By SEMA Editors
Compliance Center near Detroit to help more automotive
aftermarket parts manufacturers meet standards for emissions
compliance.
SEMA is advancing its commitment to help automotive aftermarket parts manufacturers meet established standards for emissions compliance by investing millions of dollars into a second SEMA Garage Emissions Compliance Center.
In 2014, SEMA established a groundbreaking SEMA Garage Emissions Compliance Center in Southern California. The state-of-the-art facility features high-tech equipment, including a CARB-recognized lab that has helped hundreds of SEMA manufacturers—more than 100 of which have secured 431 CARB Executive Orders (EO) through the SEMA Garage. The Center is currently operating two full shifts, and demand from manufacturers seeking to obtain compliance remains at an all-time high.
To help meet the compliance needs of the $46.2 billion automotive aftermarket parts industry, SEMA recently announced the purchase of a building just outside Detroit that will be used as a second SEMA Garage Emissions Compliance Center. At 45,000-sq.-ft., the Detroit facility is three times the size of the existing SEMA Garage in California and will feature millions of dollars of new OEM-quality tools and equipment, including a CARB-recognized testing lab, as well as an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Research and Development Center.
“The SEMA Garage Emissions Compliance Center sets out to remove any mystery or confusion over the rules and regulations related to emissions compliance,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of OEM relations and product development. “Since opening the Southern California SEMA Garage seven years ago, automotive aftermarket parts manufacturers have poured through our doors seeking help with the complicated and confusing compliance requirements.”
With the Detroit SEMA Garage opening in early 2022, SEMA will help dramatically more members obtain CARB and EPA compliance, as well as shorten the processing time so that manufacturers remain competitive. Additionally, the Detroit Garage is expected to continue, and increase, the long-standing tradition of collaboration between OEMs and the aftermarket industry for the benefit of the consumer experience.
“The California Air Resources Board applauds SEMA for investing in this second testing and resource facility designed expressly for the performance aftermarket industry,” stated Annette Hebert, California Air Resources Board deputy executive officer. “We appreciate SEMA’s commitment to provide its members with the tools and services needed to ensure that products sold for California vehicles meet our requirements. CARB looks forward to our continued communication and cooperation with SEMA in this important area.”
“I congratulate SEMA for continuing to be a resource for the industry and setting the example for compliance,” said California State Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton). “I have visited and continue to support the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, and I am proud that SEMA is opening this new facility, which extends the excellent work done by the folks in Diamond Bar.”
Like the SEMA Garage in Southern California, the Detroit Garage will hire and train staff dedicated solely to helping aftermarket parts manufacturers understand and navigate the emissions-compliance process. Whereas manufacturers previously reported a significant delay to obtain a CARB EO, manufacturers working through the SEMA Garage average about four months.
“While we have made great strides towards reducing emissions from motor vehicles, the aftermarket industry is thriving,” said California State Assembly Member Phillip Chen (R-Yorba Linda). “The new SEMA Compliance Center will help make it possible for the industry—particularly small businesses—to continue to meet California’s stringent air-quality standards and succeed in today’s regulatory environment.”
Although there are a handful of other CARB-recognized test labs throughout the country that offer similar services, many manufacturers choose to go through the SEMA Garage because SEMA offers its members the benefits of aiding with the application process. Annually, SEMA submits more than 200 aftermarket product applications to CARB’s Aftermarket Parts Division, representing approximately 50% of the volume received. By working closely with CARB and EPA throughout the year, SEMA staff are intimately familiar with CARB EO requirements and able to successfully assist manufacturers with the entire process, from application to testing.
“By meeting regularly and communicating openly with regulators, we are able to better understand what their concerns are and develop programs that will ultimately help manufacturers get their products to market faster,” said Spagnola. “We value and appreciate the collaborative relationship we have with CARB and EPA.”