SEMA News—May 2014

HERITAGE

Stu Hilborn

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archives

When Stu Hilborn passed away in December, the performance industry lost not only one of its most innovative minds but also an original hot-rodding pioneer.

Hilborn was among those who raced on Southern California’s dry lakes in the years prior to World War II. Ironically for a man whose name is now synonymous with fuel injection, Hilborn had little mechanical knowledge when he bought his first hot rod in the ’30s. But he had a neighbor who did—Indy 500 veteran Eddie Miller. Miller helped Hilborn build a flathead-powered Model A that could hit 120 mph on the lakes, and Hilborn proved to be a quick study, in all senses of the word, and he soon wanted to go faster. To do so, he bought a narrow streamliner that had been raced by Bill Warth.

Hilborn picked up the ’liner on December 7, 1941, so he had only a couple of opportunities to run it before entering the Army Air Corps during World War II. While in the service, Hilborn began development of mechanical fuel injection, a system he tested on his streamliner once the war ended. He would swap the induction on the ’liner’s flathead back and forth between injection and multiple carbs, looking for peak miles per hour. During a carbureted test in August 1947, one of the car’s rear wheels collapsed, causing the ’liner to tumble several times at speed. Hilborn suffered back injuries that put him in a body cast. While he recovered, Eddie Miller Jr. rebuilt the racer.

Once out of the cast, Hilborn again went after high speeds on the lakes, though he had Howard Wilson drive the car (to keep a promise he made to his mother to not race again). The streamliner’s potential for speed caught the attention of the editors at the then-new Hot Rod magazine, which put it and Hilborn on the cover of just its fourth issue in April 1948. (The photo seen here is the one used for that cover.) At that time, the car was good for about 136 mph, but in July of that year, Wilson became the first to break the 150-mph barrier with a 150.5-mph pass across El Mirage.

It wasn’t long before Hilborn’s injection systems were in such demand that he had to give up racing to devote all his attention to what had become a new business. Many more race victories would follow, including 34 wins at Indianapolis and countless more at oval tracks, dragstrips and other racing venues all over the world. Hilborn was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1996, and Hilborn’s Fuel Injection Engineering Co. still supplies dedicated enthusiasts with precise—and race-winning—fuel metering systems.

SEMA News—May 2014

HERITAGE

Stu Hilborn

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archives

When Stu Hilborn passed away in December, the performance industry lost not only one of its most innovative minds but also an original hot-rodding pioneer.

Hilborn was among those who raced on Southern California’s dry lakes in the years prior to World War II. Ironically for a man whose name is now synonymous with fuel injection, Hilborn had little mechanical knowledge when he bought his first hot rod in the ’30s. But he had a neighbor who did—Indy 500 veteran Eddie Miller. Miller helped Hilborn build a flathead-powered Model A that could hit 120 mph on the lakes, and Hilborn proved to be a quick study, in all senses of the word, and he soon wanted to go faster. To do so, he bought a narrow streamliner that had been raced by Bill Warth.

Hilborn picked up the ’liner on December 7, 1941, so he had only a couple of opportunities to run it before entering the Army Air Corps during World War II. While in the service, Hilborn began development of mechanical fuel injection, a system he tested on his streamliner once the war ended. He would swap the induction on the ’liner’s flathead back and forth between injection and multiple carbs, looking for peak miles per hour. During a carbureted test in August 1947, one of the car’s rear wheels collapsed, causing the ’liner to tumble several times at speed. Hilborn suffered back injuries that put him in a body cast. While he recovered, Eddie Miller Jr. rebuilt the racer.

Once out of the cast, Hilborn again went after high speeds on the lakes, though he had Howard Wilson drive the car (to keep a promise he made to his mother to not race again). The streamliner’s potential for speed caught the attention of the editors at the then-new Hot Rod magazine, which put it and Hilborn on the cover of just its fourth issue in April 1948. (The photo seen here is the one used for that cover.) At that time, the car was good for about 136 mph, but in July of that year, Wilson became the first to break the 150-mph barrier with a 150.5-mph pass across El Mirage.

It wasn’t long before Hilborn’s injection systems were in such demand that he had to give up racing to devote all his attention to what had become a new business. Many more race victories would follow, including 34 wins at Indianapolis and countless more at oval tracks, dragstrips and other racing venues all over the world. Hilborn was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1996, and Hilborn’s Fuel Injection Engineering Co. still supplies dedicated enthusiasts with precise—and race-winning—fuel metering systems.

SEMA News—May 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

Blowin' and Goin’—SEMA Data Co-op Powering Industry Sales

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is now completing its first year in full-operations mode, and we thought you might like to see that your industry-owned data management resource is now well–established and helping companies increase sales every day. As a reminder—the SDC is operating a centralized product data service for manufacturers that organizes, houses and then distributes online product catalog information to WDs and retailers to help power all manner of business systems, ultimately driving sales growth.

What does the Data Co-op progress report card look like? Consider these results from the first year of operations:

• More than 280 manufacturer brands have joined the Data Co-op and have their product information in the system—with more in process every week.
• Manufacturers have loaded product information for more than 1.3 million SKUs with more than 18.1 million vehicle applications.
• The Data Co-op has more than 320 data receivers—WDs and retailers—actively using SDC data feeds to power sales, and it’s FREE to SEMA members.
• The SDC is exporting an average of over 7,000 data feeds per week.
• SDC data quality is setting a new industry standard, with manufacturers providing regularly updated, detailed product information along with digital assets, such as product images, instruction sheets and videos.

Because the distributors and retailers now using SDC data are so numerous and have been so active, product data from suppliers has been flowing into the marketplace faster than ever. So the idea of getting clean data out to the broader marketplace is no longer a concept. It’s a reality. Ultimately, the SDC means more folks are finding the product information they need to make sales, and sales are increasing.

As an industry-owned effort, an important focus for this centralized data resource is efficiency and affordability. With the strong trend of companies joining, the SEMA Data Co-op value proposition is rapidly becoming evident to other industry members—and the outcome is a positive snow-balling effect.

Now that the SDC is running on all cylinders, what’s next? For 2014, development of additional tools and services is a high priority. The SDC team is pushing hard to develop SEMA Search. This robust web-based search tool will make it possible to access the entire SDC database, all from a single search tool. With SEMA Search—available to SEMA members at no charge as part of their membership—a counterperson can find out what is available for a customer’s application in seconds, so more sales can be closed on the spot. It’s a big project, but this capability is so important the SDC has hired a full-time software developer and made this project a top priority.

As part of a continuous improvement process, enhancements have recently been launched that give the SDC unequaled capability in working with very large data files, which has proven critical to effectively handling SKU-intensive categories, such as dash, seat and car covers. Updating the system to accommodate the newest PIES standard and enable better product searches is another system enhancement now in the works.

If your company is not doing the most it can to have your product information available for B2B and B2C product look-ups, or if you are a distributor or retailer wanting to increase sales by access to complete and reliable product information, I urge you to contact the SDC to learn more. You can reach the SDC’s Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 x4 or Jon Wyly at 888-958-6698 x1. Do it today and help your company start growing sales tomorrow.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

Blowin' and Goin’—SEMA Data Co-op Powering Industry Sales

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is now completing its first year in full-operations mode, and we thought you might like to see that your industry-owned data management resource is now well–established and helping companies increase sales every day. As a reminder—the SDC is operating a centralized product data service for manufacturers that organizes, houses and then distributes online product catalog information to WDs and retailers to help power all manner of business systems, ultimately driving sales growth.

What does the Data Co-op progress report card look like? Consider these results from the first year of operations:

• More than 280 manufacturer brands have joined the Data Co-op and have their product information in the system—with more in process every week.
• Manufacturers have loaded product information for more than 1.3 million SKUs with more than 18.1 million vehicle applications.
• The Data Co-op has more than 320 data receivers—WDs and retailers—actively using SDC data feeds to power sales, and it’s FREE to SEMA members.
• The SDC is exporting an average of over 7,000 data feeds per week.
• SDC data quality is setting a new industry standard, with manufacturers providing regularly updated, detailed product information along with digital assets, such as product images, instruction sheets and videos.

Because the distributors and retailers now using SDC data are so numerous and have been so active, product data from suppliers has been flowing into the marketplace faster than ever. So the idea of getting clean data out to the broader marketplace is no longer a concept. It’s a reality. Ultimately, the SDC means more folks are finding the product information they need to make sales, and sales are increasing.

As an industry-owned effort, an important focus for this centralized data resource is efficiency and affordability. With the strong trend of companies joining, the SEMA Data Co-op value proposition is rapidly becoming evident to other industry members—and the outcome is a positive snow-balling effect.

Now that the SDC is running on all cylinders, what’s next? For 2014, development of additional tools and services is a high priority. The SDC team is pushing hard to develop SEMA Search. This robust web-based search tool will make it possible to access the entire SDC database, all from a single search tool. With SEMA Search—available to SEMA members at no charge as part of their membership—a counterperson can find out what is available for a customer’s application in seconds, so more sales can be closed on the spot. It’s a big project, but this capability is so important the SDC has hired a full-time software developer and made this project a top priority.

As part of a continuous improvement process, enhancements have recently been launched that give the SDC unequaled capability in working with very large data files, which has proven critical to effectively handling SKU-intensive categories, such as dash, seat and car covers. Updating the system to accommodate the newest PIES standard and enable better product searches is another system enhancement now in the works.

If your company is not doing the most it can to have your product information available for B2B and B2C product look-ups, or if you are a distributor or retailer wanting to increase sales by access to complete and reliable product information, I urge you to contact the SDC to learn more. You can reach the SDC’s Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 x4 or Jon Wyly at 888-958-6698 x1. Do it today and help your company start growing sales tomorrow.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

Blowin' and Goin’—SEMA Data Co-op Powering Industry Sales

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is now completing its first year in full-operations mode, and we thought you might like to see that your industry-owned data management resource is now well–established and helping companies increase sales every day. As a reminder—the SDC is operating a centralized product data service for manufacturers that organizes, houses and then distributes online product catalog information to WDs and retailers to help power all manner of business systems, ultimately driving sales growth.

What does the Data Co-op progress report card look like? Consider these results from the first year of operations:

• More than 280 manufacturer brands have joined the Data Co-op and have their product information in the system—with more in process every week.
• Manufacturers have loaded product information for more than 1.3 million SKUs with more than 18.1 million vehicle applications.
• The Data Co-op has more than 320 data receivers—WDs and retailers—actively using SDC data feeds to power sales, and it’s FREE to SEMA members.
• The SDC is exporting an average of over 7,000 data feeds per week.
• SDC data quality is setting a new industry standard, with manufacturers providing regularly updated, detailed product information along with digital assets, such as product images, instruction sheets and videos.

Because the distributors and retailers now using SDC data are so numerous and have been so active, product data from suppliers has been flowing into the marketplace faster than ever. So the idea of getting clean data out to the broader marketplace is no longer a concept. It’s a reality. Ultimately, the SDC means more folks are finding the product information they need to make sales, and sales are increasing.

As an industry-owned effort, an important focus for this centralized data resource is efficiency and affordability. With the strong trend of companies joining, the SEMA Data Co-op value proposition is rapidly becoming evident to other industry members—and the outcome is a positive snow-balling effect.

Now that the SDC is running on all cylinders, what’s next? For 2014, development of additional tools and services is a high priority. The SDC team is pushing hard to develop SEMA Search. This robust web-based search tool will make it possible to access the entire SDC database, all from a single search tool. With SEMA Search—available to SEMA members at no charge as part of their membership—a counterperson can find out what is available for a customer’s application in seconds, so more sales can be closed on the spot. It’s a big project, but this capability is so important the SDC has hired a full-time software developer and made this project a top priority.

As part of a continuous improvement process, enhancements have recently been launched that give the SDC unequaled capability in working with very large data files, which has proven critical to effectively handling SKU-intensive categories, such as dash, seat and car covers. Updating the system to accommodate the newest PIES standard and enable better product searches is another system enhancement now in the works.

If your company is not doing the most it can to have your product information available for B2B and B2C product look-ups, or if you are a distributor or retailer wanting to increase sales by access to complete and reliable product information, I urge you to contact the SDC to learn more. You can reach the SDC’s Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 x4 or Jon Wyly at 888-958-6698 x1. Do it today and help your company start growing sales tomorrow.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

Blowin' and Goin’—SEMA Data Co-op Powering Industry Sales

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is now completing its first year in full-operations mode, and we thought you might like to see that your industry-owned data management resource is now well–established and helping companies increase sales every day. As a reminder—the SDC is operating a centralized product data service for manufacturers that organizes, houses and then distributes online product catalog information to WDs and retailers to help power all manner of business systems, ultimately driving sales growth.

What does the Data Co-op progress report card look like? Consider these results from the first year of operations:

• More than 280 manufacturer brands have joined the Data Co-op and have their product information in the system—with more in process every week.
• Manufacturers have loaded product information for more than 1.3 million SKUs with more than 18.1 million vehicle applications.
• The Data Co-op has more than 320 data receivers—WDs and retailers—actively using SDC data feeds to power sales, and it’s FREE to SEMA members.
• The SDC is exporting an average of over 7,000 data feeds per week.
• SDC data quality is setting a new industry standard, with manufacturers providing regularly updated, detailed product information along with digital assets, such as product images, instruction sheets and videos.

Because the distributors and retailers now using SDC data are so numerous and have been so active, product data from suppliers has been flowing into the marketplace faster than ever. So the idea of getting clean data out to the broader marketplace is no longer a concept. It’s a reality. Ultimately, the SDC means more folks are finding the product information they need to make sales, and sales are increasing.

As an industry-owned effort, an important focus for this centralized data resource is efficiency and affordability. With the strong trend of companies joining, the SEMA Data Co-op value proposition is rapidly becoming evident to other industry members—and the outcome is a positive snow-balling effect.

Now that the SDC is running on all cylinders, what’s next? For 2014, development of additional tools and services is a high priority. The SDC team is pushing hard to develop SEMA Search. This robust web-based search tool will make it possible to access the entire SDC database, all from a single search tool. With SEMA Search—available to SEMA members at no charge as part of their membership—a counterperson can find out what is available for a customer’s application in seconds, so more sales can be closed on the spot. It’s a big project, but this capability is so important the SDC has hired a full-time software developer and made this project a top priority.

As part of a continuous improvement process, enhancements have recently been launched that give the SDC unequaled capability in working with very large data files, which has proven critical to effectively handling SKU-intensive categories, such as dash, seat and car covers. Updating the system to accommodate the newest PIES standard and enable better product searches is another system enhancement now in the works.

If your company is not doing the most it can to have your product information available for B2B and B2C product look-ups, or if you are a distributor or retailer wanting to increase sales by access to complete and reliable product information, I urge you to contact the SDC to learn more. You can reach the SDC’s Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 x4 or Jon Wyly at 888-958-6698 x1. Do it today and help your company start growing sales tomorrow.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

Blowin' and Goin’—SEMA Data Co-op Powering Industry Sales

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is now completing its first year in full-operations mode, and we thought you might like to see that your industry-owned data management resource is now well–established and helping companies increase sales every day. As a reminder—the SDC is operating a centralized product data service for manufacturers that organizes, houses and then distributes online product catalog information to WDs and retailers to help power all manner of business systems, ultimately driving sales growth.

What does the Data Co-op progress report card look like? Consider these results from the first year of operations:

• More than 280 manufacturer brands have joined the Data Co-op and have their product information in the system—with more in process every week.
• Manufacturers have loaded product information for more than 1.3 million SKUs with more than 18.1 million vehicle applications.
• The Data Co-op has more than 320 data receivers—WDs and retailers—actively using SDC data feeds to power sales, and it’s FREE to SEMA members.
• The SDC is exporting an average of over 7,000 data feeds per week.
• SDC data quality is setting a new industry standard, with manufacturers providing regularly updated, detailed product information along with digital assets, such as product images, instruction sheets and videos.

Because the distributors and retailers now using SDC data are so numerous and have been so active, product data from suppliers has been flowing into the marketplace faster than ever. So the idea of getting clean data out to the broader marketplace is no longer a concept. It’s a reality. Ultimately, the SDC means more folks are finding the product information they need to make sales, and sales are increasing.

As an industry-owned effort, an important focus for this centralized data resource is efficiency and affordability. With the strong trend of companies joining, the SEMA Data Co-op value proposition is rapidly becoming evident to other industry members—and the outcome is a positive snow-balling effect.

Now that the SDC is running on all cylinders, what’s next? For 2014, development of additional tools and services is a high priority. The SDC team is pushing hard to develop SEMA Search. This robust web-based search tool will make it possible to access the entire SDC database, all from a single search tool. With SEMA Search—available to SEMA members at no charge as part of their membership—a counterperson can find out what is available for a customer’s application in seconds, so more sales can be closed on the spot. It’s a big project, but this capability is so important the SDC has hired a full-time software developer and made this project a top priority.

As part of a continuous improvement process, enhancements have recently been launched that give the SDC unequaled capability in working with very large data files, which has proven critical to effectively handling SKU-intensive categories, such as dash, seat and car covers. Updating the system to accommodate the newest PIES standard and enable better product searches is another system enhancement now in the works.

If your company is not doing the most it can to have your product information available for B2B and B2C product look-ups, or if you are a distributor or retailer wanting to increase sales by access to complete and reliable product information, I urge you to contact the SDC to learn more. You can reach the SDC’s Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 x4 or Jon Wyly at 888-958-6698 x1. Do it today and help your company start growing sales tomorrow.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

Blowin' and Goin’—SEMA Data Co-op Powering Industry Sales

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is now completing its first year in full-operations mode, and we thought you might like to see that your industry-owned data management resource is now well–established and helping companies increase sales every day. As a reminder—the SDC is operating a centralized product data service for manufacturers that organizes, houses and then distributes online product catalog information to WDs and retailers to help power all manner of business systems, ultimately driving sales growth.

What does the Data Co-op progress report card look like? Consider these results from the first year of operations:

• More than 280 manufacturer brands have joined the Data Co-op and have their product information in the system—with more in process every week.
• Manufacturers have loaded product information for more than 1.3 million SKUs with more than 18.1 million vehicle applications.
• The Data Co-op has more than 320 data receivers—WDs and retailers—actively using SDC data feeds to power sales, and it’s FREE to SEMA members.
• The SDC is exporting an average of over 7,000 data feeds per week.
• SDC data quality is setting a new industry standard, with manufacturers providing regularly updated, detailed product information along with digital assets, such as product images, instruction sheets and videos.

Because the distributors and retailers now using SDC data are so numerous and have been so active, product data from suppliers has been flowing into the marketplace faster than ever. So the idea of getting clean data out to the broader marketplace is no longer a concept. It’s a reality. Ultimately, the SDC means more folks are finding the product information they need to make sales, and sales are increasing.

As an industry-owned effort, an important focus for this centralized data resource is efficiency and affordability. With the strong trend of companies joining, the SEMA Data Co-op value proposition is rapidly becoming evident to other industry members—and the outcome is a positive snow-balling effect.

Now that the SDC is running on all cylinders, what’s next? For 2014, development of additional tools and services is a high priority. The SDC team is pushing hard to develop SEMA Search. This robust web-based search tool will make it possible to access the entire SDC database, all from a single search tool. With SEMA Search—available to SEMA members at no charge as part of their membership—a counterperson can find out what is available for a customer’s application in seconds, so more sales can be closed on the spot. It’s a big project, but this capability is so important the SDC has hired a full-time software developer and made this project a top priority.

As part of a continuous improvement process, enhancements have recently been launched that give the SDC unequaled capability in working with very large data files, which has proven critical to effectively handling SKU-intensive categories, such as dash, seat and car covers. Updating the system to accommodate the newest PIES standard and enable better product searches is another system enhancement now in the works.

If your company is not doing the most it can to have your product information available for B2B and B2C product look-ups, or if you are a distributor or retailer wanting to increase sales by access to complete and reliable product information, I urge you to contact the SDC to learn more. You can reach the SDC’s Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 x4 or Jon Wyly at 888-958-6698 x1. Do it today and help your company start growing sales tomorrow.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO

SEMA News—May 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

Blowin' and Goin’—SEMA Data Co-op Powering Industry Sales

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is now completing its first year in full-operations mode, and we thought you might like to see that your industry-owned data management resource is now well–established and helping companies increase sales every day. As a reminder—the SDC is operating a centralized product data service for manufacturers that organizes, houses and then distributes online product catalog information to WDs and retailers to help power all manner of business systems, ultimately driving sales growth.

What does the Data Co-op progress report card look like? Consider these results from the first year of operations:

• More than 280 manufacturer brands have joined the Data Co-op and have their product information in the system—with more in process every week.
• Manufacturers have loaded product information for more than 1.3 million SKUs with more than 18.1 million vehicle applications.
• The Data Co-op has more than 320 data receivers—WDs and retailers—actively using SDC data feeds to power sales, and it’s FREE to SEMA members.
• The SDC is exporting an average of over 7,000 data feeds per week.
• SDC data quality is setting a new industry standard, with manufacturers providing regularly updated, detailed product information along with digital assets, such as product images, instruction sheets and videos.

Because the distributors and retailers now using SDC data are so numerous and have been so active, product data from suppliers has been flowing into the marketplace faster than ever. So the idea of getting clean data out to the broader marketplace is no longer a concept. It’s a reality. Ultimately, the SDC means more folks are finding the product information they need to make sales, and sales are increasing.

As an industry-owned effort, an important focus for this centralized data resource is efficiency and affordability. With the strong trend of companies joining, the SEMA Data Co-op value proposition is rapidly becoming evident to other industry members—and the outcome is a positive snow-balling effect.

Now that the SDC is running on all cylinders, what’s next? For 2014, development of additional tools and services is a high priority. The SDC team is pushing hard to develop SEMA Search. This robust web-based search tool will make it possible to access the entire SDC database, all from a single search tool. With SEMA Search—available to SEMA members at no charge as part of their membership—a counterperson can find out what is available for a customer’s application in seconds, so more sales can be closed on the spot. It’s a big project, but this capability is so important the SDC has hired a full-time software developer and made this project a top priority.

As part of a continuous improvement process, enhancements have recently been launched that give the SDC unequaled capability in working with very large data files, which has proven critical to effectively handling SKU-intensive categories, such as dash, seat and car covers. Updating the system to accommodate the newest PIES standard and enable better product searches is another system enhancement now in the works.

If your company is not doing the most it can to have your product information available for B2B and B2C product look-ups, or if you are a distributor or retailer wanting to increase sales by access to complete and reliable product information, I urge you to contact the SDC to learn more. You can reach the SDC’s Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 x4 or Jon Wyly at 888-958-6698 x1. Do it today and help your company start growing sales tomorrow.

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO