The SEMA Launch Pad competition, in which automotive innovators under the age of 40 showcase their business plans for marketing a product or service, has returned for 2014. Last year’s inaugural winner was Jonathan Mill for the E-Stopp, a pushbutton emergency brake and anti-theft device for custom...

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.

According to a SEMA study on the utility task vehicle (UTV) market, nearly 82% of UTV owners have purchased or plan to purchase equipment upgrades for their vehicles. This means that 410,000 households in the United States buy UTV accessories, with the average enthusiast spending $1,700 on parts...

Get to Know the Nominees Five candidates entered this year’s election, each vying for a position on the 2014–2017 SEMA Board of Directors. The SEMA Board provides strategic direction to the association and plays a critical role in shaping the future of the automotive specialty-equipment industry...

A Classic Segment, Still Growing StrongWho isn’t thrilled by the look and performance roar of a classic hot rod? Virtually synonymous with the earliest days of the automotive specialty-equipment industry, hot rodding never seems to grow old. In fact, the market segment has remained incredibly...

The Vehicle Technology Center (VTC) is more than an exhibit at the SEMA Show; it is a lab. It’s a social networking marketplace and a step into the future. “The VTC sessions bring together successful entrepreneurs and a wide spectrum of movers and shakers from both inside and outside the automotive...

Performance Is PremiumHot rods are at the heart of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. From the dry-lakes racers that flourished after World War II to the modern musclecars rolling out today’s factories, improved performance has always been at a premium. The New Products Showcase at the...

Even Easier With a New Crop of Tools With technology’s relentless evolution, businesses have a fresh crop of digital tools that they can use to pinpoint hot recruiting prospects in cyberspace and grab la crème de la crème before they get away. Social-media sniffers, mobilized career websites and...

Powerful Accessories That Boost Vehicle Efficiency and FunctionalityNew, more advanced electronic features are added to vehicles each year, both from the automakers and from specialty-equipment companies. No wonder that some of the most sought-after innovations were displayed in the Mobile...

It’s been quite a year for SEMA on the technology front. Just last May, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) went live for the first time with a fully functioning Product Information Management System. Since that time, more than 300 industry suppliers have engaged with the SDC to gather, validate, store and...