SEMA News—September 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS

	Mike Spagnola (left), SEMA vice president of OEM and product development programs, and Chris Kersting (right), SEMA president and CEO, presented a $10,000 donation to Jon Bilkenstaff of AXC.

Alex Xydias Center Celebrates New Facility

An open-house event showcased the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts (AXC), now located at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, as part of the Robert E. Petersen Garage.

Enthusiasts, industry icons and AXC students celebrated the new center, which was developed in collaboration with automotive business owners and classic-car enthusiasts from the Inland Valley. The two-year AXC program gives students the necessary confidence and hands-on experience to enter the automotive industry.

The AXC has received donations and seed money from a wide cross section of industry sources, including SEMA and, notably, the Margie & Robert E. Petersen Foundation.

At the open house, SEMA presented a $10,000 donation, which was allocated based on a generous donation from Omix-ADA. Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of OEM and product development programs, and Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO, were on hand to present the check.

SCRS Releases OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit Schedule

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) released session details for the upcoming OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, which will be held Thursday, November 5, during the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The Collision Repair Technology Summit puts SEMA Show attendees in a room with innovators in automotive structural design and technology.

The summit will focus on emerging trends in vehicle construction and technology and how both of those aspects influence vehicle repairability and collision industry preparation.

This year, the program will provide three different segments, which can be selected individually or collectively as part of the Repairer Driven Education (RDE) full series pass.

The sessions will feature companies and individuals with rich histories of producing sophisticated advancements in the automotive and collision-repair fields. They will highlight architectural and technological developments in modern vehicles and how those advancements intersect with the repair process.

For more information and to register, visit www.SEMAShow.com/register.