TORA named Erik Heitman as the council's newest spotlight volunteer. Heitman is the brand manager at Top Tier Suspensions, an automotive wholesale distributor of high-performance off-road products.
Read about Heitman in his interview with SEMA below.
SEMA: What inspired you to pursue a career in the truck and off-road industry?
Erik Heitman: I've been a gearhead since I could talk, and watching Stacy David build Copperhead as a kid sealed the deal. From there the passion has progressed to many variations of builds with pickups—from street trucks to serious off-roading and overlanding. Now the mission is to help the industry that has given me so much continue to grow, and help introduce others to the truck and off-road industry.
SEMA: Why did you decide to volunteer for TORA?
EH: To help the industry as a whole. My goal is to give back to as many individuals as possible in building their brands so they can succeed. The more the industry succeeds, we all win.
SEMA: What advice do you have for someone pursuing a career in the automotive aftermarket?
EH: Follow your passion! Most people would call me crazy for leaving the place I did to come back to this, but passion always wins, and if you're going to work hard, why not have fun doing it?
SEMA: What is your dream truck or off-road vehicle? Where would we find you in it on any weekend?
EH: That's tough, there are so many dreams and trucks for different settings. The one that always comes to mind though is a '72 Chevy C10 built as if they ran them in NASCAR in that time period. Hendrick Chassis, and drivetrain setup to do anything. I'd be racing every weekend for sure!
Fill out a TORA-member spotlight form to highlight how you or your company are contributing to the truck and off-road specialty-equipment industry. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on TORA's social media, SEMA News and future TORA Member Updates.