At the end of 2009, there were more than 13,000 franchised automotive dealers in China. Many of them are so-called 4S dealerships, which indicates that the dealer not only sells new cars but also services vehicles as well as sells spare parts.

Law and Order is an update of some of the most recent federal and state legislative and regulatory issues that could potentially impact the automotive specialty-equipment industry. These include issues affecting small-business owners and their employees.

We recently had the good fortune to speak with Bob Corwin, first vice president of Alliant Insurance Services, to discuss his company’s role and service offerings within ProPledge.

Last year, journalists in the Los Angeles area reported on a rare SEMA event that took place in Pasadena, California. It wasn’t the amazing collection of vehicles that made the event unique. Rather, it was the fact that the SEMA Show ‘N Shine car show was a fundraiser open to the general public.

The SEMA Show is the premier destination for buyers in the specialty-equipment industry looking to find new products and services for their customers. In 2009, 25,086 buyers went to Las Vegas specifically to bring the newest restyling and car care offerings from the Show floor into their own retail...

One of the most profound effects of the recession was the decline in U.S. vehicle sales, which plummeted from nearly 17 million in 2006 to about 10.6 million in 2009, according to Ward’s AutoWorld.

As the economy starts to rebound, retailers are taking on a new mission—customer recovery. While analysts argue about the official end of the recession, business owners know that the economy doesn’t turn around until new customers begin to open their wallets.

Riding the momentum of social media’s virtually unbridled growth, consumer reviews have become a powerful, proven tool for spiking company sales and are showing signs of becoming even more potent.

Barry Meguiar’s family has been in the car-care business for 109 years, and he’s personally headed up the company that carries the family name for more than four decades. As the president of Meguiar’s Inc., he’s seen the economic roller coaster trundle up and down many times before, but he’s never...

We’ve just come from the first SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, held May 25–27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the feedback we’ve gathered has been tremendous.