SEMA News—December 2012

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

Making History in Mexico

It’s 1968, and Car Craft magazine publisher Sal Fish shakes hands with actor James Garner. Garner, in the helmet and goggles, sits in a Bill Stroppe-prepped Ford Bronco, ready to race in the second National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000.

The first Mexican 1000 Rally, held a year before, attracted 68 vehicles of all kinds: dune buggies, pickups, motorcycles, VW Bugs, Jeeps, even a Citroën. Just 31 competitors finished the 849-mile race within the 60-hour cutoff time. But the stories of adventure that all of the participants brought back—along with a prominent article in Hot Rod magazine—generated a huge amount of interest throughout the high-performance community. The second 1000, where Garner and Fish were photographed, drew 254 entrants. And Garner wasn’t the only celebrity testing his mettle against the Baja desert. Famous racers, such as Parnelli Jones, Don Prudhomme, Bob Bondurant and Don Yenko, also gave it their best.

Garner was no poseur in Baja. Bondurant had trained him to drive for the 1966 film Grand Prix, and he was bitten hard by the racing bug. The 1968 race was the first of three Baja 1000s Garner entered—most famously in the Banshee, a radically modified, short-wheelbase Oldsmobile built by Vic Hickey.

Fish, too, was drawn back to Baja, though unexpectedly at first. A sales call at Mattel resulted in an offer to drive a real-life version of a Baja Bug that Mattel was building as a toy, and Fish wound up racing four times in Mexico.

“I really fell in love with the beautiful country and the sport, the whole idea of it,” he said. “We were doing extreme sports before there even was such a thing as ‘extreme sports.’”

Like everyone who’s raced in Baja, Fish has stories to tell. There was the time when the Bug broke down in the middle of a dry lake—in the middle of the night.

“We [Fish and co-driver Bob Weggeland] were really novices,” he said. “We had no clue what to do to get out of there. It was two or three in the morning, and we weren’t running very well, so there weren’t a lot of racers behind us who could help.”

And then, in the distance, there came the sound of a car headed toward them. It turned out to be Garner’s chase crew. They offered to tow the Bug to the next checkpoint at Rancho Chapala.

“They had, like, an 8-ft. tow rope, and there we were, 8 ft. behind them, choking in their dust, going faster than at any time we had been driving the VW,” Fish laughed. “I was scared to death.”

Fish and Weggeland survived the wild ride back to the Rancho, but it would be another two days before they returned to Ensenada, with their Bug stuffed into the bed of a turtle truck.

In 1973, Mickey Thompson began a campaign to get Fish to work for him at Short Course Off-Road Enterprises, or SCORE, Thompson’s new racing organization. It took months for Thompson to lure Fish away from his high-profile job at Petersen, and more months still for the two men to make the arrangement work. But work it did, and Fish later bought SCORE from Thompson before Mickey and his wife, Trudy, were murdered.

The Baja 1000 was slated to celebrate its 45th anniversary in November 2012, and Fish is still working enthusiastically to keep the Baja racing tradition alive. In fact, he was in La Paz holding race planning meetings when we caught up with him via cell phone.

Off-road racing has gone through tremendous changes in the past half-century. A Meyers Manx dune buggy won the first Mexican 1000 rally; now, million-dollar Trophy Trucks vie for the honors. Environmental regulations and other issues have closed or restricted much of the U.S. desert where off-road racing grew; SCORE’s events are now all held south of the border. And as wild and untamed as Baja is, economic growth is changing the landscape as developers open roads and resorts where once were just dirt paths to small towns and simple ranchos.

“But we still do the event at SCORE,” said Fish. “It’s still an adventure, still an odyssey. You never give up. That’s what you do. Whether you’re first or last, the challenge is to beat the Baja. That develops teamwork and passion, which is what our competitors have.”

That and a relaxed feeling you don’t find at other motorsports venues, he said.

“It’s about bragging rights, not money. It’s the people you meet, the stories you can tell. We have superstars in our sport—celebrities, pro athletes—but they’re accessible. When they get to Baja, it’s not like you’re at Indy and the fans are a half mile away from the VIPs. Everybody mixes with everybody, and you can still get autographs. That’s what excites me. The thrill is still there.”

SEMA News—December 2012

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

Making History in Mexico

It’s 1968, and Car Craft magazine publisher Sal Fish shakes hands with actor James Garner. Garner, in the helmet and goggles, sits in a Bill Stroppe-prepped Ford Bronco, ready to race in the second National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000.

The first Mexican 1000 Rally, held a year before, attracted 68 vehicles of all kinds: dune buggies, pickups, motorcycles, VW Bugs, Jeeps, even a Citroën. Just 31 competitors finished the 849-mile race within the 60-hour cutoff time. But the stories of adventure that all of the participants brought back—along with a prominent article in Hot Rod magazine—generated a huge amount of interest throughout the high-performance community. The second 1000, where Garner and Fish were photographed, drew 254 entrants. And Garner wasn’t the only celebrity testing his mettle against the Baja desert. Famous racers, such as Parnelli Jones, Don Prudhomme, Bob Bondurant and Don Yenko, also gave it their best.

Garner was no poseur in Baja. Bondurant had trained him to drive for the 1966 film Grand Prix, and he was bitten hard by the racing bug. The 1968 race was the first of three Baja 1000s Garner entered—most famously in the Banshee, a radically modified, short-wheelbase Oldsmobile built by Vic Hickey.

Fish, too, was drawn back to Baja, though unexpectedly at first. A sales call at Mattel resulted in an offer to drive a real-life version of a Baja Bug that Mattel was building as a toy, and Fish wound up racing four times in Mexico.

“I really fell in love with the beautiful country and the sport, the whole idea of it,” he said. “We were doing extreme sports before there even was such a thing as ‘extreme sports.’”

Like everyone who’s raced in Baja, Fish has stories to tell. There was the time when the Bug broke down in the middle of a dry lake—in the middle of the night.

“We [Fish and co-driver Bob Weggeland] were really novices,” he said. “We had no clue what to do to get out of there. It was two or three in the morning, and we weren’t running very well, so there weren’t a lot of racers behind us who could help.”

And then, in the distance, there came the sound of a car headed toward them. It turned out to be Garner’s chase crew. They offered to tow the Bug to the next checkpoint at Rancho Chapala.

“They had, like, an 8-ft. tow rope, and there we were, 8 ft. behind them, choking in their dust, going faster than at any time we had been driving the VW,” Fish laughed. “I was scared to death.”

Fish and Weggeland survived the wild ride back to the Rancho, but it would be another two days before they returned to Ensenada, with their Bug stuffed into the bed of a turtle truck.

In 1973, Mickey Thompson began a campaign to get Fish to work for him at Short Course Off-Road Enterprises, or SCORE, Thompson’s new racing organization. It took months for Thompson to lure Fish away from his high-profile job at Petersen, and more months still for the two men to make the arrangement work. But work it did, and Fish later bought SCORE from Thompson before Mickey and his wife, Trudy, were murdered.

The Baja 1000 was slated to celebrate its 45th anniversary in November 2012, and Fish is still working enthusiastically to keep the Baja racing tradition alive. In fact, he was in La Paz holding race planning meetings when we caught up with him via cell phone.

Off-road racing has gone through tremendous changes in the past half-century. A Meyers Manx dune buggy won the first Mexican 1000 rally; now, million-dollar Trophy Trucks vie for the honors. Environmental regulations and other issues have closed or restricted much of the U.S. desert where off-road racing grew; SCORE’s events are now all held south of the border. And as wild and untamed as Baja is, economic growth is changing the landscape as developers open roads and resorts where once were just dirt paths to small towns and simple ranchos.

“But we still do the event at SCORE,” said Fish. “It’s still an adventure, still an odyssey. You never give up. That’s what you do. Whether you’re first or last, the challenge is to beat the Baja. That develops teamwork and passion, which is what our competitors have.”

That and a relaxed feeling you don’t find at other motorsports venues, he said.

“It’s about bragging rights, not money. It’s the people you meet, the stories you can tell. We have superstars in our sport—celebrities, pro athletes—but they’re accessible. When they get to Baja, it’s not like you’re at Indy and the fans are a half mile away from the VIPs. Everybody mixes with everybody, and you can still get autographs. That’s what excites me. The thrill is still there.”

SEMA News—December 2012

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

Making History in Mexico

It’s 1968, and Car Craft magazine publisher Sal Fish shakes hands with actor James Garner. Garner, in the helmet and goggles, sits in a Bill Stroppe-prepped Ford Bronco, ready to race in the second National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000.

The first Mexican 1000 Rally, held a year before, attracted 68 vehicles of all kinds: dune buggies, pickups, motorcycles, VW Bugs, Jeeps, even a Citroën. Just 31 competitors finished the 849-mile race within the 60-hour cutoff time. But the stories of adventure that all of the participants brought back—along with a prominent article in Hot Rod magazine—generated a huge amount of interest throughout the high-performance community. The second 1000, where Garner and Fish were photographed, drew 254 entrants. And Garner wasn’t the only celebrity testing his mettle against the Baja desert. Famous racers, such as Parnelli Jones, Don Prudhomme, Bob Bondurant and Don Yenko, also gave it their best.

Garner was no poseur in Baja. Bondurant had trained him to drive for the 1966 film Grand Prix, and he was bitten hard by the racing bug. The 1968 race was the first of three Baja 1000s Garner entered—most famously in the Banshee, a radically modified, short-wheelbase Oldsmobile built by Vic Hickey.

Fish, too, was drawn back to Baja, though unexpectedly at first. A sales call at Mattel resulted in an offer to drive a real-life version of a Baja Bug that Mattel was building as a toy, and Fish wound up racing four times in Mexico.

“I really fell in love with the beautiful country and the sport, the whole idea of it,” he said. “We were doing extreme sports before there even was such a thing as ‘extreme sports.’”

Like everyone who’s raced in Baja, Fish has stories to tell. There was the time when the Bug broke down in the middle of a dry lake—in the middle of the night.

“We [Fish and co-driver Bob Weggeland] were really novices,” he said. “We had no clue what to do to get out of there. It was two or three in the morning, and we weren’t running very well, so there weren’t a lot of racers behind us who could help.”

And then, in the distance, there came the sound of a car headed toward them. It turned out to be Garner’s chase crew. They offered to tow the Bug to the next checkpoint at Rancho Chapala.

“They had, like, an 8-ft. tow rope, and there we were, 8 ft. behind them, choking in their dust, going faster than at any time we had been driving the VW,” Fish laughed. “I was scared to death.”

Fish and Weggeland survived the wild ride back to the Rancho, but it would be another two days before they returned to Ensenada, with their Bug stuffed into the bed of a turtle truck.

In 1973, Mickey Thompson began a campaign to get Fish to work for him at Short Course Off-Road Enterprises, or SCORE, Thompson’s new racing organization. It took months for Thompson to lure Fish away from his high-profile job at Petersen, and more months still for the two men to make the arrangement work. But work it did, and Fish later bought SCORE from Thompson before Mickey and his wife, Trudy, were murdered.

The Baja 1000 was slated to celebrate its 45th anniversary in November 2012, and Fish is still working enthusiastically to keep the Baja racing tradition alive. In fact, he was in La Paz holding race planning meetings when we caught up with him via cell phone.

Off-road racing has gone through tremendous changes in the past half-century. A Meyers Manx dune buggy won the first Mexican 1000 rally; now, million-dollar Trophy Trucks vie for the honors. Environmental regulations and other issues have closed or restricted much of the U.S. desert where off-road racing grew; SCORE’s events are now all held south of the border. And as wild and untamed as Baja is, economic growth is changing the landscape as developers open roads and resorts where once were just dirt paths to small towns and simple ranchos.

“But we still do the event at SCORE,” said Fish. “It’s still an adventure, still an odyssey. You never give up. That’s what you do. Whether you’re first or last, the challenge is to beat the Baja. That develops teamwork and passion, which is what our competitors have.”

That and a relaxed feeling you don’t find at other motorsports venues, he said.

“It’s about bragging rights, not money. It’s the people you meet, the stories you can tell. We have superstars in our sport—celebrities, pro athletes—but they’re accessible. When they get to Baja, it’s not like you’re at Indy and the fans are a half mile away from the VIPs. Everybody mixes with everybody, and you can still get autographs. That’s what excites me. The thrill is still there.”

SEMA News—December 2012

BUSINESS
By Mike Imlay

Need a Store Makeover?

These Design and Fixture Suppliers Can Help

When it comes to shelving, displays and merchandising, color coordination plays an essential role in establishing your retail brand and making your store memorable for customers. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like many retailers, you may have been tightening your belt against a sluggish economy for the last few years while striving to improve your social media and Internet marketing. But in doing so, have you neglected your aftermarket business’s most important asset? Look around you. How does your retail space stack up against the competition, especially the chain auto parts or big-box superstore down the street?

Yes, even in this day and age, bricks and mortar still matter. In fact, according to retail experts, a timely reinvestment in your shop’s displays, fixtures and overall environment could actually give you the critical edge you need in the current economic climate.

“We’re seeing little bits and pieces of light at the end of the tunnel, and now we know it’s not another train,” said Brion Coyne, president of Aftermarket Advantage Inc., a full-service retail design consultancy and store fixture supplier for the specialty-equipment industry. “I think we’ve all been knocked around and over the last four years. Now that we can see that things are starting to come back, people are loosening up on the death grips they have on their money. The guy who decides to clean up his store a little bit, add some new lighting, maybe get a new service desk and add some graphics and paint, will be the one getting their recurring business.”

Nowadays, with consumers doing so much of their shopping via the Internet and smartphones, Coyne said that a retailer needs to pull them into his store through effective marketing and advertising and then retain them with an attractive shopping environment filled with neatly arranged products and samples that they can see, touch and experience, along with appropriate information or brochures.

In other words, said Coyne, “What’s going to keep customers in the store is effective merchandizing and store fixtures. If you don’t have the sizzle, you don’t have the steak, particularly with the younger people. Tangible, physical displays are what make a brick-and-mortar store successful.”

A store design consultant since 1998, Coyne has assisted in the makeover of countless aftermarket outlets of every size.

“We’ve done some pretty spectacular showrooms,” he said. “What we try to do is convince the independent jobber or specialty store operator that showrooms are just as important as what goes on in the back room.”

Still, the bulk of Aftermarket Advantage’s business is the sales of fixtures and furnishings designed to meet any retailer’s budget. Coyne said that such items are all too often among the last things that a new retailer will consider.

“Unfortunately, after everything else is purchased, then I get the frantic, last-minute call from store owners looking for something to put their merchandise on,” he observed.

Recently, though, Coyne has seen a spate of established store owners investing in remodels. For those watching their wallets, he recommended concentrating on perimeter walling, lighting, signage and graphics. Metallic walling that’s reflective combined with inexpensive track lighting can help eliminate dark spots and highlight key products and displays. Well-placed video screens offering marketing-related content are further additions that can engage customers. For shop owners who want more, Aftermarket Advantage also offers every sort of store fixture imaginable, from merchandizing displays to sales counters.

Retail Branding

Freestanding mobile merchandizers like these from Aftermarket Advantage provide flexibility in arranging and rearranging floor space, keeping it fresh. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Steven DiOrio, marketing manager for Handy Store Fixtures, agreed that now is a good time for business owners to reevaluate their store design and consider a makeover.

“We know it’s expensive to buy new fixtures, but customers don’t want to go into a store that’s old looking or outdated,” explained DiOrio. “In their mindset, they might feel the products are old and outdated. Looking over the course of a year, the price of fixtures is a very important investment for a lot of retailers.”

Established in 1952, Handy Store Fixtures remains a leading family-based manufacturer of store fixtures with several subsidiaries nationwide.

“We’ve worked with a lot of automotive stores over the last 50 years and manufacture a lot of shelving items just for the industry,” said DiOrio. “What we try to explain to people is that every single store—especially a small, independent store or smaller chain store—can customize its fixtures, play around with color and really brand itself so that when someone walks in, they know they’re in a specific retail outlet. This advice has made a difference to a lot of our customers.”

Handy Store Fixtures makes and sells all of the characteristic gondola shelving, end caps and wall units that typical automotive aftermarket retailers normally need, plus specialty products, such as displays for oil products, batteries and tires. The company also offers customized service and checkout counters.

“We have sales reps who have been doing this for more than 30 years and know what the customer needs,” said DiOrio. “They don’t like to steer customers in the wrong direction, and our customers appreciate that. We save them money.”

He added that a common error among retailers is ordering more shelving than they actually require.

“A lot of automotive parts are peg-able,” he pointed out. “It costs much less to buy, say, 200 peg hooks than three extra shelves.”

DiOrio also suggested that customers mix and match shelving and furnishings to make a distinctive impact in their showrooms. For example, black shelving stands out nicely against white pegboard, and different color schemes offer a practical way to distinguish different sectors of a shop.

“You can play around at no extra cost, and it really makes a difference,” he noted.

New Versus Used

Effective use of point-of-purchase (POP) displays is a challenge for many retailers. A tidy, organized arrangement of interactive POP featuring product samples is the ideal. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

If new store furnishings seem cost prohibitive, a retailer might find quality used fixtures a viable alternative, said Kaytlyn Smith, store manager for Store Fixture Supercenter. Based in Flint, Michigan, the company offers a plethora of store essentials for new and established businesses, including shelving, flat wall, grid wall, counters, display cases, hangers, clothing racks, LED signs and pricing guns. While offering new products, however, Store Fixture Supercenter specializes in used and refurbished items, much of which comes from store liquidations.

“We’ve got basically anything,” Smith said. “If a store closes down, they’ll contact us, and we’ll sell a lot of their stuff onsite. Whatever we don’t sell, we bring back to our store.”

Smith said that her company’s offerings can be customized to a purchaser’s specifications for color and design. In fact, Store Fixture Supercenter goes a step further than many suppliers of used retail fixtures and furnishings by sprucing up its acquisitions and repairing any significant flaws.

“We’ll also repaint fixtures according to a customer’s request,” said Smith. “If they want a certain color and we don’t have it, we go ahead and professionally repaint in whatever color they want.”

Smith noted that used products can actually slice fixture costs in half.

“Obviously, new is going to be a little bit better quality because there won’t be any type of damage coming straight from the manufacturer as you order it,” she said. “However, the used fixtures aren’t junk. They do look nice, and they’re definitely a lot more cost effective. We are selective when it comes to buying fixtures. If it’s dented and all scratched up and something we can’t do anything with, we won’t take it. We try to get the best quality we can for our customers.”

According to Smith, gondola shelving is among the company’s best sellers to automotive retailers because of its ability to hold heavy items. Regardless, customers can specify any types of used fixtures they want. Normally, Store Fixture Supercenter will have the items in its inventory. If it doesn’t, it will go out and find them for the purchaser. Fulfillment can take anywhere from two days to two weeks, depending upon the order.

When investigating liquidated and used fixtures, Smith recommended that retailers search for brand names, just as they would if buying new. Also, it’s important to research a dealer’s reputation. Unfortunately, some used furnishing suppliers are known to throw together orders in which fixtures are severely damaged, hastily assembled or otherwise mismatched in color or quality.

A Distinctive Look

For retailers seeking a performance flair in their furnishings, Intro-Tech Automotive offers its unique, racing-inspired PitStop line of desks, office and receiver chairs and related items.

Experts in store design agree that a retail outlet’s look and feel should be an exercise in branding. Retailers in search of an especially distinctive atmosphere might consider specialty furnishings, such as those offered by Intro-Tech Automotive. Three years ago, the SEMA-member company launched its unique PitStop line of furniture designed to bring a performance flair to automotive aftermarket dealerships and offices.

“The first item was a racing-inspired office chair with a tire-embossed armrest, a real billet-aluminum shift knob on the side, ABS coil-over springs, a caliper kit with a rotor, and five-spoke wheels on the bottom of the chair,” said Jons Van Dooren, Intro-Tech Automotive vice president of marketing and sales. “We really gave it a lot of accents for the automotive enthusiast.”

Introduced at the 2009 SEMA Show, the chair was so well received that the company has added new items to the line each year since.

“From the chair, we designed a glass-top office desk with a spoiler inbox, a 50-in. power strut bar, real shocks on the legs, lockable five-spoke wheels and braided hoses incorporating steel rods to generate lateral control,” said Van Dooren, adding that receiver chairs are also now available. He further noted that all of the furnishings are designed as much for strength and durability as appearance. Where most chairs sold by office superchains are rated for 260 to 280 lbs. of weight, Intro-Tech’s PitStop line of chairs has a capacity in excess of 300 lbs.

“That puts it in a league by itself,” asserted Van Dooren, who went on to explain that all PitStop furnishings come with a lifetime warranty. “If any part at any given time goes bad, we’ll replace it for free.”

Moreover, the PitStop line is priced competitively against other, more traditional high-end office furnishings. For instance, the Grand Prix desk chair retails for about $465.

SOURCES Aftermarket Advantage 18762 Wolf Creek Grass Valley, CA 95949 530-274-0134 www.aftermarketadvantage.com Intro-Tech Automotive/ PitStop Furniture 3961 Schaefer Ave. Chino, CA 91710 866-319-8500 www.pitstop.intro-techautomotive.com Handy Store Fixtures 337 Sherman Ave. Newark, NJ 07114 800-631-4280 www.handystorefixtures.com Store Fixture Supercenter 4000 S. Dort Highway Flint, MI 48507 877-280-7304 www.storefixturesupercenter.com Zarwell and Company 4903 Bradford Pl. Rocklin, CA 95765 916-316-0182 sbz_co@pacbell.net

Van Dooren sees the furnishings as easily fitting into any automotive aftermarket retail environment and adding character to service and sales desks as well as customer waiting areas in parts departments:

“About three months ago, we furnished an entire BMW MINI Cooper store in Cincinnati with our PitStop line,” he said. “Every service area, every service writer, every salesman now has a PitStop chair, desk and two of our receiver chairs. We’re doing something similar for several locations, including a client in Florida who’s now thinking of outfitting several of his franchises with our racing-inspired furniture. It’s different than Office Depot or Staples furniture—the PitStop line creates an automotive vibe. All the parts relate to automotive enthusiasm.”

And the line continues to expand. At the SEMA Show, the company introduced tables to coordinate with the receiver chairs. There are plans in the works to add showcase displays as well.

Expert Guidance

While store owners can certainly take the do-it-yourself route to updating their showrooms, those ready to invest in a truly thorough makeover might consider the services provided by an expert retail consultant such as Coyne, who has an extensive background in automotive retailing as a merchandizing specialist, buyer, advertising manager and salesman.

“I got heavily involved working with independent retailers and jobbers,” he recalled. “I recognized the fact that they were truly experts and craftsmen at what they did with vehicles, but they often needed help in putting a showroom together.”

No matter the budget, Aftermarket Advantage will work with retailers to revamp their showroom design for maximum impact on customers.

“You have to make your store a combination of excitement, self service and information,” he said, adding that he helps his clients achieve a clean, enticing environment that invites customers to “do the lap” through their stores. He emphasizes such often-overlooked details as the use of perimeter walling to lead clientele to the back of a store as well as the proper positioning of point-of-purchase displays and shelving and locating sales or service counters at the center or rear of an outlet. He also teaches retailers the ideal way to showcase and build displays for new products, which he said should always be prominently displayed
and promoted.

Based in Rocklin, California, Steve Zarwell heads Zarwell and Company, another retail consultancy firm specializing in powersports and off-roading outlets.

“Essentially, I’m hired to come in and assess a complete store or dealership operation, which encompasses everything from leases to expenses to the appearance of the building inside and out,” Zarwell said. “What does your floor look like? Your service department? Your bathrooms? I look at all the integral parts of what goes on within all four walls of the operation as well as what a retailer is doing outside those four walls to bring in business on a constant basis.”

Reflective elements, such as these wheels, and metallic perimeter walling can help brighten a retail environment, making it more enticing. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like Coyne, Zarwell also has a broad background in the retail business, having owned several stores himself over the years and consulted for several large chains. However, he said, small retailers shouldn’t be intimidated by his credentials.

“I work with any size business,” he said. “While I’ve worked with the big guys, the bulk of my consulting has always been the mom-and-pop store where the husband and wife are in the front, the son is wrenching in the back and the daughter is the bookkeeper.” He also said that he tailors his rates to individual clients and their needs.

Zarwell agreed that retailers often overlook the little things in showroom design that can help brand their businesses.

“I’ll go in and show them everything from putting tags with their logo on their coat hangers to improving pricing and purchase systems to laying out their fixtures,” he said.

For many of Zarwell’s clients, efficient use of a store’s square footage is the greatest challenge. He advised taking a close, realistic assessment of an outlet’s day-to-day operations and adjusting space usage accordingly.

“Maybe you tend to be more of a service store than you are a parts store, yet you have two-thirds of your floor space dedicated to parts,” he said. “It may be better to cut down on your parts because you’re cranking out a ton of business in your service department.”

According to Zarwell, another overlooked area is signage.

“A guy walks in the door and can’t see where the service or parts departments are,” he said. “As trivial as that sounds, it’s important. Today’s customers are accustomed to being directed. You’ve got them in your store—why make it complicated to find anything?”

The Right Investment

The point is, while it may seem counterintuitive, retail suppliers and consultants believe that the current business climate offers an ideal time to reassess your store’s design and fixtures. Perhaps all your outlet needs is a few minor tweaks. Maybe a total makeover is in order. Whatever the case, help is out there in the form of direct suppliers and showroom design consultants.

Small or large, the right reinvestment in your establishment’s appearance can give your retail brand the competitive boost it needs as the economy slowly recovers.

SEMA News—December 2012

BUSINESS
By Mike Imlay

Need a Store Makeover?

These Design and Fixture Suppliers Can Help

When it comes to shelving, displays and merchandising, color coordination plays an essential role in establishing your retail brand and making your store memorable for customers. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like many retailers, you may have been tightening your belt against a sluggish economy for the last few years while striving to improve your social media and Internet marketing. But in doing so, have you neglected your aftermarket business’s most important asset? Look around you. How does your retail space stack up against the competition, especially the chain auto parts or big-box superstore down the street?

Yes, even in this day and age, bricks and mortar still matter. In fact, according to retail experts, a timely reinvestment in your shop’s displays, fixtures and overall environment could actually give you the critical edge you need in the current economic climate.

“We’re seeing little bits and pieces of light at the end of the tunnel, and now we know it’s not another train,” said Brion Coyne, president of Aftermarket Advantage Inc., a full-service retail design consultancy and store fixture supplier for the specialty-equipment industry. “I think we’ve all been knocked around and over the last four years. Now that we can see that things are starting to come back, people are loosening up on the death grips they have on their money. The guy who decides to clean up his store a little bit, add some new lighting, maybe get a new service desk and add some graphics and paint, will be the one getting their recurring business.”

Nowadays, with consumers doing so much of their shopping via the Internet and smartphones, Coyne said that a retailer needs to pull them into his store through effective marketing and advertising and then retain them with an attractive shopping environment filled with neatly arranged products and samples that they can see, touch and experience, along with appropriate information or brochures.

In other words, said Coyne, “What’s going to keep customers in the store is effective merchandizing and store fixtures. If you don’t have the sizzle, you don’t have the steak, particularly with the younger people. Tangible, physical displays are what make a brick-and-mortar store successful.”

A store design consultant since 1998, Coyne has assisted in the makeover of countless aftermarket outlets of every size.

“We’ve done some pretty spectacular showrooms,” he said. “What we try to do is convince the independent jobber or specialty store operator that showrooms are just as important as what goes on in the back room.”

Still, the bulk of Aftermarket Advantage’s business is the sales of fixtures and furnishings designed to meet any retailer’s budget. Coyne said that such items are all too often among the last things that a new retailer will consider.

“Unfortunately, after everything else is purchased, then I get the frantic, last-minute call from store owners looking for something to put their merchandise on,” he observed.

Recently, though, Coyne has seen a spate of established store owners investing in remodels. For those watching their wallets, he recommended concentrating on perimeter walling, lighting, signage and graphics. Metallic walling that’s reflective combined with inexpensive track lighting can help eliminate dark spots and highlight key products and displays. Well-placed video screens offering marketing-related content are further additions that can engage customers. For shop owners who want more, Aftermarket Advantage also offers every sort of store fixture imaginable, from merchandizing displays to sales counters.

Retail Branding

Freestanding mobile merchandizers like these from Aftermarket Advantage provide flexibility in arranging and rearranging floor space, keeping it fresh. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Steven DiOrio, marketing manager for Handy Store Fixtures, agreed that now is a good time for business owners to reevaluate their store design and consider a makeover.

“We know it’s expensive to buy new fixtures, but customers don’t want to go into a store that’s old looking or outdated,” explained DiOrio. “In their mindset, they might feel the products are old and outdated. Looking over the course of a year, the price of fixtures is a very important investment for a lot of retailers.”

Established in 1952, Handy Store Fixtures remains a leading family-based manufacturer of store fixtures with several subsidiaries nationwide.

“We’ve worked with a lot of automotive stores over the last 50 years and manufacture a lot of shelving items just for the industry,” said DiOrio. “What we try to explain to people is that every single store—especially a small, independent store or smaller chain store—can customize its fixtures, play around with color and really brand itself so that when someone walks in, they know they’re in a specific retail outlet. This advice has made a difference to a lot of our customers.”

Handy Store Fixtures makes and sells all of the characteristic gondola shelving, end caps and wall units that typical automotive aftermarket retailers normally need, plus specialty products, such as displays for oil products, batteries and tires. The company also offers customized service and checkout counters.

“We have sales reps who have been doing this for more than 30 years and know what the customer needs,” said DiOrio. “They don’t like to steer customers in the wrong direction, and our customers appreciate that. We save them money.”

He added that a common error among retailers is ordering more shelving than they actually require.

“A lot of automotive parts are peg-able,” he pointed out. “It costs much less to buy, say, 200 peg hooks than three extra shelves.”

DiOrio also suggested that customers mix and match shelving and furnishings to make a distinctive impact in their showrooms. For example, black shelving stands out nicely against white pegboard, and different color schemes offer a practical way to distinguish different sectors of a shop.

“You can play around at no extra cost, and it really makes a difference,” he noted.

New Versus Used

Effective use of point-of-purchase (POP) displays is a challenge for many retailers. A tidy, organized arrangement of interactive POP featuring product samples is the ideal. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

If new store furnishings seem cost prohibitive, a retailer might find quality used fixtures a viable alternative, said Kaytlyn Smith, store manager for Store Fixture Supercenter. Based in Flint, Michigan, the company offers a plethora of store essentials for new and established businesses, including shelving, flat wall, grid wall, counters, display cases, hangers, clothing racks, LED signs and pricing guns. While offering new products, however, Store Fixture Supercenter specializes in used and refurbished items, much of which comes from store liquidations.

“We’ve got basically anything,” Smith said. “If a store closes down, they’ll contact us, and we’ll sell a lot of their stuff onsite. Whatever we don’t sell, we bring back to our store.”

Smith said that her company’s offerings can be customized to a purchaser’s specifications for color and design. In fact, Store Fixture Supercenter goes a step further than many suppliers of used retail fixtures and furnishings by sprucing up its acquisitions and repairing any significant flaws.

“We’ll also repaint fixtures according to a customer’s request,” said Smith. “If they want a certain color and we don’t have it, we go ahead and professionally repaint in whatever color they want.”

Smith noted that used products can actually slice fixture costs in half.

“Obviously, new is going to be a little bit better quality because there won’t be any type of damage coming straight from the manufacturer as you order it,” she said. “However, the used fixtures aren’t junk. They do look nice, and they’re definitely a lot more cost effective. We are selective when it comes to buying fixtures. If it’s dented and all scratched up and something we can’t do anything with, we won’t take it. We try to get the best quality we can for our customers.”

According to Smith, gondola shelving is among the company’s best sellers to automotive retailers because of its ability to hold heavy items. Regardless, customers can specify any types of used fixtures they want. Normally, Store Fixture Supercenter will have the items in its inventory. If it doesn’t, it will go out and find them for the purchaser. Fulfillment can take anywhere from two days to two weeks, depending upon the order.

When investigating liquidated and used fixtures, Smith recommended that retailers search for brand names, just as they would if buying new. Also, it’s important to research a dealer’s reputation. Unfortunately, some used furnishing suppliers are known to throw together orders in which fixtures are severely damaged, hastily assembled or otherwise mismatched in color or quality.

A Distinctive Look

For retailers seeking a performance flair in their furnishings, Intro-Tech Automotive offers its unique, racing-inspired PitStop line of desks, office and receiver chairs and related items.

Experts in store design agree that a retail outlet’s look and feel should be an exercise in branding. Retailers in search of an especially distinctive atmosphere might consider specialty furnishings, such as those offered by Intro-Tech Automotive. Three years ago, the SEMA-member company launched its unique PitStop line of furniture designed to bring a performance flair to automotive aftermarket dealerships and offices.

“The first item was a racing-inspired office chair with a tire-embossed armrest, a real billet-aluminum shift knob on the side, ABS coil-over springs, a caliper kit with a rotor, and five-spoke wheels on the bottom of the chair,” said Jons Van Dooren, Intro-Tech Automotive vice president of marketing and sales. “We really gave it a lot of accents for the automotive enthusiast.”

Introduced at the 2009 SEMA Show, the chair was so well received that the company has added new items to the line each year since.

“From the chair, we designed a glass-top office desk with a spoiler inbox, a 50-in. power strut bar, real shocks on the legs, lockable five-spoke wheels and braided hoses incorporating steel rods to generate lateral control,” said Van Dooren, adding that receiver chairs are also now available. He further noted that all of the furnishings are designed as much for strength and durability as appearance. Where most chairs sold by office superchains are rated for 260 to 280 lbs. of weight, Intro-Tech’s PitStop line of chairs has a capacity in excess of 300 lbs.

“That puts it in a league by itself,” asserted Van Dooren, who went on to explain that all PitStop furnishings come with a lifetime warranty. “If any part at any given time goes bad, we’ll replace it for free.”

Moreover, the PitStop line is priced competitively against other, more traditional high-end office furnishings. For instance, the Grand Prix desk chair retails for about $465.

SOURCES Aftermarket Advantage 18762 Wolf Creek Grass Valley, CA 95949 530-274-0134 www.aftermarketadvantage.com Intro-Tech Automotive/ PitStop Furniture 3961 Schaefer Ave. Chino, CA 91710 866-319-8500 www.pitstop.intro-techautomotive.com Handy Store Fixtures 337 Sherman Ave. Newark, NJ 07114 800-631-4280 www.handystorefixtures.com Store Fixture Supercenter 4000 S. Dort Highway Flint, MI 48507 877-280-7304 www.storefixturesupercenter.com Zarwell and Company 4903 Bradford Pl. Rocklin, CA 95765 916-316-0182 sbz_co@pacbell.net

Van Dooren sees the furnishings as easily fitting into any automotive aftermarket retail environment and adding character to service and sales desks as well as customer waiting areas in parts departments:

“About three months ago, we furnished an entire BMW MINI Cooper store in Cincinnati with our PitStop line,” he said. “Every service area, every service writer, every salesman now has a PitStop chair, desk and two of our receiver chairs. We’re doing something similar for several locations, including a client in Florida who’s now thinking of outfitting several of his franchises with our racing-inspired furniture. It’s different than Office Depot or Staples furniture—the PitStop line creates an automotive vibe. All the parts relate to automotive enthusiasm.”

And the line continues to expand. At the SEMA Show, the company introduced tables to coordinate with the receiver chairs. There are plans in the works to add showcase displays as well.

Expert Guidance

While store owners can certainly take the do-it-yourself route to updating their showrooms, those ready to invest in a truly thorough makeover might consider the services provided by an expert retail consultant such as Coyne, who has an extensive background in automotive retailing as a merchandizing specialist, buyer, advertising manager and salesman.

“I got heavily involved working with independent retailers and jobbers,” he recalled. “I recognized the fact that they were truly experts and craftsmen at what they did with vehicles, but they often needed help in putting a showroom together.”

No matter the budget, Aftermarket Advantage will work with retailers to revamp their showroom design for maximum impact on customers.

“You have to make your store a combination of excitement, self service and information,” he said, adding that he helps his clients achieve a clean, enticing environment that invites customers to “do the lap” through their stores. He emphasizes such often-overlooked details as the use of perimeter walling to lead clientele to the back of a store as well as the proper positioning of point-of-purchase displays and shelving and locating sales or service counters at the center or rear of an outlet. He also teaches retailers the ideal way to showcase and build displays for new products, which he said should always be prominently displayed
and promoted.

Based in Rocklin, California, Steve Zarwell heads Zarwell and Company, another retail consultancy firm specializing in powersports and off-roading outlets.

“Essentially, I’m hired to come in and assess a complete store or dealership operation, which encompasses everything from leases to expenses to the appearance of the building inside and out,” Zarwell said. “What does your floor look like? Your service department? Your bathrooms? I look at all the integral parts of what goes on within all four walls of the operation as well as what a retailer is doing outside those four walls to bring in business on a constant basis.”

Reflective elements, such as these wheels, and metallic perimeter walling can help brighten a retail environment, making it more enticing. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like Coyne, Zarwell also has a broad background in the retail business, having owned several stores himself over the years and consulted for several large chains. However, he said, small retailers shouldn’t be intimidated by his credentials.

“I work with any size business,” he said. “While I’ve worked with the big guys, the bulk of my consulting has always been the mom-and-pop store where the husband and wife are in the front, the son is wrenching in the back and the daughter is the bookkeeper.” He also said that he tailors his rates to individual clients and their needs.

Zarwell agreed that retailers often overlook the little things in showroom design that can help brand their businesses.

“I’ll go in and show them everything from putting tags with their logo on their coat hangers to improving pricing and purchase systems to laying out their fixtures,” he said.

For many of Zarwell’s clients, efficient use of a store’s square footage is the greatest challenge. He advised taking a close, realistic assessment of an outlet’s day-to-day operations and adjusting space usage accordingly.

“Maybe you tend to be more of a service store than you are a parts store, yet you have two-thirds of your floor space dedicated to parts,” he said. “It may be better to cut down on your parts because you’re cranking out a ton of business in your service department.”

According to Zarwell, another overlooked area is signage.

“A guy walks in the door and can’t see where the service or parts departments are,” he said. “As trivial as that sounds, it’s important. Today’s customers are accustomed to being directed. You’ve got them in your store—why make it complicated to find anything?”

The Right Investment

The point is, while it may seem counterintuitive, retail suppliers and consultants believe that the current business climate offers an ideal time to reassess your store’s design and fixtures. Perhaps all your outlet needs is a few minor tweaks. Maybe a total makeover is in order. Whatever the case, help is out there in the form of direct suppliers and showroom design consultants.

Small or large, the right reinvestment in your establishment’s appearance can give your retail brand the competitive boost it needs as the economy slowly recovers.

	Michael Conn was appointed to vice president of the WyoTech campus in Sacramento, California.

WyoTech Appoints Michael Conn to Vice President
WyoTech has appointed Michael Conn to vice president of the campus in Sacramento, California. He will provide administrative and leadership support to the students and staff. Conn joins WyoTech-Sacramento with 25 years of experience in financial planning, personnel management, consulting and business ownership. As CFO of San Francisco Safety Center, Conn managed multiple site managers and locations increasing sales by $2 million. He spent several years as CEO for Geary Automotive Service, where he developed the Big O Tire San Francisco franchisee market. In 2005, Conn used his experience to develop a consulting business where he worked with companies such as Big O Tire, Chevron and Firestone.

State Farm Renews Sponsorship of Lemay
LeMay – America’s Car Museum (ACM) finalized an agreement to retain State Farm—the museum’s largest and longest-running corporate supporter—as presenting sponsor through 2014. ACM will continue to be promoted as “State Farm Presents America’s Car Museum.” Additionally, State Farm will maintain naming rights to the museum’s in-the-round theatre. State Farm also sponsors the Seattle, New York and Chicago Auto Shows, where ACM has a strong annual presence. The two organizations plan to collaborate on efforts at those events in 2013. Additional details regarding America’s Car Museum can be found at www.lemaymuseum.org.

Philips Receives AIA Award for Best New Performance Product
Philips Automotive Lighting North America has received the new performance product award from the 2012 Auto International Association (AIA) Import Product and Marketing Awards. The Philips CrystalVision Ultra Headlight Bulb was voted “Best New Performance Product or Accessory for Import Cars or Trucks” for the 2012 AIA Awards competition. The AIA Awards are held annually to recognize manufacturers and marketers who produce the most innovative products and effective marketing programs designed to serve the import aftermarket. Philips CrystalVision Ultra delivers the blue/white look of HID, adding style to the vehicle and help to deliver unique style for a customized look.

	The Metropolitan Vacuum Cleaner Company opened a new 60,000-sq.-ft. facility located in Oakland, New Jersey.

Metropolitan Vacuum Cleaner Company Opens New Facility
The Metropolitan Vacuum Cleaner Company—maker of Air Force Blaster brand of car and motorcycle dryers—opened a new 60,000-sq.-ft. facility located at 5 Raritan Rd., Oakland, NJ 07436-2709. The building will become Metro’s new corporate headquarters and provide double the administrative, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution capability. “This new facility will not only give us additional physical space” says Metro President, Jules Stern, “it will also provide us with greatly improved efficiencies in raw material purchasing, handling and fabrication; pre-assembly and component storage; final assembly; packaging; warehousing and distribution. These improved efficiencies will allow us to increase production and, at the same time, keep our pricing competitive without compromising any of the product quality or service our dealers and consumers have come to expect.”

Meyer Distributing Inc. Adds New Location in New York
Meyer Distributing Inc. added a new location in Binghamton, New York. The cross-dock will have a direct feed from Meyer's East Hanover, New Jersey, distribution hub. “The Binghamton cross-dock will be a major improvement in delivery times and frequency for our 3PL customers as well as for the automotive accessory division of Meyer Distributing,” stated Fred Sermersheim, fleet manager of Meyer Logistics. "Delivery frequency to upstate New York will increase to cities such as Binghamton, Utica, Syracuse, Auburn, Ithaca and Elmira, and delivery time will be shortened to next day from two day. The new site has already been fully integrated with our distribution system and technology framework and will take service to a new level for customers in this market."

	Ford project-vehicle requests require two components: an e-mail project summary (due February 21, 2013) and a detailed written proposal (due March 1, 2013).

Ford Motor Co. has announced its project-vehicle program for 2013. The automaker requests that project-vehicle proposals be submitted in two parts, and that all proposals meet the Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program Criteria outlined below. 

For more information, contact Sherry Kollien or Mike Nicopolis at semainfo@ford.com. 

2013 Ford Project Vehicle Program

Proposal Submission Deadline: March 1, 2013
Award Recipient Notification Date: by May 1, 2013

All project vehicle requests must be submitted in two parts and meet the following Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program criteria:

Part 1

E-mail a one-page project summary: must be received by February 21, 2013. Include bullet points for:

• Vehicle/theme
• Vehicle modifications
• New product development
• Promotional plan
• Vehicle display location at the 2013 SEMA Show

Part 2

Mail a detailed project proposal: must be received by March 1, 2013. Include detail supporting the one-page project summary on company letterhead, a color rendering and past project vehicle examples.

Information on Ford vehicles is available at: www.ford.com.   

Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program Criteria

Aftermarket companies requesting project vehicles should be:

• A Manufacturer or designer/restyler dedicated to supporting new product development.
• Financially capable and willing to spend promotional dollars.
• Actively promoting the vehicle with their product(s) through an established marketing plan.
• A current SEMA member.

Aftermarket companies receiving project vehicles must:

• Feature the vehicle in a booth at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
• Register and keep the vehicle in your company name during the entire contract period.
• Purchase and maintain $3 million in general liability insurance and $1 million in vehicle liability insurance.
• Commit to feature the vehicle with the Ford logo intact and visible.
• Order a California-certified vehicle if you intend to register or use the vehicle primarily in California or any other state that has adopted California emissions standards. Failure to do so may subject you to a state fine. 
• Make vehicles available to Ford or its dealers for display, at the owner's discretion.
• Submit written quarterly status reports for a period of 18 months, as specified in the contract, stating:

1. Product development
2. Modifications to the vehicle
3. Events (including dates, location and type of event)
4. Media exposure (originals or color copies)
5. Company advertising featuring the vehicle
6. Additional exposure
7. A copy of your current vehicle registration
8. E-mail, disc, or fax reports will not be accepted

Submit Ford Project Vehicle proposals to:

Ford Motor Co.
21175 Oakwood Blvd., PDCDC MD579       
Dearborn, MI  48124   
Attn: Sherry Kollien & Mike Nicopolis                     
semainfo@ford.com   

	Ford project-vehicle requests require two components: an e-mail project summary (due February 21, 2013) and a detailed written proposal (due March 1, 2013).

Ford Motor Co. has announced its project-vehicle program for 2013. The automaker requests that project-vehicle proposals be submitted in two parts, and that all proposals meet the Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program Criteria outlined below. 

For more information, contact Sherry Kollien or Mike Nicopolis at semainfo@ford.com. 

2013 Ford Project Vehicle Program

Proposal Submission Deadline: March 1, 2013
Award Recipient Notification Date: by May 1, 2013

All project vehicle requests must be submitted in two parts and meet the following Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program criteria:

Part 1

E-mail a one-page project summary: must be received by February 21, 2013. Include bullet points for:

• Vehicle/theme
• Vehicle modifications
• New product development
• Promotional plan
• Vehicle display location at the 2013 SEMA Show

Part 2

Mail a detailed project proposal: must be received by March 1, 2013. Include detail supporting the one-page project summary on company letterhead, a color rendering and past project vehicle examples.

Information on Ford vehicles is available at: www.ford.com.   

Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program Criteria

Aftermarket companies requesting project vehicles should be:

• A Manufacturer or designer/restyler dedicated to supporting new product development.
• Financially capable and willing to spend promotional dollars.
• Actively promoting the vehicle with their product(s) through an established marketing plan.
• A current SEMA member.

Aftermarket companies receiving project vehicles must:

• Feature the vehicle in a booth at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
• Register and keep the vehicle in your company name during the entire contract period.
• Purchase and maintain $3 million in general liability insurance and $1 million in vehicle liability insurance.
• Commit to feature the vehicle with the Ford logo intact and visible.
• Order a California-certified vehicle if you intend to register or use the vehicle primarily in California or any other state that has adopted California emissions standards. Failure to do so may subject you to a state fine. 
• Make vehicles available to Ford or its dealers for display, at the owner's discretion.
• Submit written quarterly status reports for a period of 18 months, as specified in the contract, stating:

1. Product development
2. Modifications to the vehicle
3. Events (including dates, location and type of event)
4. Media exposure (originals or color copies)
5. Company advertising featuring the vehicle
6. Additional exposure
7. A copy of your current vehicle registration
8. E-mail, disc, or fax reports will not be accepted

Submit Ford Project Vehicle proposals to:

Ford Motor Co.
21175 Oakwood Blvd., PDCDC MD579       
Dearborn, MI  48124   
Attn: Sherry Kollien & Mike Nicopolis                     
semainfo@ford.com   

Continued off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to Johnson Valley, California, has been guaranteed for now by the U.S. Congress.

Thanks to the efforts of SEMA, the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and a coalition of other land use groups, continued off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to Johnson Valley, California, has been guaranteed for now by the U.S. Congress. Congress has included a provision with the 2013 Defense Authorization Act that requires the U.S. Marines to study alternative ways to share the area with the OHV community without taking ownership of the land. The Johnson Valley off-road area draws at least 200,000 visitors annually and may generate as much as $191 million annually into the economy.

Johnson Valley is home to “King of the Hammers” and many other OHV events. The land has been controlled for years by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which provides special-use permits for various motorized recreation activities. The U.S. Marines want to expand their base at Twentynine Palms, California, to include nearly 147,000 acres of adjacent land within Johnson Valley in order to conduct large-scale training exercises for one or two months per year. The land-use coalition is urging the Marines to simply obtain BLM special-use permits. Any transfer of land rights is subject to Congressional approval. Final action on legislation directing the Marines to conduct an OHV study is expected to be completed in the next few days.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

Continued off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to Johnson Valley, California, has been guaranteed for now by the U.S. Congress.

Thanks to the efforts of SEMA, the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and a coalition of other land use groups, continued off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to Johnson Valley, California, has been guaranteed for now by the U.S. Congress. Congress has included a provision with the 2013 Defense Authorization Act that requires the U.S. Marines to study alternative ways to share the area with the OHV community without taking ownership of the land. The Johnson Valley off-road area draws at least 200,000 visitors annually and may generate as much as $191 million annually into the economy.

Johnson Valley is home to “King of the Hammers” and many other OHV events. The land has been controlled for years by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which provides special-use permits for various motorized recreation activities. The U.S. Marines want to expand their base at Twentynine Palms, California, to include nearly 147,000 acres of adjacent land within Johnson Valley in order to conduct large-scale training exercises for one or two months per year. The land-use coalition is urging the Marines to simply obtain BLM special-use permits. Any transfer of land rights is subject to Congressional approval. Final action on legislation directing the Marines to conduct an OHV study is expected to be completed in the next few days.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.