Compiled by SEMA Editors

Covercraft Sells to Audax Private Equity

Century Park Capital Partners has announced that it has completed the sale of Covercraft Industries to Audax Private Equity. Covercraft—a manufacturer of custom vehicle protection products—was founded by Bob Lichtmann in 1965, who established the company as a leading brand in the custom automotive accessory market. Marty Lichtmann, son of the founder, served as president and CEO when the family sold majority control of the company to Century Park in 2015. Under Century Park, Covercraft has enjoyed positive growth in the automotive sector with the acquisition of seat cover brands GT Covers and Marathon Seat Covers. Additionally, the company made an entrance in the RV and marine markets with the acquisition of ADCO and Carver Industries, respectively.

Sunnen Promotes Chris Miltenberger to CEO

Sunnen Products Co. has announced the promotion of F. Christopher Miltenberger to the additional role of CEO. Miltenberger joined Sunnen as president/COO in 2015 with extensive operations, engineering and business development experience. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in Sunnen’s transformation of global operations, as well as improving customer contact management and relationship development. Prior to joining Sunnen, Miltenberger held positions with PlayPower Inc., NN Inc., Aftermarket Technology Corp. and Delphi. 

Wheel Pros to Acquire Driven Lighting Group From Kian Capital

Wheel Pros, backed by Clearlake Capital Group L.P. and in partnership with management, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Driven Lighting Group (DLG)—a digitally native designer and online retailer of aftermarket enthusiast automotive lighting products—from Kian Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Driven Lighting Group is a designer, marketer, influencer and online retailer of enthusiast automotive aftermarket lighting products. DLG has established brands, such as Morimoto and Profile Performance, and in-house product development capabilities that deliver high-performance products. DLG’s creative content engine and e-commerce platforms have attracted a large community of enthusiasts and wide customer base ranging from hobbyists to performance-driven consumers.

Goodyear Promotes Thad Ewald to Vice President, Strategy and Business Development

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has announced that Thad Ewald has been hired as vice president, strategy and business development, reporting to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Darren Wells, effective August 23. Before joining Goodyear, Ewald was vice president, corporate strategy and development for Cummins Inc.—a Fortune 500 manufacturer of power products. In that role, Ewald was responsible for developing the company’s global strategy and the company’s growth office that invested in new technologies, including products, services, and digital business initiatives. During his tenure, Ewald also led the development of Cummins’ start-up in the electrified and hydrogen power segment and was responsible for joint ventures, acquisitions and divestiture transactions.

MAVTV Motorsports Network Promotes Kevin Asbell to COO, General Counsel

MAVTV Motorsports Network—the U.S.-based motorsports TV network owned and operated by Lucas Oil Products—has announced the executive promotion of Kevin Asbell to chief operating officer and general counsel. He was previously general counsel of Lucas Oil Products. In his new role, Asbell will be responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs of the network with direct accountability for operational planning, accounting, forecasting, administrative affairs, information technology and human resources. Additionally, he will continue to oversee the business and legal operations in relation to MAVTV while retaining his responsibilities as general counsel of the network.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) is hosting a general membership meeting, along with two days of installer training, September 16–17 at Auto Additions in Westerville, Ohio.

Installers, restylers, shop management, owners and employees of PRO-member companies will be able to connect with the PRO Select Committee and discuss current council initiatives with the automotive restyling industry at large. Attendees will also hear firsthand from accessory manufacturers, as they provide expert installation training on the following topics:

• Katzkin: Leather and Cooled Seats
• Llumar: Paint Protection Film and Tint
• Brandmotion & Auto Additions: 12volt Electronics
• Auto Additions: Spray-in Liners
• Auto Additions: Remote Starts

The event will be packed with valuable information, discussions and resources.

Learn more and register here.

By SEMA Editors

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) and Madison International Speedway (MIS) in Oregon, Wisconsin, joined forces on Friday, August 20, to host the SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night—a special event that saw three track champions crowned while uniting the racing industry in support of PRI’s Save Our Race Cars initiative.

Zack Riddle (NASCAR Late Models), Ray Hellendrand (Dave's White Rock MISfitz) and Nick Schmidt (Pellitteri Waste Systems Bandits) recorded strong efforts during competition to secure track championships in their respective classes in front of a capacity crowd.  

The intense competition for season championships complemented PRI and Madison International Speedway’s continued dedicated efforts to protect the future of racing at the track and around the country.

“The SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night was an accomplishment on every front, from providing fans with a great night of racing to successfully educating those in attendance about the threats facing the racing industry,” said PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer. “We had the opportunity to meet with drivers and discuss with fans some of the challenges race tracks are facing, current legislative issues in the racing industry, and programs and efforts available for them to join the fight and advocate on behalf of motorsports.”   

PRI’s outreach efforts at the event included meetings with racers and fans to discuss PRI’s initiatives in support of the motorsports community, Save Our Race Cars program announcements on the track’s PA system throughout the event, and promotion of the PRI Membership and RPM Act, which resulted in nearly 400 letters sent to members of congress.

“The reaction to PRI initiatives at the SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night was overwhelmingly positive,” said Meyer. “We heard from many fans who are excited to help protect motorsports. The only way we can protect the sport we love is by uniting to advocate on behalf of the industry.”

To learn more about PRI and its initiatives, including PRI membership, PRI Road Tour and the PRI Trade Show, visit performanceracing.com.

By Ashley Reyes

BAK Industries has been named the SEMA Truck & Off-Road Alliance’s (TORA) newest member spotlight company. In SEMA’s Q&A with the company’s Senior Vice President of Sales Joel Mohlenhoff, he shares BAK Industries’ breakthrough moment and what projects the company is working on in 2021.  

SEMA: Tell us the story of your company. How did your company start?

Joel Mohlenhoff: BAK first started around 1987 in North Hollywood, California. When it first began, the company made bedliners and caps before moving into the tonneau cover market. Before we started expanding, BAK products were being sold door-to-door out of a pickup truck in Southern California.

SEMA: What was your company’s breakthrough moment?

JM: BAK broke through with the creation of the BAKFlip, now the BAKFlip MX4, which is the number-one-selling hard fold cover in America. Additionally, Truck Hero acquired BAK in 2014, and the company has been able to develop newer products of even greater quality.

SEMA: Tell us about your business now in 2021 and what are some projects you are working on?

JM: In 2021, BAK launched the Revolver X4s. The Revolver X4s has new features, including matte black aluminum underbody, integrated safety slat caps, rear corner caps and more.

SEMA: Tell us about a product that you are proud of.

JM: We are most proud of the BAKFlip MX4 for its design and style, as well as having the highest demand in the market for a hard folding tonneau bed cover.

SEMA: What advice do you have for young professionals contemplating a career in the automotive aftermarket?

JM: This sector has tremendous growth opportunities for someone who wants to put in the effort, work their way up, and learn all that they can about the industry. Within the field, we are a small ‘big’ family, and it is an exciting, dynamic area to work.

Fill out an TORA-member spotlight form to highlight how your company is contributing to the truck and off-road specialty-equipment industry. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on TORA’s social media, SEMA eNews and future TORA member updates.

By Ashley Reyes

Thomas Vickery is the latest SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) member to share his insight on how his company pivoted during the pandemic to keep business moving forward. Vickery is a mechanical engineer at C&R Racing—an aftermarket company that provides design and engineering services with on-site manufacturing of high-performance aluminum radiators, intercoolers and oil coolers. Read Vickery’s Q&A with SEMA below.

SEMA: How has your company pivoted during the pandemic?  

Thomas Vickery: Demand never fell but we did split shifts.

SEMA: What new trends have you noticed with sales and marketing?

TV: I’ve noticed an increase in aftermarket and racing sales.

SEMA: What technology tools, new or old, have you leaned on recently?

TV: We haven’t changed any technology that we use. Only a few people work outside the office; however, we’ve been using Microsoft Teams since before the pandemic to communicate.

SEMA: What, if any, changes in business do you feel will outlive the pandemic?

TV: Changes I think will outlive the pandemic may include the use of video calling more often than phone calls. I feel that video calling makes conversation better instead of phone calling.

Fill out this form for a chance to be featured in the next ETTN member insight. By sharing your experiences, you can inspire and motivate other members to learn new tips and ideas. You may also be featured in SEMA eNews, ETTN social media, and ETTN member updates.

The next-generation Range Rover has been spied multiple times, and Land Rover is also working on the replacement of the Range Rover Sport. And it is the latter that spies have now caught in the hot SVR guise.

At a first glance, you may not be able to tell the differences between the ’23 Range Rover Sport SVR and regular variants of the SUV, due to the thick camo. However, there are no vinyl stickers that can hide the beefier brakes and quad exhaust pipes, and it’s these that gave it away.

Once the artificial skin comes off, probably in early 2023, considering that the regular Range Rover Sport is believed to debut late next year, it will reveal a more aggressive overall design. The bumpers should look sportier, with larger air intakes at the front and a mean styled diffuser at the rear. The roof-mounted spoiler should be beefier too.

Inside, too, will be modifications over the normal Sport variants: front seats with extra side bolstering, more exclusive upholstery options, perhaps contrasted by stitching and piping in lively colors, and enhanced infotainment system and digital gauges. The driving modes will also be refined, and in the sportiest setting, it will be very fast.

Around 600 hp is expected from the alleged twin-turbocharged V8 engine sourced from BMW, which would give it a 25 hp advantage over the current generation. All-wheel drive and a fast-shifting automatic transmission will be on deck. The 0 to 60 will take less than 4.3 seconds, which is the official time of its predecessor, whereas top speed could still be capped at 176 mph.

Like the normal ’23 Range Rover Sport, the SVR is understood to be built on the Modular Longitudinal Architecture. The platform, shared with the bigger and more luxurious next-gen Range Rover, can accommodate internal combustion engines, mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even electric powertrains.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The next-generation Range Rover has been spied multiple times, and Land Rover is also working on the replacement of the Range Rover Sport. And it is the latter that spies have now caught in the hot SVR guise.

At a first glance, you may not be able to tell the differences between the ’23 Range Rover Sport SVR and regular variants of the SUV, due to the thick camo. However, there are no vinyl stickers that can hide the beefier brakes and quad exhaust pipes, and it’s these that gave it away.

Once the artificial skin comes off, probably in early 2023, considering that the regular Range Rover Sport is believed to debut late next year, it will reveal a more aggressive overall design. The bumpers should look sportier, with larger air intakes at the front and a mean styled diffuser at the rear. The roof-mounted spoiler should be beefier too.

Inside, too, will be modifications over the normal Sport variants: front seats with extra side bolstering, more exclusive upholstery options, perhaps contrasted by stitching and piping in lively colors, and enhanced infotainment system and digital gauges. The driving modes will also be refined, and in the sportiest setting, it will be very fast.

Around 600 hp is expected from the alleged twin-turbocharged V8 engine sourced from BMW, which would give it a 25 hp advantage over the current generation. All-wheel drive and a fast-shifting automatic transmission will be on deck. The 0 to 60 will take less than 4.3 seconds, which is the official time of its predecessor, whereas top speed could still be capped at 176 mph.

Like the normal ’23 Range Rover Sport, the SVR is understood to be built on the Modular Longitudinal Architecture. The platform, shared with the bigger and more luxurious next-gen Range Rover, can accommodate internal combustion engines, mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even electric powertrains.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA members are invited to join Kim Pendergast, CEO of Magnuson Superchargers, for a candid conversation and live Q&A on female leadership during a Facebook live chat on Wednesday, September 1, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).

Pendergast will discuss “What Tools Belong in a Woman’s Toolbox,” which will help members identify what the top qualities of a leader are and what tools women need to enhance their own leadership—whether it is becoming the organization’s expert, fixer or conciliator. Discussion topics include:

• What tools are in your toolbox now?
• What do your colleagues value in their senior leadership?
• How “what got you here won’t get you there” (Marshall Goldsmith)
• What’s holding you back from joining the leadership team?

This is a great opportunity to chat live with an SBN Athena Woman of the Year and SEMA Board Member whose entrepreneurial spirit has led her to having founded, funded and built five companies—one reaching $70 million and the other $100 million within the first year. Pendergast is also a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and has served on numerous private and not for profit boards.

Location: SBN Facebook page

By Ashley Reyes

Dan LaRou is the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) newest spotlight member. LaRou is a YEN select committee member and an account manager at Chrome Enhancements—a national sales and distribution company for chrome automotive accessories.

Find out what keeps LaRou in the industry and how he prepares for important meetings in his interview with SEMA below.

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

Dan LaRou: The best advice I have ever been given would be to be proactive instead of reactive—whether it’s professionally or personally. Being proactive can help mitigate serious problems in the future and cause less stress if something does not go according to plan. Being proactive can also help generate better ideas that can lead to bigger success.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

DL: My love for cars and racing keeps me in the industry. I have personally seen how cars can change people’s lives. I get to mix my passion and work together.

SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?

DL: You can find me at the local dragstrip or out at the lake beach side.

SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?

DL: I prepare for meetings by going over the agenda several times to make sure I am well versed on what the talking points are. I also write some notes for myself beforehand on things I want to talk about. Of course, I always make sure I have my notepad and my favorite pen nearby.

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

DL: Lee Iacocca would be one of the people I would love to have lunch with. He may not have been directly a part of the aftermarket industry, but he helped spawn some of the amazing cars we have today. He helped develop my favorite car, the Mustang, and managed to convince Ford to get back into racing.

If you are a current YEN member, fill out a YEN member spotlight form. Selected candidates may be featured on YEN’s social media, SEMA eNews and YEN-member updates.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA Showgoers who want to stay close to monorail stations are encouraged to make their hotel reservations while rooms are still available.

With a quick look on the www.SEMAShow.com/travel homepage, Showgoers can see a list of hotels available along with the star rating, rate per night and distance from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here are six hotels in the SEMA Show block with easy monorail access:

• SAHARA
• Westgate
• Harrah’s/LINQ
• Flamingo
• Bally’s/Paris
• MGM Grand

Showgoers booking through the SEMA Show housing partner receive guaranteed low rates on a wide range of hotel properties at locations on and off the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas Monorail Tickets—Ticket Selection. Discounted rates are available for SEMA Showgoers.

When making your hotel reservations through the SEMA Show Travel & Lodging page, you are receiving the most affordable and convenient hotel options through our partnership with onPeak, the only official hotel provider for the 2021 SEMA Show. All negotiated rates provided by onPeak include resort fees and will allow you to change or cancel your reservation without any financial penalties.

More information about the SEMA Show, Tuesday–Friday, November 2–5, is available on www.SEMAShow.com.