SEMA News—January 2014

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

One-Size-Fits-All Websites

Not Always a Genius Move

The problem: these “responsive websites,” as they’re known—or sites that auto-sense a device’s screen size, and then respond by reconfiguring text and graphics to fit that screen size—often render on desktop PCs with ridiculously large text and other over-blown features that are tedious to wade through.

The impetus behind the approach makes sense. Web designers using responsive design take great pains to ensure that anything that appears on traditional-size website will look good on the smallest of screens—even a smartphone.

Says Rupinder Dhariwal, co-founder, Creative Cranes, a web design firm: “We are heavily pushing responsive websites to our new clients and updating a lot of existing sites to include this functionality.”

Adds Steven Fabre, a designer with Digital Garden, another web design firm: “I truly believe responsive web design is the only way to go to build future-friendly websites that will always work on any device.”

Plus, by sticking with one website for all the various screen sizes, businesses can generally save on web design costs—as compared to attempting to maintain one site for desktops and laptops, a second for tablets and a third for smartphones.

“Updates are also easier to apply to versions for all screen resolutions, since there is no need to work on multiple website versions,” says Michael Dobkowski, president, Glacial Multimedia, a web design firm.

And a single website generally translates into higher rankings on the search engines, given that all the traffic to your business goes to one location on the web. Split up your presence with three websites—traditional, tablet and mobile—and search engines such as Google will split the traffic ratings to your presence on the web three ways.

Also, some big guns in the tech industry—including Google—are “all in” when it comes to responsive web design. “Many website marketing firms had provided a minimalist mobile website in addition to a site designed to be viewed on a desktop,” prior to the rise of responsive design, says Dan Goldstein, president, Page 1 Solutions, a web design firm. “While Google had originally stated that this was a good option, more recently, Google has made clear that responsive is better.”

But generally speaking, the problem dealing with the “tyranny of the tiny”—or ensuring that every website design looks good on the smallest of smartphones—is that responsive sites often render as ridiculous monstrosities on desktops and laptops, and are often difficult to use on bigger screens.

“I have been to many websites by big companies and they have not adopted for responsive design,” says Sean B. Jamshidi, owner, DesignFacet, who has been designing websites for decades and has little love for responsive web design. “There must be a reason why.”

In addition to poster-sized headlines, you’ll often find that responsive websites make generous use of wide swaths of blank space—space that you must scroll through with repeated spins on your mouse when using a desktop PC—but often looks just fine on a smartphone.

Plus, responsive websites that need to feature a great deal of text—including product descriptions, company backgrounders, customer testimonials and the like, also often look more like train wrecks than anything else on a desktop.

One glaring example: on a desktop PC, the text on a responsive web often runs the full length of a 23-in. screen, so it will shrink down nice-and-tidy when viewed on a smartphone screen. For the mobile user, that’s convenient, since the responsive website reconfigures text margins to fit a palm sized screen. But for the desktop user, trying to read a sentence 23 in. long is not nearly as much fun—unless you’re a giraffe.

Says Russel Uresti, a web developer with Schoology, a learning management system, who is an avid advocate of responsive design: “Often, so much emphasis is made about mobile devices and making the site look good on a phone or tablet that designers will overlook extremely large monitors and fail to design for them. Which is, again, more of a failure of implementation than with the methodology.”

Incredibly, the scores of designers championing responsive web design are either unaware of the unacceptable usability they’re creating for desktop and laptop users—or they’re silently willing to sacrifice desktop and laptop usability all in the name of the iPhone and related trendables.

“It kinda becomes a fanatical point of view that they keep about their work,” says Design Facet’s Jamshidi. “They design more for themselves than for the client.

When challenged by desktop and laptop users regarding usability, champions of responsive web design often insist that with the frenzied proliferation of smartphones and tablets, mobile is the de facto standard, and that the days of desktops and laptops are numbered. Any rational designer, they insist, most proceed with a “mobile first” strategy.

Unfortunately, the statistics tell a starkly different story. In an April 2012 study conducted by Comscore, which has been chronicling the web’s evolution for many years, 91.8% of all devices connected to the web were PCs. Only 5.2% of that traffic was from smartphones surfing the web. As for tablets: a paltry 2.5% of that category of device was actually accessing the web during the study period.

Granted, there have been millions of smartphones and tablets shipped since April 2012. But even so, Deloitte, the market research firm, predicts that for 2013, more than 80% of all web surfing will still be done on desktop and laptop PCs, according to Jolyon Barker, managing director of global technology, media and telecommunications at Deloitte.

Put another way: Sure, there are plenty of people on smartphones tagging the net for a minute or so while waiting in line for their latte at Starbucks. But any serious and substantial use of the web will continue to be overwhelmingly done on desktops and laptops.

Bottom line: The next time a web designer shows up at your office promising to build you a state-of-the-art, responsive website that will deliver a consistent and optimized user experience across the wide variety of devices and platforms that web surfers use, make sure you read the fine print.

Fortunately, if you’re reading it on a responsive website, it’ll be the size of a wooly mammoth.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.
Voice: 646-233-4089
E-mail: joe@joedysart.com
Web: www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—January 2014

FROM THE HILL
By Dan Sadowski

Hoosier State Happenings

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski Visits Truck Accessories Group (TAG)

More than 90 newly elected officials came to Washington last year to serve in the United States Congress. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) arrived with a keen understanding of how important the automotive specialty-equipment industry is to her home state of Indiana. Before her election, SEMA met several times with Walorski to reinforce the connection between Indiana’s racing heritage and SEMA’s legislative priorities. Having represented a region known for its automotive and recreational vehicle manufacturing in the Indiana state legislature for five years, she was already a strong advocate for SEMA-member companies and knowledgeable about the issues facing the specialty aftermarket industry.

Shortly after Congress convened, she became a member of the SEMA-supported Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, a bipartisan member organization that pays tribute to the industry. Rep. Walorski and her staff then continued to build a working relationship with SEMA’s government affairs team. As a result, Rep. Walorski welcomed the opportunity to visit Truck Accessories Group (TAG) in Elkhart, a major manufacturing hotbed in her district.

TAG, the parent company of Leer Midwest, produces truck caps, tonneau covers, retractable truck bed covers and aluminum and plastic automotive components. TAG offers automotive solutions from design and engineering to mold making, fabrication, assembly, painting and shipping. As a part of TAG, Leer benefits from extensive engineering, design and mold-making resources and is headquartered in Elkhart. It offers its products through hundreds of independent distributors located in every U.S. state and most Canadian provinces.

SEMA News: You served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2005–2010. How does serving in the U.S. Congress differ from serving in the state legislature?

Rep. Jackie Walorski: My experience in the Indiana State Legislature was incredibly valuable. During orientation week in Congress, I had a much better grasp of legislative procedures and was then able to focus more on getting to know my new colleagues and working on bills. One difference is that we certainly do not spend as much time on the floor of the capitol in Washington, which is a change from the state legislature. In Congress, members tend to pack a lot into a tight schedule, creating less time for debate.

SN: What are your legislative goals for the 113th Congress?

JW: I will continue to focus on working across the aisle with my colleagues to find solutions to create more jobs and strengthen the American economy. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I was proud to support the House plan for balancing the budget in 10 years without raising taxes. I will continue to work on meaningful reforms to incentivize manufacturing, reign in overreaching regulations and create a pro-growth business environment to encourage hiring and expansion.

SN: You recently visited SEMA member Truck Accessories Group in your Indiana district. How do these meetings with local businesses help you serve your constituents? How do the visits benefit the business owner and employees?

JW: The district site visit was very valuable. It provided an opportunity to sit down with SEMA members to hear important updates from the industry and listen to their concerns. The tour of TAG’s production facility also helped me learn more about how products are manufactured in my home community. These visits in my district are critical to maintaining an open dialogue with constituents in order to best represent their needs in Congress. I recently held roundtable discussions with chamber of commerce groups around my entire Congressional district and look forward to hearing more from the business community to ensure Congress is taking steps to cut red tape and keep taxes low. After a similar tour or visit, I encourage business owners to contact my office at any time for information on programs or how I can help their businesses grow.

SN: You serve on the Armed Services and Budget Committees. How does the work of these committees and legislation you have sponsored impact the SEMA membership?

JW: One of our objectives on the Armed Services Committee is to support a strong military and ensure readiness for our troops. This includes providing members of the armed forces with reliable equipment and suitable training facilities. Recently, the committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the military in 2014. A proposal from Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) was included in the larger bill to ensure the future of safe, responsible off-road recreation at Johnson Valley in California. Representatives from SEMA worked with my staff to ensure that we understood what was happening at Johnson Valley and to ensure a reasonable compromise was reached.

SN: Before we conclude, we just have to know: What is your dream car?

JW: The Corvette. As Indiana has a strong racing heritage, my family and I love cars and support the industry. I will continue to work to ensure the automotive aftermarket maintains a strong presence here in the Hoosier state.

The Congressional District Site Visit Program provides the best “home-field advantage” for SEMA members interested in developing relationships with their local lawmakers. For more information or to begin scheduling a site visit, contact SEMA Director of Congressional Affairs Dan Sadowski at dans@sema.org.

SEMA PAC President’s Club Spotlight: Dave Bowman

“It is very important that our legislators both at the state and national level be able to make informed decisions that impact all aspects of the automotive aftermarket,” Bowman said.

“Since the majority of our industry is made up of small-business enterprises, it is critical that we have a voice in Congress to represent our interests to ensure continued growth of our industry. The SEMA Washington, D.C., staff is vital to protecting our interests. That is why I am a SEMA PAC President’s Club Member.”

For more information on SEMA PAC, contact SEMA PAC Manager Christian Robinson by phone at 202-783-6007 x20 or by e-mail at christianr@sema.org.

SEMA News—January 2014

FROM THE HILL
By Dan Sadowski

Hoosier State Happenings

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski Visits Truck Accessories Group (TAG)

More than 90 newly elected officials came to Washington last year to serve in the United States Congress. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) arrived with a keen understanding of how important the automotive specialty-equipment industry is to her home state of Indiana. Before her election, SEMA met several times with Walorski to reinforce the connection between Indiana’s racing heritage and SEMA’s legislative priorities. Having represented a region known for its automotive and recreational vehicle manufacturing in the Indiana state legislature for five years, she was already a strong advocate for SEMA-member companies and knowledgeable about the issues facing the specialty aftermarket industry.

Shortly after Congress convened, she became a member of the SEMA-supported Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, a bipartisan member organization that pays tribute to the industry. Rep. Walorski and her staff then continued to build a working relationship with SEMA’s government affairs team. As a result, Rep. Walorski welcomed the opportunity to visit Truck Accessories Group (TAG) in Elkhart, a major manufacturing hotbed in her district.

TAG, the parent company of Leer Midwest, produces truck caps, tonneau covers, retractable truck bed covers and aluminum and plastic automotive components. TAG offers automotive solutions from design and engineering to mold making, fabrication, assembly, painting and shipping. As a part of TAG, Leer benefits from extensive engineering, design and mold-making resources and is headquartered in Elkhart. It offers its products through hundreds of independent distributors located in every U.S. state and most Canadian provinces.

SEMA News: You served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2005–2010. How does serving in the U.S. Congress differ from serving in the state legislature?

Rep. Jackie Walorski: My experience in the Indiana State Legislature was incredibly valuable. During orientation week in Congress, I had a much better grasp of legislative procedures and was then able to focus more on getting to know my new colleagues and working on bills. One difference is that we certainly do not spend as much time on the floor of the capitol in Washington, which is a change from the state legislature. In Congress, members tend to pack a lot into a tight schedule, creating less time for debate.

SN: What are your legislative goals for the 113th Congress?

JW: I will continue to focus on working across the aisle with my colleagues to find solutions to create more jobs and strengthen the American economy. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I was proud to support the House plan for balancing the budget in 10 years without raising taxes. I will continue to work on meaningful reforms to incentivize manufacturing, reign in overreaching regulations and create a pro-growth business environment to encourage hiring and expansion.

SN: You recently visited SEMA member Truck Accessories Group in your Indiana district. How do these meetings with local businesses help you serve your constituents? How do the visits benefit the business owner and employees?

JW: The district site visit was very valuable. It provided an opportunity to sit down with SEMA members to hear important updates from the industry and listen to their concerns. The tour of TAG’s production facility also helped me learn more about how products are manufactured in my home community. These visits in my district are critical to maintaining an open dialogue with constituents in order to best represent their needs in Congress. I recently held roundtable discussions with chamber of commerce groups around my entire Congressional district and look forward to hearing more from the business community to ensure Congress is taking steps to cut red tape and keep taxes low. After a similar tour or visit, I encourage business owners to contact my office at any time for information on programs or how I can help their businesses grow.

SN: You serve on the Armed Services and Budget Committees. How does the work of these committees and legislation you have sponsored impact the SEMA membership?

JW: One of our objectives on the Armed Services Committee is to support a strong military and ensure readiness for our troops. This includes providing members of the armed forces with reliable equipment and suitable training facilities. Recently, the committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the military in 2014. A proposal from Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) was included in the larger bill to ensure the future of safe, responsible off-road recreation at Johnson Valley in California. Representatives from SEMA worked with my staff to ensure that we understood what was happening at Johnson Valley and to ensure a reasonable compromise was reached.

SN: Before we conclude, we just have to know: What is your dream car?

JW: The Corvette. As Indiana has a strong racing heritage, my family and I love cars and support the industry. I will continue to work to ensure the automotive aftermarket maintains a strong presence here in the Hoosier state.

The Congressional District Site Visit Program provides the best “home-field advantage” for SEMA members interested in developing relationships with their local lawmakers. For more information or to begin scheduling a site visit, contact SEMA Director of Congressional Affairs Dan Sadowski at dans@sema.org.

SEMA PAC President’s Club Spotlight: Dave Bowman

“It is very important that our legislators both at the state and national level be able to make informed decisions that impact all aspects of the automotive aftermarket,” Bowman said.

“Since the majority of our industry is made up of small-business enterprises, it is critical that we have a voice in Congress to represent our interests to ensure continued growth of our industry. The SEMA Washington, D.C., staff is vital to protecting our interests. That is why I am a SEMA PAC President’s Club Member.”

For more information on SEMA PAC, contact SEMA PAC Manager Christian Robinson by phone at 202-783-6007 x20 or by e-mail at christianr@sema.org.

SEMA News—January 2014

FROM THE HILL
By Dan Sadowski

Hoosier State Happenings

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski Visits Truck Accessories Group (TAG)

More than 90 newly elected officials came to Washington last year to serve in the United States Congress. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) arrived with a keen understanding of how important the automotive specialty-equipment industry is to her home state of Indiana. Before her election, SEMA met several times with Walorski to reinforce the connection between Indiana’s racing heritage and SEMA’s legislative priorities. Having represented a region known for its automotive and recreational vehicle manufacturing in the Indiana state legislature for five years, she was already a strong advocate for SEMA-member companies and knowledgeable about the issues facing the specialty aftermarket industry.

Shortly after Congress convened, she became a member of the SEMA-supported Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, a bipartisan member organization that pays tribute to the industry. Rep. Walorski and her staff then continued to build a working relationship with SEMA’s government affairs team. As a result, Rep. Walorski welcomed the opportunity to visit Truck Accessories Group (TAG) in Elkhart, a major manufacturing hotbed in her district.

TAG, the parent company of Leer Midwest, produces truck caps, tonneau covers, retractable truck bed covers and aluminum and plastic automotive components. TAG offers automotive solutions from design and engineering to mold making, fabrication, assembly, painting and shipping. As a part of TAG, Leer benefits from extensive engineering, design and mold-making resources and is headquartered in Elkhart. It offers its products through hundreds of independent distributors located in every U.S. state and most Canadian provinces.

SEMA News: You served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2005–2010. How does serving in the U.S. Congress differ from serving in the state legislature?

Rep. Jackie Walorski: My experience in the Indiana State Legislature was incredibly valuable. During orientation week in Congress, I had a much better grasp of legislative procedures and was then able to focus more on getting to know my new colleagues and working on bills. One difference is that we certainly do not spend as much time on the floor of the capitol in Washington, which is a change from the state legislature. In Congress, members tend to pack a lot into a tight schedule, creating less time for debate.

SN: What are your legislative goals for the 113th Congress?

JW: I will continue to focus on working across the aisle with my colleagues to find solutions to create more jobs and strengthen the American economy. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I was proud to support the House plan for balancing the budget in 10 years without raising taxes. I will continue to work on meaningful reforms to incentivize manufacturing, reign in overreaching regulations and create a pro-growth business environment to encourage hiring and expansion.

SN: You recently visited SEMA member Truck Accessories Group in your Indiana district. How do these meetings with local businesses help you serve your constituents? How do the visits benefit the business owner and employees?

JW: The district site visit was very valuable. It provided an opportunity to sit down with SEMA members to hear important updates from the industry and listen to their concerns. The tour of TAG’s production facility also helped me learn more about how products are manufactured in my home community. These visits in my district are critical to maintaining an open dialogue with constituents in order to best represent their needs in Congress. I recently held roundtable discussions with chamber of commerce groups around my entire Congressional district and look forward to hearing more from the business community to ensure Congress is taking steps to cut red tape and keep taxes low. After a similar tour or visit, I encourage business owners to contact my office at any time for information on programs or how I can help their businesses grow.

SN: You serve on the Armed Services and Budget Committees. How does the work of these committees and legislation you have sponsored impact the SEMA membership?

JW: One of our objectives on the Armed Services Committee is to support a strong military and ensure readiness for our troops. This includes providing members of the armed forces with reliable equipment and suitable training facilities. Recently, the committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the military in 2014. A proposal from Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) was included in the larger bill to ensure the future of safe, responsible off-road recreation at Johnson Valley in California. Representatives from SEMA worked with my staff to ensure that we understood what was happening at Johnson Valley and to ensure a reasonable compromise was reached.

SN: Before we conclude, we just have to know: What is your dream car?

JW: The Corvette. As Indiana has a strong racing heritage, my family and I love cars and support the industry. I will continue to work to ensure the automotive aftermarket maintains a strong presence here in the Hoosier state.

The Congressional District Site Visit Program provides the best “home-field advantage” for SEMA members interested in developing relationships with their local lawmakers. For more information or to begin scheduling a site visit, contact SEMA Director of Congressional Affairs Dan Sadowski at dans@sema.org.

SEMA PAC President’s Club Spotlight: Dave Bowman

“It is very important that our legislators both at the state and national level be able to make informed decisions that impact all aspects of the automotive aftermarket,” Bowman said.

“Since the majority of our industry is made up of small-business enterprises, it is critical that we have a voice in Congress to represent our interests to ensure continued growth of our industry. The SEMA Washington, D.C., staff is vital to protecting our interests. That is why I am a SEMA PAC President’s Club Member.”

For more information on SEMA PAC, contact SEMA PAC Manager Christian Robinson by phone at 202-783-6007 x20 or by e-mail at christianr@sema.org.

SEMA News—January 2014

FROM THE HILL
By Dan Sadowski

Hoosier State Happenings

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski Visits Truck Accessories Group (TAG)

More than 90 newly elected officials came to Washington last year to serve in the United States Congress. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) arrived with a keen understanding of how important the automotive specialty-equipment industry is to her home state of Indiana. Before her election, SEMA met several times with Walorski to reinforce the connection between Indiana’s racing heritage and SEMA’s legislative priorities. Having represented a region known for its automotive and recreational vehicle manufacturing in the Indiana state legislature for five years, she was already a strong advocate for SEMA-member companies and knowledgeable about the issues facing the specialty aftermarket industry.

Shortly after Congress convened, she became a member of the SEMA-supported Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, a bipartisan member organization that pays tribute to the industry. Rep. Walorski and her staff then continued to build a working relationship with SEMA’s government affairs team. As a result, Rep. Walorski welcomed the opportunity to visit Truck Accessories Group (TAG) in Elkhart, a major manufacturing hotbed in her district.

TAG, the parent company of Leer Midwest, produces truck caps, tonneau covers, retractable truck bed covers and aluminum and plastic automotive components. TAG offers automotive solutions from design and engineering to mold making, fabrication, assembly, painting and shipping. As a part of TAG, Leer benefits from extensive engineering, design and mold-making resources and is headquartered in Elkhart. It offers its products through hundreds of independent distributors located in every U.S. state and most Canadian provinces.

SEMA News: You served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2005–2010. How does serving in the U.S. Congress differ from serving in the state legislature?

Rep. Jackie Walorski: My experience in the Indiana State Legislature was incredibly valuable. During orientation week in Congress, I had a much better grasp of legislative procedures and was then able to focus more on getting to know my new colleagues and working on bills. One difference is that we certainly do not spend as much time on the floor of the capitol in Washington, which is a change from the state legislature. In Congress, members tend to pack a lot into a tight schedule, creating less time for debate.

SN: What are your legislative goals for the 113th Congress?

JW: I will continue to focus on working across the aisle with my colleagues to find solutions to create more jobs and strengthen the American economy. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I was proud to support the House plan for balancing the budget in 10 years without raising taxes. I will continue to work on meaningful reforms to incentivize manufacturing, reign in overreaching regulations and create a pro-growth business environment to encourage hiring and expansion.

SN: You recently visited SEMA member Truck Accessories Group in your Indiana district. How do these meetings with local businesses help you serve your constituents? How do the visits benefit the business owner and employees?

JW: The district site visit was very valuable. It provided an opportunity to sit down with SEMA members to hear important updates from the industry and listen to their concerns. The tour of TAG’s production facility also helped me learn more about how products are manufactured in my home community. These visits in my district are critical to maintaining an open dialogue with constituents in order to best represent their needs in Congress. I recently held roundtable discussions with chamber of commerce groups around my entire Congressional district and look forward to hearing more from the business community to ensure Congress is taking steps to cut red tape and keep taxes low. After a similar tour or visit, I encourage business owners to contact my office at any time for information on programs or how I can help their businesses grow.

SN: You serve on the Armed Services and Budget Committees. How does the work of these committees and legislation you have sponsored impact the SEMA membership?

JW: One of our objectives on the Armed Services Committee is to support a strong military and ensure readiness for our troops. This includes providing members of the armed forces with reliable equipment and suitable training facilities. Recently, the committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the military in 2014. A proposal from Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) was included in the larger bill to ensure the future of safe, responsible off-road recreation at Johnson Valley in California. Representatives from SEMA worked with my staff to ensure that we understood what was happening at Johnson Valley and to ensure a reasonable compromise was reached.

SN: Before we conclude, we just have to know: What is your dream car?

JW: The Corvette. As Indiana has a strong racing heritage, my family and I love cars and support the industry. I will continue to work to ensure the automotive aftermarket maintains a strong presence here in the Hoosier state.

The Congressional District Site Visit Program provides the best “home-field advantage” for SEMA members interested in developing relationships with their local lawmakers. For more information or to begin scheduling a site visit, contact SEMA Director of Congressional Affairs Dan Sadowski at dans@sema.org.

SEMA PAC President’s Club Spotlight: Dave Bowman

“It is very important that our legislators both at the state and national level be able to make informed decisions that impact all aspects of the automotive aftermarket,” Bowman said.

“Since the majority of our industry is made up of small-business enterprises, it is critical that we have a voice in Congress to represent our interests to ensure continued growth of our industry. The SEMA Washington, D.C., staff is vital to protecting our interests. That is why I am a SEMA PAC President’s Club Member.”

For more information on SEMA PAC, contact SEMA PAC Manager Christian Robinson by phone at 202-783-6007 x20 or by e-mail at christianr@sema.org.

SEMA News—January 2014

FROM THE HILL
By Dan Sadowski

Hoosier State Happenings

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski Visits Truck Accessories Group (TAG)

More than 90 newly elected officials came to Washington last year to serve in the United States Congress. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) arrived with a keen understanding of how important the automotive specialty-equipment industry is to her home state of Indiana. Before her election, SEMA met several times with Walorski to reinforce the connection between Indiana’s racing heritage and SEMA’s legislative priorities. Having represented a region known for its automotive and recreational vehicle manufacturing in the Indiana state legislature for five years, she was already a strong advocate for SEMA-member companies and knowledgeable about the issues facing the specialty aftermarket industry.

Shortly after Congress convened, she became a member of the SEMA-supported Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, a bipartisan member organization that pays tribute to the industry. Rep. Walorski and her staff then continued to build a working relationship with SEMA’s government affairs team. As a result, Rep. Walorski welcomed the opportunity to visit Truck Accessories Group (TAG) in Elkhart, a major manufacturing hotbed in her district.

TAG, the parent company of Leer Midwest, produces truck caps, tonneau covers, retractable truck bed covers and aluminum and plastic automotive components. TAG offers automotive solutions from design and engineering to mold making, fabrication, assembly, painting and shipping. As a part of TAG, Leer benefits from extensive engineering, design and mold-making resources and is headquartered in Elkhart. It offers its products through hundreds of independent distributors located in every U.S. state and most Canadian provinces.

SEMA News: You served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2005–2010. How does serving in the U.S. Congress differ from serving in the state legislature?

Rep. Jackie Walorski: My experience in the Indiana State Legislature was incredibly valuable. During orientation week in Congress, I had a much better grasp of legislative procedures and was then able to focus more on getting to know my new colleagues and working on bills. One difference is that we certainly do not spend as much time on the floor of the capitol in Washington, which is a change from the state legislature. In Congress, members tend to pack a lot into a tight schedule, creating less time for debate.

SN: What are your legislative goals for the 113th Congress?

JW: I will continue to focus on working across the aisle with my colleagues to find solutions to create more jobs and strengthen the American economy. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I was proud to support the House plan for balancing the budget in 10 years without raising taxes. I will continue to work on meaningful reforms to incentivize manufacturing, reign in overreaching regulations and create a pro-growth business environment to encourage hiring and expansion.

SN: You recently visited SEMA member Truck Accessories Group in your Indiana district. How do these meetings with local businesses help you serve your constituents? How do the visits benefit the business owner and employees?

JW: The district site visit was very valuable. It provided an opportunity to sit down with SEMA members to hear important updates from the industry and listen to their concerns. The tour of TAG’s production facility also helped me learn more about how products are manufactured in my home community. These visits in my district are critical to maintaining an open dialogue with constituents in order to best represent their needs in Congress. I recently held roundtable discussions with chamber of commerce groups around my entire Congressional district and look forward to hearing more from the business community to ensure Congress is taking steps to cut red tape and keep taxes low. After a similar tour or visit, I encourage business owners to contact my office at any time for information on programs or how I can help their businesses grow.

SN: You serve on the Armed Services and Budget Committees. How does the work of these committees and legislation you have sponsored impact the SEMA membership?

JW: One of our objectives on the Armed Services Committee is to support a strong military and ensure readiness for our troops. This includes providing members of the armed forces with reliable equipment and suitable training facilities. Recently, the committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the military in 2014. A proposal from Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) was included in the larger bill to ensure the future of safe, responsible off-road recreation at Johnson Valley in California. Representatives from SEMA worked with my staff to ensure that we understood what was happening at Johnson Valley and to ensure a reasonable compromise was reached.

SN: Before we conclude, we just have to know: What is your dream car?

JW: The Corvette. As Indiana has a strong racing heritage, my family and I love cars and support the industry. I will continue to work to ensure the automotive aftermarket maintains a strong presence here in the Hoosier state.

The Congressional District Site Visit Program provides the best “home-field advantage” for SEMA members interested in developing relationships with their local lawmakers. For more information or to begin scheduling a site visit, contact SEMA Director of Congressional Affairs Dan Sadowski at dans@sema.org.

SEMA PAC President’s Club Spotlight: Dave Bowman

“It is very important that our legislators both at the state and national level be able to make informed decisions that impact all aspects of the automotive aftermarket,” Bowman said.

“Since the majority of our industry is made up of small-business enterprises, it is critical that we have a voice in Congress to represent our interests to ensure continued growth of our industry. The SEMA Washington, D.C., staff is vital to protecting our interests. That is why I am a SEMA PAC President’s Club Member.”

For more information on SEMA PAC, contact SEMA PAC Manager Christian Robinson by phone at 202-783-6007 x20 or by e-mail at christianr@sema.org.

SEMA News—January 2014

REQUIRED READING

The 2013 SEMA Show: It’s a Wrap!

The SEMA Show is now a wrap. The 2013 Show featured nearly 2,400 exhibitors and covered more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

The benefits to Show exhibitors included access to more than 60,000 buyers and the chance to work with manufacturers, such as Ford, Scion and Hyundai, on project vehicles that showcased their products as they were intended to be used.

One other key benefit for exhibitors was the opportunity to promote their products to the press. Media attended this year’s SEMA Show from more than 130 countries around the world. The SEMA Show’s exhibitors afforded them unprecedented access, as demonstrated by the articles listed below.

SEMA News—January 2014

REQUIRED READING

The 2013 SEMA Show: It’s a Wrap!

The SEMA Show is now a wrap. The 2013 Show featured nearly 2,400 exhibitors and covered more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

The benefits to Show exhibitors included access to more than 60,000 buyers and the chance to work with manufacturers, such as Ford, Scion and Hyundai, on project vehicles that showcased their products as they were intended to be used.

One other key benefit for exhibitors was the opportunity to promote their products to the press. Media attended this year’s SEMA Show from more than 130 countries around the world. The SEMA Show’s exhibitors afforded them unprecedented access, as demonstrated by the articles listed below.

SEMA News—January 2014

REQUIRED READING

The 2013 SEMA Show: It’s a Wrap!

The SEMA Show is now a wrap. The 2013 Show featured nearly 2,400 exhibitors and covered more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

The benefits to Show exhibitors included access to more than 60,000 buyers and the chance to work with manufacturers, such as Ford, Scion and Hyundai, on project vehicles that showcased their products as they were intended to be used.

One other key benefit for exhibitors was the opportunity to promote their products to the press. Media attended this year’s SEMA Show from more than 130 countries around the world. The SEMA Show’s exhibitors afforded them unprecedented access, as demonstrated by the articles listed below.

SEMA News—January 2014

REQUIRED READING

The 2013 SEMA Show: It’s a Wrap!

The SEMA Show is now a wrap. The 2013 Show featured nearly 2,400 exhibitors and covered more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

The benefits to Show exhibitors included access to more than 60,000 buyers and the chance to work with manufacturers, such as Ford, Scion and Hyundai, on project vehicles that showcased their products as they were intended to be used.

One other key benefit for exhibitors was the opportunity to promote their products to the press. Media attended this year’s SEMA Show from more than 130 countries around the world. The SEMA Show’s exhibitors afforded them unprecedented access, as demonstrated by the articles listed below.