersfield-area viewers can now find Rev’n over-the-air on channel 34.10. 

lingenfelter
The Lingenfelter Collection has amassed rare and specialty vehicles from around the world, which have been carefully curated since 1980 by Ken Lingenfelter, CEO/owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering.

Lingenfelter Collection Spring Open House Set for April 23

Lingenfelter Performance Engineering will once again open the doors of the famed Lingenfelter Collection for its charitable 2016 Spring Open House, Saturday, April 23, from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at Lingenfelter Motorsports, 7819 Lochlin Drive, Brighton, Michigan 48116. Each year, area enthusiasts come to view some of the rarest, most unique cars in the world. The Lingenfelter Collection events are also used to support important charities. Donations accepted at this year's Spring Open House will benefit The American Cancer Society. The Collection has amassed rare and specialty vehicles from around the world, which have been carefully curated since 1980 by Ken Lingenfelter, CEO/owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. The Collection features more than 200 historically significant Corvettes, musclecars and late-model high-performance and exotic vehicles. Some of the latest additions include the first ’16 Gen-6 Camaro to receive a Magnuson supercharger upgrade delivering 630hp, an ’83 Porsche 911 Slant Nose, a ’71 LT1 Corvette and a ’74 Gremlin Levi’s Special Edition.

MAHLE Announces New Strategic Organizational Structure for MAHLE Test Systems

Building on 35 years of experience providing vehicle manufacturing end-of-line testing and service diagnostics, MAHLE has announced that its Test Systems division is being integrated into the MAHLE Service Solutions division of MAHLE Aftermarket Inc. Previously, MAHLE Test Systems was part of MAHLE Powertrain. MAHLE Test Systems provides vehicle and system diagnostic testing with a footprint in more than 50 vehicle manufacturing plants and 20,000 dealership and aftermarket locations on five continents and in 33 languages. More than 28 million vehicles around the world are tested with MAHLE software solutions each year.

Summit to Explore Automotive Restoration Curriculum in High Schools

The Hagerty Education Program (HEP) at America’s Car Museum is co-hosting an Arizona Regional Summit Meeting on May 4 at the East Valley Institute of Technology’s (EVIT) Mesa, Arizona, campus. The summit will explore how EVIT—an award-winning vocational high school—can support the booming Arizona car restoration industry and help fill the need for young talent at local shops. According to SEMA, in 2015, the automotive restoration industry reached $1.44 billion in product sales alone—an increase of 6% from 2014. HEP’s Arizona Regional Summit Meeting will bring together industry luminaries, including legendary race-car driver and HEP ambassador Lyn St. James, along with experts, SEMA members, local shop owners, instructors, administrators and students to discuss the expansion of EVIT’s curriculum to include restoration programs, which will lead to filling more jobs in the industry. The summit will explore how trade schools and education programs can ensure growth for the collector-car industry by working together to train skilled craftsmen.

Ryan Levesque, 26, who recently completed a HEP apprenticeship at Precision Motor Cars in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will speak about the impact the program has made in his life. Upon completion of the program, Levesque received help from HEP to secure a job at Kip Motor Company in Dallas, where he works with restoration manager Randy Bush to further develop his skills.

“As collector cars grow in rarity, automotive auction houses including Barrett-Jackson, Mecum and Sotheby’s are selling vehicles well in excess of one million dollars. One-of-a-kind and completely restored classics are at the top of the trading block and their prospective buyers’ lists,” said HEP National Director Diane Fitzgerald. “Last year, the automotive auction industry surpassed $1.8 billion in collector cars sales nationwide. There are 12 million cars predating 1981 and we believe this represents a good opportunity for industry growth and job creation.”

Since 2005, HEP has awarded nearly $3 million in program/project grants, scholarships and apprenticeships.

frasier
Angie Frasier

RealTruck Promotes Angie Fraser to Director of Strategic Planning

RealTruck.com has promoted Angie Fraser to director of strategic planning. The decision was made based on Fraser’s proven leadership and project management skills, and outstanding ability to deliver results. The former information technology project manager has a track record of driving success at RealTruck. Fraser will work closely with all departments to ensure they stay aligned with and focused on RealTruck initiatives. Fraser’s background includes more than a decade in project management at Nokia Here (formerly Navteq), working with development and operations teams all over the world.

harmon
Darren Harmon

Grote Industries Names Harmon OEM Regional Manager

Grote Industries has announced its recent hire of Darren Harmon as OEM regional manager. Harmon comes to the OEM Division from business development at Grote and brings 30 years of industry experience to his new role. He began his career at Grote in 1986 as a CADD draftsman and worked in engineering until 2013 when he joined sales and marketing.

Dee Zee Donates to SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races

Dee Zee Inc. is supporting SEMA Cares by donating to its Pinewood Drag Races, which was established by the SEMA Cares committee in 2007 to bring the voice and resources of the SEMA community together, making a positive difference in the lives of others by raising money for various SEMA Cares charities. The 2016 Pinewood Drag Races will be held at this year’s SEMA Installation Gala, Friday, July 29, 2016, in Pomona, California—home of NHRA’s famed 1/4-mile and the NHRA Museum. The races feature more than 200 cars in three vehicle categories—Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Each year, hundreds of SEMA-member companies step up to generously sponsor pinewood cars with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities, including Childhelp and Victory Junction. Sponsor a car now!

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.

Fri, 04/08/2016 - 10:50

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Earlier this year, the White House was flooded with nearly 170,000 signatures from racing enthusiasts and industry stakeholders concerned about an overreaching regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Obama Administration’s “We the People Team” recently responded, noting that the EPA is still considering the proposed standards and that the issue is still in review. But we need to keep the pressure on Washington.

While the battle regarding the EPA proposal continues, the U.S. Congress has introduced the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act, legislation which—if enacted into law—will ensure that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the race track. Even if the EPA removes the provision to prohibit the conversion of motor vehicles into racecars from its regulation, the RPM Act is the only way to guarantee that the practice of modifying street vehicles into dedicated racecars is protected not just today, but in the future as well.

Many legislators and government officials have voiced support for the RPM Act. However, many elected officials are still undecided. It is crucial that the entire racing community continues to send letters to their congressional lawmakers demanding support for the RPM Act.

Take a minute to visit www.sema.org/RPMAct and write your legislators. Every letter counts!

Fri, 04/08/2016 - 10:50

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Earlier this year, the White House was flooded with nearly 170,000 signatures from racing enthusiasts and industry stakeholders concerned about an overreaching regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Obama Administration’s “We the People Team” recently responded, noting that the EPA is still considering the proposed standards and that the issue is still in review. But we need to keep the pressure on Washington.

While the battle regarding the EPA proposal continues, the U.S. Congress has introduced the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act, legislation which—if enacted into law—will ensure that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the race track. Even if the EPA removes the provision to prohibit the conversion of motor vehicles into racecars from its regulation, the RPM Act is the only way to guarantee that the practice of modifying street vehicles into dedicated racecars is protected not just today, but in the future as well.

Many legislators and government officials have voiced support for the RPM Act. However, many elected officials are still undecided. It is crucial that the entire racing community continues to send letters to their congressional lawmakers demanding support for the RPM Act.

Take a minute to visit www.sema.org/RPMAct and write your legislators. Every letter counts!

Fri, 04/08/2016 - 10:50

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Earlier this year, the White House was flooded with nearly 170,000 signatures from racing enthusiasts and industry stakeholders concerned about an overreaching regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Obama Administration’s “We the People Team” recently responded, noting that the EPA is still considering the proposed standards and that the issue is still in review. But we need to keep the pressure on Washington.

While the battle regarding the EPA proposal continues, the U.S. Congress has introduced the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act, legislation which—if enacted into law—will ensure that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the race track. Even if the EPA removes the provision to prohibit the conversion of motor vehicles into racecars from its regulation, the RPM Act is the only way to guarantee that the practice of modifying street vehicles into dedicated racecars is protected not just today, but in the future as well.

Many legislators and government officials have voiced support for the RPM Act. However, many elected officials are still undecided. It is crucial that the entire racing community continues to send letters to their congressional lawmakers demanding support for the RPM Act.

Take a minute to visit www.sema.org/RPMAct and write your legislators. Every letter counts!

Fri, 04/08/2016 - 10:50

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Earlier this year, the White House was flooded with nearly 170,000 signatures from racing enthusiasts and industry stakeholders concerned about an overreaching regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Obama Administration’s “We the People Team” recently responded, noting that the EPA is still considering the proposed standards and that the issue is still in review. But we need to keep the pressure on Washington.

While the battle regarding the EPA proposal continues, the U.S. Congress has introduced the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act, legislation which—if enacted into law—will ensure that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the race track. Even if the EPA removes the provision to prohibit the conversion of motor vehicles into racecars from its regulation, the RPM Act is the only way to guarantee that the practice of modifying street vehicles into dedicated racecars is protected not just today, but in the future as well.

Many legislators and government officials have voiced support for the RPM Act. However, many elected officials are still undecided. It is crucial that the entire racing community continues to send letters to their congressional lawmakers demanding support for the RPM Act.

Take a minute to visit www.sema.org/RPMAct and write your legislators. Every letter counts!