SEMA News—December 2012 

BUSINESS
By Mike Imlay

Need a Store Makeover?

These Design and Fixture Suppliers Can Help

	When it comes to shelving, displays and merchandising, color coordination plays an essential role in establishing your retail brand and making your store memorable for customers. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like many retailers, you may have been tightening your belt against a sluggish economy for the last few years while striving to improve your social media and Internet marketing. But in doing so, have you neglected your aftermarket business’s most important asset? Look around you. How does your retail space stack up against the competition, especially the chain auto parts or big-box superstore down the street?

Yes, even in this day and age, bricks and mortar still matter. In fact, according to retail experts, a timely reinvestment in your shop’s displays, fixtures and overall environment could actually give you the critical edge you need in the current economic climate.

“We’re seeing little bits and pieces of light at the end of the tunnel, and now we know it’s not another train,” said Brion Coyne, president of Aftermarket Advantage Inc., a full-service retail design consultancy and store fixture supplier for the specialty-equipment industry. “I think we’ve all been knocked around and over the last four years. Now that we can see that things are starting to come back, people are loosening up on the death grips they have on their money. The guy who decides to clean up his store a little bit, add some new lighting, maybe get a new service desk and add some graphics and paint, will be the one getting their recurring business.”

Nowadays, with consumers doing so much of their shopping via the Internet and smartphones, Coyne said that a retailer needs to pull them into his store through effective marketing and advertising and then retain them with an attractive shopping environment filled with neatly arranged products and samples that they can see, touch and experience, along with appropriate information or brochures.

In other words, said Coyne, “What’s going to keep customers in the store is effective merchandizing and store fixtures. If you don’t have the sizzle, you don’t have the steak, particularly with the younger people. Tangible, physical displays are what make a brick-and-mortar store successful.”

A store design consultant since 1998, Coyne has assisted in the makeover of countless aftermarket outlets of every size.

“We’ve done some pretty spectacular showrooms,” he said. “What we try to do is convince the independent jobber or specialty store operator that showrooms are just as important as what goes on in the back room.”

Still, the bulk of Aftermarket Advantage’s business is the sales of fixtures and furnishings designed to meet any retailer’s budget. Coyne said that such items are all too often among the last things that a new retailer will consider.

“Unfortunately, after everything else is purchased, then I get the frantic, last-minute call from store owners looking for something to put their merchandise on,” he observed.

Recently, though, Coyne has seen a spate of established store owners investing in remodels. For those watching their wallets, he recommended concentrating on perimeter walling, lighting, signage and graphics. Metallic walling that’s reflective combined with inexpensive track lighting can help eliminate dark spots and highlight key products and displays. Well-placed video screens offering marketing-related content are further additions that can engage customers. For shop owners who want more, Aftermarket Advantage also offers every sort of store fixture imaginable, from merchandizing displays to sales counters.

Retail Branding

	Freestanding mobile merchandizers like these from Aftermarket Advantage provide flexibility in arranging and rearranging floor space, keeping it fresh. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Steven DiOrio, marketing manager for Handy Store Fixtures, agreed that now is a good time for business owners to reevaluate their store design and consider a makeover.

“We know it’s expensive to buy new fixtures, but customers don’t want to go into a store that’s old looking or outdated,” explained DiOrio. “In their mindset, they might feel the products are old and outdated. Looking over the course of a year, the price of fixtures is a very important investment for a lot of retailers.”

Established in 1952, Handy Store Fixtures remains a leading family-based manufacturer of store fixtures with several subsidiaries nationwide.

“We’ve worked with a lot of automotive stores over the last 50 years and manufacture a lot of shelving items just for the industry,” said DiOrio. “What we try to explain to people is that every single store—especially a small, independent store or smaller chain store—can customize its fixtures, play around with color and really brand itself so that when someone walks in, they know they’re in a specific retail outlet. This advice has made a difference to a lot of our customers.”

Handy Store Fixtures makes and sells all of the characteristic gondola shelving, end caps and wall units that typical automotive aftermarket retailers normally need, plus specialty products, such as displays for oil products, batteries and tires. The company also offers customized service and checkout counters.

“We have sales reps who have been doing this for more than 30 years and know what the customer needs,” said DiOrio. “They don’t like to steer customers in the wrong direction, and our customers appreciate that. We save them money.”

He added that a common error among retailers is ordering more shelving than they actually require.

“A lot of automotive parts are peg-able,” he pointed out. “It costs much less to buy, say, 200 peg hooks than three extra shelves.”

DiOrio also suggested that customers mix and match shelving and furnishings to make a distinctive impact in their showrooms. For example, black shelving stands out nicely against white pegboard, and different color schemes offer a practical way to distinguish different sectors of a shop.

“You can play around at no extra cost, and it really makes a difference,” he noted.

New Versus Used

	Effective use of point-of-purchase (POP) displays is a challenge for many retailers. A tidy, organized arrangement of interactive POP featuring product samples is the ideal. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

If new store furnishings seem cost prohibitive, a retailer might find quality used fixtures a viable alternative, said Kaytlyn Smith, store manager for Store Fixture Supercenter. Based in Flint, Michigan, the company offers a plethora of store essentials for new and established businesses, including shelving, flat wall, grid wall, counters, display cases, hangers, clothing racks, LED signs and pricing guns. While offering new products, however, Store Fixture Supercenter specializes in used and refurbished items, much of which comes from store liquidations.

“We’ve got basically anything,” Smith said. “If a store closes down, they’ll contact us, and we’ll sell a lot of their stuff onsite. Whatever we don’t sell, we bring back to our store.”

Smith said that her company’s offerings can be customized to a purchaser’s specifications for color and design. In fact, Store Fixture Supercenter goes a step further than many suppliers of used retail fixtures and furnishings by sprucing up its acquisitions and repairing any significant flaws.

“We’ll also repaint fixtures according to a customer’s request,” said Smith. “If they want a certain color and we don’t have it, we go ahead and professionally repaint in whatever color they want.”

Smith noted that used products can actually slice fixture costs in half.

“Obviously, new is going to be a little bit better quality because there won’t be any type of damage coming straight from the manufacturer as you order it,” she said. “However, the used fixtures aren’t junk. They do look nice, and they’re definitely a lot more cost effective. We are selective when it comes to buying fixtures. If it’s dented and all scratched up and something we can’t do anything with, we won’t take it. We try to get the best quality we can for our customers.”

According to Smith, gondola shelving is among the company’s best sellers to automotive retailers because of its ability to hold heavy items. Regardless, customers can specify any types of used fixtures they want. Normally, Store Fixture Supercenter will have the items in its inventory. If it doesn’t, it will go out and find them for the purchaser. Fulfillment can take anywhere from two days to two weeks, depending upon the order.

When investigating liquidated and used fixtures, Smith recommended that retailers search for brand names, just as they would if buying new. Also, it’s important to research a dealer’s reputation. Unfortunately, some used furnishing suppliers are known to throw together orders in which fixtures are severely damaged, hastily assembled or otherwise mismatched in color or quality.

A Distinctive Look

	For retailers seeking a performance flair in their furnishings, Intro-Tech Automotive offers its unique, racing-inspired PitStop line of desks, office and receiver chairs and related items.

Experts in store design agree that a retail outlet’s look and feel should be an exercise in branding. Retailers in search of an especially distinctive atmosphere might consider specialty furnishings, such as those offered by Intro-Tech Automotive. Three years ago, the SEMA-member company launched its unique PitStop line of furniture designed to bring a performance flair to automotive aftermarket dealerships and offices.

“The first item was a racing-inspired office chair with a tire-embossed armrest, a real billet-aluminum shift knob on the side, ABS coil-over springs, a caliper kit with a rotor, and five-spoke wheels on the bottom of the chair,” said Jons Van Dooren, Intro-Tech Automotive vice president of marketing and sales. “We really gave it a lot of accents for the automotive enthusiast.”

Introduced at the 2009 SEMA Show, the chair was so well received that the company has added new items to the line each year since.

“From the chair, we designed a glass-top office desk with a spoiler inbox, a 50-in. power strut bar, real shocks on the legs, lockable five-spoke wheels and braided hoses incorporating steel rods to generate lateral control,” said Van Dooren, adding that receiver chairs are also now available. He further noted that all of the furnishings are designed as much for strength and durability as appearance. Where most chairs sold by office superchains are rated for 260 to 280 lbs. of weight, Intro-Tech’s PitStop line of chairs has a capacity in excess of 300 lbs.

“That puts it in a league by itself,” asserted Van Dooren, who went on to explain that all PitStop furnishings come with a lifetime warranty. “If any part at any given time goes bad, we’ll replace it for free.”

Moreover, the PitStop line is priced competitively against other, more traditional high-end office furnishings. For instance, the Grand Prix desk chair retails for about $465.

		SOURCES Aftermarket Advantage 18762 Wolf Creek Grass Valley, CA 95949 530-274-0134 www.aftermarketadvantage.com Intro-Tech Automotive/ PitStop Furniture 3961 Schaefer Ave. Chino, CA 91710 866-319-8500 www.pitstop.intro-techautomotive.com Handy Store Fixtures 337 Sherman Ave. Newark, NJ 07114 800-631-4280 www.handystorefixtures.com Store Fixture Supercenter 4000 S. Dort Highway Flint, MI 48507 877-280-7304 www.storefixturesupercenter.com Zarwell and Company 4903 Bradford Pl. Rocklin, CA 95765 916-316-0182 sbz_co@pacbell.net

Van Dooren sees the furnishings as easily fitting into any automotive aftermarket retail environment and adding character to service and sales desks as well as customer waiting areas in parts departments:

“About three months ago, we furnished an entire BMW MINI Cooper store in Cincinnati with our PitStop line,” he said. “Every service area, every service writer, every salesman now has a PitStop chair, desk and two of our receiver chairs. We’re doing something similar for several locations, including a client in Florida who’s now thinking of outfitting several of his franchises with our racing-inspired furniture. It’s different than Office Depot or Staples furniture—the PitStop line creates an automotive vibe. All the parts relate to automotive enthusiasm.”

And the line continues to expand. At the SEMA Show, the company introduced tables to coordinate with the receiver chairs. There are plans in the works to add showcase displays as well.

Expert Guidance

While store owners can certainly take the do-it-yourself route to updating their showrooms, those ready to invest in a truly thorough makeover might consider the services provided by an expert retail consultant such as Coyne, who has an extensive background in automotive retailing as a merchandizing specialist, buyer, advertising manager and salesman.

“I got heavily involved working with independent retailers and jobbers,” he recalled. “I recognized the fact that they were truly experts and craftsmen at what they did with vehicles, but they often needed help in putting a showroom together.”

No matter the budget, Aftermarket Advantage will work with retailers to revamp their showroom design for maximum impact on customers.

“You have to make your store a combination of excitement, self service and information,” he said, adding that he helps his clients achieve a clean, enticing environment that invites customers to “do the lap” through their stores. He emphasizes such often-overlooked details as the use of perimeter walling to lead clientele to the back of a store as well as the proper positioning of point-of-purchase displays and shelving and locating sales or service counters at the center or rear of an outlet. He also teaches retailers the ideal way to showcase and build displays for new products, which he said should always be prominently displayed
and promoted.

Based in Rocklin, California, Steve Zarwell heads Zarwell and Company, another retail consultancy firm specializing in powersports and off-roading outlets.

“Essentially, I’m hired to come in and assess a complete store or dealership operation, which encompasses everything from leases to expenses to the appearance of the building inside and out,” Zarwell said. “What does your floor look like? Your service department? Your bathrooms? I look at all the integral parts of what goes on within all four walls of the operation as well as what a retailer is doing outside those four walls to bring in business on a constant basis.”

	Reflective elements, such as these wheels, and metallic perimeter walling can help brighten a retail environment, making it more enticing. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like Coyne, Zarwell also has a broad background in the retail business, having owned several stores himself over the years and consulted for several large chains. However, he said, small retailers shouldn’t be intimidated by his credentials.

“I work with any size business,” he said. “While I’ve worked with the big guys, the bulk of my consulting has always been the mom-and-pop store where the husband and wife are in the front, the son is wrenching in the back and the daughter is the bookkeeper.” He also said that he tailors his rates to individual clients and their needs.

Zarwell agreed that retailers often overlook the little things in showroom design that can help brand their businesses.

“I’ll go in and show them everything from putting tags with their logo on their coat hangers to improving pricing and purchase systems to laying out their fixtures,” he said.

For many of Zarwell’s clients, efficient use of a store’s square footage is the greatest challenge. He advised taking a close, realistic assessment of an outlet’s day-to-day operations and adjusting space usage accordingly.

“Maybe you tend to be more of a service store than you are a parts store, yet you have two-thirds of your floor space dedicated to parts,” he said. “It may be better to cut down on your parts because you’re cranking out a ton of business in your service department.”

According to Zarwell, another overlooked area is signage.

“A guy walks in the door and can’t see where the service or parts departments are,” he said. “As trivial as that sounds, it’s important. Today’s customers are accustomed to being directed. You’ve got them in your store—why make it complicated to find anything?”

The Right Investment

The point is, while it may seem counterintuitive, retail suppliers and consultants believe that the current business climate offers an ideal time to reassess your store’s design and fixtures. Perhaps all your outlet needs is a few minor tweaks. Maybe a total makeover is in order. Whatever the case, help is out there in the form of direct suppliers and showroom design consultants.

Small or large, the right reinvestment in your establishment’s appearance can give your retail brand the competitive boost it needs as the economy slowly recovers.

SEMA News—December 2012 

BUSINESS
By Mike Imlay

Need a Store Makeover?

These Design and Fixture Suppliers Can Help

	When it comes to shelving, displays and merchandising, color coordination plays an essential role in establishing your retail brand and making your store memorable for customers. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like many retailers, you may have been tightening your belt against a sluggish economy for the last few years while striving to improve your social media and Internet marketing. But in doing so, have you neglected your aftermarket business’s most important asset? Look around you. How does your retail space stack up against the competition, especially the chain auto parts or big-box superstore down the street?

Yes, even in this day and age, bricks and mortar still matter. In fact, according to retail experts, a timely reinvestment in your shop’s displays, fixtures and overall environment could actually give you the critical edge you need in the current economic climate.

“We’re seeing little bits and pieces of light at the end of the tunnel, and now we know it’s not another train,” said Brion Coyne, president of Aftermarket Advantage Inc., a full-service retail design consultancy and store fixture supplier for the specialty-equipment industry. “I think we’ve all been knocked around and over the last four years. Now that we can see that things are starting to come back, people are loosening up on the death grips they have on their money. The guy who decides to clean up his store a little bit, add some new lighting, maybe get a new service desk and add some graphics and paint, will be the one getting their recurring business.”

Nowadays, with consumers doing so much of their shopping via the Internet and smartphones, Coyne said that a retailer needs to pull them into his store through effective marketing and advertising and then retain them with an attractive shopping environment filled with neatly arranged products and samples that they can see, touch and experience, along with appropriate information or brochures.

In other words, said Coyne, “What’s going to keep customers in the store is effective merchandizing and store fixtures. If you don’t have the sizzle, you don’t have the steak, particularly with the younger people. Tangible, physical displays are what make a brick-and-mortar store successful.”

A store design consultant since 1998, Coyne has assisted in the makeover of countless aftermarket outlets of every size.

“We’ve done some pretty spectacular showrooms,” he said. “What we try to do is convince the independent jobber or specialty store operator that showrooms are just as important as what goes on in the back room.”

Still, the bulk of Aftermarket Advantage’s business is the sales of fixtures and furnishings designed to meet any retailer’s budget. Coyne said that such items are all too often among the last things that a new retailer will consider.

“Unfortunately, after everything else is purchased, then I get the frantic, last-minute call from store owners looking for something to put their merchandise on,” he observed.

Recently, though, Coyne has seen a spate of established store owners investing in remodels. For those watching their wallets, he recommended concentrating on perimeter walling, lighting, signage and graphics. Metallic walling that’s reflective combined with inexpensive track lighting can help eliminate dark spots and highlight key products and displays. Well-placed video screens offering marketing-related content are further additions that can engage customers. For shop owners who want more, Aftermarket Advantage also offers every sort of store fixture imaginable, from merchandizing displays to sales counters.

Retail Branding

	Freestanding mobile merchandizers like these from Aftermarket Advantage provide flexibility in arranging and rearranging floor space, keeping it fresh. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Steven DiOrio, marketing manager for Handy Store Fixtures, agreed that now is a good time for business owners to reevaluate their store design and consider a makeover.

“We know it’s expensive to buy new fixtures, but customers don’t want to go into a store that’s old looking or outdated,” explained DiOrio. “In their mindset, they might feel the products are old and outdated. Looking over the course of a year, the price of fixtures is a very important investment for a lot of retailers.”

Established in 1952, Handy Store Fixtures remains a leading family-based manufacturer of store fixtures with several subsidiaries nationwide.

“We’ve worked with a lot of automotive stores over the last 50 years and manufacture a lot of shelving items just for the industry,” said DiOrio. “What we try to explain to people is that every single store—especially a small, independent store or smaller chain store—can customize its fixtures, play around with color and really brand itself so that when someone walks in, they know they’re in a specific retail outlet. This advice has made a difference to a lot of our customers.”

Handy Store Fixtures makes and sells all of the characteristic gondola shelving, end caps and wall units that typical automotive aftermarket retailers normally need, plus specialty products, such as displays for oil products, batteries and tires. The company also offers customized service and checkout counters.

“We have sales reps who have been doing this for more than 30 years and know what the customer needs,” said DiOrio. “They don’t like to steer customers in the wrong direction, and our customers appreciate that. We save them money.”

He added that a common error among retailers is ordering more shelving than they actually require.

“A lot of automotive parts are peg-able,” he pointed out. “It costs much less to buy, say, 200 peg hooks than three extra shelves.”

DiOrio also suggested that customers mix and match shelving and furnishings to make a distinctive impact in their showrooms. For example, black shelving stands out nicely against white pegboard, and different color schemes offer a practical way to distinguish different sectors of a shop.

“You can play around at no extra cost, and it really makes a difference,” he noted.

New Versus Used

	Effective use of point-of-purchase (POP) displays is a challenge for many retailers. A tidy, organized arrangement of interactive POP featuring product samples is the ideal. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

If new store furnishings seem cost prohibitive, a retailer might find quality used fixtures a viable alternative, said Kaytlyn Smith, store manager for Store Fixture Supercenter. Based in Flint, Michigan, the company offers a plethora of store essentials for new and established businesses, including shelving, flat wall, grid wall, counters, display cases, hangers, clothing racks, LED signs and pricing guns. While offering new products, however, Store Fixture Supercenter specializes in used and refurbished items, much of which comes from store liquidations.

“We’ve got basically anything,” Smith said. “If a store closes down, they’ll contact us, and we’ll sell a lot of their stuff onsite. Whatever we don’t sell, we bring back to our store.”

Smith said that her company’s offerings can be customized to a purchaser’s specifications for color and design. In fact, Store Fixture Supercenter goes a step further than many suppliers of used retail fixtures and furnishings by sprucing up its acquisitions and repairing any significant flaws.

“We’ll also repaint fixtures according to a customer’s request,” said Smith. “If they want a certain color and we don’t have it, we go ahead and professionally repaint in whatever color they want.”

Smith noted that used products can actually slice fixture costs in half.

“Obviously, new is going to be a little bit better quality because there won’t be any type of damage coming straight from the manufacturer as you order it,” she said. “However, the used fixtures aren’t junk. They do look nice, and they’re definitely a lot more cost effective. We are selective when it comes to buying fixtures. If it’s dented and all scratched up and something we can’t do anything with, we won’t take it. We try to get the best quality we can for our customers.”

According to Smith, gondola shelving is among the company’s best sellers to automotive retailers because of its ability to hold heavy items. Regardless, customers can specify any types of used fixtures they want. Normally, Store Fixture Supercenter will have the items in its inventory. If it doesn’t, it will go out and find them for the purchaser. Fulfillment can take anywhere from two days to two weeks, depending upon the order.

When investigating liquidated and used fixtures, Smith recommended that retailers search for brand names, just as they would if buying new. Also, it’s important to research a dealer’s reputation. Unfortunately, some used furnishing suppliers are known to throw together orders in which fixtures are severely damaged, hastily assembled or otherwise mismatched in color or quality.

A Distinctive Look

	For retailers seeking a performance flair in their furnishings, Intro-Tech Automotive offers its unique, racing-inspired PitStop line of desks, office and receiver chairs and related items.

Experts in store design agree that a retail outlet’s look and feel should be an exercise in branding. Retailers in search of an especially distinctive atmosphere might consider specialty furnishings, such as those offered by Intro-Tech Automotive. Three years ago, the SEMA-member company launched its unique PitStop line of furniture designed to bring a performance flair to automotive aftermarket dealerships and offices.

“The first item was a racing-inspired office chair with a tire-embossed armrest, a real billet-aluminum shift knob on the side, ABS coil-over springs, a caliper kit with a rotor, and five-spoke wheels on the bottom of the chair,” said Jons Van Dooren, Intro-Tech Automotive vice president of marketing and sales. “We really gave it a lot of accents for the automotive enthusiast.”

Introduced at the 2009 SEMA Show, the chair was so well received that the company has added new items to the line each year since.

“From the chair, we designed a glass-top office desk with a spoiler inbox, a 50-in. power strut bar, real shocks on the legs, lockable five-spoke wheels and braided hoses incorporating steel rods to generate lateral control,” said Van Dooren, adding that receiver chairs are also now available. He further noted that all of the furnishings are designed as much for strength and durability as appearance. Where most chairs sold by office superchains are rated for 260 to 280 lbs. of weight, Intro-Tech’s PitStop line of chairs has a capacity in excess of 300 lbs.

“That puts it in a league by itself,” asserted Van Dooren, who went on to explain that all PitStop furnishings come with a lifetime warranty. “If any part at any given time goes bad, we’ll replace it for free.”

Moreover, the PitStop line is priced competitively against other, more traditional high-end office furnishings. For instance, the Grand Prix desk chair retails for about $465.

		SOURCES Aftermarket Advantage 18762 Wolf Creek Grass Valley, CA 95949 530-274-0134 www.aftermarketadvantage.com Intro-Tech Automotive/ PitStop Furniture 3961 Schaefer Ave. Chino, CA 91710 866-319-8500 www.pitstop.intro-techautomotive.com Handy Store Fixtures 337 Sherman Ave. Newark, NJ 07114 800-631-4280 www.handystorefixtures.com Store Fixture Supercenter 4000 S. Dort Highway Flint, MI 48507 877-280-7304 www.storefixturesupercenter.com Zarwell and Company 4903 Bradford Pl. Rocklin, CA 95765 916-316-0182 sbz_co@pacbell.net

Van Dooren sees the furnishings as easily fitting into any automotive aftermarket retail environment and adding character to service and sales desks as well as customer waiting areas in parts departments:

“About three months ago, we furnished an entire BMW MINI Cooper store in Cincinnati with our PitStop line,” he said. “Every service area, every service writer, every salesman now has a PitStop chair, desk and two of our receiver chairs. We’re doing something similar for several locations, including a client in Florida who’s now thinking of outfitting several of his franchises with our racing-inspired furniture. It’s different than Office Depot or Staples furniture—the PitStop line creates an automotive vibe. All the parts relate to automotive enthusiasm.”

And the line continues to expand. At the SEMA Show, the company introduced tables to coordinate with the receiver chairs. There are plans in the works to add showcase displays as well.

Expert Guidance

While store owners can certainly take the do-it-yourself route to updating their showrooms, those ready to invest in a truly thorough makeover might consider the services provided by an expert retail consultant such as Coyne, who has an extensive background in automotive retailing as a merchandizing specialist, buyer, advertising manager and salesman.

“I got heavily involved working with independent retailers and jobbers,” he recalled. “I recognized the fact that they were truly experts and craftsmen at what they did with vehicles, but they often needed help in putting a showroom together.”

No matter the budget, Aftermarket Advantage will work with retailers to revamp their showroom design for maximum impact on customers.

“You have to make your store a combination of excitement, self service and information,” he said, adding that he helps his clients achieve a clean, enticing environment that invites customers to “do the lap” through their stores. He emphasizes such often-overlooked details as the use of perimeter walling to lead clientele to the back of a store as well as the proper positioning of point-of-purchase displays and shelving and locating sales or service counters at the center or rear of an outlet. He also teaches retailers the ideal way to showcase and build displays for new products, which he said should always be prominently displayed
and promoted.

Based in Rocklin, California, Steve Zarwell heads Zarwell and Company, another retail consultancy firm specializing in powersports and off-roading outlets.

“Essentially, I’m hired to come in and assess a complete store or dealership operation, which encompasses everything from leases to expenses to the appearance of the building inside and out,” Zarwell said. “What does your floor look like? Your service department? Your bathrooms? I look at all the integral parts of what goes on within all four walls of the operation as well as what a retailer is doing outside those four walls to bring in business on a constant basis.”

	Reflective elements, such as these wheels, and metallic perimeter walling can help brighten a retail environment, making it more enticing. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like Coyne, Zarwell also has a broad background in the retail business, having owned several stores himself over the years and consulted for several large chains. However, he said, small retailers shouldn’t be intimidated by his credentials.

“I work with any size business,” he said. “While I’ve worked with the big guys, the bulk of my consulting has always been the mom-and-pop store where the husband and wife are in the front, the son is wrenching in the back and the daughter is the bookkeeper.” He also said that he tailors his rates to individual clients and their needs.

Zarwell agreed that retailers often overlook the little things in showroom design that can help brand their businesses.

“I’ll go in and show them everything from putting tags with their logo on their coat hangers to improving pricing and purchase systems to laying out their fixtures,” he said.

For many of Zarwell’s clients, efficient use of a store’s square footage is the greatest challenge. He advised taking a close, realistic assessment of an outlet’s day-to-day operations and adjusting space usage accordingly.

“Maybe you tend to be more of a service store than you are a parts store, yet you have two-thirds of your floor space dedicated to parts,” he said. “It may be better to cut down on your parts because you’re cranking out a ton of business in your service department.”

According to Zarwell, another overlooked area is signage.

“A guy walks in the door and can’t see where the service or parts departments are,” he said. “As trivial as that sounds, it’s important. Today’s customers are accustomed to being directed. You’ve got them in your store—why make it complicated to find anything?”

The Right Investment

The point is, while it may seem counterintuitive, retail suppliers and consultants believe that the current business climate offers an ideal time to reassess your store’s design and fixtures. Perhaps all your outlet needs is a few minor tweaks. Maybe a total makeover is in order. Whatever the case, help is out there in the form of direct suppliers and showroom design consultants.

Small or large, the right reinvestment in your establishment’s appearance can give your retail brand the competitive boost it needs as the economy slowly recovers.

SEMA News—December 2012 

BUSINESS
By Mike Imlay

Need a Store Makeover?

These Design and Fixture Suppliers Can Help

	When it comes to shelving, displays and merchandising, color coordination plays an essential role in establishing your retail brand and making your store memorable for customers. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like many retailers, you may have been tightening your belt against a sluggish economy for the last few years while striving to improve your social media and Internet marketing. But in doing so, have you neglected your aftermarket business’s most important asset? Look around you. How does your retail space stack up against the competition, especially the chain auto parts or big-box superstore down the street?

Yes, even in this day and age, bricks and mortar still matter. In fact, according to retail experts, a timely reinvestment in your shop’s displays, fixtures and overall environment could actually give you the critical edge you need in the current economic climate.

“We’re seeing little bits and pieces of light at the end of the tunnel, and now we know it’s not another train,” said Brion Coyne, president of Aftermarket Advantage Inc., a full-service retail design consultancy and store fixture supplier for the specialty-equipment industry. “I think we’ve all been knocked around and over the last four years. Now that we can see that things are starting to come back, people are loosening up on the death grips they have on their money. The guy who decides to clean up his store a little bit, add some new lighting, maybe get a new service desk and add some graphics and paint, will be the one getting their recurring business.”

Nowadays, with consumers doing so much of their shopping via the Internet and smartphones, Coyne said that a retailer needs to pull them into his store through effective marketing and advertising and then retain them with an attractive shopping environment filled with neatly arranged products and samples that they can see, touch and experience, along with appropriate information or brochures.

In other words, said Coyne, “What’s going to keep customers in the store is effective merchandizing and store fixtures. If you don’t have the sizzle, you don’t have the steak, particularly with the younger people. Tangible, physical displays are what make a brick-and-mortar store successful.”

A store design consultant since 1998, Coyne has assisted in the makeover of countless aftermarket outlets of every size.

“We’ve done some pretty spectacular showrooms,” he said. “What we try to do is convince the independent jobber or specialty store operator that showrooms are just as important as what goes on in the back room.”

Still, the bulk of Aftermarket Advantage’s business is the sales of fixtures and furnishings designed to meet any retailer’s budget. Coyne said that such items are all too often among the last things that a new retailer will consider.

“Unfortunately, after everything else is purchased, then I get the frantic, last-minute call from store owners looking for something to put their merchandise on,” he observed.

Recently, though, Coyne has seen a spate of established store owners investing in remodels. For those watching their wallets, he recommended concentrating on perimeter walling, lighting, signage and graphics. Metallic walling that’s reflective combined with inexpensive track lighting can help eliminate dark spots and highlight key products and displays. Well-placed video screens offering marketing-related content are further additions that can engage customers. For shop owners who want more, Aftermarket Advantage also offers every sort of store fixture imaginable, from merchandizing displays to sales counters.

Retail Branding

	Freestanding mobile merchandizers like these from Aftermarket Advantage provide flexibility in arranging and rearranging floor space, keeping it fresh. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Steven DiOrio, marketing manager for Handy Store Fixtures, agreed that now is a good time for business owners to reevaluate their store design and consider a makeover.

“We know it’s expensive to buy new fixtures, but customers don’t want to go into a store that’s old looking or outdated,” explained DiOrio. “In their mindset, they might feel the products are old and outdated. Looking over the course of a year, the price of fixtures is a very important investment for a lot of retailers.”

Established in 1952, Handy Store Fixtures remains a leading family-based manufacturer of store fixtures with several subsidiaries nationwide.

“We’ve worked with a lot of automotive stores over the last 50 years and manufacture a lot of shelving items just for the industry,” said DiOrio. “What we try to explain to people is that every single store—especially a small, independent store or smaller chain store—can customize its fixtures, play around with color and really brand itself so that when someone walks in, they know they’re in a specific retail outlet. This advice has made a difference to a lot of our customers.”

Handy Store Fixtures makes and sells all of the characteristic gondola shelving, end caps and wall units that typical automotive aftermarket retailers normally need, plus specialty products, such as displays for oil products, batteries and tires. The company also offers customized service and checkout counters.

“We have sales reps who have been doing this for more than 30 years and know what the customer needs,” said DiOrio. “They don’t like to steer customers in the wrong direction, and our customers appreciate that. We save them money.”

He added that a common error among retailers is ordering more shelving than they actually require.

“A lot of automotive parts are peg-able,” he pointed out. “It costs much less to buy, say, 200 peg hooks than three extra shelves.”

DiOrio also suggested that customers mix and match shelving and furnishings to make a distinctive impact in their showrooms. For example, black shelving stands out nicely against white pegboard, and different color schemes offer a practical way to distinguish different sectors of a shop.

“You can play around at no extra cost, and it really makes a difference,” he noted.

New Versus Used

	Effective use of point-of-purchase (POP) displays is a challenge for many retailers. A tidy, organized arrangement of interactive POP featuring product samples is the ideal. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

If new store furnishings seem cost prohibitive, a retailer might find quality used fixtures a viable alternative, said Kaytlyn Smith, store manager for Store Fixture Supercenter. Based in Flint, Michigan, the company offers a plethora of store essentials for new and established businesses, including shelving, flat wall, grid wall, counters, display cases, hangers, clothing racks, LED signs and pricing guns. While offering new products, however, Store Fixture Supercenter specializes in used and refurbished items, much of which comes from store liquidations.

“We’ve got basically anything,” Smith said. “If a store closes down, they’ll contact us, and we’ll sell a lot of their stuff onsite. Whatever we don’t sell, we bring back to our store.”

Smith said that her company’s offerings can be customized to a purchaser’s specifications for color and design. In fact, Store Fixture Supercenter goes a step further than many suppliers of used retail fixtures and furnishings by sprucing up its acquisitions and repairing any significant flaws.

“We’ll also repaint fixtures according to a customer’s request,” said Smith. “If they want a certain color and we don’t have it, we go ahead and professionally repaint in whatever color they want.”

Smith noted that used products can actually slice fixture costs in half.

“Obviously, new is going to be a little bit better quality because there won’t be any type of damage coming straight from the manufacturer as you order it,” she said. “However, the used fixtures aren’t junk. They do look nice, and they’re definitely a lot more cost effective. We are selective when it comes to buying fixtures. If it’s dented and all scratched up and something we can’t do anything with, we won’t take it. We try to get the best quality we can for our customers.”

According to Smith, gondola shelving is among the company’s best sellers to automotive retailers because of its ability to hold heavy items. Regardless, customers can specify any types of used fixtures they want. Normally, Store Fixture Supercenter will have the items in its inventory. If it doesn’t, it will go out and find them for the purchaser. Fulfillment can take anywhere from two days to two weeks, depending upon the order.

When investigating liquidated and used fixtures, Smith recommended that retailers search for brand names, just as they would if buying new. Also, it’s important to research a dealer’s reputation. Unfortunately, some used furnishing suppliers are known to throw together orders in which fixtures are severely damaged, hastily assembled or otherwise mismatched in color or quality.

A Distinctive Look

	For retailers seeking a performance flair in their furnishings, Intro-Tech Automotive offers its unique, racing-inspired PitStop line of desks, office and receiver chairs and related items.

Experts in store design agree that a retail outlet’s look and feel should be an exercise in branding. Retailers in search of an especially distinctive atmosphere might consider specialty furnishings, such as those offered by Intro-Tech Automotive. Three years ago, the SEMA-member company launched its unique PitStop line of furniture designed to bring a performance flair to automotive aftermarket dealerships and offices.

“The first item was a racing-inspired office chair with a tire-embossed armrest, a real billet-aluminum shift knob on the side, ABS coil-over springs, a caliper kit with a rotor, and five-spoke wheels on the bottom of the chair,” said Jons Van Dooren, Intro-Tech Automotive vice president of marketing and sales. “We really gave it a lot of accents for the automotive enthusiast.”

Introduced at the 2009 SEMA Show, the chair was so well received that the company has added new items to the line each year since.

“From the chair, we designed a glass-top office desk with a spoiler inbox, a 50-in. power strut bar, real shocks on the legs, lockable five-spoke wheels and braided hoses incorporating steel rods to generate lateral control,” said Van Dooren, adding that receiver chairs are also now available. He further noted that all of the furnishings are designed as much for strength and durability as appearance. Where most chairs sold by office superchains are rated for 260 to 280 lbs. of weight, Intro-Tech’s PitStop line of chairs has a capacity in excess of 300 lbs.

“That puts it in a league by itself,” asserted Van Dooren, who went on to explain that all PitStop furnishings come with a lifetime warranty. “If any part at any given time goes bad, we’ll replace it for free.”

Moreover, the PitStop line is priced competitively against other, more traditional high-end office furnishings. For instance, the Grand Prix desk chair retails for about $465.

		SOURCES Aftermarket Advantage 18762 Wolf Creek Grass Valley, CA 95949 530-274-0134 www.aftermarketadvantage.com Intro-Tech Automotive/ PitStop Furniture 3961 Schaefer Ave. Chino, CA 91710 866-319-8500 www.pitstop.intro-techautomotive.com Handy Store Fixtures 337 Sherman Ave. Newark, NJ 07114 800-631-4280 www.handystorefixtures.com Store Fixture Supercenter 4000 S. Dort Highway Flint, MI 48507 877-280-7304 www.storefixturesupercenter.com Zarwell and Company 4903 Bradford Pl. Rocklin, CA 95765 916-316-0182 sbz_co@pacbell.net

Van Dooren sees the furnishings as easily fitting into any automotive aftermarket retail environment and adding character to service and sales desks as well as customer waiting areas in parts departments:

“About three months ago, we furnished an entire BMW MINI Cooper store in Cincinnati with our PitStop line,” he said. “Every service area, every service writer, every salesman now has a PitStop chair, desk and two of our receiver chairs. We’re doing something similar for several locations, including a client in Florida who’s now thinking of outfitting several of his franchises with our racing-inspired furniture. It’s different than Office Depot or Staples furniture—the PitStop line creates an automotive vibe. All the parts relate to automotive enthusiasm.”

And the line continues to expand. At the SEMA Show, the company introduced tables to coordinate with the receiver chairs. There are plans in the works to add showcase displays as well.

Expert Guidance

While store owners can certainly take the do-it-yourself route to updating their showrooms, those ready to invest in a truly thorough makeover might consider the services provided by an expert retail consultant such as Coyne, who has an extensive background in automotive retailing as a merchandizing specialist, buyer, advertising manager and salesman.

“I got heavily involved working with independent retailers and jobbers,” he recalled. “I recognized the fact that they were truly experts and craftsmen at what they did with vehicles, but they often needed help in putting a showroom together.”

No matter the budget, Aftermarket Advantage will work with retailers to revamp their showroom design for maximum impact on customers.

“You have to make your store a combination of excitement, self service and information,” he said, adding that he helps his clients achieve a clean, enticing environment that invites customers to “do the lap” through their stores. He emphasizes such often-overlooked details as the use of perimeter walling to lead clientele to the back of a store as well as the proper positioning of point-of-purchase displays and shelving and locating sales or service counters at the center or rear of an outlet. He also teaches retailers the ideal way to showcase and build displays for new products, which he said should always be prominently displayed
and promoted.

Based in Rocklin, California, Steve Zarwell heads Zarwell and Company, another retail consultancy firm specializing in powersports and off-roading outlets.

“Essentially, I’m hired to come in and assess a complete store or dealership operation, which encompasses everything from leases to expenses to the appearance of the building inside and out,” Zarwell said. “What does your floor look like? Your service department? Your bathrooms? I look at all the integral parts of what goes on within all four walls of the operation as well as what a retailer is doing outside those four walls to bring in business on a constant basis.”

	Reflective elements, such as these wheels, and metallic perimeter walling can help brighten a retail environment, making it more enticing. Courtesy of Aftermarket Advantage

Like Coyne, Zarwell also has a broad background in the retail business, having owned several stores himself over the years and consulted for several large chains. However, he said, small retailers shouldn’t be intimidated by his credentials.

“I work with any size business,” he said. “While I’ve worked with the big guys, the bulk of my consulting has always been the mom-and-pop store where the husband and wife are in the front, the son is wrenching in the back and the daughter is the bookkeeper.” He also said that he tailors his rates to individual clients and their needs.

Zarwell agreed that retailers often overlook the little things in showroom design that can help brand their businesses.

“I’ll go in and show them everything from putting tags with their logo on their coat hangers to improving pricing and purchase systems to laying out their fixtures,” he said.

For many of Zarwell’s clients, efficient use of a store’s square footage is the greatest challenge. He advised taking a close, realistic assessment of an outlet’s day-to-day operations and adjusting space usage accordingly.

“Maybe you tend to be more of a service store than you are a parts store, yet you have two-thirds of your floor space dedicated to parts,” he said. “It may be better to cut down on your parts because you’re cranking out a ton of business in your service department.”

According to Zarwell, another overlooked area is signage.

“A guy walks in the door and can’t see where the service or parts departments are,” he said. “As trivial as that sounds, it’s important. Today’s customers are accustomed to being directed. You’ve got them in your store—why make it complicated to find anything?”

The Right Investment

The point is, while it may seem counterintuitive, retail suppliers and consultants believe that the current business climate offers an ideal time to reassess your store’s design and fixtures. Perhaps all your outlet needs is a few minor tweaks. Maybe a total makeover is in order. Whatever the case, help is out there in the form of direct suppliers and showroom design consultants.

Small or large, the right reinvestment in your establishment’s appearance can give your retail brand the competitive boost it needs as the economy slowly recovers.

SEMA News—December 2012

LEADERSHIP
By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2012–2013 SEMA Board of Directors

As a trade association, SEMA is governed by an elected Board of Directors that is composed of industry leaders who volunteer considerable time, talent and insight to guide the organization.

Elected by the association’s membership at large, SEMA’s Board of Directors reflects the wide spectrum of businesses to be found within the specialty-equipment marketplace, from manufacturing to distribution, and from sales to service suppliers.

“As members of SEMA’s Board of Directors, these volunteers serve the entire industry, playing a crucial role in setting priorities for the specialty-equipment market,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We appreciate their hard work and dedication, along with their commitment and foresight in ensuring the future growth of our industry.”

In fact, the election process begins with employees of SEMA-member companies recommending people in the industry who, in their opinion, would be good candidates to run for the SEMA board. Members are free to nominate colleagues as well as themselves. A nominating task force then reviews all recommendations. This group consists of seven individuals, who, by agreeing to sit on the task force, are ineligible to run for the board during that election year. The group reviews each nomination based on industry experience, knowledge of business affairs, integrity and other similar characteristics.

The nominating task force then submits its recommendations for potential candidates to the current board of directors. This process of checks and balances ensures that the final list of candidates includes only highly qualified nominees. Names and background information on the final candidates are included in election booklets, which are sent along with ballots to all SEMA members in the appropriate voting categories. According to SEMA bylaws, there are three basic voting categories: Manufacturers, Distributor/Retailer and Services, and Manufacturers’ Reps. Companies vote for board members within their respective member category.

Ballots returned before the stated deadline are collected and tabulated by an accounting firm and two board members, who supervise the procedure. The final results are announced soon after all candidates have been contacted, with new directors and officers beginning their service in July.

All board positions serve two-year terms. (The chairman-elect serves in that position for two years, then serves as chairman for the succeeding two years.) Directors may be re-elected to serve up to three consecutive two-year terms in office, and they may be re-elected to office after three consecutive terms following a minimum break in continuous service of two years.

Scooter Brothers Chairman COMP Performance Group	Nate Shelton Chairman-Elect B&M Automotive Group	Greg Adler Transamerican Auto Parts	Joel Ayres Bedslide/Takit LLC
Jeff Bates Bob Cook Sales	Jim Bingham Winners Circle Speed & Custom Inc.	Luanne Brown eTool Developers LLC	Jim Chick Bestop Inc.
Donnie Eatherly P&E Distributors Inc.	Nick Gramelspacher Meyer Distributing	John Hotchkis Hotchkis Performance LLC	Myles Kovacs DUB Publishing Inc.
Tim Martin K&N Engineering Inc.	JR Moore Warehouse Operations, Performance Warehouse	Mike Spagnola Street Scene Equipment	Russell Stevens MSD Performance
Steve Wolcott ProMedia LLC	Van Woodell Weathers Auto Supply	Jeep Worthan Auto Meter

 

 

 

SEMA News—December 2012

LEADERSHIP
By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2012–2013 SEMA Board of Directors

As a trade association, SEMA is governed by an elected Board of Directors that is composed of industry leaders who volunteer considerable time, talent and insight to guide the organization.

Elected by the association’s membership at large, SEMA’s Board of Directors reflects the wide spectrum of businesses to be found within the specialty-equipment marketplace, from manufacturing to distribution, and from sales to service suppliers.

“As members of SEMA’s Board of Directors, these volunteers serve the entire industry, playing a crucial role in setting priorities for the specialty-equipment market,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We appreciate their hard work and dedication, along with their commitment and foresight in ensuring the future growth of our industry.”

In fact, the election process begins with employees of SEMA-member companies recommending people in the industry who, in their opinion, would be good candidates to run for the SEMA board. Members are free to nominate colleagues as well as themselves. A nominating task force then reviews all recommendations. This group consists of seven individuals, who, by agreeing to sit on the task force, are ineligible to run for the board during that election year. The group reviews each nomination based on industry experience, knowledge of business affairs, integrity and other similar characteristics.

The nominating task force then submits its recommendations for potential candidates to the current board of directors. This process of checks and balances ensures that the final list of candidates includes only highly qualified nominees. Names and background information on the final candidates are included in election booklets, which are sent along with ballots to all SEMA members in the appropriate voting categories. According to SEMA bylaws, there are three basic voting categories: Manufacturers, Distributor/Retailer and Services, and Manufacturers’ Reps. Companies vote for board members within their respective member category.

Ballots returned before the stated deadline are collected and tabulated by an accounting firm and two board members, who supervise the procedure. The final results are announced soon after all candidates have been contacted, with new directors and officers beginning their service in July.

All board positions serve two-year terms. (The chairman-elect serves in that position for two years, then serves as chairman for the succeeding two years.) Directors may be re-elected to serve up to three consecutive two-year terms in office, and they may be re-elected to office after three consecutive terms following a minimum break in continuous service of two years.

Scooter Brothers Chairman COMP Performance Group	Nate Shelton Chairman-Elect B&M Automotive Group	Greg Adler Transamerican Auto Parts	Joel Ayres Bedslide/Takit LLC
Jeff Bates Bob Cook Sales	Jim Bingham Winners Circle Speed & Custom Inc.	Luanne Brown eTool Developers LLC	Jim Chick Bestop Inc.
Donnie Eatherly P&E Distributors Inc.	Nick Gramelspacher Meyer Distributing	John Hotchkis Hotchkis Performance LLC	Myles Kovacs DUB Publishing Inc.
Tim Martin K&N Engineering Inc.	JR Moore Warehouse Operations, Performance Warehouse	Mike Spagnola Street Scene Equipment	Russell Stevens MSD Performance
Steve Wolcott ProMedia LLC	Van Woodell Weathers Auto Supply	Jeep Worthan Auto Meter

 

 

 

SEMA News—December 2012

LEADERSHIP
By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2012–2013 SEMA Board of Directors

As a trade association, SEMA is governed by an elected Board of Directors that is composed of industry leaders who volunteer considerable time, talent and insight to guide the organization.

Elected by the association’s membership at large, SEMA’s Board of Directors reflects the wide spectrum of businesses to be found within the specialty-equipment marketplace, from manufacturing to distribution, and from sales to service suppliers.

“As members of SEMA’s Board of Directors, these volunteers serve the entire industry, playing a crucial role in setting priorities for the specialty-equipment market,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We appreciate their hard work and dedication, along with their commitment and foresight in ensuring the future growth of our industry.”

In fact, the election process begins with employees of SEMA-member companies recommending people in the industry who, in their opinion, would be good candidates to run for the SEMA board. Members are free to nominate colleagues as well as themselves. A nominating task force then reviews all recommendations. This group consists of seven individuals, who, by agreeing to sit on the task force, are ineligible to run for the board during that election year. The group reviews each nomination based on industry experience, knowledge of business affairs, integrity and other similar characteristics.

The nominating task force then submits its recommendations for potential candidates to the current board of directors. This process of checks and balances ensures that the final list of candidates includes only highly qualified nominees. Names and background information on the final candidates are included in election booklets, which are sent along with ballots to all SEMA members in the appropriate voting categories. According to SEMA bylaws, there are three basic voting categories: Manufacturers, Distributor/Retailer and Services, and Manufacturers’ Reps. Companies vote for board members within their respective member category.

Ballots returned before the stated deadline are collected and tabulated by an accounting firm and two board members, who supervise the procedure. The final results are announced soon after all candidates have been contacted, with new directors and officers beginning their service in July.

All board positions serve two-year terms. (The chairman-elect serves in that position for two years, then serves as chairman for the succeeding two years.) Directors may be re-elected to serve up to three consecutive two-year terms in office, and they may be re-elected to office after three consecutive terms following a minimum break in continuous service of two years.

Scooter Brothers Chairman COMP Performance Group	Nate Shelton Chairman-Elect B&M Automotive Group	Greg Adler Transamerican Auto Parts	Joel Ayres Bedslide/Takit LLC
Jeff Bates Bob Cook Sales	Jim Bingham Winners Circle Speed & Custom Inc.	Luanne Brown eTool Developers LLC	Jim Chick Bestop Inc.
Donnie Eatherly P&E Distributors Inc.	Nick Gramelspacher Meyer Distributing	John Hotchkis Hotchkis Performance LLC	Myles Kovacs DUB Publishing Inc.
Tim Martin K&N Engineering Inc.	JR Moore Warehouse Operations, Performance Warehouse	Mike Spagnola Street Scene Equipment	Russell Stevens MSD Performance
Steve Wolcott ProMedia LLC	Van Woodell Weathers Auto Supply	Jeep Worthan Auto Meter

 

 

 

SEMA News—December 2012

LEADERSHIP
By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2012–2013 SEMA Board of Directors

As a trade association, SEMA is governed by an elected Board of Directors that is composed of industry leaders who volunteer considerable time, talent and insight to guide the organization.

Elected by the association’s membership at large, SEMA’s Board of Directors reflects the wide spectrum of businesses to be found within the specialty-equipment marketplace, from manufacturing to distribution, and from sales to service suppliers.

“As members of SEMA’s Board of Directors, these volunteers serve the entire industry, playing a crucial role in setting priorities for the specialty-equipment market,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We appreciate their hard work and dedication, along with their commitment and foresight in ensuring the future growth of our industry.”

In fact, the election process begins with employees of SEMA-member companies recommending people in the industry who, in their opinion, would be good candidates to run for the SEMA board. Members are free to nominate colleagues as well as themselves. A nominating task force then reviews all recommendations. This group consists of seven individuals, who, by agreeing to sit on the task force, are ineligible to run for the board during that election year. The group reviews each nomination based on industry experience, knowledge of business affairs, integrity and other similar characteristics.

The nominating task force then submits its recommendations for potential candidates to the current board of directors. This process of checks and balances ensures that the final list of candidates includes only highly qualified nominees. Names and background information on the final candidates are included in election booklets, which are sent along with ballots to all SEMA members in the appropriate voting categories. According to SEMA bylaws, there are three basic voting categories: Manufacturers, Distributor/Retailer and Services, and Manufacturers’ Reps. Companies vote for board members within their respective member category.

Ballots returned before the stated deadline are collected and tabulated by an accounting firm and two board members, who supervise the procedure. The final results are announced soon after all candidates have been contacted, with new directors and officers beginning their service in July.

All board positions serve two-year terms. (The chairman-elect serves in that position for two years, then serves as chairman for the succeeding two years.) Directors may be re-elected to serve up to three consecutive two-year terms in office, and they may be re-elected to office after three consecutive terms following a minimum break in continuous service of two years.

Scooter Brothers Chairman COMP Performance Group	Nate Shelton Chairman-Elect B&M Automotive Group	Greg Adler Transamerican Auto Parts	Joel Ayres Bedslide/Takit LLC
Jeff Bates Bob Cook Sales	Jim Bingham Winners Circle Speed & Custom Inc.	Luanne Brown eTool Developers LLC	Jim Chick Bestop Inc.
Donnie Eatherly P&E Distributors Inc.	Nick Gramelspacher Meyer Distributing	John Hotchkis Hotchkis Performance LLC	Myles Kovacs DUB Publishing Inc.
Tim Martin K&N Engineering Inc.	JR Moore Warehouse Operations, Performance Warehouse	Mike Spagnola Street Scene Equipment	Russell Stevens MSD Performance
Steve Wolcott ProMedia LLC	Van Woodell Weathers Auto Supply	Jeep Worthan Auto Meter

 

 

 

SEMA News—December 2012

LEADERSHIP
By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2012–2013 SEMA Board of Directors

As a trade association, SEMA is governed by an elected Board of Directors that is composed of industry leaders who volunteer considerable time, talent and insight to guide the organization.

Elected by the association’s membership at large, SEMA’s Board of Directors reflects the wide spectrum of businesses to be found within the specialty-equipment marketplace, from manufacturing to distribution, and from sales to service suppliers.

“As members of SEMA’s Board of Directors, these volunteers serve the entire industry, playing a crucial role in setting priorities for the specialty-equipment market,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We appreciate their hard work and dedication, along with their commitment and foresight in ensuring the future growth of our industry.”

In fact, the election process begins with employees of SEMA-member companies recommending people in the industry who, in their opinion, would be good candidates to run for the SEMA board. Members are free to nominate colleagues as well as themselves. A nominating task force then reviews all recommendations. This group consists of seven individuals, who, by agreeing to sit on the task force, are ineligible to run for the board during that election year. The group reviews each nomination based on industry experience, knowledge of business affairs, integrity and other similar characteristics.

The nominating task force then submits its recommendations for potential candidates to the current board of directors. This process of checks and balances ensures that the final list of candidates includes only highly qualified nominees. Names and background information on the final candidates are included in election booklets, which are sent along with ballots to all SEMA members in the appropriate voting categories. According to SEMA bylaws, there are three basic voting categories: Manufacturers, Distributor/Retailer and Services, and Manufacturers’ Reps. Companies vote for board members within their respective member category.

Ballots returned before the stated deadline are collected and tabulated by an accounting firm and two board members, who supervise the procedure. The final results are announced soon after all candidates have been contacted, with new directors and officers beginning their service in July.

All board positions serve two-year terms. (The chairman-elect serves in that position for two years, then serves as chairman for the succeeding two years.) Directors may be re-elected to serve up to three consecutive two-year terms in office, and they may be re-elected to office after three consecutive terms following a minimum break in continuous service of two years.

Scooter Brothers Chairman COMP Performance Group	Nate Shelton Chairman-Elect B&M Automotive Group	Greg Adler Transamerican Auto Parts	Joel Ayres Bedslide/Takit LLC
Jeff Bates Bob Cook Sales	Jim Bingham Winners Circle Speed & Custom Inc.	Luanne Brown eTool Developers LLC	Jim Chick Bestop Inc.
Donnie Eatherly P&E Distributors Inc.	Nick Gramelspacher Meyer Distributing	John Hotchkis Hotchkis Performance LLC	Myles Kovacs DUB Publishing Inc.
Tim Martin K&N Engineering Inc.	JR Moore Warehouse Operations, Performance Warehouse	Mike Spagnola Street Scene Equipment	Russell Stevens MSD Performance
Steve Wolcott ProMedia LLC	Van Woodell Weathers Auto Supply	Jeep Worthan Auto Meter

 

 

 

SEMA News—December 2012

LEADERSHIP
By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2012–2013 SEMA Board of Directors

As a trade association, SEMA is governed by an elected Board of Directors that is composed of industry leaders who volunteer considerable time, talent and insight to guide the organization.

Elected by the association’s membership at large, SEMA’s Board of Directors reflects the wide spectrum of businesses to be found within the specialty-equipment marketplace, from manufacturing to distribution, and from sales to service suppliers.

“As members of SEMA’s Board of Directors, these volunteers serve the entire industry, playing a crucial role in setting priorities for the specialty-equipment market,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We appreciate their hard work and dedication, along with their commitment and foresight in ensuring the future growth of our industry.”

In fact, the election process begins with employees of SEMA-member companies recommending people in the industry who, in their opinion, would be good candidates to run for the SEMA board. Members are free to nominate colleagues as well as themselves. A nominating task force then reviews all recommendations. This group consists of seven individuals, who, by agreeing to sit on the task force, are ineligible to run for the board during that election year. The group reviews each nomination based on industry experience, knowledge of business affairs, integrity and other similar characteristics.

The nominating task force then submits its recommendations for potential candidates to the current board of directors. This process of checks and balances ensures that the final list of candidates includes only highly qualified nominees. Names and background information on the final candidates are included in election booklets, which are sent along with ballots to all SEMA members in the appropriate voting categories. According to SEMA bylaws, there are three basic voting categories: Manufacturers, Distributor/Retailer and Services, and Manufacturers’ Reps. Companies vote for board members within their respective member category.

Ballots returned before the stated deadline are collected and tabulated by an accounting firm and two board members, who supervise the procedure. The final results are announced soon after all candidates have been contacted, with new directors and officers beginning their service in July.

All board positions serve two-year terms. (The chairman-elect serves in that position for two years, then serves as chairman for the succeeding two years.) Directors may be re-elected to serve up to three consecutive two-year terms in office, and they may be re-elected to office after three consecutive terms following a minimum break in continuous service of two years.

Scooter Brothers Chairman COMP Performance Group	Nate Shelton Chairman-Elect B&M Automotive Group	Greg Adler Transamerican Auto Parts	Joel Ayres Bedslide/Takit LLC
Jeff Bates Bob Cook Sales	Jim Bingham Winners Circle Speed & Custom Inc.	Luanne Brown eTool Developers LLC	Jim Chick Bestop Inc.
Donnie Eatherly P&E Distributors Inc.	Nick Gramelspacher Meyer Distributing	John Hotchkis Hotchkis Performance LLC	Myles Kovacs DUB Publishing Inc.
Tim Martin K&N Engineering Inc.	JR Moore Warehouse Operations, Performance Warehouse	Mike Spagnola Street Scene Equipment	Russell Stevens MSD Performance
Steve Wolcott ProMedia LLC	Van Woodell Weathers Auto Supply	Jeep Worthan Auto Meter

 

 

 

SEMA News—December 2012

EVENTS
By Chad Simon

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Strives to Develop Young Talent

	Championship teams are judged on everything from the use of torque wrenches to proper engine assembly.

Providing young automotive enthusiasts with an opportunity to develop and showcase their talents while being exposed to the automotive aftermarket industry, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow was launched in 2008 at the Race & Performance Expo in St. Charles, Illinois, and has been invited to compete at the SEMA Show every year since its inception. The organization’s goal is to reach out to high-school students before they graduate in order to provide much-needed future talent for the automotive specialty-equipment market.

“The shortage of young talent in this industry that we’ve been experiencing is slowly getting better,” said Jim Bingham, chairman of Hot Rodders of Tomorrow and president/CEO of Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom. “But there’s still a shortage of not only young talent, but also skilled workers across the country; we still have to work to solve the problem, and this program helps.”

The purpose of the competition is to offer opportunities for students to build and develop teamwork, demonstrate their enthusiasm and ingenuity and build their confidence and commitment to excellence. The Showdown at SEMA national championship was held October 30–November 2, 2012, at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

“I absolutely love this event,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “It is amazing to me that Jim’s activity has impacted so many members of our industry over the years. We’re pleased to be a part of the event and to support this effort.”

Teams of five automotive technology students and an instructor from invited high schools across the country compete to properly disassemble and reassemble small-block Chevrolet engines with aftermarket components in the least amount of time. The winner is the team with the quickest total time, including added penalties. The competition engines are built to replicate the real-world, high-performance engines found in today’s musclecars and hot rods.

The idea for the organization came to life during the first year of a local St. Charles consumer show called the Race & Performance Expo. Tim Freeman, an area businessman, asked Bingham to help him put together an engine challenge for the show, and Freeman successfully recruited five local high schools for the engine challenge. With Bingham’s help, Vic Edelbrock, chairman of Edelbrock Corp., decided that he wanted to expand the concept across the country, starting with the first Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge held at the Race & Performance Expo in 2008.

“My motive for launching this program at the time was Vic Edelbrock,” Bingham said. “He told me that we needed to do this, and so I set out to help Vic. Other hosts started to come forward and I saw the need, so I just kept after it.”

	The purpose of the competition is to offer opportunities for students to build and develop teamwork, demonstrate their enthusiasm and ingenuity and build their confidence and commitment to excellence.

The series grew from its inaugural competition between five teams to 70 last year, with six divisional winners and four wildcards being invited to compete at the third-annual Showdown at SEMA national championship. By the end of the 2012 season, 112 teams and 560 students will have competed.

Edelbrock, in partnership with Kersting, was initially responsible for getting the organization invited to the SEMA Show in 2009. Four teams competed there the first year. That grew to six in the second year, and Hot Rodders of Tomorrow came to the SEMA Show with 10 teams in 2011. This year, 13 teams competed at the SEMA Show for $2.5 million in scholarships.

“This is just what our industry needed,” said Edelbrock. “It involves our youth and gives them a focus that will help prepare them for careers in the performance automotive aftermarket.”

Qualifying teams typically finish the challenge in the 35-minute timeframe. All teams are encouraged to finish the engine build, regardless of time; however, once a team hits the 60-minute range, the instructor may help.

Time-added penalties are assessed when participants commit errors, which include dropping components, improper disassembly and poor sportsmanship. There are five judges, each following an individual student, and they score everything from the use of torque wrenches to proper assembly.

The ultimate prize for each member of the winning team is $10,000 in scholarship money provided by Ohio Technical College, the School of Automotive Machinists and the University of Northwest Ohio. A total of $975,000 was posted for the 2011 SEMA Show, with the smallest amount being $5,000 per student for the sixth- through 10th-place finishers.

“Sometimes we impact young people in ways we may never know, and I think that is the case with this contest,” said Chris Overfelt, a team instructor. “We hear stories about kids going to college from the scholarships, but this contest impacts them in ways we may never know.”

	Last year’s Showdown at SEMA champion was Team Moroso from Loara High School in Anaheim, California, with a record-breaking time of 21:08.

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow first received funding three years ago. The sponsorship program was changed to provide for a $1,500 annual fee for all 39 manufacturing sponsors to become a part of the program. Five new sponsors were added for 2012. The money came from Bingham’s company and his own pocket in previous years. The funds are used to house and fly judges to the dozen or so regional competitions held throughout the country each year and to buy and transport equipment.

“We want the best and fastest teams at the SEMA Show,” Bingham said. “So next year, if a host does not have 15 teams at each regional event, the winners will be judged by their times. But if there are 15, the winning team will automatically go.”

The 2011 Showdown at SEMA champion was Team Moroso from Loara High School in Anaheim, California, with a record-breaking time of 21:08. Two of the winners from last year’s team will compete on this year’s Motive Gear team.

“The 2011 Showdown at SEMA was very successful,” Bingham said. “We had people lined up in the lobby, all the way up the escalator and on the second floor watching from the top.”

In 2013, the national championship will move to the 26th Annual Performance Racing Industry Show in Orlando. Additional contests will be featured, including a ring-and-pinion challenge, a cylinder-head challenge and a carburetor-rebuild competition.

To date, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow has been seen by more than 760,000 people, fostered a total of 328 teams in eight divisions consisting of 1,675 students from across the country, and has raised more than $6 million in scholarship money.

		2012 Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Sponsors
		Aeromotive Aeroquip Performance Products Airaid Allstar Performance ARP Automotive Racing Prod. Auto Meter Be Cool Inc. Beglers Performance COMP Cams CTEK Dart Dee Zee Design Engineering Edelbrock Egge Machine Co. Energy Suspension Fel-Pro Performance Gaskets Flowmaster Grant Products Hedman Hedders		Holley Howard’s Cams K&N Magnaflow Mr. Gasket Co. Moroso Motive Gear MSD Ignition Painless Performance Prod. Parts Pro Performance Performance Warehouse Proform PRW Royal Purple SCT Swisstrax Taylor Cable Products Thermo-Tec Vibrant Performance Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom

Where They Are Now

In November 2009, Joliet Central High School, sponsored by Fel-Pro, became the first Showdown at SEMA winner. James Seeley was on that team.

“Winning the challenge was awesome; I can’t even describe it in words,” Seeley said. “It was one of the coolest moments of my life. We worked so hard to get there, and it all paid off in the end.”

Through the scholarship money he earned, Seeley went on to study in the high-performance and racing department at Ohio Technical College. While in school, he started working part-time as a race car mechanic for the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience. After graduating, he went to work for Wallace full-time, traveling to NASCAR tracks throughout the United States.

“All my life I’ve been interested in anything that’s engine operated,” Seeley said. “I’ve always felt comfortable around engines in cars. There’s so much new technology being brought into the automotive industry, and young kids can hold so much more knowledge, so it’s important for them to become more involved in
this industry.”

In the future, Seeley plans to continue working for Wallace, possibly getting off the road, settling down and running a shop. He says he could see himself staying there for a while.