The wheel segment continues to be among the most robust in the automotive specialty-equipment industry, as evidenced by the dozens of wheel manufacturers that exhibited at the recent SEMA Show. Wheel builders continue to refine manufacturing techniques such as laser cutting for high-quality surface finishes and evolving designs that include deep concaves, mesh spokes and revolving caps. The following pages highlight some of the innovations from exhibitors in the Wheels & Accessories section, as seen in the 2013 SEMA Show New Products Showcase.

For the tenth year, a panel of 29 journalists from leading international media outlets served on the Global Media Award panel. Journalists from 14 countries participated, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom and Venezuela. Each was charged with choosing 10 products from the more than 2,000 new products introduced at the 2013 SEMA Show that they believe would resonate best with their consumers.

Narrowing down the selection to only 10 products was difficult, said Graham Erasmus of South Africa’s Automotive Business Review. “Being a global media awards judge is pretty daunting,” he explained. “You are given six hours to vote for your 10 winning products, but the real problem lies in picking the final 10. I got it down to a short list of 28 and then had to go through the agonizing process of [whittling down the list to the final 10].”

Breaking news from SEMA members, including Remington Industries, Petersen Automotive Museum, CRP Automotive, WyoTech, LKQ Corporation, Toyo Tire North America and more.

Dozens of wheel and tire companies exhibited at the 2013 SEMA Show, displaying everything from fullsize trucks to power-sports products. Combinations mounted on 20-in. and larger rims were common throughout. Courtesy of Vossen Wheels Keeping an Eye on the Evolving Marketplace

Dozens of companies displayed tire, wheel and related products at the 2013 SEMA Show, providing concrete proof that the tire and wheel segments are among the most prolific within the automotive specialty-equipment industry. As always, however, evolution is constant, so SEMA News once again canvassed wheel and tire professionals for their insights into design, construction, marketing and sales trends as we enter the new year.

Experts from the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) provided attendees at the 2013 SEMA Show with an in-depth look at the product-data-management program. SEMA-member companies that are resellers or distributors may obtain an unlimited number of data exports for free through the SDC. SEMA-member companies that are resellers or distributors may obtain an unlimited number of product data exports from the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) at absolutely no cost. The savings—available to any SEMA-member receiver in the SDC—totals $1,200 per year and is the newest incentive for members to join the SDC.

Launched in March 2012 with a beta test, the SDC is now a fully operational service that makes it possible for businesses to easily obtain valuable information about products from manufacturers. Information includes weights and measures, accurate descriptions, current pricing, UPCs, images, other digital assets and more. Details also include rich vehicle-application data and year/make/model look-ups.

Breaking news from SEMA members, including Meyer Distributing, CTEK Group, ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, RealTruck.com and more.

Join fellow SEMA members and SEMA staff for the first SEMA Town Hall of 2014 at the Flowmaster, B&M & Hurst Warehouse in Sacramento, California. SEMA invites industry professionals to the first stop of the 2014 Town Hall tour, where members and prospective members will gather at Flowmaster, B&M & Hurst Warehouse in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, January 29, from 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and SEMA staff. The panelists for the Town Hall include SEMA Chairman Nate Shelton, B&M Racing and Performance Products Inc.; Joel Ayres, Bedslide/Tākit Inc.; and John Hotchkis, Hotchkis Performance LLC.

SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings offer members and prospective members an in-depth look at SEMA programs and services offered to all businesses, whether they are manufacturers, retailers, media representatives or service providers. In addition, the event provides members with an ideal networking opportunity with professionals from...

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