SEMA News - October 2010
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From left: Brian Reese, COMP Cams vice president of product development; Ron Coleman, COMP Cams president and a former SEMA chairman of the board; Rep. Steve Cohen and staffer Travis Green; Scooter Brothers, COMP Cams chief operating officer and SEMA chairman-elect. |
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Tennessee Lawmaker Joins Motorsports Caucus After Participating in Site Visit Program
By Dan Sadowski
Congressman Steve Cohen took a few hours out of his busy August schedule to visit with management and employees at the COMP Cams' headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. Rep. Cohen participated in a roundtable discussion about small-business issues with COMP’s executive team and then toured the facility, including the machine shop and research and development (R&D) department.
Rep. Cohen is a fourth-generation Memphis resident who has dedicated his life to public service. He started his career as a Shelby County Commissioner and then went on to the Tennessee State Senate, where he served for 24 years. Elected to Congress in 2006, Cohen serves on the House Judiciary and Transportation Committees.“Manufacturing means jobs, and the visit to COMP Cams demonstrates that this company is producing quality products and employing highly skilled workers,” said Rep. Cohen. “It is a winning combination for my home district and for the nation.”
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| Rep. Cohen stopped to visit with COMP employees during his tour of the company’s headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. | |
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COMP Cams produces high-tech performance engine components, including camshaft and valvetrain products, engine accessories and specialty tools. |
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COMP employs more than 250 workers in its Memphis facility. Rep. Cohen’s tour was led by Ron Coleman, COMP’s president and a former SEMA chairman of the board; Scooter Brothers, the company’s chief operating officer and SEMA chairman-elect; and Brian Reese, COMP’s vice president of product development.
During the tour, Rep. Cohen met with constituents working in the stock warehouse, machine shop, R&D department and corporate offices. While on the tour, Rep. Cohen took a “hands-on” approach, meeting with engineers and employees at their workstations and learning more about designing and manufacturing camshafts.
“We were able to provide Rep. Cohen with an overview of SEMA and the specialty-equipment market,” said Coleman. “We discussed the difficult economic challenges being faced by member companies across the nation and how Congress can help address the issue by enacting legislation to increase bank loans to small businesses and to renew the R&D tax credit, among other initiatives. Most importantly, the visit provided an opportunity for Rep. Cohen to meet his constituents in person.”
Congressman Cohen also joined the Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill that was established to raise awareness of the economic importance of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. The caucus was formed in 1996 in honor of the 100th year of the car and to recognize the contributions that the automotive performance and motorsports industry has made and continues to make to the U.S. economy. The Motorsports Caucus, as it is commonly known, has nearly 100 members and pays tribute to America’s ever-growing love affair with the car and motorsports.
The Congressional District Site Visit Program is overseen by SEMA’s government affairs office in Washington, D.C. The program pairs SEMA-member companies with their local member of Congress or U.S. Senator for facility tours and meetings in their home district. These visits provide an opportunity for member companies to meet face to face with their Washington representatives and share their concerns for the future of their businesses. If you are interested in hosting an event at your facility with your federal elected officials, please contact Dan Sadowski, congressional affairs manager, at 202/783-6007 x19.
