SEMA News - August 2009

By Annie Kang

Cultivating Professional and Personal Relationships Within the Specialty-Equipment Industry

Mentor Jason Bruce and mentee Dan Biezonsky are the perfect success story for the SEMA Mentoring Program, powered by the SEMA Businesswoman’s Network (SBN). Not only do they fulfill the program’s goal to connect an experienced SEMA member with a SEMA mentee to cultivate the talents of the mentee, but they have also developed a lasting friendship that will continue to connect and benefit them throughout their careers in the specialty-equipment industry.

“The reason why I was interested in joining the SEMA Mentoring Program was to look for the fastest way to succeed; to start my own business within the specialty-equipment market,” said Biezonsky. “Having a mentor like Jason has made the utmost impact in every single aspect of my business–successfully, always successfully.”

Biezonsky credited Bruce for sharing the knowledge that can only be gained through years of industry experience. He explained how Bruce reviewed and revised the plans for his startup business.

“Thanks to Jason’s advice, I was able to start up my company a lot quicker,” said Biezonsky. “His advice was very tangible. He literally read my entire business plan and told me where he thought I should start out and how I should proceed. I have literally followed his plan to a ‘T’ and it has made my business take off.”

Bruce acknowledged that the relationship has been mutually rewarding.

“I think more than anything what I have gotten out of the SEMA Mentoring Program is the fact that I have another contact in the industry who has turned into a nice friend as well as the satisfaction of helping someone who needed assistance,” said Bruce, director of national sales for Advanced Flow Engineering. “I was able to get him in touch with some of my contacts and provide him with some networking opportunities that he wouldn’t have been able to get on his own.”

The SEMA Mentoring Program was established to create structured, confidential and trusting relationships between SEMA mentors who offer their industry experience, guidance and support to mentees interested in further developing their professional careers in the specialty-equipment industry.

“We’ve got CEOs, SEMA board members and many industry leaders with vast expertise in many different areas signed up as mentors willing to share their knowledge,” said Kellie Colf, SBN select committee member.

“Sometimes the mentee is an individual who is new to the industry and is looking to get more involved; other times it is someone who has been in the industry for a long time but is looking for help and guidance in something,” said Trina Wilson, SBN mentoring task force lead. “We also get students who are pursuing an aftermarket career and getting a degree somehow related to the specialty-equipment industry. We help literally anyone.”

The process of matching a mentor with a mentee begins with both parties filling out a questionnaire. The mentor and mentee are then selected based on their areas of interest and expertise within the industry as well as their duties, education and proximity.

The program is available to all SEMA-member company employees and is administered by the SEMA Businesswoman’s Network.

“I think the SEMA Mentoring Program is important because, frankly, this industry is built on tribal knowledge,” said Bruce. “If knowledge is not passed down to the younger generation and put on the fast track, it can inevitably be lost. This industry can be kind of guarded, and if there is an opportunity to find open doors and gain contacts to get into the industry, that is valuable.”

“I wouldn’t have the type of access to someone like Jason if he weren’t my mentor,” said Biezonsky. “Building a relationship with a mentor like Jason is much more valuable than trying to get information from someone you would just come across within the industry.”

Sign up to be a SEMA mentor. Sign up to be a SEMA mentee. For more details on the SEMA Mentoring Program, contact Trina Wilson at 763/295-2085 or via e-mail.

There are three ways to benefit from the SEMA Mentoring Program:

Ask the Mentor: A mentee submits a question though the SEMA website. The question is matched to the most qualified mentor, and the mentor contacts the individual directly with the answer. Submit a question now.

Short-Term Mentoring: The mentee is paired with a mentor to assist in a situation or project that may not require a lot of time from either party. The duration for short-term mentoring is typically up to 12 months.

Long-Term Mentoring: The mentee is paired with someone who will guide the individual in all aspects of potential business growth and ongoing career development. The duration for long-term mentoring is meant to last for more than one year.

SEMA News - August 2009

By Steve Campbell

Private-Sector-Sponsored Projects Join Students and the Real World

What if your company had access to some of the brightest minds in your field? What if those minds, students at a major university, were allowed to focus on the creation and development of a product to which your company might eventually have marketing rights? What if the result was bottom-line revenue?

In most cases, university students learn theory and perhaps gain laboratory experience yet are rarely immersed in complete real-world problems and solutions until they leave academia and start earning a paycheck. Until a few years ago, Texas A&M University followed that model. But then a team within the school’s Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering Technology department reconsidered their approach.

“We had the typical engineering course in the final semester, where each student was tasked with an open-ended Senior Design Project,” said Dr. Joe Morgan, one of the department’s professors and a main supporter of the change. “I refer to those as ‘trashcan projects.’ You do them, you hand them in to your faculty member, and he promptly throws them in the trashcan because they have no residual value.”

Morgan and his colleagues felt that there had to be a better way, and they began to transition from the one-semester course to a two-semester track that is now referred to as the Capstone Design Experience. The concept is to get students involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace, allowing them to learn not only about their core subject but also about business practices.

“Within Capstone, a group of three or four students begins a simulated start-up company,” Morgan explained. “They have to come up with an idea and transition it to a fully functional working prototype for test, evaluation and consideration for commercialization. But as we began doing this, the student teams created more and more intellectual property each semester. The capabilities of the teams and their ability to produce something of value kept increasing.”

One of the E4 projects resulted in a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency.

Dennis Overholser, one of the founders of Painless Performance, said that four projects have now been sponsored by his company. One of the E4 projects has already been converted into a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency. A second product is in the final stages of testing, and a third is going to be developed by the student team that created it. The students will form their own company and sell the product through Painless Performance.

“Each team has a student who knows his stuff about a particular facet,” Overholser said. “One may know hardware, another knows telecommunications, another knows software programming, and one may know about building circuit boards. These teams choose a project based on something they’re interested in or a suggestion by an outside source like Painless or a faculty idea. They take it from concept to working prototype. If they don’t finish the product, they don’t graduate.”

Student teams have developed a wide array of prototypes for different industries. One Texas A&M pseudo company, P.W.L.S. Innovations, developed a product called ExacTrak for first responders such as firefighters or military personnel. It allows people’s movements to be tracked within buildings—previously impossible even with GPS, which is blocked by solid obstacles—to monitor their whereabouts and help ensure their safety. Another team, known as Dynamic Design, developed a device for air sampling of CO2 within large structures, both for hazardous levels and for compliance with EPA regulations.

“We don’t just talk about and theorize about things,” explained Chris Landry of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “We put things together and really make things function. Taking away that experience will help make us better people in the workplace.”

The Capstone/E4 program at Texas A&M University allows students to become involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace. They learn not only about their core subject but also aspects of real-world business.

“Being able to plan is probably the most difficult part,” said Julian Coleman, a member of the Dynamic Design team. “We have to be able to detail how much time we’re going to spend on working on a program, creating the printed circuit board and testing. They’re all rough approximations, but we’re held to them.”

The students also learn the benefits—and hazards—of selecting appropriate personnel for their companies. Just as in a working business, the interplay of personalities and the ethics of the employees can make or break a project.

“We’re not going to choose people who don’t want to work,” said Brad Sutter, the “S” in P.W.L.S. Innovations. “We choose our own team, and we have to trust that they’re not going to fail us.”

The student entrepreneurs are also taught to manage the expectations of their sponsoring companies and advisors—an element that is stressed hard by Dr. Morgan. Many entrepreneurs have undergone the disquieting experience of being unable to deliver on promises made when a development project seems to be going well.

“We had to see our capabilities and look at time versus cost, which is a whole other aspect of what we learned in this experience,” said Kosta Papasideris, another member of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “Dr. Morgan used to say, ‘Manage your customer,’ which meant being able to deliver something that would be acceptable and also manageable not just by us as a team but as students. We met weekly to discuss our progress and what was being done, what was late, what was in, and we realized that those meetings mirrored industry. Meetings like that happen all the time. Managing our customer came into play when we were ahead of schedule and our customer wanted something new or better or improved. That is something I will take into the business world.”

Professor George Wright, a senior lecturer and the main point of contact for Painless Performance at Texas A&M, said that working through real problems is the primary benefit of the Capstone/E4 program at the university. He pointed out that, while every faculty member strives to instill seriousness and professionalism in students, there are limits to what can be done in a classroom. In addition to creating a working prototype that may offer commercial possibilities, graduates who have gone through the E4 program have demonstrated how they will function as employees.

“Twenty or 30 years ago, people would interview, and a company would hire someone,” Wright said. “But they might make mistakes about the compatibility of employees with the company. Ultimately, you’re going to have some false selections, some people who leave either because they’re not happy or you’re not happy with them. The Capstone Experience gives you the ability to see an individual working in a team environment, much like an internship. In this program, the students face real problems and have to produce real results.”

The benefits for industry will be immeasurable as more colleges and universities delve into these types of programs. Get additional information about the Texas A&M Capstone Experience and E4 here.

SEMA News - August 2009

By Steve Campbell

Private-Sector-Sponsored Projects Join Students and the Real World

What if your company had access to some of the brightest minds in your field? What if those minds, students at a major university, were allowed to focus on the creation and development of a product to which your company might eventually have marketing rights? What if the result was bottom-line revenue?

In most cases, university students learn theory and perhaps gain laboratory experience yet are rarely immersed in complete real-world problems and solutions until they leave academia and start earning a paycheck. Until a few years ago, Texas A&M University followed that model. But then a team within the school’s Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering Technology department reconsidered their approach.

“We had the typical engineering course in the final semester, where each student was tasked with an open-ended Senior Design Project,” said Dr. Joe Morgan, one of the department’s professors and a main supporter of the change. “I refer to those as ‘trashcan projects.’ You do them, you hand them in to your faculty member, and he promptly throws them in the trashcan because they have no residual value.”

Morgan and his colleagues felt that there had to be a better way, and they began to transition from the one-semester course to a two-semester track that is now referred to as the Capstone Design Experience. The concept is to get students involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace, allowing them to learn not only about their core subject but also about business practices.

“Within Capstone, a group of three or four students begins a simulated start-up company,” Morgan explained. “They have to come up with an idea and transition it to a fully functional working prototype for test, evaluation and consideration for commercialization. But as we began doing this, the student teams created more and more intellectual property each semester. The capabilities of the teams and their ability to produce something of value kept increasing.”

One of the E4 projects resulted in a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency.

Dennis Overholser, one of the founders of Painless Performance, said that four projects have now been sponsored by his company. One of the E4 projects has already been converted into a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency. A second product is in the final stages of testing, and a third is going to be developed by the student team that created it. The students will form their own company and sell the product through Painless Performance.

“Each team has a student who knows his stuff about a particular facet,” Overholser said. “One may know hardware, another knows telecommunications, another knows software programming, and one may know about building circuit boards. These teams choose a project based on something they’re interested in or a suggestion by an outside source like Painless or a faculty idea. They take it from concept to working prototype. If they don’t finish the product, they don’t graduate.”

Student teams have developed a wide array of prototypes for different industries. One Texas A&M pseudo company, P.W.L.S. Innovations, developed a product called ExacTrak for first responders such as firefighters or military personnel. It allows people’s movements to be tracked within buildings—previously impossible even with GPS, which is blocked by solid obstacles—to monitor their whereabouts and help ensure their safety. Another team, known as Dynamic Design, developed a device for air sampling of CO2 within large structures, both for hazardous levels and for compliance with EPA regulations.

“We don’t just talk about and theorize about things,” explained Chris Landry of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “We put things together and really make things function. Taking away that experience will help make us better people in the workplace.”

The Capstone/E4 program at Texas A&M University allows students to become involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace. They learn not only about their core subject but also aspects of real-world business.

“Being able to plan is probably the most difficult part,” said Julian Coleman, a member of the Dynamic Design team. “We have to be able to detail how much time we’re going to spend on working on a program, creating the printed circuit board and testing. They’re all rough approximations, but we’re held to them.”

The students also learn the benefits—and hazards—of selecting appropriate personnel for their companies. Just as in a working business, the interplay of personalities and the ethics of the employees can make or break a project.

“We’re not going to choose people who don’t want to work,” said Brad Sutter, the “S” in P.W.L.S. Innovations. “We choose our own team, and we have to trust that they’re not going to fail us.”

The student entrepreneurs are also taught to manage the expectations of their sponsoring companies and advisors—an element that is stressed hard by Dr. Morgan. Many entrepreneurs have undergone the disquieting experience of being unable to deliver on promises made when a development project seems to be going well.

“We had to see our capabilities and look at time versus cost, which is a whole other aspect of what we learned in this experience,” said Kosta Papasideris, another member of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “Dr. Morgan used to say, ‘Manage your customer,’ which meant being able to deliver something that would be acceptable and also manageable not just by us as a team but as students. We met weekly to discuss our progress and what was being done, what was late, what was in, and we realized that those meetings mirrored industry. Meetings like that happen all the time. Managing our customer came into play when we were ahead of schedule and our customer wanted something new or better or improved. That is something I will take into the business world.”

Professor George Wright, a senior lecturer and the main point of contact for Painless Performance at Texas A&M, said that working through real problems is the primary benefit of the Capstone/E4 program at the university. He pointed out that, while every faculty member strives to instill seriousness and professionalism in students, there are limits to what can be done in a classroom. In addition to creating a working prototype that may offer commercial possibilities, graduates who have gone through the E4 program have demonstrated how they will function as employees.

“Twenty or 30 years ago, people would interview, and a company would hire someone,” Wright said. “But they might make mistakes about the compatibility of employees with the company. Ultimately, you’re going to have some false selections, some people who leave either because they’re not happy or you’re not happy with them. The Capstone Experience gives you the ability to see an individual working in a team environment, much like an internship. In this program, the students face real problems and have to produce real results.”

The benefits for industry will be immeasurable as more colleges and universities delve into these types of programs. Get additional information about the Texas A&M Capstone Experience and E4 here.

SEMA News - August 2009

By Steve Campbell

Private-Sector-Sponsored Projects Join Students and the Real World

What if your company had access to some of the brightest minds in your field? What if those minds, students at a major university, were allowed to focus on the creation and development of a product to which your company might eventually have marketing rights? What if the result was bottom-line revenue?

In most cases, university students learn theory and perhaps gain laboratory experience yet are rarely immersed in complete real-world problems and solutions until they leave academia and start earning a paycheck. Until a few years ago, Texas A&M University followed that model. But then a team within the school’s Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering Technology department reconsidered their approach.

“We had the typical engineering course in the final semester, where each student was tasked with an open-ended Senior Design Project,” said Dr. Joe Morgan, one of the department’s professors and a main supporter of the change. “I refer to those as ‘trashcan projects.’ You do them, you hand them in to your faculty member, and he promptly throws them in the trashcan because they have no residual value.”

Morgan and his colleagues felt that there had to be a better way, and they began to transition from the one-semester course to a two-semester track that is now referred to as the Capstone Design Experience. The concept is to get students involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace, allowing them to learn not only about their core subject but also about business practices.

“Within Capstone, a group of three or four students begins a simulated start-up company,” Morgan explained. “They have to come up with an idea and transition it to a fully functional working prototype for test, evaluation and consideration for commercialization. But as we began doing this, the student teams created more and more intellectual property each semester. The capabilities of the teams and their ability to produce something of value kept increasing.”

One of the E4 projects resulted in a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency.

Dennis Overholser, one of the founders of Painless Performance, said that four projects have now been sponsored by his company. One of the E4 projects has already been converted into a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency. A second product is in the final stages of testing, and a third is going to be developed by the student team that created it. The students will form their own company and sell the product through Painless Performance.

“Each team has a student who knows his stuff about a particular facet,” Overholser said. “One may know hardware, another knows telecommunications, another knows software programming, and one may know about building circuit boards. These teams choose a project based on something they’re interested in or a suggestion by an outside source like Painless or a faculty idea. They take it from concept to working prototype. If they don’t finish the product, they don’t graduate.”

Student teams have developed a wide array of prototypes for different industries. One Texas A&M pseudo company, P.W.L.S. Innovations, developed a product called ExacTrak for first responders such as firefighters or military personnel. It allows people’s movements to be tracked within buildings—previously impossible even with GPS, which is blocked by solid obstacles—to monitor their whereabouts and help ensure their safety. Another team, known as Dynamic Design, developed a device for air sampling of CO2 within large structures, both for hazardous levels and for compliance with EPA regulations.

“We don’t just talk about and theorize about things,” explained Chris Landry of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “We put things together and really make things function. Taking away that experience will help make us better people in the workplace.”

The Capstone/E4 program at Texas A&M University allows students to become involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace. They learn not only about their core subject but also aspects of real-world business.

“Being able to plan is probably the most difficult part,” said Julian Coleman, a member of the Dynamic Design team. “We have to be able to detail how much time we’re going to spend on working on a program, creating the printed circuit board and testing. They’re all rough approximations, but we’re held to them.”

The students also learn the benefits—and hazards—of selecting appropriate personnel for their companies. Just as in a working business, the interplay of personalities and the ethics of the employees can make or break a project.

“We’re not going to choose people who don’t want to work,” said Brad Sutter, the “S” in P.W.L.S. Innovations. “We choose our own team, and we have to trust that they’re not going to fail us.”

The student entrepreneurs are also taught to manage the expectations of their sponsoring companies and advisors—an element that is stressed hard by Dr. Morgan. Many entrepreneurs have undergone the disquieting experience of being unable to deliver on promises made when a development project seems to be going well.

“We had to see our capabilities and look at time versus cost, which is a whole other aspect of what we learned in this experience,” said Kosta Papasideris, another member of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “Dr. Morgan used to say, ‘Manage your customer,’ which meant being able to deliver something that would be acceptable and also manageable not just by us as a team but as students. We met weekly to discuss our progress and what was being done, what was late, what was in, and we realized that those meetings mirrored industry. Meetings like that happen all the time. Managing our customer came into play when we were ahead of schedule and our customer wanted something new or better or improved. That is something I will take into the business world.”

Professor George Wright, a senior lecturer and the main point of contact for Painless Performance at Texas A&M, said that working through real problems is the primary benefit of the Capstone/E4 program at the university. He pointed out that, while every faculty member strives to instill seriousness and professionalism in students, there are limits to what can be done in a classroom. In addition to creating a working prototype that may offer commercial possibilities, graduates who have gone through the E4 program have demonstrated how they will function as employees.

“Twenty or 30 years ago, people would interview, and a company would hire someone,” Wright said. “But they might make mistakes about the compatibility of employees with the company. Ultimately, you’re going to have some false selections, some people who leave either because they’re not happy or you’re not happy with them. The Capstone Experience gives you the ability to see an individual working in a team environment, much like an internship. In this program, the students face real problems and have to produce real results.”

The benefits for industry will be immeasurable as more colleges and universities delve into these types of programs. Get additional information about the Texas A&M Capstone Experience and E4 here.

SEMA News - August 2009

By Steve Campbell

Private-Sector-Sponsored Projects Join Students and the Real World

What if your company had access to some of the brightest minds in your field? What if those minds, students at a major university, were allowed to focus on the creation and development of a product to which your company might eventually have marketing rights? What if the result was bottom-line revenue?

In most cases, university students learn theory and perhaps gain laboratory experience yet are rarely immersed in complete real-world problems and solutions until they leave academia and start earning a paycheck. Until a few years ago, Texas A&M University followed that model. But then a team within the school’s Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering Technology department reconsidered their approach.

“We had the typical engineering course in the final semester, where each student was tasked with an open-ended Senior Design Project,” said Dr. Joe Morgan, one of the department’s professors and a main supporter of the change. “I refer to those as ‘trashcan projects.’ You do them, you hand them in to your faculty member, and he promptly throws them in the trashcan because they have no residual value.”

Morgan and his colleagues felt that there had to be a better way, and they began to transition from the one-semester course to a two-semester track that is now referred to as the Capstone Design Experience. The concept is to get students involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace, allowing them to learn not only about their core subject but also about business practices.

“Within Capstone, a group of three or four students begins a simulated start-up company,” Morgan explained. “They have to come up with an idea and transition it to a fully functional working prototype for test, evaluation and consideration for commercialization. But as we began doing this, the student teams created more and more intellectual property each semester. The capabilities of the teams and their ability to produce something of value kept increasing.”

One of the E4 projects resulted in a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency.

Dennis Overholser, one of the founders of Painless Performance, said that four projects have now been sponsored by his company. One of the E4 projects has already been converted into a Painless Performance product—Diesel MD, a module for diesel-powered vehicles that allows performance adjustments to either increase torque or fuel efficiency. A second product is in the final stages of testing, and a third is going to be developed by the student team that created it. The students will form their own company and sell the product through Painless Performance.

“Each team has a student who knows his stuff about a particular facet,” Overholser said. “One may know hardware, another knows telecommunications, another knows software programming, and one may know about building circuit boards. These teams choose a project based on something they’re interested in or a suggestion by an outside source like Painless or a faculty idea. They take it from concept to working prototype. If they don’t finish the product, they don’t graduate.”

Student teams have developed a wide array of prototypes for different industries. One Texas A&M pseudo company, P.W.L.S. Innovations, developed a product called ExacTrak for first responders such as firefighters or military personnel. It allows people’s movements to be tracked within buildings—previously impossible even with GPS, which is blocked by solid obstacles—to monitor their whereabouts and help ensure their safety. Another team, known as Dynamic Design, developed a device for air sampling of CO2 within large structures, both for hazardous levels and for compliance with EPA regulations.

“We don’t just talk about and theorize about things,” explained Chris Landry of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “We put things together and really make things function. Taking away that experience will help make us better people in the workplace.”

The Capstone/E4 program at Texas A&M University allows students to become involved in outside projects that can be taken to the marketplace. They learn not only about their core subject but also aspects of real-world business.

“Being able to plan is probably the most difficult part,” said Julian Coleman, a member of the Dynamic Design team. “We have to be able to detail how much time we’re going to spend on working on a program, creating the printed circuit board and testing. They’re all rough approximations, but we’re held to them.”

The students also learn the benefits—and hazards—of selecting appropriate personnel for their companies. Just as in a working business, the interplay of personalities and the ethics of the employees can make or break a project.

“We’re not going to choose people who don’t want to work,” said Brad Sutter, the “S” in P.W.L.S. Innovations. “We choose our own team, and we have to trust that they’re not going to fail us.”

The student entrepreneurs are also taught to manage the expectations of their sponsoring companies and advisors—an element that is stressed hard by Dr. Morgan. Many entrepreneurs have undergone the disquieting experience of being unable to deliver on promises made when a development project seems to be going well.

“We had to see our capabilities and look at time versus cost, which is a whole other aspect of what we learned in this experience,” said Kosta Papasideris, another member of the P.W.L.S. Innovations group. “Dr. Morgan used to say, ‘Manage your customer,’ which meant being able to deliver something that would be acceptable and also manageable not just by us as a team but as students. We met weekly to discuss our progress and what was being done, what was late, what was in, and we realized that those meetings mirrored industry. Meetings like that happen all the time. Managing our customer came into play when we were ahead of schedule and our customer wanted something new or better or improved. That is something I will take into the business world.”

Professor George Wright, a senior lecturer and the main point of contact for Painless Performance at Texas A&M, said that working through real problems is the primary benefit of the Capstone/E4 program at the university. He pointed out that, while every faculty member strives to instill seriousness and professionalism in students, there are limits to what can be done in a classroom. In addition to creating a working prototype that may offer commercial possibilities, graduates who have gone through the E4 program have demonstrated how they will function as employees.

“Twenty or 30 years ago, people would interview, and a company would hire someone,” Wright said. “But they might make mistakes about the compatibility of employees with the company. Ultimately, you’re going to have some false selections, some people who leave either because they’re not happy or you’re not happy with them. The Capstone Experience gives you the ability to see an individual working in a team environment, much like an internship. In this program, the students face real problems and have to produce real results.”

The benefits for industry will be immeasurable as more colleges and universities delve into these types of programs. Get additional information about the Texas A&M Capstone Experience and E4 here.

SEMA News - August 2009

By Alysha Webb

Paying Off in Business Contracts and Contacts

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

“This car should produce big business for us,” says Zambrano.

As automakers come out with more models specifically designed for personalization, attending measuring sessions is becoming ever more important for SEMA members. The sessions are an opportunity to get data and ideas for aftermarket products for new vehicles. They’re also a great place to make contacts that could result in future business.

SEMA holds about 20 measuring sessions each year, says Bill Wolf, SEMA senior director of OEM Relations. Only manufacturing member companies are allowed to attend.

Most measuring sessions take place before the official launch, though the Soul measuring session, in May at the Kia Motors America headquarters in Irvine, Calif., was held after the vehicle’s launch.

Three Soul models were on offer, including one on a lift for easy access to the car’s underside. As for the two ground-level Souls, Wet Okole’s Zambrano crawled over one’s interior while Ralph Turner, technical support manager for American International, measured the console of the other.

American International of Camarillo, California, makes navigation and sound systems.

The company, which has about 60 employees, will get some business from the Soul right away, says Turner, though the biggest demand will come later, when buyers of used models want to upgrade.

“There’s a lot of info we can pick up here that would be hard to get at the dealership,” he says.

Making it personal

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

Kia will offer dozens of its own accessories for the small boxy car. But “there are some things that aftermarket companies can do better, especially those that have an impact on the warranty” says Aikins.

Engine performance upgrades or oversized wheels and tires, for example, wouldn’t meet Kia’s engineering standards, and therefore wouldn’t be covered in the manufacturer’s warranty, he says. The Soul comes with a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain and five-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Using aftermarket parts gives customers more choices, says Aikins. The aftermarket company does need to warranty the part itself, however, and customers must understand the part is not covered by the factory warranty, he says.

Spending quality time with a car isn’t the only benefit of attending a measuring session. They are also great places to make connections, says John Espino, new business and market development manager for Banks Power, a division of Gale Banks Engineering of Azusa, California.

Espino met some GM representatives at a SEMA event in 2001. Now, Banks is the exclusive distributor for the Duramax diesel engine in GM trucks.

“You have no idea how many opportunities lie through these connections,” says Espino.

They can also lead to advance knowledge of what will change—or stay the same—in an upcoming model, says Espino, which “helps tremendously with getting products out on time.”

SEMA sends an e-mail blast to its database of interested companies three to four weeks in advance of a measuring session, says SEMA’s Wolf. Notices also run in the association’s weekly electronic newsletter, eNews, and on the SEMA website

Companies that don’t want to travel to measuring sessions can still get a model’s measurements, Wolf explains. Sometimes the CAD files will be online before the launch, he says. That was true for Toyota’s Scion tC, launched in 2004. But a product still needs to be fitted to the model at some point.

Kia is launching several more models this year. Someone from Wet Okole, which has about 60 employees, will likely be at those measuring sessions too, says Wolf. He notes that the company attends all the sessions in this area.

Says Zambrano: “It’s more practical for us to come to these sessions.”

SEMA News - August 2009

By Alysha Webb

Paying Off in Business Contracts and Contacts

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

“This car should produce big business for us,” says Zambrano.

As automakers come out with more models specifically designed for personalization, attending measuring sessions is becoming ever more important for SEMA members. The sessions are an opportunity to get data and ideas for aftermarket products for new vehicles. They’re also a great place to make contacts that could result in future business.

SEMA holds about 20 measuring sessions each year, says Bill Wolf, SEMA senior director of OEM Relations. Only manufacturing member companies are allowed to attend.

Most measuring sessions take place before the official launch, though the Soul measuring session, in May at the Kia Motors America headquarters in Irvine, Calif., was held after the vehicle’s launch.

Three Soul models were on offer, including one on a lift for easy access to the car’s underside. As for the two ground-level Souls, Wet Okole’s Zambrano crawled over one’s interior while Ralph Turner, technical support manager for American International, measured the console of the other.

American International of Camarillo, California, makes navigation and sound systems.

The company, which has about 60 employees, will get some business from the Soul right away, says Turner, though the biggest demand will come later, when buyers of used models want to upgrade.

“There’s a lot of info we can pick up here that would be hard to get at the dealership,” he says.

Making it personal

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

Kia will offer dozens of its own accessories for the small boxy car. But “there are some things that aftermarket companies can do better, especially those that have an impact on the warranty” says Aikins.

Engine performance upgrades or oversized wheels and tires, for example, wouldn’t meet Kia’s engineering standards, and therefore wouldn’t be covered in the manufacturer’s warranty, he says. The Soul comes with a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain and five-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Using aftermarket parts gives customers more choices, says Aikins. The aftermarket company does need to warranty the part itself, however, and customers must understand the part is not covered by the factory warranty, he says.

Spending quality time with a car isn’t the only benefit of attending a measuring session. They are also great places to make connections, says John Espino, new business and market development manager for Banks Power, a division of Gale Banks Engineering of Azusa, California.

Espino met some GM representatives at a SEMA event in 2001. Now, Banks is the exclusive distributor for the Duramax diesel engine in GM trucks.

“You have no idea how many opportunities lie through these connections,” says Espino.

They can also lead to advance knowledge of what will change—or stay the same—in an upcoming model, says Espino, which “helps tremendously with getting products out on time.”

SEMA sends an e-mail blast to its database of interested companies three to four weeks in advance of a measuring session, says SEMA’s Wolf. Notices also run in the association’s weekly electronic newsletter, eNews, and on the SEMA website

Companies that don’t want to travel to measuring sessions can still get a model’s measurements, Wolf explains. Sometimes the CAD files will be online before the launch, he says. That was true for Toyota’s Scion tC, launched in 2004. But a product still needs to be fitted to the model at some point.

Kia is launching several more models this year. Someone from Wet Okole, which has about 60 employees, will likely be at those measuring sessions too, says Wolf. He notes that the company attends all the sessions in this area.

Says Zambrano: “It’s more practical for us to come to these sessions.”

SEMA News - August 2009

By Alysha Webb

Paying Off in Business Contracts and Contacts

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

“This car should produce big business for us,” says Zambrano.

As automakers come out with more models specifically designed for personalization, attending measuring sessions is becoming ever more important for SEMA members. The sessions are an opportunity to get data and ideas for aftermarket products for new vehicles. They’re also a great place to make contacts that could result in future business.

SEMA holds about 20 measuring sessions each year, says Bill Wolf, SEMA senior director of OEM Relations. Only manufacturing member companies are allowed to attend.

Most measuring sessions take place before the official launch, though the Soul measuring session, in May at the Kia Motors America headquarters in Irvine, Calif., was held after the vehicle’s launch.

Three Soul models were on offer, including one on a lift for easy access to the car’s underside. As for the two ground-level Souls, Wet Okole’s Zambrano crawled over one’s interior while Ralph Turner, technical support manager for American International, measured the console of the other.

American International of Camarillo, California, makes navigation and sound systems.

The company, which has about 60 employees, will get some business from the Soul right away, says Turner, though the biggest demand will come later, when buyers of used models want to upgrade.

“There’s a lot of info we can pick up here that would be hard to get at the dealership,” he says.

Making it personal

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

Kia will offer dozens of its own accessories for the small boxy car. But “there are some things that aftermarket companies can do better, especially those that have an impact on the warranty” says Aikins.

Engine performance upgrades or oversized wheels and tires, for example, wouldn’t meet Kia’s engineering standards, and therefore wouldn’t be covered in the manufacturer’s warranty, he says. The Soul comes with a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain and five-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Using aftermarket parts gives customers more choices, says Aikins. The aftermarket company does need to warranty the part itself, however, and customers must understand the part is not covered by the factory warranty, he says.

Spending quality time with a car isn’t the only benefit of attending a measuring session. They are also great places to make connections, says John Espino, new business and market development manager for Banks Power, a division of Gale Banks Engineering of Azusa, California.

Espino met some GM representatives at a SEMA event in 2001. Now, Banks is the exclusive distributor for the Duramax diesel engine in GM trucks.

“You have no idea how many opportunities lie through these connections,” says Espino.

They can also lead to advance knowledge of what will change—or stay the same—in an upcoming model, says Espino, which “helps tremendously with getting products out on time.”

SEMA sends an e-mail blast to its database of interested companies three to four weeks in advance of a measuring session, says SEMA’s Wolf. Notices also run in the association’s weekly electronic newsletter, eNews, and on the SEMA website

Companies that don’t want to travel to measuring sessions can still get a model’s measurements, Wolf explains. Sometimes the CAD files will be online before the launch, he says. That was true for Toyota’s Scion tC, launched in 2004. But a product still needs to be fitted to the model at some point.

Kia is launching several more models this year. Someone from Wet Okole, which has about 60 employees, will likely be at those measuring sessions too, says Wolf. He notes that the company attends all the sessions in this area.

Says Zambrano: “It’s more practical for us to come to these sessions.”

SEMA News - August 2009

By Alysha Webb

Paying Off in Business Contracts and Contacts

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

“This car should produce big business for us,” says Zambrano.

As automakers come out with more models specifically designed for personalization, attending measuring sessions is becoming ever more important for SEMA members. The sessions are an opportunity to get data and ideas for aftermarket products for new vehicles. They’re also a great place to make contacts that could result in future business.

SEMA holds about 20 measuring sessions each year, says Bill Wolf, SEMA senior director of OEM Relations. Only manufacturing member companies are allowed to attend.

Most measuring sessions take place before the official launch, though the Soul measuring session, in May at the Kia Motors America headquarters in Irvine, Calif., was held after the vehicle’s launch.

Three Soul models were on offer, including one on a lift for easy access to the car’s underside. As for the two ground-level Souls, Wet Okole’s Zambrano crawled over one’s interior while Ralph Turner, technical support manager for American International, measured the console of the other.

American International of Camarillo, California, makes navigation and sound systems.

The company, which has about 60 employees, will get some business from the Soul right away, says Turner, though the biggest demand will come later, when buyers of used models want to upgrade.

“There’s a lot of info we can pick up here that would be hard to get at the dealership,” he says.

Making it personal

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

Kia will offer dozens of its own accessories for the small boxy car. But “there are some things that aftermarket companies can do better, especially those that have an impact on the warranty” says Aikins.

Engine performance upgrades or oversized wheels and tires, for example, wouldn’t meet Kia’s engineering standards, and therefore wouldn’t be covered in the manufacturer’s warranty, he says. The Soul comes with a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain and five-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Using aftermarket parts gives customers more choices, says Aikins. The aftermarket company does need to warranty the part itself, however, and customers must understand the part is not covered by the factory warranty, he says.

Spending quality time with a car isn’t the only benefit of attending a measuring session. They are also great places to make connections, says John Espino, new business and market development manager for Banks Power, a division of Gale Banks Engineering of Azusa, California.

Espino met some GM representatives at a SEMA event in 2001. Now, Banks is the exclusive distributor for the Duramax diesel engine in GM trucks.

“You have no idea how many opportunities lie through these connections,” says Espino.

They can also lead to advance knowledge of what will change—or stay the same—in an upcoming model, says Espino, which “helps tremendously with getting products out on time.”

SEMA sends an e-mail blast to its database of interested companies three to four weeks in advance of a measuring session, says SEMA’s Wolf. Notices also run in the association’s weekly electronic newsletter, eNews, and on the SEMA website

Companies that don’t want to travel to measuring sessions can still get a model’s measurements, Wolf explains. Sometimes the CAD files will be online before the launch, he says. That was true for Toyota’s Scion tC, launched in 2004. But a product still needs to be fitted to the model at some point.

Kia is launching several more models this year. Someone from Wet Okole, which has about 60 employees, will likely be at those measuring sessions too, says Wolf. He notes that the company attends all the sessions in this area.

Says Zambrano: “It’s more practical for us to come to these sessions.”

SEMA News - August 2009

By Alysha Webb

Paying Off in Business Contracts and Contacts

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

“This car should produce big business for us,” says Zambrano.

As automakers come out with more models specifically designed for personalization, attending measuring sessions is becoming ever more important for SEMA members. The sessions are an opportunity to get data and ideas for aftermarket products for new vehicles. They’re also a great place to make contacts that could result in future business.

SEMA holds about 20 measuring sessions each year, says Bill Wolf, SEMA senior director of OEM Relations. Only manufacturing member companies are allowed to attend.

Most measuring sessions take place before the official launch, though the Soul measuring session, in May at the Kia Motors America headquarters in Irvine, Calif., was held after the vehicle’s launch.

Three Soul models were on offer, including one on a lift for easy access to the car’s underside. As for the two ground-level Souls, Wet Okole’s Zambrano crawled over one’s interior while Ralph Turner, technical support manager for American International, measured the console of the other.

American International of Camarillo, California, makes navigation and sound systems.

The company, which has about 60 employees, will get some business from the Soul right away, says Turner, though the biggest demand will come later, when buyers of used models want to upgrade.

“There’s a lot of info we can pick up here that would be hard to get at the dealership,” he says.

Making it personal

Toyota and BMW have done “quite well” emphasizing personalization with their Scion and Mini brands, says Fred Aikins, senior product manager for Kia Motors America. Kia aims to emulate that success with the Soul.

Kia will offer dozens of its own accessories for the small boxy car. But “there are some things that aftermarket companies can do better, especially those that have an impact on the warranty” says Aikins.

Engine performance upgrades or oversized wheels and tires, for example, wouldn’t meet Kia’s engineering standards, and therefore wouldn’t be covered in the manufacturer’s warranty, he says. The Soul comes with a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain and five-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Using aftermarket parts gives customers more choices, says Aikins. The aftermarket company does need to warranty the part itself, however, and customers must understand the part is not covered by the factory warranty, he says.

Spending quality time with a car isn’t the only benefit of attending a measuring session. They are also great places to make connections, says John Espino, new business and market development manager for Banks Power, a division of Gale Banks Engineering of Azusa, California.

Espino met some GM representatives at a SEMA event in 2001. Now, Banks is the exclusive distributor for the Duramax diesel engine in GM trucks.

“You have no idea how many opportunities lie through these connections,” says Espino.

They can also lead to advance knowledge of what will change—or stay the same—in an upcoming model, says Espino, which “helps tremendously with getting products out on time.”

SEMA sends an e-mail blast to its database of interested companies three to four weeks in advance of a measuring session, says SEMA’s Wolf. Notices also run in the association’s weekly electronic newsletter, eNews, and on the SEMA website

Companies that don’t want to travel to measuring sessions can still get a model’s measurements, Wolf explains. Sometimes the CAD files will be online before the launch, he says. That was true for Toyota’s Scion tC, launched in 2004. But a product still needs to be fitted to the model at some point.

Kia is launching several more models this year. Someone from Wet Okole, which has about 60 employees, will likely be at those measuring sessions too, says Wolf. He notes that the company attends all the sessions in this area.

Says Zambrano: “It’s more practical for us to come to these sessions.”