SEMA eNews (Vol. 6, No. 4)
SEMA eNews
Vol. 6, No. 4 -- January 29, 2003
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In this issue:
1. Seeking Outrageous Vehicles in Metropolitan New York City
2. SEMA Spring Expo Update
>> Still Haven't Registered for the SEMA Spring Expo?
>> Opportunities Available for SSE Exhibitors to Participate in Action Centers
>> TCAA Awards Banquet to Feature Johnny Counterfit
>> Featured Vehicle Deadline Extended
>> Sponsorship Opportunity for SSE Exhibitors
>> Hotel Room Update for SEMA Spring Expo
>> SSE Exhibitor Deadlines
3. SEMA Forms Lighting Task Force
4. NHTSA Seeks Advice on Rearview Mirror Technology
5. Opportunity for Members to Participate in Career Expo
6. SEMA Pro-Hobbyist Street Rod/Custom Vehicles Bill Reintroduced
in New York
7. Trust Fund for Son of Late SEMA Staff Member
8. Blue Dot Taillight Bill in Mississippi
9. EPA's Inspector General Questions Scientific Basis for Rulemakers
10. ARMO and SRMA Members Show Support for Your Market Niche
11. White House Identifies Regulations Subject to Change
12. Japan-Based, SEMA-Member Company Opens North American Facility
13. International News and Business Opportunities
>> Report on Top Sellers in Swedish Automotive Market
>> List of Products Sought From Saudi Arabian Delegates Available
>> Report on the Hungarian Automotive Aftermarket
14. SEMA Member Benefit:
15. Links to Cool Sites
16. 2003 SEMA Shows and Events
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1. SEEKING OUTRAGEOUS VEHICLES IN METROPOLITAN NEW YORK
CITY
Vehicles are being sought for a television segment about outrageous cars that
will air on channel 5, the Fox TV station, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, during the
highly promoted "sweeps," or ratings period. SEMA members with current-
model
vehicles, perhaps a hearse with neon or LED. accessories, an outrageous
hydraulic-equipped vehicle or a lowrider, should contact Rosemarie Kitchin at
mailto:rosemariek@sema.org or call 909/396-0289, ext. 104. The segment will
be shot next week in New York City. All vehicles must be street-legal. Deadline
is Friday, Jan. 31, at noon (Pacific).
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2. SEMA SPRING EXPO UPDATE
>> STILL HAVEN'T REGISTERED FOR THE SEMA SPRING EXPO?
The deadline to register online for the SEMA Spring Expo (SSE, Feb. 14-15,
Nashville) has been extended to Monday, Feb. 10. For expo details and a
registration form, visit <http://www.sema.org/show>
>> OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR SSE EXHIBITORS TO PARTICIPATE
IN ACTION CENTERS
Limited opportunities are still available for SEMA Spring Expo exhibitors to
increase exposure at the event by participating in the Action Center, where two
2003 Chevrolet pickup trucks and a 2003 Monte Carlo LS will be customized
on site in full view of all of the attendees. RTM Productions and TRUCKS TV,
which airs weekends on TNN, will capture the action as well. Westin
Automotive, Penda, Roll-n-Lock and others have already signed on to install
and showcase their products at this year's Expo. For complete sponsorship
information and availabilities, contact Joe Sebergandio at MOTOR MEDIA Inc.
at mailto:sales@motormediainc.com
>> TCAA AWARDS BANQUET TO FEATURE JOHNNY COUNTERFIT
SEMA Spring Expo exhibitors have opportunity to celebrate Valentine's Day
with industry peers, see who wins the prestigious TCAA awards and enjoy the
antics of Johnny Counterfit, a comedian/singing impressionist, by attending the
TCAA Awards Banquet, Friday, Feb. 14, from 7:45 - 10:00 p.m., at the
Renaissance Hotel. Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased online at
<http://www.semaspringexpo.com> or on-site. Tickets purchased between
now and the night of the event will be available at the Special Events Ticket
window in the registration area at the SEMA Spring Expo.
>> FEATURED VEHICLE DEADLINE EXTENDED
The deadline for featured vehicles at the SEMA Spring Expo has been
extended until Monday, Feb. 3. To enter a featured vehicle, companies must
be
exhibiting at the Expo. For more information, mailto:asandler@convexx.com
>> SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR SSE EXHIBITORS
Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the PRO Industry Awards
reception held during the SEMA Spring Expo (SSE) (Friday, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m.).
Expo exhibitors interested in supporting the reception and gaining expanded
market exposure are invited to contact Ellen McKoy at mailto:ellenm@sema.org
or mailto:beverlyr@sema.org for details and sponsorship packages.
>> HOTEL ROOM UPDATE FOR SEMA SPRING EXPO
A few rooms are still available for the Renaissance Nashville (which is
connected directly to the Nashville Convention Center) for the SEMA Spring
Expo. Contact the hotel at 800/327-6618. Other hotels in the area include the
Doubletree Nashville Hotel ( <http://www.doubletree.com> 615/244-8200, two
blocks from the Convention Center); the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel (
<http://www.sheraton.com> 615/259-2000, two blocks from the Convention
Center); or the Courtyard Marriott Nashville Downtown (
<http://www.marriott.com> 615/256-0900, within walking distance of the
Convention Center).
>> SSE UPCOMING EXHIBITOR DEADLINES
The following upcoming exhibitor deadlines are listed here as a reminder to
exhibitors of the SEMA Spring Expo featuring the TCAA Light-Truck and
Accessory Expo and the PRO Restyling Expo:
> Thursday, Feb. 6, is the deadline for freight to arrive at the Expo warehouse.
For more information, contact The Freeman Co. (common carrier) at 615/391-
5522, MACC/North American (van line) at 800/338-8369 or Kuehne & Nagel
(air freight) at 800/562-4765.
> Thursday, Feb. 6, is the last day to order floral arrangements for Expo booth
displays. For more information, contact mailto:atflorist@cs.com or 615/876-
3956.
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3. SEMA FORMS LIGHTING TASK FORCE
SEMA has convened the SEMA Lighting Task Force, a group of SEMA-
member motor vehicle lighting companies dedicated to proactively encouraging
and advocating SEMA member compliance with existing state and federal
lighting laws and regulations. The Task Force recently met with National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials in Washington, D.C.,
charged with overseeing federal lighting regulations to discuss the group’s
goals and to gain insight to pending agency regulatory actions. NHTSA intends
to propose new lighting rules in 2003 and 2004. Read a complete press release
at <http://www.sema.org/content/?id=31075> For additional details, contact
Steve McDonald at mailto:stevem@sema.org
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4. NHTSA SEEKS ADVICE ON REARVIEW MIRROR TECHNOLOGY
NHTSA has requested public comments on how to modify Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111, Rearview Mirrors, to permit (but not
require) new mirror designs, technology and area of placement on vehicles.
The
standard has not been amended since 1982 and therefore may not reflect
advances in mirror technology, such as rearview video monitoring, etc. For
more information, see the "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration"
listing at <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a030122c.html>
SEMA contacts: Brian Caudill (mailto:brianc@sema.org) or Stuart Gosswein
(mailto:stuartg@sema.org) at 202/783-6007.
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5. OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN CAREER EXPO
SEMA will team up with the Automobile Club of Southern California, several
community colleges, regional occupational programs and local school districts
to host an education and career expo at Irwindale Speedway, on Saturday,
April 5. The event is expected to attract several thousand students, teachers
and parents. SEMA-member companies are invited to participate with displays,
seminar presentations or technical and product demonstrations (pin striping,
sunroof installations, etc.). A car show and exhibition racing will also be
included in the activities. Due to space limitations, a maximum of 50 company
exhibitors will be permitted. For additional information, contact Ken Pyle at
mailto:kenp@sema.org or 909/396-0289, ext. 125.
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6. SEMA PRO-HOBBYIST STREET ROD/CUSTOM VEHICLES BILL
REINTRODUCED IN NEW YORK
SEMA model legislation has been reintroduced in the New York legislature to
create vehicle registration classifications for street rods and custom vehicles.
The bill, which mirrors legislation recently enacted in Illinois, defines a street rod
as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom vehicle as an
altered vehicle manufactured after 1948. The legislation exempts street rods
and customs from periodic vehicle inspections and emissions inspections and a
range of standard equipment requirements. The measure also provides that a
replica vehicle will be assigned the same model year designation as the
production vehicle it most closely resembles, and allows the use of non-original
materials. For details, contact Steve McDonald at mailto:stevem@sema.org
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7. TRUST FUND FOR SON OF LATE SEMA STAFF MEMBER
A trust fund has been established for Johnathon Kuper Day. Johnathon is the
2-
year-old son of Ed Day, SEMA manager of Web projects, who died last week in
a motorcycle accident. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers,
contributions be made to the fund. To contribute, make checks payable to
Edward W. Day II, Education Trust Fund c/o South County Bank, Attention
Debbie Santoro, Vice President/Manager, 22342 Avenida Empresa, Rancho
Santa Margarita, CA 92688. Ed is also survived by his wife Kelli.
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8. BLUE DOT TAILLIGHT BILL IN MISSISSIPPI
A bill has been introduced in the Mississippi legislature that would allow antique
vehicles and street rods to be equipped with one or more rear lamps modified to
emit a blue, violet or purple light. Similar to legislation enacted recently in
Montana and Minnesota and introduced in Illinois and Michigan, this legislation
enables enthusiasts to modify their vehicles to recall in fine detail the glory days
of the street rod era in America. For details, contact Steve McDonald at
mailto:stevem@sema.org or go to
<http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=31074>
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9. EPA'S INSPECTOR GENERAL QUESTIONS SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR
RULEMAKINGS
The EPA's inspector general (IG) has concluded that the role science has
played in EPA regulatory decisions has not always been clear and
recommended that the science behind future major rules be independently
reviewed. The IG surveyed 16 major rules and found that it was difficult to
determine the weight given to science versus administrative discretion when
the rules were issued. Examples of science-rich rulemakings would include the
1999 ozone/particulate matter standard and the hazardous air pollutant (HAP)
rules currently being issued for various industries (brake pads, automobile
surface coating, etc.). A new law called the "Data Quality Act" should help. It
requires government agencies to establish standards for quality scientific
information that are subject to public scrutiny. Details: Brian Caudill
(mailto:brianc@sema.org) or Stuart Gosswein (mailto:stuartg@sema.org) at
202/783-6007.
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10. ARMO AND SRMA MEMBERS: SHOW SUPPORT FOR YOUR MARKET
NICHE
ARMO and SRMA members are invited to sponsor the councils' joint reception
held during the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show in Indianapolis, Thursday-
Saturday, Feb. 27-March 1. Sponsors must be members of at least one of the
councils and exhibiting at the show. ARMO (Automotive Restoration Market
Organization) and SRMA (Street Rod Marketing Alliance) are SEMA councils.
Details: Pat Talaska at mailto:patt@sema.org
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11. WHITE HOUSE IDENTIFIES REGULATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
The Bush Administration has directed federal agencies to consider 267
regulations and 49 guidance documents for reform, repeal or issuance during
2003. A majority of the nominated rules would be modified to increase flexibility,
remove paperwork demands or ease small business burdens. Some consumer
groups want tougher vehicle regulations and the Administration appears to be
paying attention. Examples include strengthening door locks and roof crush
capability, improving frontal crash protection, adopting light transmission
standards for side windows, reducing ejections through new glazing materials,
and reducing driver distraction associated with "in-vehicle" displays (ex: global
positioning systems, and video and computer monitors). Details: Brian Caudill
(mailto:brianc@sema.org) or Stuart Gosswein (mailto:stuartg@sema.org) at
202/783-6007.
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12. JAPAN-BASED SEMA-MEMBER COMPANY OPENS NORTH AMERICAN
FACILITY
Tanabe of Japan opened a new 10,000-square-foot facility in Torrance,
California. The new research and development department contained with in
the establishment has allowed the company to bring products (view the
company's products at <http://www.rd-tanabe.com>) to market approximately
35-percent faster.
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13. INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
>> REPORT ON TOP SELLERS IN SWEDISH AUTOMOTIVE MARKET
The Swedish market remains a small but lucrative market for U.S. auto parts
companies. Volvo, VW and Saab captured eight of the 10 best selling vehicles
in Sweden in 2002. The Ford Focus and French Renault were also in the top
10 with one model each. Minivan sales are on the rise in this market, which has
traditionally been partial to U.S. aftermarket products. For more complete details
on top vehicles sold in 2002, mailto:lindas@sema.org and request document #
2023.
>> LIST OF PRODUCTS SOUGHT FROM SAUDI ARABIAN DELEGATES
AVAILABLE
A delegation from Saudi Arabia attended AAIW as part of a U.S. Embassy
delegation this past November. For a list of the delegation, including contact
information and products sought, contact mailto:lindas@sema.org and request
document #2024
>> REPORT AVAILABLE ON THE HUNGARIAN AUTOMOTIVE
AFTERMARKET
According to a recent report by the U.S. government, the Hungarian market for
automotive aftermarket parts and maintenance products is likely to continue to
expand with growing incomes, increasing car ownership and growing interest in
car care. For a copy of the brief report, mailto:lindas@sema.org and ask for
document #2025.
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14. SEMA MEMBER BENEFIT: POST AN INDUSTRY CLASSIFIED
SEMA members can post free classified ads for positions available, positions
wanted, rep opportunities, items wanted and much more, directly onto the
SEMA Web site at <http://www.sema.org/classifieds> To post an ad, click on
the Members: Post a Classified link found at the top of the page then follow the
step-by-step instructions. Members are invited and encouraged to use the site
as a resource to find potential employees and learn about career opportunities.
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15. LINKS TO COOL SITES
Want your Web site listed here? Send the address to
mailto:enewslinks@sema.org
Drag Sport <http://www.dragsport.com/>
Ranch Hand Truck Accessories <http://www.ranchhand.com/>
Tellico4x4.com <http://www.tellico4x4.com/>
Valley Industries <http://www.valleyindustries.com/>
Green Filter USA <http://www.greenfilterusa.com/>
Special Effects Marketing <http://www.rrp-mfg.com/>
Let's Go Aero Sport Performance Carriers
<http://www.letsgoaero.com/>
Pressure Inc. Tire Pressure Gauges <http://www.pressureinc.com/>
Quiet Ride Solutions and Firewall Insulators
<http://www.quietride.com/>
Downey Products <http://www.downeyproducts.com/>
Mahle Motorsports <http://www.mahlemotorsports.com/>
K-MAC Suspension P/L <http://www.k-mac.com.au/>
MRBP/Midrange Business Partners <http://www.mrbp.com/>
American Collectors Insurance <http://www.americancollectors.com/>
L&G Enterprises <http://www.landgenterprises.com/>
Motorgroove.com <http://www.motorgroove.com/>
J&J Enterprises <http://www.j-jent.com/>
Import Drag Racing Circuit <http://www.importdrag.com/>
HighlineWheels Corp. <http://www.highlinewheels.com/>
Style-Line Wheel Covers <http://www.style-line.com/>
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16. 2003 SEMA SHOWS AND EVENTS
For more information, visit <http://www.sema.org/show> or
mailto:showinfo@sema.org
>> SEMA Spring Expo featuring the TCAA Light-Truck Accessory Expo and the
PRO Restyling & Trim Expo
Feb. 14-15 * Nashville, Tennessee
>> Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show
Feb. 27-March 1 * Indianapolis, Indiana
>> International Auto Aftermarket Expo
March 6-9 * Tokyo, Japan
>> SEMA International Auto Salon (IAS)
April 25-27 * Los Angeles, California
>> SEMA/OEM Roundtable Tech Talks
May 5-8 * Dearborn, Michigan
>> SEMA Installer Certification Exams
May 8 (deadline to register is March 7)
>> SEMA Scholarship Applications Deadline
May 31
>> PAACE Automechanika
July 16-18 * Mexico City, Mexico
>> SEMA Show (AAIW)
Nov. 4-7 * Las Vegas, Nevada
For travel assistance for SEMA-sponsored trade shows (SSE, IAS, etc.),
contact PGI at 800/696-0855.
For all other association-related travel (BOD meetings, council meetings, etc.),
contact All Direct Travel Services at 800/862-1516.
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-- SEMA eNews is published each Wednesday evening by SEMA, the
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