By Carr Winn

When he was a young man racing his own cars, Ed Iskenderian—or as he was later nicknamed, “Camfather”—had trouble buying racing-grind camshafts. He didn’t like to wait for them. So, he said to himself, “I can make those….” And that was the start of Iskenderian Racing Cams, popularly known as “Isky Cams,” one of the largest specialty cam grinders in America. Here’s the Camfather talking about when he first fell in love with hot rodding.

Isky Cams developed the first high-density, chilled-iron lifters for Top Fuel dragsters, and was also responsible for the first anti-cam-walk kit for Chevy V8s and the first offset cam keys and bushings for adjusting cam timing. Iskenderian was part of the small group that created SEMA, and was its first president. Additionally, he is a member of Chevrolet’s Legends of Performance.

To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame, visit www.semahof.com.

By Carr Winn

When he was a young man racing his own cars, Ed Iskenderian—or as he was later nicknamed, “Camfather”—had trouble buying racing-grind camshafts. He didn’t like to wait for them. So, he said to himself, “I can make those….” And that was the start of Iskenderian Racing Cams, popularly known as “Isky Cams,” one of the largest specialty cam grinders in America. Here’s the Camfather talking about when he first fell in love with hot rodding.

Isky Cams developed the first high-density, chilled-iron lifters for Top Fuel dragsters, and was also responsible for the first anti-cam-walk kit for Chevy V8s and the first offset cam keys and bushings for adjusting cam timing. Iskenderian was part of the small group that created SEMA, and was its first president. Additionally, he is a member of Chevrolet’s Legends of Performance.

To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame, visit www.semahof.com.

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.

District Sales Manager
EZ STAK is hiring a district sales manager responsible for signing and developing new cargo trailer dealers and light truck accessory retailers using EZ STAK products in their assigned territory (Midwest). This position will also provide field support to all territory customers, with a focus on sales growth. This includes development of existing and new accounts with support from the entire EZ STAK team. Travel is required.

Data Entry/Purchasing Clerk
Currie Enterprises is hiring a data-entry specialist/purcashing clerk who is Microsoft proficient in both Word and Excel. Duties include creating purchase orders, drafting emails and phone follow-up with vendors. One year of purchasing experience is preferred.

Marketing Associate
AMS Performance is hiring a marketing associate to be the point person in identifying, creating and delivering relevant content to current and future customers for a diverse range of automotive applications. This includes developing and executing marketing strategies specifically tailored to each platform and product launched, managing paid and unpaid campaigns (social media, email, etc.), coordinating campaigns with the sales team’s efforts to ensure success and building and curating product webpages and event coverage. Candidates should have at least five years’ experience within the automotive aftermarket.

By SEMA Editors

Following are dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.

• Webinar: COVID-19 Impact on Small Businesses, April 8, 2020
• Webinar: Understanding How to Apply for Small Business Administration Loans, April 9, 2020
• YEN General Membership Call, April 15, 2020
• YEN Live Chat with Joe Opperman, April 17, 2020
• WTC Ambassador (WTCA) Call, May 6, 2020
• YEN Live Chat with TJ Hunt, May 6, 2020
• 2020 Collector Car Appreciation Day, July 10, 2020
• 2020 SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, June 24–25, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
• SEMA Nordic Business Development Conference, August 29–September 2, 2020, Stockholm, Sweden
• 2020 SEMA Show, November 3–6, 2020, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
• PRI Trade Show, December 10–12, 2020, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis

For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstore.com) at Travel Store USA, 949-930-9268.

SEMA Editors

SEMA eNews highlights SEMA-member companies’ websites weekly through the Hot Links to Cool Sites section. SEMA members: To be included in Hot Links to Cool Sites, email your company name and website to enews@sema.org. Note: Make sure to include “Hot Links” in the subject line of the email.

• Action Clutch
• Black Horse Off Road
• CIPA USA
• Cometic Gasket
• Du-Ha
• FST Performance
• High Lifter Products Inc.
• Innovate Motorsports
• Metro Moulded Parts
• Nolathane

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Join SEMA for a webinar on Wednesday, April 8, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT), to review new federal leave mandates, expanded unemployment benefits, and understand key labor and employment laws you may need to think about in navigating the current business environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel will include Daniel Ingber, SEMA’s Vice President of Government & Legal Affairs, and Leslie Stout-Tabackman, a principal in the D.C. region office of the national employment and labor law firm, Jackson Lewis P.C.

Register now!

The webinar is open to all SEMA members, free of charge. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions for joining.

Background: As COVID-19 continues to unfold at a rapid pace, employers must address the ever-evolving situation as it relates to their workforce and their business. In this webinar we will discuss unemployment benefits in The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES); new paid sick leave and expanded federal Family and Medical Leave Act in the Families First Corona Virus Response Act (FFCRA), including coverage of smaller employers; and wage and hour and other laws implicated in employer decisions to furlough, reduce hours or reduce pay for employees.

Immediate questions? Contact Daniel Ingber at danieli@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Join SEMA for a webinar on Wednesday, April 8, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT), to review new federal leave mandates, expanded unemployment benefits, and understand key labor and employment laws you may need to think about in navigating the current business environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel will include Daniel Ingber, SEMA’s Vice President of Government & Legal Affairs, and Leslie Stout-Tabackman, a principal in the D.C. region office of the national employment and labor law firm, Jackson Lewis P.C.

Register now!

The webinar is open to all SEMA members, free of charge. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions for joining.

Background: As COVID-19 continues to unfold at a rapid pace, employers must address the ever-evolving situation as it relates to their workforce and their business. In this webinar we will discuss unemployment benefits in The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES); new paid sick leave and expanded federal Family and Medical Leave Act in the Families First Corona Virus Response Act (FFCRA), including coverage of smaller employers; and wage and hour and other laws implicated in employer decisions to furlough, reduce hours or reduce pay for employees.

Immediate questions? Contact Daniel Ingber at danieli@sema.org.

SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities in the Classifieds page of SEMA.org.

By Fredy Ramirez

SEMA Garage is proud to announce that it will assist Stratasys (www.stratasys.com) by providing 3D-printed visors, which will attach to face shields and assist those who are working in healthcare facilities.

SEMA Garage will be assisting Stratasys by providing 3D printed visors, which will attach to face shields and assist those who are working in healthcare facilities.

“We may not have large-quantity output capabilities, but we’re glad to assist in any way possible and be a part of this initiative. Collectively, we can make a difference,” said SEMA Garage Engineer Luis Morales who is leading the project.

SEMA Garage will use both 3D printers in its facility to help as much as possible. The garage hopes to produce about 280 visors within the next week. 

“Throughout the year, our association is dedicated to serving its members, many who are affected by this situation,” said Morales. “We are glad to use our tools and equipment to benefit the initiative of producing 3D-printed face shields to assist medical facilities in stabilizing this pandemic. It’s a different way to continue to serve our members, as well as the overall community.”

By helping Stratasys with its production, the SEMA Garage is doing its part to fight this pandemic and encourages those who can, to do so as well.

Stratasys has designed and publicly shared the CAD model of their visor in hopes that manufacturers and service providers worldwide respond to the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, they delivered 5,000 face shields to critical need areas.

“The need is dire, but we are getting the kind of commitments from our coalition partners that will make a real difference and help buy time to scale up the manufacturing of shields and other essential supplies.” said Stratasys Healthcare Segment Leader Scott Drikakis, who is directing the company’s COVID-19 response in the Americas. The movement has helped over 30 health systems, covering hospitals, clinics, academic medical centers and nursing homes.

Since the initial delivery, they have received requests for over 350,000 face shields. During that time, over 150 organizations have joined them in producing shields. “I have never seen collaboration across our industry the way I’ve been seeing it over the last couple weeks,” said Drikakis. The coalition is aiming to supplement another 11,000 face shields by next week and 16,000 the following week as more organizations continue to help.

Additional suppliers are encouraged to join and be a part of this initiative. Information on how to help can be found through this link: (go.stratasys.com/lp-face-shield.html). If you have the capability to provide 3D-printed visors, protective shields, or if you are in need of any of those items, please register through this link: (go.stratasys.com/lp-stratasys-helps.html).