Tue, 11/28/2023 - 06:13

By SEMA News Editors

Four Toyota Tacomas driving off road

In partnership with Toyota, the SEMA Garage has announced a measuring session for the all-new '24 Toyota Tacoma. 

The event will include four different Tacoma trim levels: TRD SportTRD PreRunner, TRD Pro and Trailhunter. SEMA members will have the opportunity to test-fit prototypes, 3-D scan, measure and have a close-up experience ahead of the vehicle's public release.  

'24 Toyota Tacoma Measuring Session
December 11-13, 2023
SEMA Garage in Southern California
1577 Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765
View on Google Maps.
Click here to RSVP!

This will be an in-person event at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California. Due to high demand, each event day will be divided into four sessions, where attendees will have a two-hour window with the vehicles. Each company will have the opportunity to bring up to three employees. Please only RSVP for one session, per company. 

For more information, visit the RSVP link or contact measuringsessions@sema.org. Don't delay; spots are filling up fast. RSVP now!

Thu, 11/23/2023 - 11:10

By SEMA News Editors

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings nationwide. Below are some of the latest postings.

Blue Streak Electronics

National Sales Manager in Concord, Ontario, Canada

Blue Streak Electronics, a producer of remanufactured automotive electronics and diagnostics tools, is seeking a national sales manager to serve as a primary contact for an external sales rep force for Canada and the United States.

XDP

E-Commer Product Listing Specialist in Wall Township, New Jersey

The retailer and distributor of diesel parts and accessories is currently seeking a product listing specialist who will be responsible for assisting the company's web team in maintaining the product catalog on the XDP website.

Unplugged Performance

Tesla Specialist in Hawthorne, California

Unplugged Performance is looking for a Tesla specialist to join its inside sale team. The candidate will be responsible for driving sales of performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles through phone and email outreach, product demonstrations and customer service.

Speedmaster

Automotive Product Specialist in Rialto, California

The automotive product specialist will assist in developing new products, recording technical specs, troubleshooting product issues and more.

QA1

Content Manager in Lakeville, Minnesota

The content manager position with QA1, a Minnesota-based supplier of high-performance suspension and driveline components, will focus on visual content and produce engaging photo and video content to communicate QA1's brand message. 

For more information, including how to apply for jobs or to post job listings, visit the SEMA Career Center.

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 13:46

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) has named Leanna Moore, benefitsFLN manager at Wheel Pros, as the network's newest spotlight member.    

Get to know Moore in her interview with SEMA News below.   

SEMA News: What is the best advice you have ever received?    

Leanna Moore: The best advice I ever received was "Perception is reality." Perception molds, shapes and influences our experience of our personal reality. Perception is merely a lens or mindset from which we view people, events and things. We believe what we perceive to be accurate, and we create our own realities based on those perceptions. And although our perceptions feel very real, that doesn't mean they're necessarily factual. This has stuck with me for years and helped me look at situations from the other person's eyes and see that what they feel and feel they experienced is what happened, real or not. There are two sides to every story, and no two sides will ever be the same due to everyone's own reality. 

SN: What keeps you in the industry?   

LM: The opportunity to work with people and meet people from different brands and markets, plus, [the opportunity to] learn the way different products can make a difference in a car's performance. Not to mention my love for cars and the power it has to bring people together!  

SN: Where can you be found on a Saturday?    

LM: Any given Saturday, I can be found in the mountains exploring trails, wheeling in my JK, hiking or camping with my friends and family.  

SN: How do you prepare for an important meeting?    

LM: I have a checklist I go over to ensure I have all the information I could need. I try to anticipate the questions I will be asked. I also make talking notes so I don't get sidetracked or veer off-topic. And I always have an agenda for the meeting so they know what I will be going over.  

SN: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who would it be?     

LM: Dale Earnhardt. He has been my hero since I was a kid. 


Fill out an FLN member spotlight form to be eligible to be featured on FLN's social media, SEMA News and FLN member updates.    

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 13:40

By SEMA News Editors

The SEMA Show returned to Las Vegas, October 31-November 3, bringing together more than 150,000 automotiveSEMA Show engine aftermarket industry professionals looking to transform four days of relationship-building, networking, sales and marketing into business success and dreams realized.

The proof that the SEMA Show was poised to return to historic levels was found in the packed Las Vegas Convention Center exhibit halls, teeming with more than 2,200 exhibitors, boundary-pushing builds, innovative new products, thought-provoking educational opportunities and more than 150,000 attendees connecting throughout the aftermarket community. The Show creates connections via dedicated product communities, outdoor activations, education and training, award programs, reveals, unique experiences and celebrations.

"The SEMA Show is one of the largest trade shows in the country, but it's actually comprised of several smaller, distinct communities," said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. "The networking that takes place within those groups is where you see the transformative power the Show has to positively impact participants and chart the course of the aftermarket industry."

Perhaps nowhere else is that transformative power felt more strongly than among the companies exhibiting at the Show for the first time. More than 20% of the exhibitors were new participants, driving innovation, including Caross USA, manufacturers of portable jump starters and air compressors, based in San Mateo, California. The start-up has had products on sale for a mere three months, and SEMA was its first trade show. Not only did they meet prospective partners from Canada to Australia, but their networking also gained them exposure via social media, which led to a relationship with the television show "Two Guys Garage" and a potential on-air appearance in February. They also won two SEMA Global Media Awards (GMA), given by judges comprised of members of the international media to products they feel will be well-received in their respective countries.

"You don't see a lot of 'tire kickers' at SEMA; the buyers are much more serious," said Steve Stambaugh, global sales director at Caross USA. "I can't say enough about SEMA. Being at this Show has done more for our company in two days than other industries do in 10 years."

For returning exhibitors, the SEMA Show was an opportunity to continue building on the year-over-year growth that participation creates. For CIC Powerbox of Pittsburg, Kansas, a manufacturer of AC-powered truck boxes that first exhibited at the Show in 2018, their participation has led to several partnerships.

"Every time we come to SEMA, we come away with new business," said CIC Powerbox CEO Mike Windsor, listing the Department of Transportation, the United States Air Force, Goodyear and several OEMs as just a few of the relationships forged at the SEMA Show. "We've also made connections for opportunities we either weren't aware of or didn't know how to get into," he added, including sponsorship of professional drift racer Faruk Kugay and growth of CIC's social media marketing as examples. "We've had exponential growth year over year and if all goes well, this year we'll go international thanks to the relationships we've made at SEMA," said Windsor.

The Show remains a popular place for OEMs to connect with the aftermarket industry. For Toyota, 2023 was a year to push boundaries. "Toyota has always seen SEMA as a place to let our imagination run wild. This past Show was no exception, as we tapped into thrills on the track... and the trail," said Mike Tripp, group vice president, Toyota Marketing. "The amount of interest in the all-new 2024 Tacoma and Land Cruiser didn't disappoint. And based on the coverage we've received, it's safe to say that builds like our X-Runner Concept and FJ Bruiser were true stars of the Show."

For Ford Performance Parts & Accessories, the Show allows them to forge relationships with attendees and share the benefits of their products. "The SEMA Show gives us the opportunity to showcase the knowledge of our representatives, talk engineering and support our product with assurances that all accessories are fully reviewed for safety, ergonomics and longevity," said Natalie Simon, marketing and events manager, Ford Performance Parts & Accessories.

For others, Show participation is a step towards achieving the dream of a career in the automotive aftermarket. Masen Schneider, a freshman studying mechanical engineering at the University of North Dakota, received a SEMA Scholarship, awarded annually to students interested in careers in the automotive industry. "It means a lot to receive a scholarship from an organization like SEMA because as big and impactful as they are, they see your story and experience and want to help propel you towards your dream," he said. Schneider hopes to one day be an automotive parts designer.

The SEMA Show also remains a center of innovation fueled by passion, as evidenced by the Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish competition. The aftermarket industry's ultimate vehicle competition, the program celebrated 10 years of providing builders the ultimate platform to showcase their craftsmanship and skills to a worldwide audience. For Andy Leach, winning builder of the '60 Buick Invicta Custom, the victory was the culmination of nine years of work. "It's a dream come true," said Leach. "I've been chasing this award for nearly a decade. The Buick was a labor of love."

The SEMA Show returns to Las Vegas, November 5-8, 2024. To learn more about the SEMA Show, visit semashow.com.

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 12:46

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA is asking industry members to contact Congress to protect motorized accessUTVs in Moab Utah to the Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges area in Grand County, Utah.

The SEMA-supported "Historic Roadways Protection Act" (S. 3148/H.R. 6396) was introduced by U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-UT) in response to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) updated travel management plan (TMP) in the Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management Area that will close 317 miles of roads to motorized recreationists. Ask your members of Congress to protect motorized access to this enthusiast-favorite area by supporting the Historic Roadways Protection Act. Take action today!

The legislation would prevent the BLM from using federal funds to close any of the 114 miles of R.S. 2477 rights-of-way (ROWs) roads covered in the TMP or to finalize and implement the specified TMPs until all legal actions have been resolved (R.S. 2477 roads are protected by Section 701 of the Federal Lands Policy Management Act). You can view the BLM's updated route map here

"Motorized access to Utah's outdoors is critical for local economies and recreation opportunities," said Rep. Curtis. "My legislation simply requires that we know all valid historic routes, which is critical to understand what areas can be accessed, before BLM makes further travel management planning decisions." 

In 2008, the BLM updated Utah's resource management plans (RMP) and TMPs as required by FLPMA to ensure public lands are being effectively managed. Unhappy with the BLM's first attempts at updated TMPs, several off-road groups filed lawsuits to challenge the agency's plans. In 2017, a settlement was reached that required the BLM to revise 13 TMPs. In 2022, the BLM published four TMPs for the greater Moab recreation area. SEMA submitted a comment opposing the three proposed scenarios that would limit motorized access.  

"Protecting motorized access in the Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management Area is important to thousands of motorized recreationists who visit Moab every year, the local economy, and businesses that manufacture, sell, and install parts needed to upgrade vehicles for OHV use," said SEMA CEO and President Mike Spagnola. "Off-roading is not only a passion for millions of Americans, but it is one of the largest drivers of the $6.1 billion (annual) outdoor recreation industry in Utah, which employs over 67,000 people in the state. SEMA thanks Rep. Curtis for his advocacy to protect motorized recreational access on our nation's public lands. The Historic Roadways Protection Act is critical to ensuring that OHV enthusiasts can continue to enjoy one of the most iconic landscapes in the world."   

In addition to advocating for the Historic Roadways Protection Act, SEMA is working with the Off-Road Businesses Association (ORBA) and Ecologic Partners to file an administrative appeal of the BLM's decision. 

For more information, contact Tiffany Cipoletti at tiffanyc@sema.org.

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 12:46

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA is asking industry members to contact Congress to protect motorized accessUTVs in Moab Utah to the Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges area in Grand County, Utah.

The SEMA-supported "Historic Roadways Protection Act" (S. 3148/H.R. 6396) was introduced by U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-UT) in response to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) updated travel management plan (TMP) in the Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management Area that will close 317 miles of roads to motorized recreationists. Ask your members of Congress to protect motorized access to this enthusiast-favorite area by supporting the Historic Roadways Protection Act. Take action today!

The legislation would prevent the BLM from using federal funds to close any of the 114 miles of R.S. 2477 rights-of-way (ROWs) roads covered in the TMP or to finalize and implement the specified TMPs until all legal actions have been resolved (R.S. 2477 roads are protected by Section 701 of the Federal Lands Policy Management Act). You can view the BLM's updated route map here

"Motorized access to Utah's outdoors is critical for local economies and recreation opportunities," said Rep. Curtis. "My legislation simply requires that we know all valid historic routes, which is critical to understand what areas can be accessed, before BLM makes further travel management planning decisions." 

In 2008, the BLM updated Utah's resource management plans (RMP) and TMPs as required by FLPMA to ensure public lands are being effectively managed. Unhappy with the BLM's first attempts at updated TMPs, several off-road groups filed lawsuits to challenge the agency's plans. In 2017, a settlement was reached that required the BLM to revise 13 TMPs. In 2022, the BLM published four TMPs for the greater Moab recreation area. SEMA submitted a comment opposing the three proposed scenarios that would limit motorized access.  

"Protecting motorized access in the Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management Area is important to thousands of motorized recreationists who visit Moab every year, the local economy, and businesses that manufacture, sell, and install parts needed to upgrade vehicles for OHV use," said SEMA CEO and President Mike Spagnola. "Off-roading is not only a passion for millions of Americans, but it is one of the largest drivers of the $6.1 billion (annual) outdoor recreation industry in Utah, which employs over 67,000 people in the state. SEMA thanks Rep. Curtis for his advocacy to protect motorized recreational access on our nation's public lands. The Historic Roadways Protection Act is critical to ensuring that OHV enthusiasts can continue to enjoy one of the most iconic landscapes in the world."   

In addition to advocating for the Historic Roadways Protection Act, SEMA is working with the Off-Road Businesses Association (ORBA) and Ecologic Partners to file an administrative appeal of the BLM's decision. 

For more information, contact Tiffany Cipoletti at tiffanyc@sema.org.

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 12:44

By SEMA News Editors

CTech Manufacturing Breaks Ground on New Expansion

CTech Manufacturing has officially broken ground on its second major expansion in less than five years. The Weston, Wisconsin-based storage manufacturer is adding an additional 100,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space to an existing location within the same business park as the current headquarters. This effort closely follows an 80,000-sq.-ft. expansion that was completed in 2019. 

CTech Manufacturing rendering

Rendering of CTech Manufacturing's second major expansion and proposed final results.

The new building will house an additional powdercoat line, plus automated fabrication and assembly equipment to support all of CTech's current product lines. 

"We continue to thank our customers for putting their trust in CTech for delivering high-quality aluminum storage solutions. This expansion will help support the rapid growth we have been experiencing and continue to prioritize our industry-leading delivery times," said Mike Greenheck, vice president of CTech.

Completion of the new expansion is targeted for early 2025, with additional manufacturing capacity coming online immediately thereafter. Progress will be well documented across the company's social-media platforms for those eager to stay up-to-date with the project. 

For more information, visit ctechmanufacturing.com.

Gunnar Smith, R&R Marketing, Named Bolt Lock Sales Representative of the Year for Second Time

BOLT Lock has selected Gunnar Smith of R&R Marketing as the company's "2023 Sales Representative of the Year." This is the second time Smith has received this award, having also earned the distinction from BOLT Lock in 2019. Smith was presented with a trophy at the BOLT Lock booth during the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas, October 31-November 3.

BOLT Lock Rep of the Year

(left to right) Jason Buckles of BOLT Lock honored Gunnar Smith of R&R Marketing as the BOLT Lock "2023 Sales Representative of the Year" at the SEMA Show.

"Gunnar always goes above and beyond in his efforts to market our family of BOLT Lock products. He is always proactive, persistent and has superior dedication to serving his customers, both manufacturers and the distributors," said Jason Buckles, BOLT Lock sales account manager. 

Smith covers the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida for automotive aftermarket manufacturers' representative firm R & R Marketing. He is based in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Smith is a member of SEMA and SEMA's Young Executive Network (YEN). He is also a member of the Custom Automotive Network (CAN).

For more information, visit boltlock.com

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 12:32

chemical bottles on an assembly lineBy the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA is calling on its member companies to take action and oppose proposed changes to Proposition 65, a California law that requires warning labels on products containing chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm.

The proposed changes, recently announced by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), would significantly impact businesses in the specialty automotive market, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers and out-of-state companies selling products in California.

OEHHA is holding a public hearing on the proposed rules on December 13, 2023. The public comment deadline is December 20, 2023. Click here to submit comments to OEHHA in opposition to the proposed changes.

Key Changes to Proposition 65:

  • Short-form warnings would be required to include at least one chemical on the label. This is a significant change from the current regulations, which allow businesses to use a generic short-form warning that does not identify any specific chemicals.
  • The size and shape restrictions for short-form warnings would be removed. This means that businesses would have more flexibility in labeling their products.
  • Short-form warnings would be allowed to be used on the internet and catalog sales. This is a welcome change for businesses that sell products online.
  • Businesses would be required to sell through existing inventory with current short-form warnings for two years after the new rules go into effect. 

For more information, contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 12:32

chemical bottles on an assembly lineBy the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA is calling on its member companies to take action and oppose proposed changes to Proposition 65, a California law that requires warning labels on products containing chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm.

The proposed changes, recently announced by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), would significantly impact businesses in the specialty automotive market, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers and out-of-state companies selling products in California.

OEHHA is holding a public hearing on the proposed rules on December 13, 2023. The public comment deadline is December 20, 2023. Click here to submit comments to OEHHA in opposition to the proposed changes.

Key Changes to Proposition 65:

  • Short-form warnings would be required to include at least one chemical on the label. This is a significant change from the current regulations, which allow businesses to use a generic short-form warning that does not identify any specific chemicals.
  • The size and shape restrictions for short-form warnings would be removed. This means that businesses would have more flexibility in labeling their products.
  • Short-form warnings would be allowed to be used on the internet and catalog sales. This is a welcome change for businesses that sell products online.
  • Businesses would be required to sell through existing inventory with current short-form warnings for two years after the new rules go into effect. 

For more information, contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org

Tue, 11/21/2023 - 12:11

cylinders of an internal combustion engineBy the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

The Ohio House of Representatives passed SEMA-supported legislation prohibiting any state or local government unit from restricting the use or sale of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including internal combustion engines (ICEs).

The bill, H.B. 201, is now awaiting consideration by the Ohio Senate. Click here to send a letter to your local lawmaker requesting their support for the bill.

The enactment of this bill would be a major victory for proponents of consumer choice. SEMA believes Ohioans, not the government, should decide what vehicles are best for them and their families.

For more information, contact Kiley Chapley at kileyc@sema.org.