By Ashley Reyes

Newly released footage featuring Chip Foose at the 2019 SEMA Show STAGE is now available. Powered by SEMA Education in partnership with the SEMA Wheel and Tire Council (WTC), the candid interview features the legendary automobile designer as he opens up about his influences and career accomplishments with host Myles Kovacs.

As the youngest member inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame in 1997 at the age of 33, Foose is one of the largest influences in the aftermarket industry. The featured episode offers viewers the opportunity to get to know Foose as he shares stories about his favorite builds, designing and building custom street rods and studio vehicles, and how following in his father’s footsteps ultimately led him to obtaining the career he has today.

“I never thought of it as pressure, I thought of it as I had a great opportunity,” said Foose. “I was working with my hero, and I wanted to be him.”

In addition to paying tribute to his father, Foose attributes his strong work ethic and ability to keep moving forward to the team that works around him.

“I’m just lucky I get to make a living doing something that’s 100% unnecessary,” adds Foose. “The world doesn’t need another hot rod. There’s a reason, and that’s because it’s 100% passion driven. People are willing to reach in their wallet and pay us to build their dream. I’ve got the greatest job in the world, I’m so lucky.”

Additional topics include stories behind his favorite builds, his experience with diecast and plastic model cars and how automobile design has changed over the years.

“It’s amazing to me what can be done now with a computer,” said Foose. “I use it a little bit, but I still think that human touch is very important in the hot-rod world. There’s a difference—you can see a car that’s been all computer cut, and you can tell something that has passion and desire to be the best in it.”

Throughout his career, Foose starred in various reality television shows such as TLC’s “Overhaulin’”, Discovery Channel’s “Ultimate Car Build-Off,” and “American Icon: The Hot Rod” on Discovery’s HD Theater.

Check out the full video and stay tuned to SEMA eNews for additional featured interviews from the STAGE. For the latest news and updates, follow SEMA Education on Facebook and Instagram.

By Ashley Reyes

Newly released footage featuring Chip Foose at the 2019 SEMA Show STAGE is now available. Powered by SEMA Education in partnership with the SEMA Wheel and Tire Council (WTC), the candid interview features the legendary automobile designer as he opens up about his influences and career accomplishments with host Myles Kovacs.

As the youngest member inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame in 1997 at the age of 33, Foose is one of the largest influences in the aftermarket industry. The featured episode offers viewers the opportunity to get to know Foose as he shares stories about his favorite builds, designing and building custom street rods and studio vehicles, and how following in his father’s footsteps ultimately led him to obtaining the career he has today.

“I never thought of it as pressure, I thought of it as I had a great opportunity,” said Foose. “I was working with my hero, and I wanted to be him.”

In addition to paying tribute to his father, Foose attributes his strong work ethic and ability to keep moving forward to the team that works around him.

“I’m just lucky I get to make a living doing something that’s 100% unnecessary,” adds Foose. “The world doesn’t need another hot rod. There’s a reason, and that’s because it’s 100% passion driven. People are willing to reach in their wallet and pay us to build their dream. I’ve got the greatest job in the world, I’m so lucky.”

Additional topics include stories behind his favorite builds, his experience with diecast and plastic model cars and how automobile design has changed over the years.

“It’s amazing to me what can be done now with a computer,” said Foose. “I use it a little bit, but I still think that human touch is very important in the hot-rod world. There’s a difference—you can see a car that’s been all computer cut, and you can tell something that has passion and desire to be the best in it.”

Throughout his career, Foose starred in various reality television shows such as TLC’s “Overhaulin’”, Discovery Channel’s “Ultimate Car Build-Off,” and “American Icon: The Hot Rod” on Discovery’s HD Theater.

Check out the full video and stay tuned to SEMA eNews for additional featured interviews from the STAGE. For the latest news and updates, follow SEMA Education on Facebook and Instagram.

By Douglas McColloch

Due to COVID-19, retailers are adjusting to variation in consumer foot traffic, developing new ways to maintain their customer relationships, and marketing to take advantage of growing consumer interest in online purchasing.

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus has forced many companies to alter and adjust their existing business models. Brick-and-mortar retailers are adjusting to a reduction in consumer foot traffic, companies are developing new ways to maintain their customer relationships, and marketing and advertising strategies are being refocused to take advantage of a growing consumer interest in online purchasing.

We spoke about these subjects with Dr. Kim Saxton and Dr. Todd Saxton, professors at the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University, who offer practical advice for businesses to best anticipate and adapt to shifts and uncertainties in the marketplace. The following are excerpts from our interview, edited for clarity and length.

SEMA News: Among our member companies, point-of-sale retail transactions account for about two-thirds of total sales. For companies that are going to be impacted by reduced foot traffic, what are some policies and procedures they can put in place right now to help get them through the next six months?

Kim Saxton: Essentially, as business becomes more online, the key is to test more customer data. Now is a great time to go through your sales records, particularly if you have downtime, and identify who this group of really loyal customers are. Try and look at their shopping history and ask, what kinds of things do they buy? How can I reach out to them if they can’t come to the store? We don’t know how long this [COVID-19 outbreak] is going to go on, but people are starting to want entertainment. Is there a way that you could help them pursue their passion while they’re stuck at home?

Todd Saxton: We’re seeing a lot of businesses going through what we call “crossing the chasm” as it applies to their business model. Now is a time that, by necessity, these kinds of traditional patterns and shopping habits are changing and moving from being just a minority of the market to being the mainstream way that business gets done. And unfortunately, this is not likely to be a scenario where the light switch goes on one day and everybody starts walking into retail stores again.

SN: Many of our member companies rely heavily on a customer base with a healthy amount of disposable income. So when consumers begin to pare back spending on their hobbies and focus instead on necessities like food and medicine, what steps can a company take to keep their customers engaged?

KS: There are likely two consumer markets here: Do-it-yourselfers (DIY) and hobbyists. The DIYers are probably more price-driven, and there’s probably not much more you can do for them right now. But at the higher-income end of the hobbyist group, though, now is a great time to reach out because people can’t do anything on the weekends, for example. During the work week, they might be pretty busy, but on the weekends they can’t do anything.
Then you get that middle-income group of hobbyists who don’t have a tremendous amount of disposable income. So what’s the $50, $100, $200 product package that you can offer them instead of a $1,000 package? How can you repackage your product line so it will appeal to them? Another thing to think of is, car dealers aren’t selling because they’re “non-essential” businesses, but car servicing businesses are still open. So if it’s possible, now would be a great time to reach out to those businesses.

SN: How valuable is advertising in this economic climate? Given the likelihood of short-term economic contraction, should some businesses just pull back on marketing and advertising and try to ride out the storm until conditions improve?

KS: If you know who your customers are and you have their home addresses, direct mail in times like this can be successful because it’s inexpensive and you can even print it yourself. Also, for some people, mail used to be a bother, but now it might be one of the few inputs of the day that you have if you’re quarantined.

TS: Advertising-as-usual is not going to be effective. It has to be targeted. People are hungry for feel-good stories about how companies are making changes to better serve their customers during the current crisis. Companies are leveraging that into advertising and reaching out to local media. When you’re doing something to help people, it’s something that we see getting a lot of traction.

SN: A lot of our member companies—particularly the smaller ones—rely heavily on Facebook and other social media pages. How effective is social media as an advertising and marketing tool given the situation we’re in now?

KS: Extremely, they should definitely be active in social media, Facebook and Instagram in particular.

SN: Some of our members are retooling on the fly to help produce various medical supplies like ventilators, masks and face shields to help fight the pandemic. Could this sort of “product diversification” be something that we should think about integrating into our business model going forward?

TS: Again, this could be a “crossing the chasm” moment, but it’s a major pivot in terms of resources and capability as a longer-term strategy. On the other hand, if there’s a compatibility with your manufacturing capacity and human capacity and you realize it’s a good fit, then that’s something that could be a sustainable part of your business.

KS: It seems that we’re going to want to have more manufacturing of these products in the United States going forward. So having that capability, if it can be managed by the organization, is not a bad idea. And you should tell people about it right now through social media, on your website, with emails to your customers.

SN: Fast forward until we see that business is returning to normal. I’m working on recovering my business, or the local shop in my neighborhood went out of business, and I want to start up a new shop in place of it. What lessons from today should I take to be best prepared for unexpected events in the future?

TS: We would encourage particularly small businesses, with limited resources, to think of “concentric circles.” Who are your closest stakeholders, who are the people that are going to be supporting you? Maybe buy them gift cards or reward them by making them part of your “first wave” of reopening. If you’ve done things like setting up a really good customer-relationship management program during the leaner times, in times when you have more capacity you can broaden that messaging to your next wave of prior customers.

KS: You cannot move forward today without sophisticated online marketing. I think sometimes smaller companies think that it’s too hard or it’s not necessary. But only a Facebook page is no longer good enough for business. You have to have a website. There are types of website building software that are pretty easy to use. If you have a store, Shopify is an e-commerce site that lets you do it all yourself. People now are going to buy in a multi-modal way, and some people will want to walk into a store. Some people will want delivery. Some people are going to want to do the whole thing online and never talk to anybody. So you’ve got to be ready for all of that.

Sources:

Based in Indianapolis, Dr. Kim Saxton and Dr. Todd Saxton are professors at the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University and co-authors of The Titanic Effect: Successfully Navigating the Uncertainties That Sink Most Startups. They can be reached through their website, www.titaniceffect.com. 

By Douglas McColloch

Due to COVID-19, retailers are adjusting to variation in consumer foot traffic, developing new ways to maintain their customer relationships, and marketing to take advantage of growing consumer interest in online purchasing.

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus has forced many companies to alter and adjust their existing business models. Brick-and-mortar retailers are adjusting to a reduction in consumer foot traffic, companies are developing new ways to maintain their customer relationships, and marketing and advertising strategies are being refocused to take advantage of a growing consumer interest in online purchasing.

We spoke about these subjects with Dr. Kim Saxton and Dr. Todd Saxton, professors at the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University, who offer practical advice for businesses to best anticipate and adapt to shifts and uncertainties in the marketplace. The following are excerpts from our interview, edited for clarity and length.

SEMA News: Among our member companies, point-of-sale retail transactions account for about two-thirds of total sales. For companies that are going to be impacted by reduced foot traffic, what are some policies and procedures they can put in place right now to help get them through the next six months?

Kim Saxton: Essentially, as business becomes more online, the key is to test more customer data. Now is a great time to go through your sales records, particularly if you have downtime, and identify who this group of really loyal customers are. Try and look at their shopping history and ask, what kinds of things do they buy? How can I reach out to them if they can’t come to the store? We don’t know how long this [COVID-19 outbreak] is going to go on, but people are starting to want entertainment. Is there a way that you could help them pursue their passion while they’re stuck at home?

Todd Saxton: We’re seeing a lot of businesses going through what we call “crossing the chasm” as it applies to their business model. Now is a time that, by necessity, these kinds of traditional patterns and shopping habits are changing and moving from being just a minority of the market to being the mainstream way that business gets done. And unfortunately, this is not likely to be a scenario where the light switch goes on one day and everybody starts walking into retail stores again.

SN: Many of our member companies rely heavily on a customer base with a healthy amount of disposable income. So when consumers begin to pare back spending on their hobbies and focus instead on necessities like food and medicine, what steps can a company take to keep their customers engaged?

KS: There are likely two consumer markets here: Do-it-yourselfers (DIY) and hobbyists. The DIYers are probably more price-driven, and there’s probably not much more you can do for them right now. But at the higher-income end of the hobbyist group, though, now is a great time to reach out because people can’t do anything on the weekends, for example. During the work week, they might be pretty busy, but on the weekends they can’t do anything.
Then you get that middle-income group of hobbyists who don’t have a tremendous amount of disposable income. So what’s the $50, $100, $200 product package that you can offer them instead of a $1,000 package? How can you repackage your product line so it will appeal to them? Another thing to think of is, car dealers aren’t selling because they’re “non-essential” businesses, but car servicing businesses are still open. So if it’s possible, now would be a great time to reach out to those businesses.

SN: How valuable is advertising in this economic climate? Given the likelihood of short-term economic contraction, should some businesses just pull back on marketing and advertising and try to ride out the storm until conditions improve?

KS: If you know who your customers are and you have their home addresses, direct mail in times like this can be successful because it’s inexpensive and you can even print it yourself. Also, for some people, mail used to be a bother, but now it might be one of the few inputs of the day that you have if you’re quarantined.

TS: Advertising-as-usual is not going to be effective. It has to be targeted. People are hungry for feel-good stories about how companies are making changes to better serve their customers during the current crisis. Companies are leveraging that into advertising and reaching out to local media. When you’re doing something to help people, it’s something that we see getting a lot of traction.

SN: A lot of our member companies—particularly the smaller ones—rely heavily on Facebook and other social media pages. How effective is social media as an advertising and marketing tool given the situation we’re in now?

KS: Extremely, they should definitely be active in social media, Facebook and Instagram in particular.

SN: Some of our members are retooling on the fly to help produce various medical supplies like ventilators, masks and face shields to help fight the pandemic. Could this sort of “product diversification” be something that we should think about integrating into our business model going forward?

TS: Again, this could be a “crossing the chasm” moment, but it’s a major pivot in terms of resources and capability as a longer-term strategy. On the other hand, if there’s a compatibility with your manufacturing capacity and human capacity and you realize it’s a good fit, then that’s something that could be a sustainable part of your business.

KS: It seems that we’re going to want to have more manufacturing of these products in the United States going forward. So having that capability, if it can be managed by the organization, is not a bad idea. And you should tell people about it right now through social media, on your website, with emails to your customers.

SN: Fast forward until we see that business is returning to normal. I’m working on recovering my business, or the local shop in my neighborhood went out of business, and I want to start up a new shop in place of it. What lessons from today should I take to be best prepared for unexpected events in the future?

TS: We would encourage particularly small businesses, with limited resources, to think of “concentric circles.” Who are your closest stakeholders, who are the people that are going to be supporting you? Maybe buy them gift cards or reward them by making them part of your “first wave” of reopening. If you’ve done things like setting up a really good customer-relationship management program during the leaner times, in times when you have more capacity you can broaden that messaging to your next wave of prior customers.

KS: You cannot move forward today without sophisticated online marketing. I think sometimes smaller companies think that it’s too hard or it’s not necessary. But only a Facebook page is no longer good enough for business. You have to have a website. There are types of website building software that are pretty easy to use. If you have a store, Shopify is an e-commerce site that lets you do it all yourself. People now are going to buy in a multi-modal way, and some people will want to walk into a store. Some people will want delivery. Some people are going to want to do the whole thing online and never talk to anybody. So you’ve got to be ready for all of that.

Sources:

Based in Indianapolis, Dr. Kim Saxton and Dr. Todd Saxton are professors at the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University and co-authors of The Titanic Effect: Successfully Navigating the Uncertainties That Sink Most Startups. They can be reached through their website, www.titaniceffect.com. 

By Ashley Reyes

Mike Brown

SEMA’s New Jumpstart Business Operations Webinar Series kicks off next week with “Making Sure Your Messaging and Tone Are On-Target,” Tuesday, April 28, and “Learning the Positive Lessons from Disruption,” Thursday, April 30. The half-hour webinars, available to all SEMA members free of charge, are the first of a six-course program created to help SEMA-member companies rise above the challenges resulting from the Coronavirus.

Presented by SEMA Education in partnership with Mike Brown, CEO and founder of The Brainzooming Group, the webinars are available to all SEMA-member companies at no cost.

“As members recover from the disruption that has resulted from the Coronavirus, SEMA is committed to providing tools and resources to accelerate the recovery,” said Zane Clark, SEMA senior director of education. “The feedback we’re getting is that there is a need for information to help succeed and adjust to the new normal. Our webinar series is designed to address the most pressing needs of the industry.”

Preregister now for “Making Sure Your Messaging and Tone Are On-Target,” taking place April 28, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), “Learning the Positive Lessons from Disruption,” taking place April 30, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT).

Participants who preregister and attend a webinar may qualify to win a subscription to Brown’s “Strategy for Success: Strategic Planning Made Simple.” The 11-module e-course includes targeted video lessons, downloaded guides and turn-key exercises, valued at $549. This resource is designed to eliminate trial-and-error and quickly implement an innovative approach to strategy and create effective strategic plans that you can put into action right away.

*One winner per webinar. Winner can only win once. No purchase necessary.

By Ashley Reyes

Mike Brown

SEMA’s New Jumpstart Business Operations Webinar Series kicks off next week with “Making Sure Your Messaging and Tone Are On-Target,” Tuesday, April 28, and “Learning the Positive Lessons from Disruption,” Thursday, April 30. The half-hour webinars, available to all SEMA members free of charge, are the first of a six-course program created to help SEMA-member companies rise above the challenges resulting from the Coronavirus.

Presented by SEMA Education in partnership with Mike Brown, CEO and founder of The Brainzooming Group, the webinars are available to all SEMA-member companies at no cost.

“As members recover from the disruption that has resulted from the Coronavirus, SEMA is committed to providing tools and resources to accelerate the recovery,” said Zane Clark, SEMA senior director of education. “The feedback we’re getting is that there is a need for information to help succeed and adjust to the new normal. Our webinar series is designed to address the most pressing needs of the industry.”

Preregister now for “Making Sure Your Messaging and Tone Are On-Target,” taking place April 28, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), “Learning the Positive Lessons from Disruption,” taking place April 30, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT).

Participants who preregister and attend a webinar may qualify to win a subscription to Brown’s “Strategy for Success: Strategic Planning Made Simple.” The 11-module e-course includes targeted video lessons, downloaded guides and turn-key exercises, valued at $549. This resource is designed to eliminate trial-and-error and quickly implement an innovative approach to strategy and create effective strategic plans that you can put into action right away.

*One winner per webinar. Winner can only win once. No purchase necessary.

By Ashley Reyes

Mike Brown

SEMA’s New Jumpstart Business Operations Webinar Series kicks off next week with “Making Sure Your Messaging and Tone Are On-Target,” Tuesday, April 28, and “Learning the Positive Lessons from Disruption,” Thursday, April 30. The half-hour webinars, available to all SEMA members free of charge, are the first of a six-course program created to help SEMA-member companies rise above the challenges resulting from the Coronavirus.

Presented by SEMA Education in partnership with Mike Brown, CEO and founder of The Brainzooming Group, the webinars are available to all SEMA-member companies at no cost.

“As members recover from the disruption that has resulted from the Coronavirus, SEMA is committed to providing tools and resources to accelerate the recovery,” said Zane Clark, SEMA senior director of education. “The feedback we’re getting is that there is a need for information to help succeed and adjust to the new normal. Our webinar series is designed to address the most pressing needs of the industry.”

Preregister now for “Making Sure Your Messaging and Tone Are On-Target,” taking place April 28, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), “Learning the Positive Lessons from Disruption,” taking place April 30, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT).

Participants who preregister and attend a webinar may qualify to win a subscription to Brown’s “Strategy for Success: Strategic Planning Made Simple.” The 11-module e-course includes targeted video lessons, downloaded guides and turn-key exercises, valued at $549. This resource is designed to eliminate trial-and-error and quickly implement an innovative approach to strategy and create effective strategic plans that you can put into action right away.

*One winner per webinar. Winner can only win once. No purchase necessary.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Truck Hero Inc. to Produce Personal Protective Equipment

Truck Hero Inc. has announced five of the company’s manufacturing facilities have been retooled and are now producing personal protective equipment (PPE). Truck Hero facilities located in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Howe, Indiana; Nashville, Tennessee; Lawrenceville, Georgia; and Yankton, South Dakota, will aid in COVID-19 efforts by producing face masks, face shields, isolation gowns and plastic barriers. This PPE will primarily support frontline healthcare workers in local communities, including Henry Ford Hospital, Lutheran Medical Group, Parkview Medical Group, Northside Hospital Group and FEMA. Truck Hero facility employees and other critical infrastructure workers will also leverage some of the PPE items, such as face masks, for a safe and healthy work environment. Truck Hero and the company’s family of brands are classified as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security in the Critical Manufacturing Sector of Transportation Equipment Manufacturing to support the needs of the sector and beyond. Many of Truck Hero’s existing products support the transportation equipment needs of law enforcement, medical transport, fire safety personnel and many other critical businesses.

Brian Reese

Brian Reese Joins The Retrofit Source as Chief Executive Officer

The Retrofit Source (TRS) has announced that Brian Reese has joined the company as CEO. He succeeds Matt Kossoff, who will become TRS’ chief product officer and remain on the board of directors. Reese is a veteran automotive industry executive and former CEO of Race Winning Brands. He has more than 20 years of experience fueling premium brands with products and serving customers with best-in-class support in the automotive aftermarket.

Cummins Reaches Agreement With 3M to Manufacture High-Efficiency Particulate Filters

Cummins has reached an agreement with 3M to manufacture high-efficiency particulate filters for use in 3M’s Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs)—an important piece of equipment for front-line healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The respirators use a battery-powered blower that sends filtered air into a hood or head top that covers the wearer’s head or face and can provide increased levels of respiratory protection, especially for critical healthcare situations such as aerosol-generating procedures. PAPRs may also be more comfortable to wear for those who need respiratory protection for long periods of time. The partnership has the potential to more than double the current production of filters for 3M’s PAPRs. For the latest information, visit www.cummins.com.

Durasafe Announces Rebranding and Launch of New Website

DuraSafe, a manufacturer of trailering, towing and boating-related locks, unveiled the company’s new look following a complete rebrand and website overhaul. The project marks a new era for the Wisconsin-based organization and will allow consumers to shop for security devices for their boats and trailers and take advantage of DuraSafe’s Keyed-Alike offering. Also included in this rebranding project was an update to the original DuraSafe logo.

GDC Inc. Repurposing Manufacturing Capability to Produce Personal Protection Equipment

Based in Goshen, Indiana, GDC Inc. is a manufacturer specializing in die-cuts, shields, baffles and melt-blown acoustical insulation used by the automotive industry, including GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Tesla. GDC production engineers have recently discovered how to repurpose melt-blown insulation production lines to produce hydrophobic filtration media for surgical masks. This filtration media has the added benefit of being negatively charged to attract microbes and trap them more effectively.

“Our automotive partners reached out for assistance in making surgical masks, and we have been able to provide the filtration media requested by both Ford and GM,” says GDC Director of Sales Andy Kitson. “While the two automotive manufacturers are ramping-up to produce hundreds of thousands of surgical masks, GDC is currently capable of producing enough material for six million masks a day.”

GDC also reached out to local healthcare workers and asked how the company could help meet their specific needs. Within 24 hours, the company created a prototype of a requested face shield.

“Our objective was to meet the needs of local healthcare workers by making an effective, low-cost face shield,” says Kitson, whose company has the current capacity to produce 45,000 such shields a day. “We made a few calls and quickly had an order for 60,000 shields from the State of Indiana. We have responded to the increased demand by securing the additional raw materials necessary to improve our output. We’re now positioned to provide hundreds of thousands of shields to Indiana in the coming months.”

More than 150 GDC employees have been working around the clock, seven days a week, altering production processes to facilitate the manufacture of filtration media and face shields.

VP Hand Sanitizer is available in a variety of container sizes, including 32-oz., 1-gallon, and 5-gallon packaging, as well as 54-gallon drums and 325-gallon totes.

VP Racing Fuels Hand Sanitizer Arms Retailers, Race Tracks and Series for Reopening

VP Racing Fuels Inc. has announced the launch of VP Hand Sanitizer to support the needs of commercial businesses, retailers and race tracks. “In response to the COVID-19 crisis and requests from customers, we’ve expanded our product lines to include a top-quality 80% alcohol antiseptic product,” said Alan Cerwick, VP’s president and CEO. “This step is part of VP’s commitment to helping our customers and channel partners protect their employees and the general public.”

Rules Amendments, Application Extension For Masters of Motors

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials have announced the call to extend the application period for the AMSOIL Masters of Motors Presented by JE Pistons. To ensure engine builders have adequate time to apply and for judges to review all applications thoroughly, the deadline has been extended to May 15. Selected entrants will be announced on May 22. The AMSOIL Masters of Motors Presented by JE Pistons is still scheduled to take place at JE's Mentor, Ohio, facility September 28–October 1. Officials have also amended rules in two of its classes, the ARP Early Iron Class (designed for vintage engine enthusiasts) and the Holley Performance Everyman's LS Class. For more information, and to register, visit the JE Pistons website.

With the help of Avery Dennison, Graffiti Shield is producing face shields for a local California hospital.

Graffiti Shield Inc. Pivots to Protective Face Shields With Help From Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film

Anaheim, California-based Graffiti Shield Inc. had carved out a niche cutting and manufacturing multiple-layer protective film products to help combat the rise in graffiti vandalism. But after years of solid growth since its founding in 2013, the company saw business fall by half within a few weeks after the COVID-19 shutdown. The company was thinking about face shields as one possible new venture when one of its service accounts, a California hospital, called about procuring some film. Desperately short of protective face shields, the hospital had been trying to make its own by cutting film with scissors and trying to affix elastic bands.

“Knowing the production equipment that we had, within a few hours we had designed and were cutting shields, completely changing the way we do business in order to help them,” Graffiti Shield president Mike Schuch said.

That first day, Graffiti Shield produced 1,000 face shields. The next day the hospital placed an order for 5,000. The original design used an elastic strap to hold the transparent polyester shield and foam pad in place. But elastic was impossible to find, so the team incorporated an adjustable strap secured by a Velcro fastener into the shield. To add a printed label to the top of the shield they turned to Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film SW900.

“The main reason we took the project on—besides helping out the hospital—was that we didn’t want to have to furlough any of our people,” CEO Jeff Green said. But as more orders followed that initial purchase, they had to keep bringing on new people to keep up with demand.

“It was about the assembly. We had to teach people who had never worked with adhesive vinyl film before how to apply the label to the polyester shield quickly but correctly so that the end product has a consistent, professional look with no tape line showing,” Green said.

As of mid-April, Graffiti Shield’s production of the face shields was up to 3,500 units a day and the headcount had increased by 10. Green expects the daily volume will hit 5,000 within another week.

FDNY emergency vehicle being serviced with Stertil-Koni Mobile Column Lifts.

Stertil-Koni Provides a “Lift” for FDNY

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stertil-Koni, is supporting FDNY by providing, on short notice, three sets of its wireless Mobile Column Lifts to help speed the repair and servicing of these essential vehicles.

Maxxsonics USA Donates More Than 25K Masks and Gloves for COVID-19 Support

Maxxsonics USA continues to assist the fight against COVID-19 by supporting local hospitals and businesses. Maxxsonics has now donated more than 25,000 masks and gloves across the Midwestern United States, offering assistance and support to those in need toward the battle against COVID-19.

Alden Stiefel, president and CEO of Maxxsonics USA said, “Maxxsonics USA is committed to helping medical staffs, hospitals, first responders and various people any way we possibly can. We are excited to see other companies in the 12-volt industry join the efforts to help those in need.”

Dometic Donates Mask Straps to Local Healthcare Workers

Engineers at Dometic have taken the initiative to create mask straps on 3D printers and donate them to local hospitals, nursing homes and schools. Clayton Meyers, an engineer at Dometic’s Elkhart Verdant office has been able to produce about 300 mask straps so far. A portion of the masks have gone to a local school system, as they have been providing free lunches to students. The rest of the masks are intended for local hospitals and nursing homes. Bill Rimel, an engineer located at one of Dometic’s manufacturing sites in Big Prairie, Ohio, has also been making mask straps, which have also gone to area hospitals and nursing homes.

“We want to do as much as we can to support our healthcare and essential workers during this unprecedented period,” says Scott Nelson, president of Dometic Americas. ”Our engineers have been dedicating their time and talent for producing these mask straps. They have been able to utilize the resources that Dometic has available and provide relief from the current shortage of masks.”

Pep Boys is reopening 11 locations in Puerto Rico.

Pep Boys Reopening 11 Locations in Puerto Rico

Eleven Pep Boys locations in Puerto Rico will reopen on select days, in response to the government order allowing certain essential businesses to resume operations. The stores will begin reopening this week to service essential personnel only. Nine of the 11 locations will offer both automotive parts and service, while two of the locations will offer parts only. The locations listed below will be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

• Pep Boys Aguadilla   
• Pep Boys Caguas
• Pep Boys Campo Rico
• Pep Boys Fajardo
• Pep Boys Ponce
• Pep Boys San German
• Pep Boys San Juan
• Pep Boys S. Bayamon
• Pep Boys Trujillo Alto
• Pep Boys Santurce (Parts Only)
• Pep Boys South Caguas (Parts Only)

Pep Boys remains committed the health and safety customers and employees, and will take the following steps:

• Service appointments must be scheduled in advance at www.PepBoys.com and customers should wait for a confirmation call. Pep Boys will also use its Touchless Drop Off, Extra Mile Care and Cleaning, and Mobile Pay services.
• Curbside drop-off and pickup will be available for all parts orders.
• Only one customer will be allowed inside each location at a time.

All Pep Boys locations will continue to minimize health risks by performing additional cleanings and sanitizations and asking employees and customers to use personal protective equipment and maintain a safe social distance at all times.

Rob Kinnan

ProCharger Welcomes New Marketing Director

Accessible Techonolgies Inc., the parent company of ProCharger and Inovair, has welcomed Rob Kinnan as the company’s new marketing director. Kinnan has nearly 31 years of experience in the automotive publishing world, most recently serving as the editor of Mustang Monthly magazine. He also worked with Motor Trend Group, including a seven-year stint as the editor of Hot Rod magazine. Kinnan was also a founding member of the National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA), serving as editorial director for both Race Pages and Fastest Street Car magazines, among many other event-related positions. He joins ProCharger's team in Mill Valley, California. He will also be involved in expanding ProCharger's presence in the state, mainly testing and racing opportunities at Sonoma Raceway, where the company has space for development vehicles. He will also assist with the company's latest project, a ProCharger system for the supercharged C8 Corvette.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

The Priority Space Allocation for the November SEMA Show will take place May 4–20. During this allocation process, the 2,000-plus companies that have already registered for this year’s event will use their SEMA Show seniority to systematically choose their display location, which will be the center of their planning process for the November event.

While all current exhibitor milestone dates for applications and deposits remain intact, SEMA Show Management announced last month that they have implemented new policy changes to lower the level of uncertainty, ease concerns and allow exhibitors to invest in the Show with confidence. The changes specify that qualified companies are now able to pick their space in May, but have the option to cancel their space at any time prior to September 1, 2020, for a full refund of exhibit-space payments. Should you have any concerns regarding participating in the 2020 SEMA Show, we encourage you to contact your Industry Account Director or the SEMA Show team at 909-396-0289, or email semashow@sema.org.

Companies that are unable to participate in the May space allocation are welcome to join the Show at a future date. The same refund policy of September 1 will also apply.

The Priority Space Allocation has always been a virtual and transparent process, and this year is no different. Starting with the highest levels of seniority and moving year by year through every application, each section of the Show gets systematically filled. A team of industry account directors is tasked to personally contact each exhibiting company and review their best exhibit location options based on their needs and display goals. You can follow the process live as it unfolds and see exactly how the SEMA Show is formed from the ground up.

The 2020 SEMA Show is scheduled for Tuesday–Friday, November 3–6, in Las Vegas. To participate in the Priority Space Selection Process, reserve a booth space by visiting www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

By SEMA Editors

The Priority Space Allocation for the November SEMA Show will take place May 4–20. During this allocation process, the 2,000-plus companies that have already registered for this year’s event will use their SEMA Show seniority to systematically choose their display location, which will be the center of their planning process for the November event.

While all current exhibitor milestone dates for applications and deposits remain intact, SEMA Show Management announced last month that they have implemented new policy changes to lower the level of uncertainty, ease concerns and allow exhibitors to invest in the Show with confidence. The changes specify that qualified companies are now able to pick their space in May, but have the option to cancel their space at any time prior to September 1, 2020, for a full refund of exhibit-space payments. Should you have any concerns regarding participating in the 2020 SEMA Show, we encourage you to contact your Industry Account Director or the SEMA Show team at 909-396-0289, or email semashow@sema.org.

Companies that are unable to participate in the May space allocation are welcome to join the Show at a future date. The same refund policy of September 1 will also apply.

The Priority Space Allocation has always been a virtual and transparent process, and this year is no different. Starting with the highest levels of seniority and moving year by year through every application, each section of the Show gets systematically filled. A team of industry account directors is tasked to personally contact each exhibiting company and review their best exhibit location options based on their needs and display goals. You can follow the process live as it unfolds and see exactly how the SEMA Show is formed from the ground up.

The 2020 SEMA Show is scheduled for Tuesday–Friday, November 3–6, in Las Vegas. To participate in the Priority Space Selection Process, reserve a booth space by visiting www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.