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.

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

For the fourth consecutive year, SEMA News is looking to highlight top-tier talent in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. We need your input. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2016—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—we would like to hear from you.

Nominate a candidate now for the 2016 SEMA News 35 Under 35. Nominations are due May 31, 2016.

It is very likely that SEMA members are currently working with creative and talented young professionals who are already moving the industry in new and different directions. They are also the ones who have played major roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies—in areas that include marketing and product development—with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach and customer interaction.

They could be budding superstars at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that are sure to become big names in the future. What they all will have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed. These are people who know what’s going on at the ground level, who see opportunities that are now forming and who travel in circles that may be very different from those of our “old-school” industry leaders.

Winners will be chosen based on their business success, contribution to their organization, industry knowledge and community involvement. We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

For the fourth consecutive year, SEMA News is looking to highlight top-tier talent in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. We need your input. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2016—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—we would like to hear from you.

Nominate a candidate now for the 2016 SEMA News 35 Under 35. Nominations are due May 31, 2016.

It is very likely that SEMA members are currently working with creative and talented young professionals who are already moving the industry in new and different directions. They are also the ones who have played major roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies—in areas that include marketing and product development—with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach and customer interaction.

They could be budding superstars at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that are sure to become big names in the future. What they all will have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed. These are people who know what’s going on at the ground level, who see opportunities that are now forming and who travel in circles that may be very different from those of our “old-school” industry leaders.

Winners will be chosen based on their business success, contribution to their organization, industry knowledge and community involvement. We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.

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.

• Powersports Salesperson: CP-Carrillo is hiring a powersports salesperson responsible for managing existing customer accounts and prospecting new business opportunities. This position will require occasional travel for sales calls, trade shows and related events. Sales experience along with basic powersports and mechanical knowledge are required.
• Plant Superintendent: Energy Suspension is hiring a plant superintendent with production scheduling, inventory control and computer experience. This position will be responsible for managing and overseeing a team of 70 warehouse employees, hiring and training all warehouse employees, supporting the human resource department with workers’ comp and medical enrollment and organizing warehouse safety meetings.
• Automotive Technician: Canepa is hiring an automotive technician with extensive technical education and more than 10 years of experience. The ideal candidate will have worked on many different makes and models of cars and be able to use a systems approach to repairing cars.
• Manufacturer’s Representative: Considine Sales and Marketing is hiring a manufacturer’s representative to generate profitable revenue growth through establishing new customers, building strong customer accounts and retaining those customers. This position will also be responsible for establishing, maintaining and servicing accounts and covering an assigned territory to ensure high customer satisfaction. The successful candidate will have a minimum of two years of outside automotive and/or truck accessories sales experience. Candidates must have reliable transportation and a current driver's license.   

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.

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.

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!

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 onsite.

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

Visit YEN's website

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

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.

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!

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 onsite.

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

Visit YEN's website

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

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.

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!

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 onsite.

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

Visit YEN's website

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.

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By SEMA Editors

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

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

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The Joint Transportation Committee passed legislation to require the state, upon the owner’s request, to issue titles for older vehicles not currently required to be titled under Connecticut law.

Legislation to require the state, upon the owner’s request, to issue titles for older vehicles not currently required to be titled under Connecticut law was passed by the Joint Transportation Committee. These vehicles would include those more than 20 model years old. The bill will next be considered in a vote by the full House. The measure would expand the out-of-state market for older Connecticut motor vehicles and enhance their value to collectors. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.