By Ashley Reyes 

The SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) will soon embark on its all-female vehicle build, a project that will highlight the work of successful women in the automotive industry, and attract and support more females to pursue careers in the automotive field.

Women will modify a Ford Bronco 4-door Wildtrak provided by Bronco Brand—Ford’s outdoor brand of Built Wild and only-4x4 vehicles—and work on every aspect of the vehicle from the engine, chassis, drivetrain, interior, sound system, exterior and paint.   

Applications are currently being accepted from females in the automotive industry who would like to volunteer on the build, and from SEMA-member companies that would like to support the build through parts donations. Learn more and get involved by visiting the online application.  

Upon the completion of the build, the vehicle will be displayed at the 2022 SEMA Show. Parts and volunteer applications will be reviewed and accepted individually based on program alignment and need.

By Ashley Reyes

With electric vehicles gaining momentum, there is vast opportunity for automotive aftermarket companies to capitalize on the EV market. Most major OEMs have already announced significant plans to convert the majority of their current fleet over to electric power, and each year they add new EV models to their lineup.

To provide automotive aftermarket companies the foundational knowledge to grow and evolve their business to meet the needs of EV consumers, SEMA will host a live webinar on the key components of an EV powertrain on May 25, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Attendees will learn the functions of each EV powertrain component and how batteries, motors, charging and other technology are evolving during the live webinar with Brent Dreher, NVH/durability manager at Faraday Future—a California-based global shared intelligent mobility ecosystem company. Dreher will answer participant questions live.

Register here.

  Emerging entrepreneurs and innovators of new automotive products are invited to enter their companies and brand-new inventions into the 2022 SEMA Launch Pad competition at www.sema.org/launchpad.  

Dustin Woolf won the 2021 Launch Pad competition for his product Natural Nitrous, a standalone mechanical intake cooling system. Innovators can enter this year's competition at www.sema.org/launchpad.  

SEMA Launch Pad is the premier product-pitching competition for budding entrepreneurs in the automotive aftermarket industry. Through the program, selected applicants are hand-picked to receive brand exposure, access to business resources, and the chance to win a grand-prize package valued at $92,000 to launch their product or service into the marketplace.

“The automotive aftermarket is comprised of countless entrepreneurs who are extremely passionate about creating new products and providing solutions for enthusiastic car owners who love to modify, maintain, restore, or personalize their vehicles,” said RJ de Vera, SEMA vice president of marketing. “SEMA Launch Pad helps bring these emerging inventors to the forefront, providing a platform for them to potentially take their new creations to the next level.”

Fifteen semi-finalists will be selected in June to participate in the first round of pitching and be invited to exhibit at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas in November. The top five finalists will pitch their products to a panel of industry judges during the SEMA Show, where a final winner will be selected.

SEMA Launch Pad is open to business owners or company-leading executives (president, CEO, CFO, COO, or vice president) over the age of 18. Applicants must offer a product or service that is a functioning prototype, functioning concept, or currently for sale.

Applications to participate in SEMA Launch Pad must be submitted online at www.sema.org/launchpad by June 13, 2022.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Nebraska and West Virginia will hold their 2022 primary elections on Tuesday, May 10, and it’s important to know which candidates support racing when going to the polls or voting early. For information on voting in the primary (including absentee and early voting), registering to vote and identifying your lawmakers and the candidates running in 2022, visit SEMA’s vote racing page.

Nebraska lawmakers (top row): Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Don Bacon (R-NE). West Virginia lawmakers (L–R): Reps. David McKinley (R-WV), Alex Mooney (R-WV) and Carol Miller (R-WV).

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act), H.R. 3281 and S. 2736, enjoys strong support from Nebraska and West Virginia members of Congress. The bipartisan RPM Act guarantees the right to modify street cars, trucks, and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles and safeguards the industry’s right to offer parts that enable racers to compete. For more information on the RPM Act, click here.

Below is a list of federal lawmakers who have co-sponsored the RPM Act in the 2021–2022 session of Congress and are running for re-election in 2022.

NEBRASKA:

• Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)
• Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE)

WEST VIRGINIA:

• Rep. David McKinley (R-WV)
• Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV)
• Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV)

For more information, contact erics@sema.org.

By Rachel Tatum

Kyle Kuhnhausen (@kckuhnhausen) will join SEMA Young Guns followers for an Instagram “Ask Me Anything” on Tuesday, May 9, from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (PDT).

Kyle Kuhnhausen has dedicated his social platforms to promoting his own business, Kuhnhausen Metal Concepts, and documenting his future SEMA builds while highlight brand partners.

Kuhnhausen is a familiar face in the SEMA: Battle of the Builders program, being named Top Young Gun in 2018, Top 3 Hot Rod placement in 2020 and a Young Guns judge at the 2021 SEMA Show. Since his SEMA debut, Kyle has inspired and mentored other builders while improving his own skills. He has dedicated his social platforms to promoting his own business, Kuhnhausen Metal Concepts, and documenting his future SEMA builds while highlight brand partners.

SEMA continues to actively recruit automotive influencers for the SEMA Social Media Correspondent program. Apply now to be considered.

By SEMA Editors

Latest Jobs Added to SEMA Career Center

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest jobs posted to the website.

Engineering Assistant
Winbo USA is hiring an engineering assistant. Candidates must possess strong critical thinking skills, high attention to detail and a good work ethic. You be working directly with a team of engineers and must be able to establish and maintain professional relationships. Candidates will be responsible for assisting with the design, installation and testing of accessories directly on vehicles, so a strong mechanical aptitude is necessary. These accessories include items such as step bars, running boards, grille guards and bumpers for the truck and SUV market.

Aftermarket Wheel and Tire Salesperson
The Wheel Group is hiring an aftermarket wheel and tire salesperson to sell company products in accordance with company requirements and customer needs; deliver sales presentations to customers in coordination with company marketing and sales strategy; provide information regarding products, account inquiries and order status via phone or email; and keep track of old leads, new leads and research for new customers. Qualified candidates should be bilingual (Spanish/English) and willing to travel and have prior sales experience.

Inside Sales Representative
Wheel Pros is hiring an inside sales representative to source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls and emails, understand customer needs and requirements, route qualified opportunities to the appropriate sales executives for further development and closure and close sales and achieve monthly quotas. Candidates must have proven inside sales experience in the B2B space and a track record of over-achieving quota.

By SEMA Editors

Dates and locations have been scheduled for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.

Part of the SEMA Show planning process is securing a hotel that will fit your needs. Location, low price, amenities and ratings are all factors in determining the right place to stay for November.

To make the process quick and affordable, the SEMA Show Block website lists all the hotels available, the prices, distance from Show and more. Hotels booked in the Block are backed by a low-price guarantee. To ensure that your price remains the lowest, SEMA will price-match lower advertised rates, even after your reservations are set.

There are more than 45 properties to choose from in the Show Block. As an added benefit, SEMA provides shuttle service to and from the Show for hotels that are not within walking distance to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

More than 1,700 of the aftermarket's top companies are currently selecting ideal locations for their 2022 SEMA Show displays through the Priority Space Selection. To see the current floorplan, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Exhibitors that would like to be part of the 2022 SEMA Show can get started at www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

Registration for the Show opened earlier this week and is available www.SEMAShow.com/register.

By Fredy Ramirez, Jay Carpio and Carr Winn

Reigning @Formula DRIFT Champion Fredric Aasbø talks about his Toyota Supra and why it is build for tuning.

Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show, the premier gathering for the automotive specialty-equipment industry, is now open at www.semashow.com/register. 

Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show, taking place November 1-4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is now open at www.semashow.com/register.  

Taking place November 1–4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 2022 SEMA Show will build upon the positive momentum following last year’s event, which successfully connected the $47.8 billion industry in person in what was the largest automotive trade show in North America since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020.

“The SEMA Show is where industry professionals go to grow existing relationships, create new ones, and push their businesses forward,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “Exhibitors are eager to showcase their products and services to the tens of thousands of qualified professionals in attendance.”

Anticipation for this year's SEMA Show ramped up in recent weeks as exhibitors prepared to select their booth locations during Priority Space Selection, a weeks-long process taking place May 2–18 that will lay the foundation for this year’s floorplan. Access to the Priority Space Selection process is available at www.semashow.com, with floorplan updates happening every 10–15 minutes.

“Enthusiasm for the 2022 Show continues to exceed last year’s, with more than 1 million sq. ft. of exhibitor space already committed for the 2022 SEMA Show and confirmed spaces running 25% above last year,” said Warren Kosikov, SEMA vice president of sales.

Attendees at the 2022 SEMA Show will learn about the latest products, trends and technology in the industry from manufacturers exhibiting throughout the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, including the surrounding parking lots. Educational seminars led by industry experts and networking events that bring market niches together will also be available during the four-day trade event.

“Our industry continues to thrive despite current challenges in the marketplace, and last year’s event proved that the value of conducting business and networking face-to-face can never be replaced,” said Gattuso. “Our mission is to help continue that momentum by providing an unparalleled experience that builds meaningful business relationships.”

Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show is offered in three categories—attendee, exhibitor and media—and everyone must qualify to attend. Attendees are encouraged to register early at www.semashow.com/register so they can secure their credentials and receive updates on breaking news from the 2022 SEMA Show.

For more information about qualifying documents and the 2022 SEMA Show, log on to www.semashow.com.