By SEMA Editors

Project vehicle proposals for Ford's project vehicle program, which includes the Mustang, must be received by February 17, 2017.

Ford Motor Co. has announced its project-vehicle program for 2017. 

2017 Ford Project Vehicle Program

Proposal Submission Deadline: March 1, 2017
Award Recipient Notification Date: by May 1, 2017

All project vehicle requests must be submitted in two parts and meet the following Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program criteria:

Part 1

Email a one-page project summary—must be received by February 17, 2017. Include bullet points for:

• Vehicle/theme
• Vehicle modifications
• New-product development
• Promotional plan
• Vehicle display location at the 2017 SEMA Show

Part 2

Mail a detailed project proposal—must be received by March 1, 2017. Include details supporting the one-page project summary on company letterhead, a color rendering and past project vehicle examples.

Information on Ford vehicles is available at: www.ford.com.

Ford Aftermarket Project Vehicle Program Criteria

Aftermarket companies requesting project vehicles should be:

• A manufacturer or designer/restyler dedicated to supporting new-product development.
• Financially capable and willing to spend promotional dollars.
• Actively promoting the vehicle with their product(s) through an established marketing plan.
• A current SEMA member.

Aftermarket companies receiving project vehicles must:

• Feature the vehicle in a booth at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
• Register and keep the vehicle in your company name during the entire contract period.
• Purchase and maintain $3 million in general liability, $3 million in automotive liability, $1 million in employer liability and demonstrate worker's compensation coverage. An umbrella policy may be used to achieve coverage limits.
• Commit to feature the vehicle with the Ford logo intact and visible.
• Order a California-certified vehicle if you intend to register or use the vehicle primarily in California or any other state that has adopted California emissions standards. Failure to do so may subject you to a state fine.
• Make vehicles available to Ford or its dealers for display, at the owner's discretion.
• Submit written quarterly status reports for a period of 18 months, as specified in the contract, stating:

1. Product development
2. Modifications to the vehicle
3. Events (including dates, location and type of event)
4. Media exposure (originals or color copies)
5. Company advertising featuring the vehicle
6. Social media exposure
7. A copy of your current vehicle registration

Information on the specific vehicles Ford plans to emphasize at the 2017 SEMA Show will follow in January. Details will be provided to allow you to research those products and find high-resolution images for renderings.

Submit Ford Project Vehicle proposals to:

Ford Motor Co.
21175 Oakwood Blvd., PDCDC MD579
Dearborn, MI 48124
Attn: Mike Nicopolis & Bob Galan
semainfo@ford.com

By Amelia Zwecher

The goal of the SEMA Career Center is to continue to help enhance your recruitment efforts so that you find top talent in the automotive industry.

In addition to the recruitment tips found in SEMA eNews periodically, look out monthly for a list of five jobs fairs and online virtual career fairs focused specifically to the automotive aftermarket. The goal of the SEMA Career Center is to continue to help enhance your recruitment efforts so that you find top talent in the automotive industry. Effective recruiting requires diverse efforts, so let the SEMA Career Center be your resource to help lessen the burden of researching new ideas and initiatives.

Notable Upcoming Events

University of Colorado Denver Engineering Internship & Job Fair

• Event Date: February 7, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (MST), Denver, Colorado

Stony Brook University: Engineering Job & Internship Fair

• Event Date: February 10, 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (EST), Stony Brook, New York

Georgia Tech’s Virtual/Online Career Fair

• Event Dates: February 15 and February 22
• Job Seekers: Primarily engineering (full-time/part-time/internship)

State of Indiana Collegiate Talent Search Virtual/Online Career Fair

• Event Date: February 23
• Job Seekers: Engineering and all majors (full-time/part-time/internship)

Veterans Virtual/Online Career Fair

• Event Date: February 28
• Job Seekers: Engineering and all majors (full-time/part-time/internship)

You will receive step-by-step guidance from Amelia Zwecher in registering for the career fair. E-mail ameliaz@sema.org for more information. Complete this form to receive specific events relevant to your needs.

By Amelia Zwecher

The goal of the SEMA Career Center is to continue to help enhance your recruitment efforts so that you find top talent in the automotive industry.

In addition to the recruitment tips found in SEMA eNews periodically, look out monthly for a list of five jobs fairs and online virtual career fairs focused specifically to the automotive aftermarket. The goal of the SEMA Career Center is to continue to help enhance your recruitment efforts so that you find top talent in the automotive industry. Effective recruiting requires diverse efforts, so let the SEMA Career Center be your resource to help lessen the burden of researching new ideas and initiatives.

Notable Upcoming Events

University of Colorado Denver Engineering Internship & Job Fair

• Event Date: February 7, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (MST), Denver, Colorado

Stony Brook University: Engineering Job & Internship Fair

• Event Date: February 10, 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (EST), Stony Brook, New York

Georgia Tech’s Virtual/Online Career Fair

• Event Dates: February 15 and February 22
• Job Seekers: Primarily engineering (full-time/part-time/internship)

State of Indiana Collegiate Talent Search Virtual/Online Career Fair

• Event Date: February 23
• Job Seekers: Engineering and all majors (full-time/part-time/internship)

Veterans Virtual/Online Career Fair

• Event Date: February 28
• Job Seekers: Engineering and all majors (full-time/part-time/internship)

You will receive step-by-step guidance from Amelia Zwecher in registering for the career fair. E-mail ameliaz@sema.org for more information. Complete this form to receive specific events relevant to your needs.

The deadline to submit your company’s Exhibit Space Rental Application and deposit is March 31, 2017, to participate in the 2017 SEMA Show Early Space Selection, which will take place May 1–19, 2017.

The deadline to submit your company’s Exhibit Space Rental Application and deposit is March 31, 2017, to participate in the 2017 SEMA Show Early Space Selection, which will take place May 1–19, 2017.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation to require all motor vehicles to be equipped with a factory installed or equivalent aftermarket muffler was introduced.

Indiana already requires that exhaust systems be “in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise or smoke.” Among other things, the bill fails to recognize that factory replacement parts or comparables are not always readily available for all motor vehicles and that aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to make vehicles run more efficiently without increasing emissions.

Learn more about the Indiana bill requiring factory-installed or equivalent mufflers.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation to require all motor vehicles to be equipped with a factory installed or equivalent aftermarket muffler was introduced.

Indiana already requires that exhaust systems be “in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise or smoke.” Among other things, the bill fails to recognize that factory replacement parts or comparables are not always readily available for all motor vehicles and that aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to make vehicles run more efficiently without increasing emissions.

Learn more about the Indiana bill requiring factory-installed or equivalent mufflers.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The new Trump Administration directed all government agencies to freeze issuance of any new regulations pending review. The freeze does not apply to emergency situations or other urgent circumstances.

Regulations that are in progress but have not yet taken effect are also frozen for 60 days pending review of fact, law and policy. In addition to the Administration’s action, Congress already has the ability to pass a resolution with a simple majority vote that rejects any major rulemaking issued in the last 6 months.

Given the President will likely sign the resolution into law, Congress is expected to use this authority in the near future. Seeking to expand this power, the House has passed the “Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act," that would require congressional approval of regulations before they can take effect.

The House has also passed the "Regulatory Accountability Act," that would require federal agencies to identify the objective of a proposed rule and choose the lowest-cost alternative. It may prove difficult to pass these bills in the U.S. Senate since a 60-vote super-majority will likely be required.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The new Trump Administration directed all government agencies to freeze issuance of any new regulations pending review. The freeze does not apply to emergency situations or other urgent circumstances.

Regulations that are in progress but have not yet taken effect are also frozen for 60 days pending review of fact, law and policy. In addition to the Administration’s action, Congress already has the ability to pass a resolution with a simple majority vote that rejects any major rulemaking issued in the last 6 months.

Given the President will likely sign the resolution into law, Congress is expected to use this authority in the near future. Seeking to expand this power, the House has passed the “Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act," that would require congressional approval of regulations before they can take effect.

The House has also passed the "Regulatory Accountability Act," that would require federal agencies to identify the objective of a proposed rule and choose the lowest-cost alternative. It may prove difficult to pass these bills in the U.S. Senate since a 60-vote super-majority will likely be required.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship offers dozens of awards ranging from $2,000 to $3,000, with a $5,000 award going to the top student.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship program offers financial assistance of up to $5,000 to help foster the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators. Students can apply at www.sema.org/scholarships. The submission deadline is March 1, 2017.

Dozens of awards ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 will be given out, with a $5,000 award going to the top student.

The program also includes a loan-forgiveness aspect that offers financial awards to employees of SEMA-member companies who have completed and are paying off a loan for a program of study at an accredited university, college or vocational/technical program within the United States.

“The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund is a way for us to help develop the future innovators and leaders of the aftermarket industry,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We encourage all students working toward a career in our industry to apply and take advantage of this great program.”

For more information on the program, contact Juliet Marshall, SEMA manager of education projects, at 909-978-6655 or julietm@sema.org.