Manufacturers’ representatives are key channel partners. They are in the unique position to connect with virtually every aspect of the supply chain. From sales calls to warehouse distributors, retailers and installers in the territories they represent to their in-depth product and industry knowledge...

Walk around the SEMA Show or attend any industry meeting or event anywhere, and you’ll cross paths with scores of businesswomen engaged in all aspects and at all levels of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. That wasn’t always the case.

Vehicle technology is evolving at lightning speed. For the automotive aftermarket, revolutionary new technologies such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) present both challenges and opportunities.

Over the years, the Wheel & Tire Council (WTC, formerly known as the Wheel Industry Council, WIC) has not only brought together two related industry segments for the common good but has also centered its sights on the collective technical and educational needs of its members.

It’s official. Against an awe-inspiring backdrop of towering red rock formations for which Moab, Utah, is renowned, the light-truck and off-road communities celebrated the rebranding of the Light Truck Accessories Alliance (LTAA) into the more inclusive Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) at an...

Members of the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) are not just part of a community of like-minded professionals. Membership in PRO also gives employees of member companies a voice on matters that influence and impact the restyling market—and that can help to effect change.

In today’s ever-evolving market, it’s critical that SEMA members have a chance to weigh in on issues that influence and impact the specialty-equipment market, and one of the most effective ways to have a voice is through participation in a SEMA council. For companies engaged in the motorsports...

Traditionally dominated by motorcycles, the powersports segment is expanding dynamically, thanks to the explosive popularity of side-by-sides, aka utility task vehicles (UTVs). The latter have brought off-roading enjoyment to a mostly family-oriented audience that eyes modifications focused on...

It may be the one segment of the automotive aftermarket that no enthusiast ever really wants to get too acquainted with, but it’s one of the most essential and one of the most universally patronized. Specifically, it’s the collision-repair sector—the companies and shops that manufacture and apply...

From its early days as the Street Rod Marketing Alliance (SRMA) to what is now the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), the hot-rod industry has been a formidable force within the specialty-equipment market. In keeping with its efforts to provide business-building resources, the council has always...