Every year, collector car aficionados and restoration pros gather at Spring Carlisle, the world-renowned classic car swap meet, car corral and auction.

For members of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) and classic-car aficionados, the SEMA Show is an ideal setting to showcase and shop for products and services which drive the restoration market.

  SEMA News—October 2022

SEMA Member News

Council & Network Leadership

By Ellen McKoy

The SEMA Board of Directors approved the council concept in 1993, elevating the status of three committees: the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO), the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) and the Street Rod Market Alliance (SRMA), now the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA). SEMA then hired its first council director. There are now nine councils and networks and three SEMA council directors.

Sabra Johnson has 30-plus years of restoration experience. He started out collecting and modifying vehicles as a hobby. The hobby evolved into City Classic Cars, a flourishing Houston-area restoration business specializing in restomods and ground-up restorations.

The Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) has long provided resources to benefit members, address challenges and raise awareness of the restoration hobby. Going forward, ARMO is poised to tackle some new initiatives.

The Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) is excited to reprise its role at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show and have a presence at the SEMA Show. MPMC has typically maintained a low profile at the SEMA Show. This year, however, there’s a new “Motorsports Builders Panel,” powered by MPMC.

The Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) is committed to preserving and promoting the restoration industry, and that objective infuses every aspect of ARMO’s presence at the SEMA Show.

For months, the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) relied on virtual forums to connect with members. As industry events reopened, HRIA hit the road. Pit stops included a networking mixer at the Minnesota Street Rod Association (MSRA) Back to The Fifties show in Minneapolis, Goodguys Rod & Custom Show in Des Moines, Iowa, site of a general membership meeting, and another networking mixer at a Goodguys show in Columbus, Ohio. At the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, HRIA held another general membership meeting and presented its Education Days program.

Changes are afoot at the SEMA Show. Notably, a new West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) will house the now co-located Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) in booth #50185 and the Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) in booth #56155. Aligning the Restyling & Car Care and Trucks, SUVs & Off-Road sections under one roof strengthens synergies, said Josh Poulson, PRO chair.