By Carr Winn
SEMA News is looking to highlight top-tier talent in the automotive aftermarket industry who are under the age of 35 through its 35 Under 35 program. We need your input. If you know of a leader who is under 35—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media or distribution—we would like to hear from you.
The following is a short profile on one of last year's 35 Under 35 winners—Brandon Bernardo. At 27, Bernardo is already the Vice President of Roll-N-Lock.
| Brandon Bernardo, 27 | Vice President—Roll-N-Lock Corp. |
 | As a self-described “third-generation manufacturer” influenced by his father, Brandon Bernardo figures he’s been in the specialty-equipment field pretty much since birth. As vice president of Roll-N-Lock, he has helped to position the truck-accessory manufacturer for rapid growth through a healthy pipeline of new products and innovations. “The strong recovery in truck sales that began in 2009 has been, and continues to be, a very encouraging sign for the future of our industry,” he said. “Despite high unemployment and formidable economic headwinds, American and global consumers continue to purchase pickup trucks. The utilitarian nature of these trucks has proven to be valuable in both good times and bad, ensuring the pickup’s market position for the foreseeable future.” Bernardo sees economic globalization as a major challenge to the industry. “It seems increasingly difficult to forecast where the next global crisis will arise,” he said. “As a result, firms in our segment need to be prepared for anything and everything.” Whatever the economic trends, however, Bernardo believes that aftermarket businesses can remain competitive by running conservative operations and continuing to focus on providing value and quality to customers. In his briefcase: An iPhone, a legal pad, pencils and energy bars. |
Do you have a friend or colleague who deserves to be recognized? If so, please contact the editorial team at SEMA News and submit a nomination for the 2014 SEMA News 35 Under 35. Nominations are due May 9, 2014. Winners will be chosen based on their business success, contribution to their organization, industry knowledge and community involvement. We'll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.
For more details on the 35 Under 35 program and complete details on all of last year's winners, read through the following article taken from the September 2013 issue of SEMA News.