When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in early 2020 and stay-at-home orders became the new normal, many Americans suddenly found themselves stuck at home with spare time on their hands. Often, that meant new hobbies or binging on classic TV shows. For gearheads across the country, it was a new opportunity to put in quality time on the project car that had been collecting dust in the garage. As a result, many manufacturers in the automotive specialty-equipment aftermarket experienced boom markets. Unfortunately, not all of the automotive trends to emerge from the pandemic were positive, especially when it came to state legislation.
How many members of Congress have sold more than 100 racetracks, raced professionally, and have fought to reform government at the local, state, and federal levels? If your answer was one, you guessed correctly. U.S. Representative Bill Posey (R-FL) is one of a kind. He is a former racer, classic car owner, and has been one of SEMA’s strongest supporters since his days in the Florida State Legislature. When he’s not fighting to make the federal government more accountable and fiscally responsible, he’s working to advance policy solutions that benefit racers and automotive enthusiasts.
Back in late 2019, the trendlines looked good for the automotive specialty-equipment industry. Then, of course, the 2020 pandemic threw the world into confusion. As lockdowns swept the United States, uncertainty gripped virtually every market sector, including the aftermarket. With the pandemic ebbing, it’s a good time to assess where the industry finds itself and where it may be headed. Enter the latest SEMA 2021 “State of the Industry Report,” now available from SEMA Market Research.
FTC Report on Right to Repair: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report to Congress that is highly critical of anti-competitive repair restrictions employed by manufacturers that limit consumer choice. The report is based on industry research gathered at an FTC workshop in 2019 and covers a wide range of products, including automobiles. The FTC noted little evidence to support manufacturers’ justifications for repair restrictions (e.g., safety, cybersecurity, liability and reputational harm, quality of service).
Merriam-Webster defines micromanagement as managing “especially with excessive control or attention to details,” and while it may be easy to define, its presence in an office environment may be difficult to pinpoint because its presence can take many forms: poor communications, a risk-averse workforce, projects that never seem to get completed in a timely manner and—perhaps of most concern to a successful business—a high employee turnover rate. However well-intended, what we generally refer to as micromanagement can have a corrosive effect on an office culture and can hinder efficiency and productivity.
The products featured below are from SEMA Data member companies that have attained Gold- or Platinum-level data, which means that their product data is robust and complete—likely to drive customer purchase decisions. SEMA Data members meeting data scorecard requirements are invited to submit product releases for consideration to enews@semadatacoop.org.
Created in 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame represents the most prestigious honor that the association can bestow on an individual. It is reserved for outstanding achievers whose work has significantly enhanced the stature and growth of the industry and association. For 2021, SEMA inducted Jessi Combs, Rick Love, Bob Moore and Carl Schiefer, all of whom have made lasting impressions on the automotive world.
The SEMA Board of Directors is composed of industry representatives who volunteer their time to lead and guide the association. They are elected by SEMA-member companies and reflect the trade association’s key membership categories: manufacturers, distributors/retailers, manufacturers’ representatives and services.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report to Congress in May that is highly critical of anti-competitive repair restrictions employed by manufacturers that limit consumer choice.
“Save Our Race Cars” is the banner uniting the automotive masses as legislative advocates. The latest phase of the saga to ensure that the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act becomes law has shattered previous efforts with viral strength. Many will recall first learning of the unreasonable interpretation of the Clean Air Act by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016, which has sent a chill through the automotive community ever since. The race to pass the RPM Act has now taken on a groundbreaking pace.