Containing Costs in the Data-Breach Era
During a recent speech at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), President Obama reminded us: “If we’re going to be connected, then we need to be protected.” The sentiment summarizes a growing problem facing businesses that rely on modern technology to transact business: the data breach.
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.
The Future Is Now
What do a car dealer, a former Navy SEAL commander and a financial advisor have in common? They were all recently elected to serve in the U.S. Congress. As a result of the November midterm elections, a lot of new faces have arrived in the nation’s capital. Fifty-eight first-timers were elected to the House of Representatives and 13 to the U.S. Senate. Among them are the future champions of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. While sorting through all of the new names may seem daunting, here are a few to keep an eye on.
The 2014 election was one that Republicans will look back upon fondly. The party picked up more than a dozen seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and nine in the U.S. Senate. As a result, the GOP has its largest majority in the House since 1931 and has regained control of the Senate after eight years in the minority.
While November 4 was a night of celebration for Republicans, the real challenge will be governing in the weeks and months ahead. Washington’s dysfunction is both real and pervasive. The past two years have been the least productive in history.
Bed Wood & Parts Hosts U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield
Like many car guys, Jeff Major’s passion for street rods, stock cars and classic trucks was acquired as he helped his father in the garage. While working on his own ’57 Chevy pickup not long ago, Major couldn’t find the right wood for the bed of his truck, so he took a page out of his father’s playbook and took matters into his own hands. Literally. It was on that day in 2006 that Bed Wood & Parts was born.
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.
Vintage Air Hosts U.S. Representative Lamar Smith
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention. If you’ve ever been to San Antonio, Texas, in the summer, you know it’s not uncommon for the mercury to push triple digits. When it’s that hot, having a running air-conditioning system in your car is a must. Enter Jack Chisenhall. When he founded Vintage Air in 1976, no one else was producing air-conditioning systems and components for classic cars and trucks.
The laws and regulations that govern how SEMA members do business have a continuous impact on the way automotive specialty-equipment products are made, distributed and marketed. The charge of the SEMA government affairs office is to stay on top of relevant state and federal legislation and regulations and advocate industry positions to ensure the best possible outcome for the membership. The following are just a few examples of critical legislative/regulatory successes that the SEMA government affairs team was involved in this year.