By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
Six SEMA members, along with SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola,
testified before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in opposition to the agency's recently proposed new federal emissions standards. The standards--for motor vehicles model years '27 to '32--are intended to dramatically increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs).
SEMA thanks Kim Pendergast, CEO of Magnuson Superchargers; Rob Simons, principal with Automotive Consulting Services, Inc.; Billy Brooks, director of engineering for Cobb Tuning; Dan Millen, owner of Livernois Motorsports; Mike Copeland, CEO of Arrington Performance; and Laurel Moorhead, regulatory compliance engineer with Transfer Flow for speaking about their businesses, the importance of the EPA maintaining a technology-neutral approach to motor-vehicle technology, and the adverse impacts that a premature rush to making EVs the only option to reduce motor-vehicle emissions. You can watch the videos of the testimonies at the bottom of this webpage.
The EPA must hear from industry members as it reviews public comments on its proposal that impacts the future of the automotive industry. Click here to sign a letter opposing the EPA's proposal, which provides an opportunity to personalize the letter and explain how the agency's push to an all-electric future will impact your business.
The EPA maintains that its draft rulemaking would lead to EVs making up two-thirds of new passenger vehicles sold in the United States by 2032. SEMA opposes rulemaking, as consumers and the marketplace should be able to choose the vehicle technology that works best for them. There are many options on the road to zero emissions, and government policy must remain technology neutral. The specialty automotive aftermarket business has been built around the internal combustion engine (ICE), although the industry is leading the way in fuel innovations and conversions of old vehicles into new and cleaner technologies. Hydrogen and other renewable fuels, including synthetic eFuels, will allow legacy vehicles to operate carbon-neutrally and should have an equal seat at the table. Ultimately, consumers, not the government, should be allowed to choose the type of vehicle technology that best serves their families, as the market should drive fuel innovations.
Click here to sign a letter opposing the EPA's multipollutant standards. For more information, visit sema.org/EPA-Proposed-Greenhouse-Gas-Rules or contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.
announced a full event schedule for the 2023 Mustang Week, which returns September 4-9 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 
Sunnen Products Company its Official Honing Equipment Partner while the team pursues its record-extending 15th NASCAR Cup Series championship. 
Each vehicle accepted will also be featured in the SEMA Show app displaying the vehicle's image, make, model, year, color, products used as part of the build, builder's name and the name and booth number of the sponsoring exhibitor company.
SUV/light truck and winter tire technology--has announced Roadian HTX 2 has received the main award in the product design category of the iF Design Awards 2023 in Germany.
Charlotte, North Carolina, has appointed Gary W. Ferrera as executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). Ferrera will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Fitzpatrick and succeeds Tiffany Mason.
, the late Steve Ames began drag racing after earning an engineering degree from Columbia University. He started in the parts business by traveling along the East Coast buying New Old Stock (NOS) parts. In 1976, he noticed that Pontiac parts were in particularly high demand and began focusing exclusively on such products. As business continued, Ames realized that demand for restoration parts outweighed that of NOS parts and launched Ames Performance Engineering. He expanded with other companies within the restoration industry, providing much-needed products for growing markets and became an authoritative voice in the classic car industry. Ames is one of the original founders of SEMA's Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO), was named ARMO's Person of the Year in 2007 and is a recipient of the ARMO Lifetime Achievement Award. Ames passed away in December 2020.
respected sales reps. As a teenager, he was the first-ever service rep for the Mr. Phone/Mr. Gasket organization. He continued his career playing a key role in the founding and growth of Bob Barker Marketing & Sales and in much of the success at the multi-award-winning company Kunzman & Associates. An active member and supporter of the SEMA Manufacturers' Rep Council (MRC), Iannotte advocated for and became one of the first certified professional manufacturers' reps (CPMR) and pushed for standards throughout the industry. He served numerous terms on the SEMA Board of Directors, where he worked to shape legislative issues involving manufacturing tax relief, pushed for industry data standards, supported philanthropic activities, and promoted ongoing education and training throughout the industry. Iannotte continues to serve as a sales rep for Kunzman & Associates, as well as volunteer his time and expertise to many industry initiatives.
SEMA Chairman of the Board. As such, he introduced lean concepts to SEMA and expanded the association's global influence by founding the SEMA International Task Force to connect SEMA members with international business opportunities. He also served on the Joint Operating Committee, providing oversight to the SEMA Show and its partner show, AAPEX. He was a charter member of the SEMA Political Action Committee (PAC) and personally lobbied members of Congress on important industry issues. Williams founded the SEMA Lighting Task Force at a time when National Highway Traffic Safety Association was targeting lighting companies. In addition to nearly 20 years with Hella, Williams held executive positions with Original One Auto Parts, Restoration Parts Unlimited, APR, Dinan Corp., Xstream Trucking, StopTech and recently joined Rigid Industries as its president.