It all began in May 1963, at a meeting in the offices of a model-toy manufacturer in Hollywood, California, when 20-odd members of the fledgling automotive performance aftermarket—who were normally fierce competitors—first discussed the possibility of joining forces. From those inauspicious beginnings emerged the makings of a trade association that now serves more than 7,000 members comprising a $50 billion specialty-equipment market.

"The 60th anniversary of SEMA the organization is testimony to the strength and resiliency of our member companies," said Mike Spagnola, SEMA president and CEO. "Through changing and often turbulent times, the specialty-equipment market has continuously evolved to meet the demands of the moment. While SEMA has done its part to help advance the cause of the industry, it's the unflagging enthusiasm and perseverance of our members that has been the reason for our longevity."

What follows is a review of the past 60 years—the trends that influenced the aftermarket, and the ways that SEMA has changed to meet the needs of its member companies. Special thanks to all those industry members who shared their recollections with SEMA News for this article.

 

Before the Beginning: The Early Postwar Years

The automotive aftermarket as we know it today most likely began on the dry lake beds of California's Mojave Desert, where the earliest enthusiasts gathered for speed trials to test the products they'd produced for their (mostly) Ford and Chevy roadsters. In the early postwar years, those vehicles were plentiful and affordable, and Southern California's temperate weather enabled enthusiasts to wrench on (and race) their cars virtually year-round.

Things started to pick up for the industry when Robert Petersen launched Hot Rod in 1948, and the demand for speed equipment increased exponentially.

"What Hot Rod did was take a very regional Southern California phenomenon of building up cars to run on the lakes and extend that across the country," said Drew Hardin, longtime automotive journalist and author of Hot Rod Magazine: 75 Years. "Now people everywhere in the United States could read about what was going on in Southern California, and now people everywhere in the United States could find those parts that were being made by Vic Edelbrock and Barney Navarro and all the pioneer speed part manufacturers."

Also, Hot Rod provided enthusiasts around the United States an opportunity to interact with each other via the magazine. "Before then, the only way you could do that was to talk to friends, talk to fellow racers or go to speed shops," Hardin said. "Things were a little more catch-as-catch-can until Hot Rod came along." As a result, so-called "speed shops" began to spring up across the country to serve the growing demand of enthusiasts.

Another innovation that fueled further interest was the debut of Chevrolet's small-block V8 in 1955. "Much like what happened with Ford's overhead valve V8 in 1932, suddenly you had a V8 engine that was priced and marketed to the masses, and you also had one that was very receptive to modification," Hardin said. "Guys were hopping up that engine almost right out of the gate and making more power from it. It was a watershed moment."

Also of note, Hardin continued, was Chrysler's introduction of the "FirePower" Hemi, which even pre-dated the Chevy small-block. "Those early Hemis were the backbone for drag racers for years."

While the aftermarket continued to grow into the '60s, there was little or no coordination between companies. Distribution networks didn't exist, and neither did industry product standards or much if any collaboration between manufacturers. These were, after all, competing entities that carefully guarded their trade secrets. "They were racers first and businessmen second," Hardin noted.

That all began to change in 1963.

The 1960's: How it Started

Accounts have varied over the years, but the surviving narrative, as originally reported in SEMA News in 1986 and again in 2003, is that SEMA was formed after a query from an outsider: Henry Blankfort, a marketing executive with model-car manufacturer Revell Inc. (now Revell USA LLC), who was seeking exclusive licensing agreements with various speed-equipment manufacturers to use their company logos on Revell's model cars.

To that end, Blankfort enlisted the aid of advertising executive Ed Elliot, who was well connected to the aftermarket—he represented most of the companies that advertised in Hot Rod—to convene a meeting of speed-shop owner/manufacturers in order to make his pitch. Some 20-odd manufacturers attended the meeting at Revell's headquarters on Hollywood Boulevard in May 1963, and among those known to have been in attendance were Ed Iskenderian of Isky Cams, Els Mohn of Eelco Manufacturing, Dean Moon of Moon Equipment and Roy Richter of Cragar Equipment.

Blankfort, who was also an officer with the Hobby Industry Association (HIA), a trade association of craft and hobby-equipment manufacturers, suggested the attendees form a similar umbrella group. The new association, he explained, could handle mundane administrative requests such as his more efficiently, and the new group could also be useful for government advocacy programs; a trade association could lobby more effectively against future regulations than any single company ever could. (The HIA was formed in part to lobby against legislative initiatives that sought to limit the sale of model airplane glue.) The idea took hold, and the attendees agreed to form an association.

Ed Iskenderian, 101 years of age at the time this issue went to press, recalled the meeting. "We especially liked the idea of having a lawyer in D.C. who could help us fight against any government regulations that might come along, so we agreed to join forces." John Bartlett, president of Grant Racing Pistons, drew up the first bylaws (he was also a licensed attorney), and the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association was incorporated in May 1963, with Ed Iskenderian subsequently elected the association's first president. Iskenderian, who wasn't present for the vote, still isn't sure why he was selected, but adds that "it was really a great honor, though the fellow who really kept the organization running in the early years was Ed Elliot."

The new organization's mission was straightforward: develop uniform standards for products used in motorsports; promote the industry to consumers; develop business best practices among member companies; and hold regular meetings to promote solidarity as an organization. 

 

The SEMA Show: Origins

The idea for a specialty-equipment industry trade show sprang from a number of divergent sources, and several different aftermarket gatherings have been suggested as SEMA Show forerunners. Among the best-known was a trade event organized by the late Noel Carpenter, then the publisher of Speed & Custom Equipment News (which merged with Hot Rod in the '70s). It debuted at the Disneyland Hotel in 1965 as the "Speed & Custom Equipment Show" and featured 70-odd exhibitors and roughly 1,000 attendees. SEMA was not involved in organizing that event, but the association did sponsor the event the following year and received a share of show profits: a check for $535.

The first "officially recognized" SEMA Show was held in 1967 under the aegis of Petersen Publishing, which purchased the rights to the Show from SEMA. Petersen's Hot Rod Industry News, edited by Alex Xydias of SO-CAL Speed Shop fame, was the Show's official host, and Petersen's Special Events division, helmed by Dick Wells, was charged with the event's production and logistics.

The inaugural SEMA Show—officially, the "High Performance & Custom Trade Show"—was held January 10–12, 1967, at the club-level concourse at Dodger Stadium. "It was raining and freezing cold," said Gigi Carleton, Bob Petersen's longtime executive secretary, in an interview with SEMA News in 2017. "The manufacturers came from all over the United States—some locally, some from as far away as the Midwest, and everyone stayed at the old Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard.

"No one was sure how well a show like this would turn out," Carleton added, "because no one had ever done anything like it before."

As with any first-time exhibition, the initial SEMA Show had its share of challenges, with poor weather and slapdash booth displays that were sometimes little more than folding card tables and cardboard signs held together with Scotch tape. "It was kind of a mess," Ed Iskenderian admitted.

Still, with 98 exhibiting companies and some 3,000 industry professionals in attendance, the Show was judged to have been worth the effort, and worth revisiting the following year. "It was a huge success," Carleton said. "We couldn't believe it!" Many SEMA-member companies that exhibited that year are still in business today, including Air Lift Co., B&M Automotive, Crower Cams, Edelbrock Group, Hedman Hedders, Hellwig Products, Mickey Thompson Wheels & Tires, Milodon Engineering and Valley Head Service, among others.

Looking back, Carleton attributed the Show's success to a healthy economy and good timing. "Many of the exhibitors wrote so many orders at the first show that they could hardly wait for the second one," which was relocated the following year to the newly opened Anaheim Convention Center.

The 1970's: Regulations and Innovations

The year 1970 saw the passage of the Clean Air Act—and with it, the first enforceable federal emissions mandates. In addition, the publication of Ralph Nader's Unsafe at Any Speed a few years prior led to a public outcry for improved vehicle safety, and in the years that followed, the automotive industry was hit with a raft of new regulations, including a federal speed limit.

In response, SEMA's name was changed to its present form in 1970 at the suggestion of Earl Kitner, SEMA's first Washington, D.C.-based attorney, for reasons that were as much political as organizational. "A name change would greatly assist our representation," Kitner said at the time, adding that "elderly bureaucrats are not likely to appreciate the swinging generation's preoccupation with speed." The aftermarket had begun to diversify beyond hard parts for racing, and the members agreed that the more generalized "Specialty Equipment" better reflected an industry that was now serving multiple automotive market segments while de-emphasizing the go-fast enthusiast element.

"We also wanted to attract distributors," Ed Iskenderian added.

Still, the '70s witnessed the first of many skirmishes between SEMA-member companies and the new wave of environmental regulations from the newly created U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). In response, SEMA's legal department rose to meet the challenge.

"One of the secrets of our success was keeping the EPA and CARB at arm's length," said Chuck Blum, SEMA president and CEO from 1980 to 2002. "Their regulations basically wouldn't allow you to touch any emission-control devices on a car. If you did, you violated the regulation even if the aftermarket guys were making products that didn't violate emissions. But the way the law was written, they couldn't make those products and sell them. They wanted to shut down the aftermarket.

"But that's where SEMA played a major role in that," Blum continued. "We sued the EPA, and we won."

On the other hand, Blum reminded, "A lot of the same laws are still on the books to this day. And SEMA is still fighting those same regulations."

In any event, the aftermarket experienced robust growth during the decade, and it was reflected in the rapid expansion of the SEMA Show, which had outgrown its Anaheim exhibition space by the middle of the decade. Would-be industry attendees were turned away from sold-out events in 1975 and 1976, and in response, the SEMA Board of Directors, following the guidance of CEO Leo Kagan, made the decision to relocate the Show to the city of Las Vegas. Only a decade after the initial SEMA Show, which hosted fewer than 100 exhibitors, the inaugural Vegas event hosted more than 800 companies.

 

The 1980's: The Aftermarket Diversifies

A succession of Middle East oil embargoes in the '70s, combined with years of near double-digit inflation, kept fuel prices high for the better part of the decade. As a consequence, consumer preferences began to shift away from full-size domestic sedans toward smaller imports, and by the mid-'80s, Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas were commonplace on America's roads. These cars were highly economical but lacking in the kind of power and performance many consumers desired. The specialty-equipment market responded in kind, and a "sport compact" aftermarket sector began producing parts for Japanese and German imports.

"We ran across this guy, Chuck Schwartz, who had his own little import show called Auto Internacional, and we negotiated with him to bring the import show into our group," Chuck Blum said. "And in so doing, we ended up hiring him as our show manager. It was basically the import parts segment of the industry, which at that time was pretty unique."

In addition, the pickup enthusiast market grew by leaps and bounds in the '80s, particularly in response to the unexpected popularity of monster truck racing that began in the middle of the decade. Initially derided as a passing fad, the monsters caught the fancy of the American public, and eventually the industry became a leading innovator in chassis and suspension design. Once again, the aftermarket rushed to fill a growing enthusiast demand with suspension lifts, oversized tires and numerous related components for trucks, Jeeps and SUVs.

Chuck Schwartz was also instrumental in the expansion of the truck and off-road sector, forming the Off-Road Equipment Association (OREA) along with Pete Condos, Bill Stroppe and Thurston Warn, among others, as a response to concerns about land closures. Schwartz produced the OREA trade shows, which eventually was folded into the SEMA Show.

As the aftermarket grew into greater numbers of segments, the annual SEMA Show, which had no systematized exhibit protocols, became an increasingly taxing experience for attendees.

"A lot of the attendees were complaining that if they wanted to, say, see truck accessories, they had to walk all over the place to find them," Blum recalled. "The show was getting bigger and the convention center was getting bigger, and it became very difficult. So we decided we'd go with dedicated Show sections."

It may be hard to believe in retrospect, but "we got a lot of pushback at the start," Blum said. "We had exhibitors complaining, 'I don't want to be anywhere near my competitors,' that type of thing. But as it turned out, even those naysayers agreed that it was probably the best thing to do."

 

The 1990's: Street Performance and SUV's

The '90s marked the post-Cold-War Era, the decade when America saw the fall of the Iron Curtain and the launch of the internet (then spelled with a capital "I"). The "peace dividend" expanded the economy, and hence new aftermarket opportunities. There are some, in fact, who argue that the decade was among the most exciting periods in automotive history.

"For the aftermarket, adding a body kit or spoiler was popular, wheels got bigger and spinners enjoyed renewed popularity, among many other innovations," noted Stuart Gosswein, former SEMA senior director for federal governmental affairs. "On the safety side, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] introduced the five-star rating system in 1993 to help consumers focus on issues such as front, rear and side impact. Anti-lock brakes became standard equipment, and cars were required to have front passenger-side airbags."

Meanwhile, the introduction of the Ferrari F50 and Lamborghini Diablo took sports performance and handling to new levels. (For more modest budgets, there was the "Ferrari-slaying" Acura NSX or the V10 Dodge Viper.) Especially noteworthy, GM introduced the LS engine in 1997 with the C5 Corvette.

For the trendy, the Plymouth Prowler and a revamped VW Beetle brought the market a retro vibe. But the Hip Hop Age continued the proliferation of "tricked out" lowriders and mini trucks begun in the '80s, while the sport-compact scene redefined street performance.

"That market gave a giant shot in the arm to SEMA and the industry because it brought in a much younger crowd," observed former SEMA News Editor Bill Groak. "They were doing the same thing that SEMA folks did back in the '50s and '60s—improving horsepower and suspensions and adding cool goodies."

The rise of the SUV was another gift to modifiers, given how consumers liked their vehicles rugged-looking, bull-bar-equipped and ready to go off-road on a moment's notice—whether or not they ever really did.

But there were rising challenges. In 1991, CARB mandated OBD II for all new cars, with the EPA quickly following suit. Foreseeing growing regulatory battles, SEMA relocated its Government Affairs office to Washington, D.C., in 1995 and held its first Washington Rally to connect members and lawmakers in 1996. "SEMA also sponsored the formation of the Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus to help raise the industry's profile with Capitol Hill and the public," added Gosswein.

The 2000's - "Fast and Furious" Car Culture

As the 21st Century dawned, the aftermarket experienced "Fast and Furious" growth—literally. Released in 2001, the film arguably influenced the aftermarket more than any other in recent memory. In fact, Hollywood seemed intent on promoting fast and blingy cars. (Think MTV's "Cribs," "Pimp My Ride," big chrome wheels and spinners.)

The mix of urban culture, stars and cars opened a fresh niche for publications, including DUB magazine, which helped inspire toy car lines, video games and concerts. This and other car-oriented phenomena greatly broadened the audience for all things automotive.

"Suddenly cars were cool among the youth again," observed SEMA Vice President of Marketing RJ de Vera, who came of age amid the craze. "It was a lifestyle movement as much as a car movement."

That movement encompassed car shows and concerts, Hot Import Nights and other motorsports events delivering DJs and live music, dancing, big-name sponsors, and other festival elements to young attendees. Formula Drift became a sanctioned form of motorsports, while off-road and dirt racing also greatly expanded, garnering major media coverage and non-endemic sponsorships. And, though few foresaw it then, Yamaha's 2004 introduction of the Rhino would hatch an exciting new UTV powersports class.

Among the OEMs, SUVs continued in popularity, with Jeeps surging in ascendancy by mid-decade. The Chrysler PT Cruiser caused a stir, as did the Chevy Corvette Z06 and Ford GT. The truck wars between Ford, GMC/Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota heated up as well. By end of decade, however, rising gas prices had many consumers considering recently introduced subcompacts and hybrids like the Honda Fit and Insight and the Toyota Prius.

Tech-wise, the TREAD Act of 2000 required the NHTSA to issue a new tire safety standard and mandates for tire-pressure monitoring and electronic stability control systems on new cars. OEMs also introduced dual-clutch transmissions, backup radar and rearview cameras. "Infotainment," too, became an aftermarket buzzword: this encompassed DVD players, enhanced audio and GPS navigation systems, Bluetooth, iPods and charging units for early smartphones. (Remember the Blackberry?)

On the legal front, SEMA fought "Cash for Clunker" initiatives throughout the '00s at state and federal levels. To further expand industry influence, SEMA created the Political Action Committee (SEMA PAC) in 2003 and the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus in 2005. "Both organizations remain vital to supporting federal and state lawmakers who support the automotive hobby and businesses," explained Stuart Gosswein.

 

2010–Present: Reaching New Heights

If you could sum up the last 13 years in two words, they might be "growth" and "technology." Plunged into the Great Recession in 2008, the economy righted itself around 2010, and the industry roared back.

By 2015, what former SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting called "the Golden Era of Off-the-Shelf Horsepower" was in full swing with musclecars gaining a fresh following. In fact, the OEM push for ever-higher fuel efficiency and performance through turbo- and supercharged engines has delivered consumers vehicles capable of 700+ hp. Smaller-displacement engines have benefitted too. The horsepower of an average four-cylinder is double—sometimes triple—that of 2010.

Aftermarket upgrades have become "simpler" also: a new intake, exhaust kit, springs and electronic tuning. What isn't so simple is the emissions compliance surrounding certain mods. Both CARB the EPA stepped up emissions enforcement in the '00s, prompting SEMA to open the Diamond Bar, California, SEMA Garage in 2015 to assist manufacturers in developing compliant products. In 2022, SEMA added a Detroit facility.

SEMA also stepped up its industry advocacy, introducing the RPM Act and mobilizing enthusiast supporters, lobbying state legislatures for more favorable laws, and increasingly taking on land-use issues. It worked to save the Bonneville Salt Flats and recently joined a lawsuit to keep California's Oceano Dunes open to OHV recreation.

"Member challenges and opportunities abounded in the '10s," said Kersting. "We prioritized the use of SEMA funds on solutions and tools that they couldn't develop or afford individually. These included the Diamond Bar and Detroit SEMA Garage emissions and ADAS centers, SEMA Data services, and growing the SEMA Show into an all-encompassing automotive cultural event." (This helped lay the groundwork for SEMA Fest.)

It's no understatement to say the current decade is one of major industry transformation. OEMS are shifting toward trucks, mainly pickups and CUVs. Plus, all automakers plan to significantly up hybrid and battery electric vehicle production in the coming decade. (Autonomous cars are further off, but techies are working on it.)

In terms of aftermarket styling, more nuanced kits with vinyl wraps and carbon-fiber pieces are the latest vogue. The truck surge has also kept lift, suspension, wheel and bumper suppliers busy. Meanwhile, restorers are redefining "classics" to include restomodded '80s and '90s cars and trucks.

Even when the 2020 pandemic hit, the industry kept its momentum, aided by the tech that has radically reshaped marketing. In 2006, Twitter was a fledging and Facebook a "fad." Now digital media drives consumer engagement. Time and again, the industry demonstrates ingenuity and resilience, and SEMA and its members stand well poised for the future.

 

 

A Milestone Trade Event Revs Up Industry Momentum in Vegas

By Mike Imlay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By SEMA News Editors

 

Among the highlights of the 2022 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, was the announcement of a bold five-year vision to expand the SEMA Show into a broader Las Vegas experience. Officially called SEMA Week, the plan seeks to develop the world’s most passionate and exciting automotive event for both industry businesses and vehicle enthusiasts. SEMA Week will kick off this November 2023 with multiple new concepts, activities and events continuing to be phased in over the five-year roll-out period. 

The business-to-business SEMA Show will continue to anchor SEMA Week, with the Show remaining a trade-only event Tuesday through Thursday. On Friday, the final day of the SEMA Show, a greater number of qualified enthusiasts will gain exclusive access to the Show through the Friday Experience program, which was launched two years ago. The SEMA Cruise and SEMA Experience—which draw thousands of fans on Friday—will also remain in place. . 

The big change will begin Friday evening of SEMA Week, when the association will take over the nearby Las Vegas Festival Grounds to debut an all-new SEMA Fest event. Open to the entire public, the festival will continue through Saturday night.

“We have been watching the connection between enthusiasts and our industry grow for more than a decade and, as the industry’s trade association, have a responsibility to help facilitate that connection in new and meaningful ways,” said James Lawrence, SEMA Chairman of the Board. “By creating SEMA Week and SEMA Fest, we will be able to maintain the integrity of the trade show that makes it a must-attend event for automotive professionals while introducing a new platform for enthusiasts and the industry to engage with one another.” 

Although SEMA Week will mark a major turning point for the association, SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola noted it follows a progression of recent SEMA outreaches to the enthusiast market. “In 2007, we brought the television show “Overhaulin’” to the SEMA Show. In 2011, the SEMA Cruise was launched. In 2014, we introduced SEMA Ignited and the SEMA Battle of the Builders. And [in 2021], the Friday Experience brought 5,000 automotive consumers to be part of the SEMA Show,” he said.

According to SEMA Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso, SEMA Week’s SEMA Fest will unite automotive enthusiasts with the aftermarket industry “in a high-octane and immersive festival-like celebration of car culture.” The event will feature top music and entertainment, a car show and cruise, VIP experiences, craft food, automotive celebrities and motorsport events. 

Some may wonder why a trade association like SEMA, best known for its industry-only Show, is now making such a sizable commitment to the consumer space as well. In announcing SEMA Week, Lawrence explained it is part of a broader initiative to capture the hearts and imaginations of the enthusiast public and galvanize consumers behind the industry. A trade association has only so many business voices it can make heard. But a trade association supported by millions of consumers who use and enjoy its products speaks volumes to governmental policymakers at a time when the right to enjoy and modify vehicles is under threat.

“We as an association need to step out of the background, step up to the podium, and take a bigger charge in leading this. Politically, SEMA needs to be bolder and act more decisively, with more conviction,” he said.

 

 

The SEMA Week concept also aligns with a trend reshaping the trade-show industry at large. “This is a natural evolution of the many live activations and performance demonstrations we’ve been creating for years now,” said Gattuso. “We’re going to leverage a decade of planning and events into what the trade-show industry has labeled ‘festivalization.’ The great thing about creating a festival-type experience is it turns enthusiasts into evangelists. It can also turn car-curious people into enthusiasts.” 

“During the pandemic our industry’s pathway from manufacturers or service providers to end-user enthusiasts became more direct than ever,” added Gattuso. “With SEMA Week we’re building on that connectivity to help the end-user understand our industry’s latest trends, innovations and products and speed up the timeframe to consumer adoption.”

SEMA Week will also include a SEMA Auction featuring some of the best builds from the Show, plus many more amazing vehicles to headline the festivities. As an association, SEMA will continue to expand and refine SEMA Week, adding new events and activities throughout the city of Las Vegas each year. The city is fast becoming a hub for car culture, Gattuso observed, and SEMA plans to fuel and build on that phenomenon. 

“Our commitment to growing and maintaining our industry’s B2B connections hasn’t changed,” emphasized Gattuso. “SEMA Week adds a new opportunity to deliver our core industry audience the best automotive event that they’ve ever been to while introducing a whole new realm of people into what our industry does.” 

Perhaps SEMA Chairman James Lawrence best summed up SEMA Week’s potential during his Industry Awards Banquet announcement: “It’s going to be everything you love about SEMA, and so much more,” he said. “We believe, within a few years, it’s going to make SEMA Week the can’t-miss automotive event in the world.”

In coming months, additional details regarding the 2023 SEMA Show, SEMA Week, and SEMA Fest will be announced through multiple SEMA communications channels, including the SEMA News magazine, SEMA News digital, and social media. 

 

 

Recognizing the Most Customizable New Platforms For The Coming Year

Compiled by SEMA News Staff

Each year prior to the SEMA Show, exhibitors are polled on the new vehicles that, in their judgment, represent the best opportunities for accessorization via the aftermarket for the coming year. Vehicles are chosen in six distinct classes—including a brand-new class for 2022, EV of the Year—and the winners are announced ahead of the start of the Show. This year’s announcement was made on Monday, October 31, on the eve of the 2022 Show. The winners are listed at right.

“The SEMA Award recognizes the hottest new vehicles on the market that offer the greatest opportunities for customization,” said Warren Kosikov, SEMA vice president of sales. “SEMA Award-winning vehicles are setting worldwide trends in the automotive enthusiast industry. The 2022 SEMA Show had on display many of the SEMA Award-
winning vehicles, each customized in its 
unique way.”
What follows on these pages is a sampling of the winning vehicles that exhibited at the 2022 SEMA Show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Mike Imlay

 

This past November 3, nearly 3,000 industry professionals gathered for the annual 2022 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet in Las Vegas. The Thursday-night celebration encompasses the presentation of several distinguished honors, but perhaps none as prestigious as the SEMA Person of the Year Award. Beyond any personal or professional achievements, the award pays tribute to an individual who embodies service and dedication to the specialty automotive industry and the advancement of SEMA members throughout the aftermarket.

For 2022, the award went to SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) Council Chair Josh Poulson. The principal of Auto Additions, Poulson is well known for his industry leadership contributions, philanthropy and overall positive influence on SEMA members. 

“SEMA is proud to recognize Josh Poulson as our 2022 Person of the Year,” said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. “Josh has long been an active SEMA member who exemplifies the association’s spirit of volunteerism. He has served many years on the PRO council and on multiple SEMA task forces. More recently, first as a PRO select-committee member and now as chair, he has guided PRO in creating incredible benefits for its members, including sales and installer training programs. We congratulate Josh on this well-deserved honor.”

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Poulson began his aftermarket career at age 16, when a friend recruited him as a part-time technician for Auto Additions. In Poulson’s words, it was more a “fluke” than anything else—simply a job to work himself through college.

“I showed up the first day and asked, ‘What do we do?’ And he said, ‘Well, we put sunroofs and striping on cars and stuff like that.’ I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’ To be honest, cars weren’t really my first love,” Poulson recalls.

“I was an installer for probably about six or seven years, and they realized I wasn’t that great of one, but I was dependable. 
I had my strengths and my weaknesses, but I was better at talking to people. So one year they all went to the SEMA Show and left me to run things. When they came back, the owner [Ken Morris] said, ‘Oh man, he did a great job while we were gone. Let’s, put him into management/sales,’ and my role just grew from there.”

Moving up the ranks, Poulson became good friends with Morris and his wife Vicki, who together entrusted him with their company in 2000. “I still keep in frequent contact with them—they’re actually still part of the business. They’ve just treated me like a son going on 30 years now. They’ve always given me the [business] freedom when I’ve needed it, and their mentorship when I’ve needed it,” said Poulson.

 

 

Under Poulson’s guidance, Auto Additions has since doubled its sales to become one of the nation’s premier restyling brands, employing more than 35 people serving car dealerships and the retail public alike with more than 300 accessories and services. Along the way, Poulson became an increasingly active member of PRO and was named the council’s Restyler of the Year in 2012 and PRO Person of the Year in 2015. Having served on the PRO select committee since 2013, he was recently elected council chair. He is also a veteran of more than 25 SEMA Shows. 

In addition to his work with PRO, Poulson is part of a group of individuals who formed Restylers United in 2006. Representing top non-competing restyling businesses from around the country, Restylers United members meet semiannually to share ideas and assist each other with problems and challenges in the field. To date, the group boasts 14 active members who have also become lasting friends. 

“We talk about what problems and challenges we’re going through, bring in vendors, and things like that. Whether it’s about buying a competitor, going over financials, or deciding to bring on a new product line, just having peers like that whom you can talk to and get honest opinions from—people who have done it and been in business longer than me—is invaluable,” said Poulson. 

In 2018, Poulson also became a partner in Auto Accessory Configurator, a software solution for U.S. restylers and shops that helps car dealers sell and provide accessories to their customers. According to Poulson, his experiences with Restylers United, Auto Accessory Configurator and his industry peers in general have provided him with a keen understanding of markets and challenges, making him a more 
effective voice within PRO and SEMA.

 

 

“There are many challenges for SEMA to address,” he explains. “There are the major ones, like CARB and emissions regulations and the right to modify your vehicle. But there are also some unseen things coming down the pipeline that maybe we’re not effectively reacting to because we don’t know how they’ll unfold.”

A specific concern for PRO is the changing model of how OEs sell vehicles through dealers, he added. Fast disappearing are the days when customers would walk into a dealership, select from many vehicles on the lot, and order a restyle package to further refine a vehicle to their tastes. “Now they can just order it however they want from the factory, and we’re maybe cut out. So for PRO membership, the future car-selling process and ensuring we’re a part of it is the biggest thing. The second biggest thing is the future of technicians and skilled labor, because now we’re competing with the OEMs, dealers and every mechanic shop out there. And not only do technicians have to be good with their hands, but with their brains too, because working on cars is harder than ever.”

Luckily, through his skill, dedication and openness, Poulson has built a strong network of peers and supporters within the SEMA community to take on such challenges. 
“If you have ever had the opportunity to hang out with Josh, he will jokingly say that he hates cars,” said BOOSTane founder and fellow SEMA volunteer Ian Lehn. “The irony is that it comes from someone who at every turn has made his professional and volunteer career about giving back to the automotive industry. I’d hazard to say he’s one of the biggest enthusiasts in our industry, and just doesn’t want to admit it. Person of the Year speaks to his commitment to those around him and to the future of the aftermarket.” 

 

 

SBN All-Female Ford Wildtrak Build Unveiled at the 2022 SEMA Show

By Douglas McColloch

 

It was the culmination of a hectic 90-day build schedule that engaged more than 100 volunteer wrenches ranging in experience from novice to expert. It took the combined efforts of dozens of aftermarket companies and installation facilities, and it took place across two time zones. In the end, however, the build was a smashing success. The SEMA Businesswomens’ Network (SBN) All-Female Build project, a Ford Bronco four-door Wildtrak, made its debut at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas last November before a crowd of hundreds of industry and media professionals.

“Ten years ago, we did our first All-Female build—a Ford Mustang,” explained Lisa Cabalquinto, program director for DriveShop, “and there were 55 women that came to help build the vehicle and manage the projects. This year, we had more than 250 women that volunteered to help with the project.”

For a project as ambitious as this to happen this quickly, a lot of things have to come together in an orderly fashion—and in this case of the Bronco, the team made it happen. First came the rendering, which was submitted by Monika Kalenski of MEK Magnet, whose artwork was selected by popular vote on social media. The drawing conjured an image of a wilderness-ready overlander that could still be employed as a practical daily driver.

Then the build team went to work. The Ford’s 2.7L twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 received some mild upgrades, most notably an aFe Momentum GT cold-air intake and an AWE cat-back exhaust system. Turbosmart contributed a Kompact EM back valve, and Ford Performance treated the assembly to a power-pack 
performance calibration.

More extensive modifications followed to the chassis and suspension. An ICON Vehicle Dynamics 3- to 4-in. Stage 8 billet suspension system was installed, along with a BroncBusters Stage 3 billet aluminum housing to alleviate stress to the steering system. A Steer Smarts Yeti XD adjustable rear track bar was added to optimize suspension geometry. With suspension and steering upgrades installed, a set of 37x13.50R17 Milestar Patagonia MT02 tires and ICON 17x8.50 satin black alloy wheels were fitted up the to the wheelwells. For a stylistic flourish, McGard lug nuts feature a custom engraved “SBN” logo.

 

 

An overlanding rig needs a host of exterior upgrades to function well, and the SBN Bronco received an assortment. Baja Forged Crawler bumpers were installed front and rear, along with full underbody skidplating. A Warn VR EVO 105 winch and Factor 55 Ultrahook were installed to help with extraction, and Powerstep XL running boards from AMP Research assist with ingress and egress. ORACLE Lighting and switches were added to improve visibility, and a Cascadia 4x4 hood-mounted solar panel provides additional juice off the grid. Ford Performance donated a number of useful products, including an onboard compressor, TRED recovery boards, an ARB jack and a 37-in. spare tire mount. Ford Accessories contributed a LockNLoad roof rack system and Yakima Skyline tent. Adding a touch of style, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering provided the unique Lit Bronco grille. Terra Strada Design executed the custom exterior wrap, and Universal Technical Institute’s Long Beach, California, facility gave the team access to its paint booth.

Inside, the Bronco, Katzkin custom leather seat covers enhance creature comfort and a Goose Gear rear-seat delete affords extra space for an icebox module and storage drawer, which help to accommodate an ARB Classic Fridge that comes courtesy of Ford Performance. A Deep Sleep sleeping pad and DMOS Stealth shovel also found a home inside the cab, and Ford Accessories donated all-weather floor mats and Molle bags.

As with any ambitious build project, things didn’t always go as planned. Parts sometimes went missing or didn’t fit, and the team had to MacGyver solutions on the fly at times.

“It was very much a hands-on learning experience, and the team was eager to take on these challenges, including mocking up bumper fitment plates from cardboard in order to fabricate the actual plates,” said Nicole Bradle, SBN liaison. “The build continues to foster growth and community, not only among the volunteers but also between organizations.”

“The collaboration truly represents the spirit of the build,” added Cathy Clark, SBN chair. “This project was a chance to spotlight women in the automotive aftermarket industry and the ways in which they come together and offer support to each other.”

 

 

Companies That Helped

• Advanced Fiberglass Concepts
• aFe Power
• AMP Power Step
• AWE
• Baja Forged
• BroncBusters
• Cascadia 4x4
• Chemical Guys
• Deep Sleep
• DMOS
• Ford Motor Co.
• Ford Accessories
• Goose Gear
• Icon Vehicle Dynamics
• Katzkin Leather
• McGard
• MEK Magnet
• MileStar Tires
• MRT Performance
• ORACLE Lighting
• PPG
• Seymour of Sycamore
• Steer Smarts
• Summit Racing
• Terra Strada Design
• TRAC LLC
• Turbo Smart
• UTI
• Warn Industries
• Yakima

 

 

The Final Five

By Douglas McColloch

 

Since its inauguration in 2013, SEMA Launch Pad has been the specialty-equipment industry’s ultimate competition for aspiring and established entrepreneurs to introduce their products to a worldwide audience.

For 2022, the tenth annual SEMA Launch Pad competition attracted a record-high number of applications. From these, 15 semifinalists were chosen by a panel of industry experts. After a day of oral presentations and product demonstrations at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, five contestants were chosen to advance to the finals, held last November at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We briefly recapped the event in last month’s issue, but for 2022, we decided to expand our print coverage to include a spotlight on each of the five finalists. What follows, edited for clarity and length, is a profile of each contender and a look at the unique products they’ve brought to life—all in their own words. 

SEMA LAUNCH PAD 2022 3rd PLACE FINISHER

SEMA LAUNCH PAD 2022 RUNNER-UP

2022 SEMA LAUNCH PAD WINNER

Launch Pad 2023: How to Enter

Launch Pad is open only to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia age 18 years or older (residents of Alabama and Nebraska must be 19 or older) and who have a valid email address. Applicants need not be SEMA members. The presenter must be the business’ owner, its leading executive (i.e., president, CEO, CFO, COO) or vice president. The business must offer a product or service that is a functioning prototype, a functioning concept or a production model currently for sale. For more information, visit www.sema.org/sema_launchpad. 

Award-Winning Innovators, Icons and a Big Announcement Were Center Stage at the 2022 SEMA Show

By Mike Imlay

 

One of the annual SEMA Show’s many distinctions is its weeklong display of greatness. From new products and innovations to the groundbreaking people driving the specialty aftermarket to new heights, the SEMA Show reflects the industry’s reach for excellence. Perhaps that’s the reason the Show’s award ceremonies resonate so deeply with thousands of Show participants.  

“We are pleased to congratulate all the winners that we celebrated throughout numerous events and competitions during the 2022 SEMA Show Week,” said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. “This is an industry founded on deep-seated passion and the constant enthusiasm to excel at one’s craft—and all our SEMA Show winners and honorees embody that spirit.”

The 2022 SEMA Show introduced several major updates to its traditional awards presentations. First, with e-commerce expanding and data-driven transactions becoming more routine, the SEMA Warehouse Distributor of the Year award evolved into a new Channel Partner of the Year award. The award honors the contributions of sales, distributors, retailers and e-commerce channel(s) in the industry as well as the distribution companies that support retailers.

In addition, the Channel Partner of the Year and the Manufacturer of the Year award presentations were moved to the SEMA Show Kickoff Breakfast on Tuesday morning, November 1, at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Held just before the Show’s official opening, the event was previously called the New Products Awards Breakfast. Under its new name, the 2022 event continued its tradition of honoring the Show’s best new products across numerous categories, including two new categories for electric vehicle and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) products.

Jarod DeAnda, known as the “voice of Formula Drift,” hosted the reformatted 2022 breakfast. He was joined on stage by Hoonigan driver Ken Block (who later was tragically killed in a January 2023 snowmobile accident) and Hoonigan Co-Founder Brian Scotto, who discussed “Electrikhana,” a new video featuring an all-electric Audi S1 Hoonitron that was shot on the streets of Las Vegas. “Electrikhana” is the latest video of the wildly popular Gymkhana series. 

“Combining the Channel Partner of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year and New Product Awards into one event early in the week enabled winners to promote their honors throughout Show Week,” said SEMA Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso. “We were also very honored and excited to have Ken Block and Brian Scotto at the event. They are inspirational, and the ‘Gymkhana’ series and cars represent what our industry is all about.” 

Meanwhile, the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, the traditional Thursday-night venue for major awards, also got a dynamic makeover, which included a novel center stage and a streamlined run time. Themed “Further. Faster. Together.,” the event featured the SEMA Person of the Year and GEN-III Innovator of the Year awards, along with the first-ever SEMA Influencer of the Year award designed to honor content creators who make a positive industry impact across social-media channels. The evening also included a tribute to industry icons Walker Evans, Jack Roush and Robert Eugene “Gene” Winfield, who were named to the SEMA Hall of Fame in the summer of 2022. 

The banquet further made headlines with the announcement that the SEMA Show is adding an enthusiast-facing SEMA Fest event to SEMA Week, starting this year. Click here to read more. Another high point came with the audience of about 3,000 casting the deciding votes via text to name Kevin Robinson, inventor of the TRAC Tire Jack, as the ultimate winner of the 2022 SEMA Launch Pad competition. Winnowed from a field of five Show finalists, he and runner-up Susan Pieper, DMOS Collective CEO, got to pitch their product ideas before panelists Chip Foose, Jared Hare, Myles Kovacs and Alex Parker just before the audience vote.

“There were many changes to our Show’s recognition programs for 2022,” observed Gattuso. “All our awards and recognitions represent an extremely dynamic industry, so as our industry has evolved, we’ve been pleased to evolve with it."  

The following photos capture the winning moments and highlights of the Show’s many award presentations at the Kickoff Breakfast and the Industry Awards Banquet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The RINGBROTHERS Emerge Victorious; History, FYI Channel Special to Air in January 2023

By Douglas McColloch

 

Mike and Jim Ring of Spring Green, Wisconsin, garnered top honors at the ninth annual SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polishes competition at the 2022 SEMA Show, held November 1–4 in Las Vegas. The announcement was made at the start of SEMA Ignited, the official SEMA Show after-party designed to celebrate the builders and showcase products from the trade-only Show. 

The four class winners of this years’ competition will be highlighted along with other featured builders in a new TV special, “SEMA: Battle of the Builders, Presented by Mothers High Performance Car Care” scheduled to debut on A+E Networks’ FYI and History’s Drive block Saturday, January 28, at 9:00 a.m. EST. Check your local station listings for additional broadcast details.

For 2022, the Battle of the Builders competition was fine-tuned to reflect changes in the customization space and to encourage greater diversity in the field of entrants. The Hot Rod category was modified to include street trucks for the first time, and the Truck/Off-Road category was altered to Four-Wheel Drive/Off-Road. The Sport-Compact category was expanded to include Import Performance, Luxury and Exotic vehicles, and the age limit for the The Young Guns competition was bumped up from 27 to 29 years old.

A panel of industry experts assessed all the entrants and narrowed down the field of more than 200 entries to a Top 40 (10 in each category) before selecting the top 12 builds overall. 

 

 

The 12 finalists themselves then took over judging duties for the competition and named Ringbrothers the overall winner. Besides the Ringbrothers, whose vehicles were both class winners, other notables include TJ Russell, who captured the Sport Compact class with his ’91 Porsche 911 Baja, and 21-year-old Josh Michels, who took the Young Guns category with his ’66 Chevy Corvette.

We’ll have full-length features on each of the Top 12 BOTB finalists in the March issue of SEMA News. 

Top 12 Finalists:

Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck

• Mike Ring/Ringbrothers–’48 Chevrolet Loadmaster pickup
• Tim Devlin–’34 Chevrolet roadster
• Tyler Nelson–’58 Ford F100

Sport Compact, Import Performance, Luxury and Exotic 

• CJ Pullman–’77 Ford Pinto
• Shawn Bassett–’91 Nissan Skyline GT-R
• TJ Russell–’91 Porsche 911 Baja

4-Wheel Drive/Off-Road

• Cody Dabney–’70 Ford F-250
• Greg Ward–’71 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser
• Jim Ring/Ringbrothers–’72 Chevrolet K5 Blazer 

Young Guns

• Austin Phipps–’66 Chevrolet Nova
• Cameron Cocalis–’15 Scion FR-S
• Josh Michels–’66 Chevrolet Corvette