MAVTV will air highlights from the 2014 SEMA Show, starting Thursday, February 5, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. (EST), and repeating at 11:00 p.m. (EST) and Thursday, February 12, at 8:00 p.m. (EST).

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, drawing the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, powersports, and RV markets. The 2014 SEMA Show drew more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers.

MAVTV will air highlights from the 2014 SEMA Show, starting Thursday, February 5, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. (EST), and repeating at 11:00 p.m. (EST) and Thursday, February 12, at 8:00 p.m. (EST).

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, drawing the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, powersports, and RV markets. The 2014 SEMA Show drew more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

TODD LOOKING FORWARD TO FULL SEASON OF RACING: NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel standout J.R. Todd finished his 2014 season by racing in Pomona. He will start the 2015 season back at the historic drag-racing venue in Southern California with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, February 5–8, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. For a driver who jumped into an ideal role with Kalitta Motorsports a year ago and will spend 2015 driving full time for the first time since 2008, that is a big deal. Todd is well aware of that, which has him as excited to start this season as any in his career.

"Competing in all 24 events is something that I have been looking forward to for a very long time now," said Todd, who finished second in Top Fuel in 2014 despite missing the first two events of the season. "There was definitely a period where I wasn't sure if I would ever get a shot at competing full time again. Now that I have the opportunity, I feel like I need to do everything possible to make myself a better driver and prove that I deserve to be out there competing with the best in our sport."

HEAD RACING ANNOUNCES TAYLORMADE SPONSORSHIP FOR CIRCLE K NHRA WINTERNATIONALS: TaylorMade Golf will sponsor the Head Inc. Toyota Funny Car team for the running of the 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona February 5–8. The sponsorship will reinforce the recent introduction of the company’s newest metalwood, the AeroBurner driver.

"We are excited about the opportunity to showcase the TaylorMade AeroBurner on our Toyota Funny Car and can’t think of a better parallel between the AeroBurner product attributes and the sport of NHRA,' said driver Chad Head. "This is a great chance for TaylorMade to introduce AeroBurner to the NHRA fan base both in Pomona and on the ESPN2 broadcast."

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES RETURNS TO ESPN2 IN 2015: The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the NHRA’s Sportsman level racing series, will be featured in 16 one-hour shows on ESPN2HD in 2015. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series coverage from select national events will air on ESPN2HD on a tape-delay basis as part of the NHRA’s relationship with ESPN, in its second decade as the exclusive home of NHRA drag racing. All 16 telecasts will air on Saturday or Sunday. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series has a long-standing tradition of serving as a highly competitive developmental arena for the future stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

He Said, She Said

"We're the defending world champions, and it's a pretty awesome place to be. I guess it really hasn't completely sunk in because some days it'll just cross my mind, and I can't believe it. It's pretty cool. I've never been in that situation before, and we're really excited and honored to carry the No. 1 this year. It'll be a memorable year, and we're going to go to Pomona and give it our all and hopefully carry No. 1 into 2016 also. That's everyone's goal. I haven't gotten unfocused. What we accomplished last year doesn't change anything ever. It's a great accomplishment and really cool, but you can go from hero to zero really quick, week-in and week-out. I learned that a long time ago. We've got our work cut out for us, and we're going to swing for the fences just like we did last year."

—Erica Enders-Stevens on returning to the cockpit for the start of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season. Enders-Stevens is the reigning Pro Stock world champion on the strength of four wins in 2014.

Inside the Numbers

6: Career number of wins Tony Schumacher has at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Two of his wins have come at the season-opening event, and his last came in 2008. Schumacher has 77 career Top Fuel wins and is fourth on the all-time NHRA win list. "My goal is to go out and win as many races as I can every year each and every time. At the end of my career, I'll look back on the wins and I'll appreciate the sacrifice that we all made to get those wins and be proud of those moments," Schumacher said. "Things were different when Bob Glidden raced. It was different. There were different amounts of races per year. So comparing apples to apples is really impossible. People try to do that with ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, too, in Indy wins. It's a difficult thing to relate. Drivers are drivers. Now, back then they drove, worked on cars. It was so different. For me to sit back and try to compare myself to anyone, I'll let you guys do that. That's your job as the media. You can compare. You can make up those things and I'll read them, but I honestly at the end of my career I hope I have 500 wins. Right now I'm just trying to get No. 78, I think."

Did You Know

NHRA BOLSTERS OILDOWN POLICY FOR 2015 MELLO YELLO SERIES SEASON: Recognizing the need to reduce the number of oildowns at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events that cause substantial time delays and negatively affect the entertainment value for fans and TV viewers, the NHRA has increased the monetary fines and points penalties associated with oildowns in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories. Oildown penalties for all other classes will remain the same as they were in 2014. Each Top Fuel and Funny Car team will be fined $1,000 and receive a five-point deduction following its first oildown violation of the season. A second infraction will result in a $2,000 fine and a 10-point deduction. The third violation will bring a $4,000 fine and loss of 15 points.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

TODD LOOKING FORWARD TO FULL SEASON OF RACING: NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel standout J.R. Todd finished his 2014 season by racing in Pomona. He will start the 2015 season back at the historic drag-racing venue in Southern California with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, February 5–8, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. For a driver who jumped into an ideal role with Kalitta Motorsports a year ago and will spend 2015 driving full time for the first time since 2008, that is a big deal. Todd is well aware of that, which has him as excited to start this season as any in his career.

"Competing in all 24 events is something that I have been looking forward to for a very long time now," said Todd, who finished second in Top Fuel in 2014 despite missing the first two events of the season. "There was definitely a period where I wasn't sure if I would ever get a shot at competing full time again. Now that I have the opportunity, I feel like I need to do everything possible to make myself a better driver and prove that I deserve to be out there competing with the best in our sport."

HEAD RACING ANNOUNCES TAYLORMADE SPONSORSHIP FOR CIRCLE K NHRA WINTERNATIONALS: TaylorMade Golf will sponsor the Head Inc. Toyota Funny Car team for the running of the 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona February 5–8. The sponsorship will reinforce the recent introduction of the company’s newest metalwood, the AeroBurner driver.

"We are excited about the opportunity to showcase the TaylorMade AeroBurner on our Toyota Funny Car and can’t think of a better parallel between the AeroBurner product attributes and the sport of NHRA,' said driver Chad Head. "This is a great chance for TaylorMade to introduce AeroBurner to the NHRA fan base both in Pomona and on the ESPN2 broadcast."

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES RETURNS TO ESPN2 IN 2015: The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the NHRA’s Sportsman level racing series, will be featured in 16 one-hour shows on ESPN2HD in 2015. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series coverage from select national events will air on ESPN2HD on a tape-delay basis as part of the NHRA’s relationship with ESPN, in its second decade as the exclusive home of NHRA drag racing. All 16 telecasts will air on Saturday or Sunday. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series has a long-standing tradition of serving as a highly competitive developmental arena for the future stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

He Said, She Said

"We're the defending world champions, and it's a pretty awesome place to be. I guess it really hasn't completely sunk in because some days it'll just cross my mind, and I can't believe it. It's pretty cool. I've never been in that situation before, and we're really excited and honored to carry the No. 1 this year. It'll be a memorable year, and we're going to go to Pomona and give it our all and hopefully carry No. 1 into 2016 also. That's everyone's goal. I haven't gotten unfocused. What we accomplished last year doesn't change anything ever. It's a great accomplishment and really cool, but you can go from hero to zero really quick, week-in and week-out. I learned that a long time ago. We've got our work cut out for us, and we're going to swing for the fences just like we did last year."

—Erica Enders-Stevens on returning to the cockpit for the start of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season. Enders-Stevens is the reigning Pro Stock world champion on the strength of four wins in 2014.

Inside the Numbers

6: Career number of wins Tony Schumacher has at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Two of his wins have come at the season-opening event, and his last came in 2008. Schumacher has 77 career Top Fuel wins and is fourth on the all-time NHRA win list. "My goal is to go out and win as many races as I can every year each and every time. At the end of my career, I'll look back on the wins and I'll appreciate the sacrifice that we all made to get those wins and be proud of those moments," Schumacher said. "Things were different when Bob Glidden raced. It was different. There were different amounts of races per year. So comparing apples to apples is really impossible. People try to do that with ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, too, in Indy wins. It's a difficult thing to relate. Drivers are drivers. Now, back then they drove, worked on cars. It was so different. For me to sit back and try to compare myself to anyone, I'll let you guys do that. That's your job as the media. You can compare. You can make up those things and I'll read them, but I honestly at the end of my career I hope I have 500 wins. Right now I'm just trying to get No. 78, I think."

Did You Know

NHRA BOLSTERS OILDOWN POLICY FOR 2015 MELLO YELLO SERIES SEASON: Recognizing the need to reduce the number of oildowns at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events that cause substantial time delays and negatively affect the entertainment value for fans and TV viewers, the NHRA has increased the monetary fines and points penalties associated with oildowns in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories. Oildown penalties for all other classes will remain the same as they were in 2014. Each Top Fuel and Funny Car team will be fined $1,000 and receive a five-point deduction following its first oildown violation of the season. A second infraction will result in a $2,000 fine and a 10-point deduction. The third violation will bring a $4,000 fine and loss of 15 points.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

TODD LOOKING FORWARD TO FULL SEASON OF RACING: NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel standout J.R. Todd finished his 2014 season by racing in Pomona. He will start the 2015 season back at the historic drag-racing venue in Southern California with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, February 5–8, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. For a driver who jumped into an ideal role with Kalitta Motorsports a year ago and will spend 2015 driving full time for the first time since 2008, that is a big deal. Todd is well aware of that, which has him as excited to start this season as any in his career.

"Competing in all 24 events is something that I have been looking forward to for a very long time now," said Todd, who finished second in Top Fuel in 2014 despite missing the first two events of the season. "There was definitely a period where I wasn't sure if I would ever get a shot at competing full time again. Now that I have the opportunity, I feel like I need to do everything possible to make myself a better driver and prove that I deserve to be out there competing with the best in our sport."

HEAD RACING ANNOUNCES TAYLORMADE SPONSORSHIP FOR CIRCLE K NHRA WINTERNATIONALS: TaylorMade Golf will sponsor the Head Inc. Toyota Funny Car team for the running of the 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona February 5–8. The sponsorship will reinforce the recent introduction of the company’s newest metalwood, the AeroBurner driver.

"We are excited about the opportunity to showcase the TaylorMade AeroBurner on our Toyota Funny Car and can’t think of a better parallel between the AeroBurner product attributes and the sport of NHRA,' said driver Chad Head. "This is a great chance for TaylorMade to introduce AeroBurner to the NHRA fan base both in Pomona and on the ESPN2 broadcast."

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES RETURNS TO ESPN2 IN 2015: The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the NHRA’s Sportsman level racing series, will be featured in 16 one-hour shows on ESPN2HD in 2015. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series coverage from select national events will air on ESPN2HD on a tape-delay basis as part of the NHRA’s relationship with ESPN, in its second decade as the exclusive home of NHRA drag racing. All 16 telecasts will air on Saturday or Sunday. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series has a long-standing tradition of serving as a highly competitive developmental arena for the future stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

He Said, She Said

"We're the defending world champions, and it's a pretty awesome place to be. I guess it really hasn't completely sunk in because some days it'll just cross my mind, and I can't believe it. It's pretty cool. I've never been in that situation before, and we're really excited and honored to carry the No. 1 this year. It'll be a memorable year, and we're going to go to Pomona and give it our all and hopefully carry No. 1 into 2016 also. That's everyone's goal. I haven't gotten unfocused. What we accomplished last year doesn't change anything ever. It's a great accomplishment and really cool, but you can go from hero to zero really quick, week-in and week-out. I learned that a long time ago. We've got our work cut out for us, and we're going to swing for the fences just like we did last year."

—Erica Enders-Stevens on returning to the cockpit for the start of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season. Enders-Stevens is the reigning Pro Stock world champion on the strength of four wins in 2014.

Inside the Numbers

6: Career number of wins Tony Schumacher has at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Two of his wins have come at the season-opening event, and his last came in 2008. Schumacher has 77 career Top Fuel wins and is fourth on the all-time NHRA win list. "My goal is to go out and win as many races as I can every year each and every time. At the end of my career, I'll look back on the wins and I'll appreciate the sacrifice that we all made to get those wins and be proud of those moments," Schumacher said. "Things were different when Bob Glidden raced. It was different. There were different amounts of races per year. So comparing apples to apples is really impossible. People try to do that with ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, too, in Indy wins. It's a difficult thing to relate. Drivers are drivers. Now, back then they drove, worked on cars. It was so different. For me to sit back and try to compare myself to anyone, I'll let you guys do that. That's your job as the media. You can compare. You can make up those things and I'll read them, but I honestly at the end of my career I hope I have 500 wins. Right now I'm just trying to get No. 78, I think."

Did You Know

NHRA BOLSTERS OILDOWN POLICY FOR 2015 MELLO YELLO SERIES SEASON: Recognizing the need to reduce the number of oildowns at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events that cause substantial time delays and negatively affect the entertainment value for fans and TV viewers, the NHRA has increased the monetary fines and points penalties associated with oildowns in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories. Oildown penalties for all other classes will remain the same as they were in 2014. Each Top Fuel and Funny Car team will be fined $1,000 and receive a five-point deduction following its first oildown violation of the season. A second infraction will result in a $2,000 fine and a 10-point deduction. The third violation will bring a $4,000 fine and loss of 15 points.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

DIESEL Motorsports and Champion Blue Flame Announce 2015 National Drag and Pull Racing Schedule

Champion Blue Flame Motor Oil, a major product sponsor of DIESEL Motorsports and the National Association of Diesel Motorsports (NADM), announced last week its 2015 national event schedule for diesel drag racing and sled-pulling competition. DIESEL Motorsports, formerly known as the National Association of Diesel Motorsports, was established in 2007 and is the only sanctioning body for diesels that promotes all diesel motorsports associations, clubs and events. DIESEL Motorsports holds a number of diesel events around the country while also building a membership that offers benefits for business members as well as fans with diesel drag racing, sled pulling and dyno competitions. For a full calendar of events, visit the DIESEL Motorsports website.

	The 21st Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout features the original turbocharged 200+ mph Street Outlaws and all-Ford drag racing on the quarter-mile.

All-Ford Motorsport Event Takes Over Bradenton Motorsports Park March 5–8

Thousands of Ford fans will celebrate spring break at the 21st Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout, presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords in Bradenton, Florida, March 5–8. The four-day event features the original turbocharged 200+ mph Street Outlaws, all-Ford drag racing on the quarter-mile and an all-Ford car show on Saturday and Sunday.

Event Sponsors Announced for the 2015 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet

The Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum in Ocala, Florida, has announced the return of four corporate supporters as sponsors of the Silver Anniversary International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, which will be held in Gainesville, Florida, at the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites, March 12, 2015. Bob Frey will again serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Donna Garlits, general manager/CFO of the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum revealed Lucas Oil Products Inc. will return as the banquet’s presenting sponsor, and the event will be known as the Silver Anniversary International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet presented by Lucas Oil Products.

Additionally, Summit Racing Equipment; MOPAR; Chrysler Group LLC service, parts and customer-care group; and Clean Acres Properties LLC—all long-term sponsors—have returned as associate sponsors. Summit Racing will present commemorative rings, with Clean Acres Properties presenting trophies for each inductee. MOPAR will again provide commemorative glasses of the Silver Anniversary banquet to each attendee.

The corporate tables for 10 people are priced at $1,000 per table. Individual seating tickets are available at $100 each. Corporate table sponsors receive table signage, program recognition and other benefits. The banquet is preceded by a cocktail reception, which starts at 6:00 p.m. (EDT). The banquet dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m. and the awards ceremony begins at 8:00 p.m. The event will be filmed for later broadcast by Masters Entertainment of Bristol, Tennessee.

New SCORE Journal Digital Magazine Debuts for 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship

SCORE Journal, the monthly online digital magazine of SCORE International and the five-race SCORE World Desert Championship, made its official debut on the SCORE website and will also be available through social media channels and other outlets. The new digital magazine is a major part of the media expansion plans SCORE is implementing for 2015, which includes its national and international television packages, four new online video series, each with 26 episodes and a new consumer-based SCORE website. The SCORE Journal will publish (11 monthly online digital magazines, which will include five print editions. The inaugural issue of SCORE Journal includes a 2014 season review with special features on Rob MacCachren winning last November’s SCORE Baja 1000, Gus Vildosola Sr.—the 2014 SCORE Person of the Year—along with 2014 champion features on Robby Bell, Steven Eugenio and Marc Burnett.

All races in the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship series, along with the special SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience and qualifying for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will once again be aired in the United States and Canada on the CBS Sports Network.

NMCAWEST.com is New Home for VP Racing Fuels Street Car Nationals Drag Racing Series

The NMCA WEST VP Racing Fuels Street Car Nationals has announced that its all-new website, www.NMCAwest.com, is now fully operational and ready to use. NMCA WEST racers and fans can visit www.NMCAwest.com for both participant and spectator information and the latest technical articles, racer stories, event results and more. Love to drag race or autocross? Hit the “DRAG RACER/AUTO-X” button on the title bar to find the rules and learn how you can race with NMCA WEST.

	MAVTV has added a total of 58 new affiliates.

MAVTV Announces Record Growth for 2014

MAVTV continues to expand its availability across the United States. In 2014, the network added a total of 58 new affiliates, including Armstrong, Google Fiber and Mid-Rivers Communications, plus 55 new National Cable Television Coop members. Already in 2015, MAVTV has added Northeast Rural Services and VOIPTV. With programming such as the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl, drag boat racing, off-road racing, late-model dirt, modified, Pro Motocross, the FIA World Rally Championship and Pirelli World Challenge, MAVTV is currently available on Dish Network, DirecTV, Verizon FiOS, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter and many others.

Aeromotive Inc. Named “Official Fuel Systems” Sponsor of IHRA, Presenting Sponsor of the Amsoil Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars and IHRA Northern Nationals

Aeromotive Inc. has signed an extensive marketing agreement with the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) that includes being named the presenting sponsor of the IHRA Nitro Jam Northern Nationals, August 7–8, 2015, in Martin, Michigan. The IHRA Nitro Jam Northern Nationals presented by Aeromotive will include a full line-up of professional and sportsman classes, including Crower Pro Modified.

In addition, Aeromotive becomes the “Official Fuel Systems” of the IHRA, along with a category entitlement package that includes becoming the presenting sponsor of the ultra-competitive Amsoil Funny Car class. A special “Racers Program” will also be created, which will reward $200 to one professional class and one sportsman class at each 2015 Nitro Jam National event. The classes that will be rewarded will change at each event.

The IHRA opens the 2015 Nitro Jam Series, February 6–7, with the Good Vibrations Southwestern Nationals in Tucson, Arizona. The Aeromotive Racer Program at the Southwestern Nationals will reward the Amsoil Funny Car class presented by Aeromotive and the Good Vibrations Top Sportsman category.

SEMA News—February 2015

SEMA DATA CO-OP
By Jon Wyly

Enhance Your Speed to Market With the SDC and SEMASearch.com

Speed to market for new products has been the bane of our industry since its beginning, and it’s an all too familiar story. Hard-earned money is spent on product research and development, WDs stock the shelves and then things just seem to slow down, often leaving new products laying on the shelves for weeks or months waiting to be “discovered.” Even in today’s digital age, we just can’t seem to get everything in sync to provide a seamless path of information from product inception to the warehouse shelves to the reseller and consumer… until now.

About 18 months ago, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) launched its online Product Information Management System, a data-management interface that equips a manufacturer to load product data into the system directly, automatically validates that data to industry standards and then publishes it to the data repository for immediate distribution. New product data can literally be created and placed in the hands of resellers within a few minutes. Now, with the upcoming launch of SEMASearch.com, retailers and buyers can view product detail at the SKU level, searchable through all manner of criteria, including year-make-model, description, attribute, category, product type and more.

Designed to provide retail and WD salespeople with a one-stop look at nearly 400 brands of products, SEMASearch also bridges the gap between the manufacturer and the reseller in the same way that the SDC data-management system does. How? SEMASearch is connected directly to the SDC data repository, making all of that information instantly viewable by retail sales people, WD phone rooms and purchasing agents.

Need a quick, comprehensive reference source in order to make a stocking decision? SEMASearch provides not only the expected images, descriptions and marketing information but also includes content, such as weights and measures, package information, UPC codes and more. Buyers can easily make a stocking decision and load a new product with this information, making on-the-fly additions of hot, new products a breeze.

Imagine, too, the value of being able to make corrections to a product record and know that the information will be delivered immediately across the industry. We have all been plagued at one time or another with a bad product description or data point that just continues to recycle and simply won’t go away. By managing data centrally in the SDC—and with the system capability of immediate delivery—problems in data detail are flushed out quickly and permanently with just one entry.

So that leaves just one burning question: Are you managing your product data in the SEMA Data Co-op and taking advantage of the free SEMASearch tool? If you are, let’s talk about how we can help you make your data even more complete so that you stand out in the crowd. If you aren’t, what are you waiting for? The latest stats from Google say that a whopping 77% of automotive parts and accessory consumers use the Internet first to research products to buy. There is no more time to think about it—let’s get started!

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact SEMA Data Co-op Director of Membership Jim Graven at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or 888-958-6698 x4.

SEMA News—February 2015

SEMA DATA CO-OP
By Jon Wyly

Enhance Your Speed to Market With the SDC and SEMASearch.com

Speed to market for new products has been the bane of our industry since its beginning, and it’s an all too familiar story. Hard-earned money is spent on product research and development, WDs stock the shelves and then things just seem to slow down, often leaving new products laying on the shelves for weeks or months waiting to be “discovered.” Even in today’s digital age, we just can’t seem to get everything in sync to provide a seamless path of information from product inception to the warehouse shelves to the reseller and consumer… until now.

About 18 months ago, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) launched its online Product Information Management System, a data-management interface that equips a manufacturer to load product data into the system directly, automatically validates that data to industry standards and then publishes it to the data repository for immediate distribution. New product data can literally be created and placed in the hands of resellers within a few minutes. Now, with the upcoming launch of SEMASearch.com, retailers and buyers can view product detail at the SKU level, searchable through all manner of criteria, including year-make-model, description, attribute, category, product type and more.

Designed to provide retail and WD salespeople with a one-stop look at nearly 400 brands of products, SEMASearch also bridges the gap between the manufacturer and the reseller in the same way that the SDC data-management system does. How? SEMASearch is connected directly to the SDC data repository, making all of that information instantly viewable by retail sales people, WD phone rooms and purchasing agents.

Need a quick, comprehensive reference source in order to make a stocking decision? SEMASearch provides not only the expected images, descriptions and marketing information but also includes content, such as weights and measures, package information, UPC codes and more. Buyers can easily make a stocking decision and load a new product with this information, making on-the-fly additions of hot, new products a breeze.

Imagine, too, the value of being able to make corrections to a product record and know that the information will be delivered immediately across the industry. We have all been plagued at one time or another with a bad product description or data point that just continues to recycle and simply won’t go away. By managing data centrally in the SDC—and with the system capability of immediate delivery—problems in data detail are flushed out quickly and permanently with just one entry.

So that leaves just one burning question: Are you managing your product data in the SEMA Data Co-op and taking advantage of the free SEMASearch tool? If you are, let’s talk about how we can help you make your data even more complete so that you stand out in the crowd. If you aren’t, what are you waiting for? The latest stats from Google say that a whopping 77% of automotive parts and accessory consumers use the Internet first to research products to buy. There is no more time to think about it—let’s get started!

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact SEMA Data Co-op Director of Membership Jim Graven at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or 888-958-6698 x4.

SEMA News—February 2015

SEMA DATA CO-OP
By Jon Wyly

Enhance Your Speed to Market With the SDC and SEMASearch.com

Speed to market for new products has been the bane of our industry since its beginning, and it’s an all too familiar story. Hard-earned money is spent on product research and development, WDs stock the shelves and then things just seem to slow down, often leaving new products laying on the shelves for weeks or months waiting to be “discovered.” Even in today’s digital age, we just can’t seem to get everything in sync to provide a seamless path of information from product inception to the warehouse shelves to the reseller and consumer… until now.

About 18 months ago, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) launched its online Product Information Management System, a data-management interface that equips a manufacturer to load product data into the system directly, automatically validates that data to industry standards and then publishes it to the data repository for immediate distribution. New product data can literally be created and placed in the hands of resellers within a few minutes. Now, with the upcoming launch of SEMASearch.com, retailers and buyers can view product detail at the SKU level, searchable through all manner of criteria, including year-make-model, description, attribute, category, product type and more.

Designed to provide retail and WD salespeople with a one-stop look at nearly 400 brands of products, SEMASearch also bridges the gap between the manufacturer and the reseller in the same way that the SDC data-management system does. How? SEMASearch is connected directly to the SDC data repository, making all of that information instantly viewable by retail sales people, WD phone rooms and purchasing agents.

Need a quick, comprehensive reference source in order to make a stocking decision? SEMASearch provides not only the expected images, descriptions and marketing information but also includes content, such as weights and measures, package information, UPC codes and more. Buyers can easily make a stocking decision and load a new product with this information, making on-the-fly additions of hot, new products a breeze.

Imagine, too, the value of being able to make corrections to a product record and know that the information will be delivered immediately across the industry. We have all been plagued at one time or another with a bad product description or data point that just continues to recycle and simply won’t go away. By managing data centrally in the SDC—and with the system capability of immediate delivery—problems in data detail are flushed out quickly and permanently with just one entry.

So that leaves just one burning question: Are you managing your product data in the SEMA Data Co-op and taking advantage of the free SEMASearch tool? If you are, let’s talk about how we can help you make your data even more complete so that you stand out in the crowd. If you aren’t, what are you waiting for? The latest stats from Google say that a whopping 77% of automotive parts and accessory consumers use the Internet first to research products to buy. There is no more time to think about it—let’s get started!

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact SEMA Data Co-op Director of Membership Jim Graven at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or 888-958-6698 x4.

SEMA News—February 2015

SEMA DATA CO-OP
By Jon Wyly

Enhance Your Speed to Market With the SDC and SEMASearch.com

Speed to market for new products has been the bane of our industry since its beginning, and it’s an all too familiar story. Hard-earned money is spent on product research and development, WDs stock the shelves and then things just seem to slow down, often leaving new products laying on the shelves for weeks or months waiting to be “discovered.” Even in today’s digital age, we just can’t seem to get everything in sync to provide a seamless path of information from product inception to the warehouse shelves to the reseller and consumer… until now.

About 18 months ago, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) launched its online Product Information Management System, a data-management interface that equips a manufacturer to load product data into the system directly, automatically validates that data to industry standards and then publishes it to the data repository for immediate distribution. New product data can literally be created and placed in the hands of resellers within a few minutes. Now, with the upcoming launch of SEMASearch.com, retailers and buyers can view product detail at the SKU level, searchable through all manner of criteria, including year-make-model, description, attribute, category, product type and more.

Designed to provide retail and WD salespeople with a one-stop look at nearly 400 brands of products, SEMASearch also bridges the gap between the manufacturer and the reseller in the same way that the SDC data-management system does. How? SEMASearch is connected directly to the SDC data repository, making all of that information instantly viewable by retail sales people, WD phone rooms and purchasing agents.

Need a quick, comprehensive reference source in order to make a stocking decision? SEMASearch provides not only the expected images, descriptions and marketing information but also includes content, such as weights and measures, package information, UPC codes and more. Buyers can easily make a stocking decision and load a new product with this information, making on-the-fly additions of hot, new products a breeze.

Imagine, too, the value of being able to make corrections to a product record and know that the information will be delivered immediately across the industry. We have all been plagued at one time or another with a bad product description or data point that just continues to recycle and simply won’t go away. By managing data centrally in the SDC—and with the system capability of immediate delivery—problems in data detail are flushed out quickly and permanently with just one entry.

So that leaves just one burning question: Are you managing your product data in the SEMA Data Co-op and taking advantage of the free SEMASearch tool? If you are, let’s talk about how we can help you make your data even more complete so that you stand out in the crowd. If you aren’t, what are you waiting for? The latest stats from Google say that a whopping 77% of automotive parts and accessory consumers use the Internet first to research products to buy. There is no more time to think about it—let’s get started!

To learn more about how you can take control of your product data and manage it at the lowest possible cost, contact SEMA Data Co-op Director of Membership Jim Graven at jimg@SEMAdatacoop.org or 888-958-6698 x4.