Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle Join the SEMA Hall of Fame Elite

Of course, if you happen to build a successful career, inspire others and, ultimately, leave something enduring behind in the process of doing what you love—now that’s the dream of a lifetime.

Since 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame has celebrated outstanding persons in the industry who have enhanced the stature of, or significantly contributed to, the industry and/or the association’s growth. Without diminishing the contributions of early Hall of Famers, the increasing professionalism of the specialty-equipment market over the past 42 years has raised the bar significantly. For that reason, today’s Hall of Fame candidates must boast at least 10 years of industry experience and/or association. Their influence must also be national in scope. Finally, nominees must show technical achievement, unquestioned integrity and extraordinary leadership in helping the industry thrive.

There can be no doubt that our 2011 Hall of Fame inductees represent the finest of these SEMA traditions. Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle are all legendary names within the automotive realm. Their careers, enthusiasm, innovation and personal genius are synonymous not only with the growth of the specialty-equipment market but with the hobby, sport and overall mystique of automobiling itself. Indeed, it would be impossible to conceive today of racing, performance or driving adventure without their contributions.

Sadly, one of our inductees has passed from the scene and is much missed. Thankfully, three of these icons continue to shape our industry’s future. In each case, we remain inspired by the stories of these four individuals whom we are honored to add to the exclusive SEMA Hall of Fame.

How can the legacy of Gray Baskerville ever be summarized in a few short paragraphs? His passing in 2002 left a giant void that is not likely to be filled for a very long time—if ever.

As a long-running writer for one of the world’s most popular and successful automotive publications, Baskerville had a sweeping impact on the industry. But holding Hot Rod magazine’s senior editor title for some 30 years isn’t the rationale for his SEMA Hall of Fame induction. Rather, it’s the passion and candor that flowed from his writing and captivated readers. In the tradition of SEMA’s true Hall of Famers, Baskerville cultivated a deep love for cars that clearly permeated all of his endeavors.

Born in Los Angeles, Baskerville spent many of his formative years in Hermosa Beach, immersing himself in Southern California’s early rod and custom car culture. Graduating with a history degree from UC Santa Barbara in 1958, he honed his writing and photography skills at his family’s publishing house even as he drag raced locally. Eventually, the former history student landed a gig at Hot Rod, where he went on to actually make history.

If the hot-rod movement ever had a defining voice, it was Baskerville’s. His prose so exuded life and excitement that editors rarely changed his text—even when he invented words that did not exist in the dictionary. His style and flair helped focus and mainstream a Southern California phenomenon into a national pastime, taking it beyond niche hobby to industry proportions. Yet, never one to adapt to corporate rules or aspire to the corner suite, “Ol’ Dad” Baskerville was equally known for his casual disposition, playful wonder and basic shorts-and-flip-flops office attire. After retirement, the former senior editor kept a modest office with Hot Rod and Rod & Custom, where he remained a valued contributing editor.

Baskerville had numerous interests, including reading, gardening and jazz music. But his passion for cars outshone them all, as epitomized by his beloved daily driver: a ’32 Ford roadster in which he racked up about 250,000 miles over the years. His family relates that, just days before his passing, his brother and friends carried Baskerville from his bedroom to the roadster for one last poignant jaunt around his Pasadena neighborhood and a visit to his mother.

Those who knew “Ol’ Dad” will tell you that he wouldn’t have it any other way. In a tribute to Baskerville upon his retirement as Hot Rod senior editor, friend and fellow automotive journalist Ro McGonegal observed: “His automotive interests are eclectic. He’s just as excited about a vintage highboy as he is about clean modern machinery…. In Gray’s opinion, the key word is drive. Drive your hot rod: on Power Tour, on the dry lakes, on the dragstrip and especially on the street.”

At Baskerville’s passing, Jeff Smith, another former Hot Rod editor, further reminisced: “[Gray] is a guy who never sat still, who was always visiting someone’s shop, looking at the cars or writing away.... He set his own agenda and that was fine with us.”

Indeed, Baskerville was more than a unique figure on the automotive scene. Ultimately, he was the real deal—always genuine, always himself—and a performance advocate who exuberantly challenged an industry to march to its
own beat.

Given his many achievements, pinpointing any single reason for Art Chrisman’s induction to the SEMA Hall of Fame is difficult. Yet, for many, it’s unlikely that a single reason is even needed.

Chrisman played such a pivotal role in the hot-rod movement that his list of contributions is legendary. In fact, his story inspired The Chrisman Legacy: Always Faster, a 224-page book by Tom Madigan chronicling the Chrisman family and its indisputable influence on motorsports.

Originally from Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, Chrisman moved to California with his family during the Great Depression, settling in Compton. Working at his father’s Southern California auto shop in the ’50s, Chrisman acquired his family’s passion for car building and eventually met and competed against many of early racing’s biggest names, including Ed Iskenderian, Vic Edelbrock, Wally Parks, Pete Petersen, Mickey Thompson, C.J. Hart and Lou Baney, to mention a few. Along the way, his dedication, sincere work ethic and racing skill attracted a legion of followers. As Tony Thacker, the executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, has observed: “Art Chrisman is just one of those heroes that drag-racing fans look up to even if you grew up in another country.”

And with good reason. Fifth to earn a place in the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club, Chrisman’s accomplishments include many notable firsts: First drag racer to hit 140 mph in the quarter-mile. First to exceed 180 mph. First to make a pass at the NHRA’s first national event in 1955 at Great Bend, Kansas. Winner of the first Bakersfield March Meet in 1959. And, as a member of the famous Autolite race team, he also ranks 29th on the NHRA’s roster of top 50 drivers of hot rodding’s first 50 years.

“The first time I recall seeing him race was probably around 1957 or 1958, out at the old Riverside Raceway at a drag race,” said Carl Olson, another former racer, SEMA Hall of Famer and current motorsports manager at the SFI Foundation. “I was extremely impressed by his car and his driving ability. Suffice to say, he was one of my earliest racing heroes.”

Eventually, Olson found himself introduced to Chrisman at the latter’s Autolite sparkplug workshop, and the two became lasting friends. Of all the celebrated personalities deserving of SEMA Hall of Fame recognition, Olson believes that few exemplify the industry’s heart and soul more than Chrisman.

“He’s willing to share information, experience and knowledge with just about anyone who walks up to ask,” he said. “And the cars that he turns out, whether they be race cars or street rods, are just absolutely fabulous. They’ve won every kind of award known to mankind, including Pebble Beach and the Grand National Roadster Show. He’s a masterful engine builder. He’s just the nicest, kindest, most generous, caring individual that I know, along with being an absolute icon in motorsports.”

Olson is not alone in this view. Industry pros universally praise Chrisman’s integrity and gentlemanly demeanor both on and off the track. And the legacy continues: Chrisman and his son Mike now work side by side at Chrisman Auto Rod Specialties, which the elder Chrisman founded after his Autolite years—and where he still serves as mentor, role model and inspiration to hot-rodding’s next generation.

Visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and you’ll find the Economaki Press Conference Room. At the New Jersey Motorsports Park, you’ll find The Chris Economaki Media Center. And each year on the day of the Daytona 500, thousands celebrate Chris Economaki Day.

Having served as a motorsports commentator and journalist for more than 70 years, Economaki is hailed as the founding father of American motorsports media. Even those unfamiliar with his name are instantly likely to recognize the voice behind the trademark horn-rimmed glasses.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Economaki got hooked on motorsports at age nine after watching an auto race at the board track in Atlantic City. By age 13, he was selling copies of National Speed Sport News (NSSN) at the fairgrounds racing events cropping up in the mid-’30s. A year later, he was penning a column for the publication. By the ’50s, he had complete charge of the title, became publisher and turned NSSN into what many have called “The Bible of Motorsports” and “America’s Weekly Motorsports Authority,” reporting on races throughout the country, regardless of series or track.

Economaki even flirted with midget-car competition himself at a Pennsylvania cinder track.

“It wasn’t for me,” he recalled later. “It was a really frightening experience. That was the first and last time I drove in competition.”

Deciding he was better suited to covering motorsports, he became a track announcer in the ’40s, even as he continued to churn out NSSN.

“We all came to know Chris because of the wonderful National Speed Sport News that he published,” said Steve Lewis, publisher of Performance Racing Industry [PRI] magazine and producer of today’s well-known PRI trade show. Like many in the industry, Lewis became an avid reader of Economaki’s publication in the early ’60s. “That was the pipeline to knowledge of racing back then. There was no ESPN, no SPEED Channel, nothing. The national and daily papers didn’t cover racing. He covered it in-depth. He covered NASCAR and Indy car and also covered weekly short track.... Chris’ paper was so important because it provided information and developed the hero status of people such as Bobby Unser, A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.”

That could be considered achievement enough, but Economaki next turned his attention and energies to broadcasting, covering several Indianapolis 500s, Daytona 500s, Formula 1 Grand Prixes and other motorsports events for “ABC Wide World of Sports” in the ’60s. Two decades later, he moved on to CBS Sports and later contributed to ESPN and TBS motorsports programming.

“All that wasn’t an accident,” explained Lewis. “Chris pushed the networks to expand their coverage. He was the driving force behind it, and his insightful interview technique and unique voice as a real wordsmith made his before-and-after race interviews with drivers classic. He was very good at asking unexpected questions that made drivers have to think. Some of us forget the work he did that helped develop a racing industry. He’s not just a publisher, editor or writer. He had the vision, knowledge and energy to put forth an effort to upgrade and bring racing to
the forefront.”

NSSN ceased print production in March 2011, but Economaki continues to impart his original vision, knowledge and insights through daily contributions to his famous publication’s new online version.

“If you have an idea and a plan, share it. Who knows, maybe you will start something cool.” That’s been the motto of John Towle, whose stellar career in the performance aftermarket has spanned five decades.

In 1964, Towle walked into a hotbed of performance—the Edelbrock Equipment Co. in Los Angeles—to take a job sweeping floors and cleaning restrooms. He ended up staying for 27 years, moving up from department to department, learning every aspect of the performance business from manufacturing to sales to distribution. In 1982, he became Edelbrock’s vice president for sales, propelling the company to tremendous growth and helping it garner three Performance Warehouse Association (PWA) Manufacturer of the Year awards (1984, 1989 and 1990).

The early days with Edelbrock introduced Towle to drag racing and the chance to assist Ed “The Master” Pink with his Top Fuel dragster.

“I was mostly changing oil and packing the parachute, but it was a great time and a lot of fun for a very young kid,” said Towle.

In the mid-’70s, he campaigned a B/Econorail dragster. After much success at the local strips, Towle came to the believe that A&B Econorails deserved their own NHRA class and rules. So he committed his ideas to paper and shared them with the NHRA. Then he went on to further suggest that blown alcohol cars should have their own class as well. The NHRA agreed and instituted the Pro Comp class along with Econorails as Competition Eliminator cars.

Still, it was Towle’s dedicated work at Edelbrock, SEMA and PWA that truly set him apart as a leader eager to help advance the industry. In 1990, Towle received the PWA’s Person of the Year award—in his words, “a prestigious honor and very rewarding.”

Retiring from Edelbrock in 1991, he became PWA executive director the following year. Under his guidance, the PWA has continued to grow, especially with its annual Industry Conference. Meanwhile, Towle was also elected to the SEMA Board of Directors in 1993 and served a two-year term.

“What always amazed me about John is how the entire Performance Warehouse Association ran like clockwork” once Towle took the helm, observed Van Woodell, owner and president of Weathers Auto Supply.

Woodell first met the PWA leader in the mid-’90s, when Weathers Auto Supply joined the trade organization. Noting that the aftermarket’s selling and buying sectors were far from seamless at the time, Woodell credits Towle with bringing the principals of the manufacturing companies and the principals of the distribution leg of the industry together for face-to-face meetings on a scale never imagined in the industry’s early days. And he did so with unmatched integrity and organizational expertise.

“What John has really offered the industry is a level of professionalism so that a bunch of ‘rednecks’ like me can sit down and negotiate with our suppliers and our vendors to build relationships on a national level,” said a smiling Woodell. “It has certainly made a huge difference.”

While Towle retired from Edelbrock years ago, he has yet to retire from the PWA, let alone the industry. True to his lifelong calling, Towle remains the quintessential idea man, still sharing his plans for an increasingly healthy and vital specialty-equipment aftermarket.

Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle Join the SEMA Hall of Fame Elite

Of course, if you happen to build a successful career, inspire others and, ultimately, leave something enduring behind in the process of doing what you love—now that’s the dream of a lifetime.

Since 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame has celebrated outstanding persons in the industry who have enhanced the stature of, or significantly contributed to, the industry and/or the association’s growth. Without diminishing the contributions of early Hall of Famers, the increasing professionalism of the specialty-equipment market over the past 42 years has raised the bar significantly. For that reason, today’s Hall of Fame candidates must boast at least 10 years of industry experience and/or association. Their influence must also be national in scope. Finally, nominees must show technical achievement, unquestioned integrity and extraordinary leadership in helping the industry thrive.

There can be no doubt that our 2011 Hall of Fame inductees represent the finest of these SEMA traditions. Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle are all legendary names within the automotive realm. Their careers, enthusiasm, innovation and personal genius are synonymous not only with the growth of the specialty-equipment market but with the hobby, sport and overall mystique of automobiling itself. Indeed, it would be impossible to conceive today of racing, performance or driving adventure without their contributions.

Sadly, one of our inductees has passed from the scene and is much missed. Thankfully, three of these icons continue to shape our industry’s future. In each case, we remain inspired by the stories of these four individuals whom we are honored to add to the exclusive SEMA Hall of Fame.

How can the legacy of Gray Baskerville ever be summarized in a few short paragraphs? His passing in 2002 left a giant void that is not likely to be filled for a very long time—if ever.

As a long-running writer for one of the world’s most popular and successful automotive publications, Baskerville had a sweeping impact on the industry. But holding Hot Rod magazine’s senior editor title for some 30 years isn’t the rationale for his SEMA Hall of Fame induction. Rather, it’s the passion and candor that flowed from his writing and captivated readers. In the tradition of SEMA’s true Hall of Famers, Baskerville cultivated a deep love for cars that clearly permeated all of his endeavors.

Born in Los Angeles, Baskerville spent many of his formative years in Hermosa Beach, immersing himself in Southern California’s early rod and custom car culture. Graduating with a history degree from UC Santa Barbara in 1958, he honed his writing and photography skills at his family’s publishing house even as he drag raced locally. Eventually, the former history student landed a gig at Hot Rod, where he went on to actually make history.

If the hot-rod movement ever had a defining voice, it was Baskerville’s. His prose so exuded life and excitement that editors rarely changed his text—even when he invented words that did not exist in the dictionary. His style and flair helped focus and mainstream a Southern California phenomenon into a national pastime, taking it beyond niche hobby to industry proportions. Yet, never one to adapt to corporate rules or aspire to the corner suite, “Ol’ Dad” Baskerville was equally known for his casual disposition, playful wonder and basic shorts-and-flip-flops office attire. After retirement, the former senior editor kept a modest office with Hot Rod and Rod & Custom, where he remained a valued contributing editor.

Baskerville had numerous interests, including reading, gardening and jazz music. But his passion for cars outshone them all, as epitomized by his beloved daily driver: a ’32 Ford roadster in which he racked up about 250,000 miles over the years. His family relates that, just days before his passing, his brother and friends carried Baskerville from his bedroom to the roadster for one last poignant jaunt around his Pasadena neighborhood and a visit to his mother.

Those who knew “Ol’ Dad” will tell you that he wouldn’t have it any other way. In a tribute to Baskerville upon his retirement as Hot Rod senior editor, friend and fellow automotive journalist Ro McGonegal observed: “His automotive interests are eclectic. He’s just as excited about a vintage highboy as he is about clean modern machinery…. In Gray’s opinion, the key word is drive. Drive your hot rod: on Power Tour, on the dry lakes, on the dragstrip and especially on the street.”

At Baskerville’s passing, Jeff Smith, another former Hot Rod editor, further reminisced: “[Gray] is a guy who never sat still, who was always visiting someone’s shop, looking at the cars or writing away.... He set his own agenda and that was fine with us.”

Indeed, Baskerville was more than a unique figure on the automotive scene. Ultimately, he was the real deal—always genuine, always himself—and a performance advocate who exuberantly challenged an industry to march to its
own beat.

Given his many achievements, pinpointing any single reason for Art Chrisman’s induction to the SEMA Hall of Fame is difficult. Yet, for many, it’s unlikely that a single reason is even needed.

Chrisman played such a pivotal role in the hot-rod movement that his list of contributions is legendary. In fact, his story inspired The Chrisman Legacy: Always Faster, a 224-page book by Tom Madigan chronicling the Chrisman family and its indisputable influence on motorsports.

Originally from Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, Chrisman moved to California with his family during the Great Depression, settling in Compton. Working at his father’s Southern California auto shop in the ’50s, Chrisman acquired his family’s passion for car building and eventually met and competed against many of early racing’s biggest names, including Ed Iskenderian, Vic Edelbrock, Wally Parks, Pete Petersen, Mickey Thompson, C.J. Hart and Lou Baney, to mention a few. Along the way, his dedication, sincere work ethic and racing skill attracted a legion of followers. As Tony Thacker, the executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, has observed: “Art Chrisman is just one of those heroes that drag-racing fans look up to even if you grew up in another country.”

And with good reason. Fifth to earn a place in the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club, Chrisman’s accomplishments include many notable firsts: First drag racer to hit 140 mph in the quarter-mile. First to exceed 180 mph. First to make a pass at the NHRA’s first national event in 1955 at Great Bend, Kansas. Winner of the first Bakersfield March Meet in 1959. And, as a member of the famous Autolite race team, he also ranks 29th on the NHRA’s roster of top 50 drivers of hot rodding’s first 50 years.

“The first time I recall seeing him race was probably around 1957 or 1958, out at the old Riverside Raceway at a drag race,” said Carl Olson, another former racer, SEMA Hall of Famer and current motorsports manager at the SFI Foundation. “I was extremely impressed by his car and his driving ability. Suffice to say, he was one of my earliest racing heroes.”

Eventually, Olson found himself introduced to Chrisman at the latter’s Autolite sparkplug workshop, and the two became lasting friends. Of all the celebrated personalities deserving of SEMA Hall of Fame recognition, Olson believes that few exemplify the industry’s heart and soul more than Chrisman.

“He’s willing to share information, experience and knowledge with just about anyone who walks up to ask,” he said. “And the cars that he turns out, whether they be race cars or street rods, are just absolutely fabulous. They’ve won every kind of award known to mankind, including Pebble Beach and the Grand National Roadster Show. He’s a masterful engine builder. He’s just the nicest, kindest, most generous, caring individual that I know, along with being an absolute icon in motorsports.”

Olson is not alone in this view. Industry pros universally praise Chrisman’s integrity and gentlemanly demeanor both on and off the track. And the legacy continues: Chrisman and his son Mike now work side by side at Chrisman Auto Rod Specialties, which the elder Chrisman founded after his Autolite years—and where he still serves as mentor, role model and inspiration to hot-rodding’s next generation.

Visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and you’ll find the Economaki Press Conference Room. At the New Jersey Motorsports Park, you’ll find The Chris Economaki Media Center. And each year on the day of the Daytona 500, thousands celebrate Chris Economaki Day.

Having served as a motorsports commentator and journalist for more than 70 years, Economaki is hailed as the founding father of American motorsports media. Even those unfamiliar with his name are instantly likely to recognize the voice behind the trademark horn-rimmed glasses.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Economaki got hooked on motorsports at age nine after watching an auto race at the board track in Atlantic City. By age 13, he was selling copies of National Speed Sport News (NSSN) at the fairgrounds racing events cropping up in the mid-’30s. A year later, he was penning a column for the publication. By the ’50s, he had complete charge of the title, became publisher and turned NSSN into what many have called “The Bible of Motorsports” and “America’s Weekly Motorsports Authority,” reporting on races throughout the country, regardless of series or track.

Economaki even flirted with midget-car competition himself at a Pennsylvania cinder track.

“It wasn’t for me,” he recalled later. “It was a really frightening experience. That was the first and last time I drove in competition.”

Deciding he was better suited to covering motorsports, he became a track announcer in the ’40s, even as he continued to churn out NSSN.

“We all came to know Chris because of the wonderful National Speed Sport News that he published,” said Steve Lewis, publisher of Performance Racing Industry [PRI] magazine and producer of today’s well-known PRI trade show. Like many in the industry, Lewis became an avid reader of Economaki’s publication in the early ’60s. “That was the pipeline to knowledge of racing back then. There was no ESPN, no SPEED Channel, nothing. The national and daily papers didn’t cover racing. He covered it in-depth. He covered NASCAR and Indy car and also covered weekly short track.... Chris’ paper was so important because it provided information and developed the hero status of people such as Bobby Unser, A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.”

That could be considered achievement enough, but Economaki next turned his attention and energies to broadcasting, covering several Indianapolis 500s, Daytona 500s, Formula 1 Grand Prixes and other motorsports events for “ABC Wide World of Sports” in the ’60s. Two decades later, he moved on to CBS Sports and later contributed to ESPN and TBS motorsports programming.

“All that wasn’t an accident,” explained Lewis. “Chris pushed the networks to expand their coverage. He was the driving force behind it, and his insightful interview technique and unique voice as a real wordsmith made his before-and-after race interviews with drivers classic. He was very good at asking unexpected questions that made drivers have to think. Some of us forget the work he did that helped develop a racing industry. He’s not just a publisher, editor or writer. He had the vision, knowledge and energy to put forth an effort to upgrade and bring racing to
the forefront.”

NSSN ceased print production in March 2011, but Economaki continues to impart his original vision, knowledge and insights through daily contributions to his famous publication’s new online version.

“If you have an idea and a plan, share it. Who knows, maybe you will start something cool.” That’s been the motto of John Towle, whose stellar career in the performance aftermarket has spanned five decades.

In 1964, Towle walked into a hotbed of performance—the Edelbrock Equipment Co. in Los Angeles—to take a job sweeping floors and cleaning restrooms. He ended up staying for 27 years, moving up from department to department, learning every aspect of the performance business from manufacturing to sales to distribution. In 1982, he became Edelbrock’s vice president for sales, propelling the company to tremendous growth and helping it garner three Performance Warehouse Association (PWA) Manufacturer of the Year awards (1984, 1989 and 1990).

The early days with Edelbrock introduced Towle to drag racing and the chance to assist Ed “The Master” Pink with his Top Fuel dragster.

“I was mostly changing oil and packing the parachute, but it was a great time and a lot of fun for a very young kid,” said Towle.

In the mid-’70s, he campaigned a B/Econorail dragster. After much success at the local strips, Towle came to the believe that A&B Econorails deserved their own NHRA class and rules. So he committed his ideas to paper and shared them with the NHRA. Then he went on to further suggest that blown alcohol cars should have their own class as well. The NHRA agreed and instituted the Pro Comp class along with Econorails as Competition Eliminator cars.

Still, it was Towle’s dedicated work at Edelbrock, SEMA and PWA that truly set him apart as a leader eager to help advance the industry. In 1990, Towle received the PWA’s Person of the Year award—in his words, “a prestigious honor and very rewarding.”

Retiring from Edelbrock in 1991, he became PWA executive director the following year. Under his guidance, the PWA has continued to grow, especially with its annual Industry Conference. Meanwhile, Towle was also elected to the SEMA Board of Directors in 1993 and served a two-year term.

“What always amazed me about John is how the entire Performance Warehouse Association ran like clockwork” once Towle took the helm, observed Van Woodell, owner and president of Weathers Auto Supply.

Woodell first met the PWA leader in the mid-’90s, when Weathers Auto Supply joined the trade organization. Noting that the aftermarket’s selling and buying sectors were far from seamless at the time, Woodell credits Towle with bringing the principals of the manufacturing companies and the principals of the distribution leg of the industry together for face-to-face meetings on a scale never imagined in the industry’s early days. And he did so with unmatched integrity and organizational expertise.

“What John has really offered the industry is a level of professionalism so that a bunch of ‘rednecks’ like me can sit down and negotiate with our suppliers and our vendors to build relationships on a national level,” said a smiling Woodell. “It has certainly made a huge difference.”

While Towle retired from Edelbrock years ago, he has yet to retire from the PWA, let alone the industry. True to his lifelong calling, Towle remains the quintessential idea man, still sharing his plans for an increasingly healthy and vital specialty-equipment aftermarket.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.

An Interview With the New Chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors

“Scooter” Brothers has been working with cars since he could walk. He is the son of a mechanic, and even though his dad wasn’t interested in racing, Brothers got hooked on it while he was still in high school in the late ’60s. He got involved with some of the men who started a company called Racing Head Service and, except for a four-year break while he served in the navy, he’s been in the automotive performance business ever since.

Racing Head Service began producing crate engines in the mid-’80s, putting them together at a pace of 2,500 per year and becoming the first mail-order engine supplier that Brothers is aware of. His responsibilities shifted when Brothers moved from Racing Head Service to its sister company, Competition Cams, in the late ’80s. Brothers has stuck with what has become the Comp Performance Group to this day.

He began his involvement with SEMA in the mid-’90s, beginning with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) and then the very early stages of the SEMA Technology Transfer Program. He has since worked with numerous task forces and councils as well as served on the association’s Board of Directors and, for the past two years, as its chairman-elect.

Brothers said that he was given his nickname when he was a newborn. A hospital staff member observed him trying to “scoot” across his bassinet in the post-delivery room. He has been on the move ever since. He will take his place as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July, and SEMA News recently interviewed him about his goals and priorities.

SEMA News: What led you to get actively involved with SEMA’s Scholarship Committee?

Paul “Scooter” Brothers: As I’ve gotten older and realized I wasn’t going to be here forever, I took a hard look at the new generation. I quickly found that these were some really bright young people and that our challenge would be to get them into our industry at the earliest age possible. I began working with some schools and with SEMA, and it went from there. SEMA’s work with students is one of the first things that caught my eye. I knew we had an obligation to somehow reach out to the youngsters at the earliest age and show them the benefits of our industry. These are the people who will carry the industry into the next generation, and with SEMA’s help, they will already be well connected when they enter the industry. It may be somewhat self-serving, but my connection to students, interns at the SEMA Show and young people in general has been very rewarding.

SN: Ten years ago, your work with SEMA’s MPMC led to your work in the early development of SEMA’s Technology Transfer Program. A decade later, what do you think about the evolution of the program? What advice do you give to SEMA members who have never taken advantage of Tech Transfer?

PSB: Being a racer, it was easy to enter the council network as a member of the MPMC. I soon began to realize that SEMA offered its members much more than a council to discuss racing. As an engineering guy, I always point to the Technology Transfer Program. It is a direct link between the original-equipment manufacturers [OEM] and SEMA-member companies. It allows companies such as mine to apply for the original factory CAD [computer-aided design] model of the part we are designing. In the past, we had to completely reverse engineer the factory part before we could begin to design our part, so this program really shortcuts the process for SEMA-member companies, and it helps ensure that the part fits properly, which also benefits the car manufacturers and consumers. As vehicles become ever more complex, it’s necessary to work with the OEMs to interface our products with the sophisticated platforms of today.

I can’t tell you how much this program has saved my company in terms of both time and money, so I strongly suggest that any company looking to design parts from the ground up become familiar with it and use it to the fullest.

SN: You traveled to China last year as part of the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing. What were your impressions of the specialty-equipment industry in China?

PSB: One thing is for sure: The world is getting much smaller. The more mature our customer base becomes in the United States, it is easy to see that our industry must look for business in other places. As new parts of the world develop, new markets come into SEMA members’ world. China is one of those emerging markets, and it is moving rapidly.

I have traveled to China several times and have watched the people there fall in love with their cars, much like we did in this country as this industry began. These people and this market are going to develop almost instantly, and those SEMA-member companies that are ready will do well there. Any business with an opportunity to learn a new market—especially one as large as China—should do so. SEMA offers a good way to do it.

SN: What are you hearing from colleagues and fellow SEMA members about their balance sheets for the first six months of 2011?

PSB: I try to interface as much as possible with the whole chain of customers, from manufacturer to consumer. From street cars to the most professional racer, it seems that parts are moving pretty well. Once the consumer begins to order parts, someone has to make them and someone has to warehouse them. As far as I can see, things look pretty good for 2011.

SN: With the 2011 SEMA Show roughly four months away, what should SEMA members take advantage of today in order to get the biggest return on their investment?

PSB: Be prepared. Put the finishing touches on new products. Make sure they are ready to deliver, and present them properly. The SEMA Show is about what’s new as well as developing and maintaining relationships between manufacturers and buyers. Everyone in the supply chain must be prepared to make the best of their time at the Show.

SN: SEMA maintains an office in Washington, D.C., to handle legislative and regulatory issues affecting the specialty-equipment industry. What recent victories and/or current legislative struggles are on your radar from the D.C. office?

PSB: A couple of things come to mind right away. One has to do with ever-tightening federal and state emissions standards. SEMA just worked to have what’s called the “Project Green Rod” engine package approved in California for street and specialty vehicles. This means that all of the cars that the SEMA industry loves that are not up to today’s tough standards have a way to comply with the emissions requirements. Another also involves California and its attempt to outlaw all improperly registered specialty vehicles and street rods. Through SEMA’s efforts, there is now a procedure for that to be done.

That doesn’t even touch on all of the work SEMA’s D.C. staff does every day with our federal and state legislators. It’s tough to stay abreast of new regulations, but these people seem to be able to guide SEMA members through it.

SN: What do SEMA members who love the association tell you is the number-one benefit SEMA provides?

PSB: Tough question. There are so many programs that benefit the various segments of the industry that it’s hard to say. For manufacturers, Technology Transfer, the regulation and legislation work and the MPMC are great programs. For the distribution segment, the SEMA Show and market research come to mind.

SN: What are a couple of significant current initiatives?

PSB: SEMA is a members’ association. Two of the programs it is currently working on are education at every level as well as a common, industry-wide platform to develop and distribute product attributes, such as part numbers and descriptions.

SN: What types of business challenges is SEMA helping its membership overcome?

PSB: Emissions and CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] regulations get tougher every year. Also, the evolution of technology and the complexity of new vehicles have made it very difficult for SEMA-member companies’ products to interface with the OEM platforms. SEMA maintains staff in Detroit to develop and strengthen the link between its members and the OEMs to help overcome this challenge. This list will change as the challenges evolve.

SN: What do you see as the association’s top priorities over the next 12 months?

PSB: I believe that SEMA should deliver world-class market research to its members to help them plan for the future. Staying abreast of changes in technology and regulations will continue to be an issue. And, of course, the association must continue to serve the needs of its members as well as the market and the industry. An important example is SEMA’s Education Institute offering a wide range of business-oriented seminars and webinars, many of which are recorded and available on the SEMA website.

SN: You recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium entitled “The Business Side of Racing.” What were the biggest takeaways from that discussion that everyone doing business in motorsports needs to understand?

PSB: Many companies participate one way or another in motorsports. Many have no idea how to make this involvement help them sell more product. One of my messages was for them to visit the SEMA Show and get a flavor of the industry.

SN: RHS began doing mail-order business when you worked for the company in the ’70s. By the mid-’80s, you were shipping about 2,500 engines a year. What advice can you offer to companies hoping for similar success using Internet retailing?

PSB: Stick with it, listen to the customer and don’t forget the difference between cash flow and profit. It’s very easy to have a pocket full of money and think you are making a profit. That’s what gets a lot of new businesses in trouble.