Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31
  SEMA PADI May 2009
  From April of last year, both peaks and valleys in demand for specialty-equipment have prevailed, but the May index of this year is the highest in three months.
  SEMA PADI May 2009
  The SEMA PADI jumped to 32 points in May, a 6-point gain from April.

In May, the SEMA Demand Index gained some traction with a 6-point gain last month. The index jumped from 26 in April to 32 in May.

From April of last year, both peaks and valleys in demand for specialty-equipment have prevailed, but the May Index of this year is at a three-month high.

This time last year, the SEMA Demand reading came in at 46 points. In May, 9% of adult American drivers indicated that they had plans to purchase specialty-equipment products sometime within the next three months.

The SEMA Demand Index measures purchase intentions of consumers, both “mainstream and enthusiasts,” who say that they plan to purchase specialty equipment sometime within the next three months.

A random sample of 826 consumers was surveyed in May. However, because “enthusiasts” typically represent roughly 10% - 15% of U.S. drivers, the SEMA Demand Index is likely to be more of a measure of “mainstream” consumer demand.

Last month, about 3% of consumers said that they were likely to purchase wheels, tires and suspension components, a decline from 4% in April and 7% in May of 2008.

About 2% of consumers surveyed in May noted intentions to purchase appearance and accessory products over the next three months, a drop from 4% in April and 6% in May of 2008.

The good news, however, comes from the jump from 3% in April to 5% in May for performance-product-purchase intentions despite still being lower than this time last year.

The table above also shows specific demographics of consumers that contributed to the gain.

 

SEMA PADI May 2009  
Over the last three months, fullsize cars (22%) were on average the most common target vehicles for enhancement.  

 

Over the last three months, on average, fullsize cars (22%) were the most common target vehicles for enhancement or modification, followed by midsize cars (20%), pickup trucks (15%), and compact cars (13%).

Over the last three months, on average, car dealerships (27%) were the most popular purchase destinations among consumers planning to enhance their vehicles, followed by the Internet and chain auto parts stores (both 17%) and independent parts shops (14%).

When specialty-equipment buyers were asked what form their vehicle would take after customization, over the last three months the most common answer was “general personalization” (48%), followed by “street performance” (13%) and “off-road” (12%).

SEMA PADI May 2009
Over the last three months, car dealerships (27%) were the most popular purchase destinations among consumers planning to enhance their vehicles.
  SEMA PADI May 2009
Over the past three months, the percentage of consumers planning compact performance-type upgrades jumped 4% compared to last year.

The most notable gain, however, came from the percent of consumers planning compact performance-type upgrades this year compared to last.

Over the past three months, the percent of consumers planning compact performance-type upgrades jumped 4% compared to last year.

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:31

 

Advanced Flow Engineering
Advanced Flow Engineering's top-selling products are air intake systems.
Advanced Flow Engineering
Capitalizing on the large staff of in-house engineers, aFe has begun venturing into the intercooler market.
Advanced Flow Engineering's Jason Bruce
 Industry veteran and active YEN/MPMC Select Committee member, Jason Bruce visited with SEMA staff to outline aFe’s business history and provide feedback for industry collaboration.

One of the ways in which SEMA connects with its members is through visits to the member companies themselves. These member visits not only give SEMA staff the opportunity to learn about a company, but they also provide a way for members to ask questions, voice concerns and learn more about what SEMA has to offer.

Associates of SEMA’s market research, membership and show departments recently visited Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.(aFe) in Corona, California.

Advanced Flow Engineering was founded in 1999. The company produces high flow, high-performance intake systems and air filters for the automotive industry. The product line includes fluid filters, exhaust systems, intercoolers, manifolds and throttle-body spacers.

aFe also manufactures products for motorcycles, quads, watercraft and heavy-duty vehicles. The company currently employs about 70 people. All of the filters, as well as the tooling needed to make the filters, are manufactured in-house. The steel tubes used for exhaust systems are bent in house and aFe manufacturers its own urethane couplers.

Jason Bruce, Director of National Sales, gave staff a tour of the facility and explained the process of how the filters are manufactured from start to finish. Most intriguing is the amount of design and engineering work that goes into making the best filter possible.

aFe employs engineers, machinists, technicians, and production, sales, and shipping staff. The engineers head up different teams of technicians and each team works together to develop and test the products. Every product is tested on a Mustang Dynamometer. The filters and intakes are labeled with horsepower and flow ratings based on dyno and flow-bench tests, respectively.

Within the last few months, aFe has introduced a new line of products called Takeda. This line was developed to target the sport compact market. In general, the Takeda line consists of products for Japanese imports, while the aFe line focuses on domestic and European vehicles.

The line-up of filters that aFe manufactures include a five-layer cotton gauze mesh oiled filter under the Pro 5 R line; a non-oiled filter under the Pro Dry S line; and the Pro Guard 7, seven-layer synthetically-oiled filter line.

aFe has exhibited at the SEMA Show since 2000. This year the company has decided to purchase a larger 20x70 booth space compared to its 20x30 in previous years. Bruce plans to bring between four and eight new products to the 2009 SEMA Show, and each of these will be entered in the New Products section.

Bruce has been an active SEMA member for years, participating in the YEN and MPMC councils and currently serves on the Select Committees of each. He also mentioned the fact that he frequently uses data and reports provided by the market research department, such as the 2008 Light Truck Report.

In particular, he mentioned the value of all of the consumer data that is gathered from efforts such as the Automotive Lifestyles survey conducted each year.

"I have used the SEMA consumer data to help our engineering departments identify up-and-coming applications that we may have missed in our planning. This data has helped us to improve our new product development planning and identify or validate trends we see in the industry," said Bruce.

Member visits such as this give us the chance to develop improved and additional ways to provide members with the data and information they need to make their businesses succeed.

-SEMA Research & Information Center