REQUIRED READING
SEMA Members in the Media
By Juan Torres, Rachel Tatum and Carr Winn
The automotive specialty-equipment industry continues to experience strong growth and demand as the United States puts COVID-19 in the rearview mirror. According to the “State of the Industry–Spring 2022” report from SEMA Market Research, 75% of manufacturers, 68% of distributors and 53% of retailers/installers reported that sales were above where they were prior to the pandemic, and consumer demand continued to remain robust for most companies.
SEMA Market Research provides information and insights to help members (and the specialty auto aftermarket in general) make better business decisions. SEMA produces different research reports on the industry and consumers throughout the year, all of which are available for download at www.sema.org/research. The following media wrote about the key findings in the “State of the Industry–Spring 2022” report, which highlights current industry trends, business metrics and sales estimates.
CEoutlook
CEoutlook keeps stereo and electronics industry professionals up to date on news relevant to their businesses. Editor Amy Gilroy scoured the report to find that car audio manufacturers in the sound systems and audio accessories category saw their sales grow 22% in the previous 12 months.
Hagerty
“The automotive aftermarket is flying high even in the face of rising inflation and fuel prices,” reported Hagerty, whose editors provide readers with a view into the automotive hobby and industry. “The overall growth trend is expected to continue in the coming months, which is great news for customers and insiders alike.”
The Journal
Editor David P. Castro highlighted findings in the report that classic vehicle enthusiasts would find interesting. “On the retail end, classic vehicle parts led with 26% of the market segment,” he wrote. “Internal engine products lead the way with a 21% increase by manufacturers.”
Road To The SEMA Show: The Journey Begins
SEMA Industry Sales Director Becca Butler (right) talks booth space selection, live floorplan and the “Road to SEMA” with Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso. For all the latest updates on the 2022 SEMA Show visit www.SEMAShow.com.
ARMO Builder Series: A Story of Heroes in the Shadows
Mentorship plays a huge role in the lives of many automotive aftermarket professionals. In fact, many if not all successful industry leaders will attest to having benefitted from some form of mentorship in their career along the way.
ARMO Builder Series: Dan Short
In this ARMO Builder Series video, FantomWorks Owner Dan Short (left) shares his company’s build philosophy for auto restoration Sabra Johnson of City Classic Cars takes viewers behind the scenes into his shop.
Faces in the Crowd
Eric Ritz
@impalow66
Eric Ritz is an industrial designer, specializing in automotive design. Growing up on the race track, Ritz has spent many years building classic cars and show cars, competing in SEMA: Battle of the Builders with his Datsun 240z in 2020.
He has a garage full of classic cars that are frequently highlighted on this social-media channels with new-product installations and events he and his father attend. In early 2022, Ritz launched a YouTube channel with his father that follows their adventures with both model cars and actual vehicles.
Big Mike
@thebigmike
For the past 25+ years, Big Mike has been a passionate member of the automotive community. From contributing to the industry and culture as a journalist for numerous media publications, to building award-winning, magazine cover cars, to working with SEMA and PRI to educate the community and upcoming enthusiasts on evolving laws and regulations, to traveling all over the United States and the world to host and emcee automotive meets, shows and productions, there are countless levels of contributions that Big Mike continues to make for the betterment of our industry, community and culture—and these are what has made him a household name and icon to us all.
Matthias Ingle
@4god_4country
Matthias Ingle is a diesel truck builder from South Carolina. He works full-time in IT for the in the Army but enjoys building trucks in his spare time. His content consistently contains truck modifications, product performance reviews and new upgrades that engage his audience. Ingle documented his build for the 2021 Road to SEMA with his partnership with Hostile/MKW Wheels. His progress has been documented thoroughly over the past year through his own platform and other creators’ channels, highlighting every modification and partner associated with the build.
HEARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA
“The specialty-equipment industry continues to experience sales and consumer demand that exceed pre-pandemic levels, according to SEMA’s new ‘State of the Industry–Spring 2022’ report.”—Automotive Business Review, via Facebook
“SEMA’s ‘State of the Industry–Spring 2022’ report shows sales surpassed pre-pandemic levels.”—12 Volt News, via Facebook
“@SEMAMembers can get details on the state of the automotive specialty-equipment market in the new report.”—Motor, via Twitter
“Automotive Specialty-Equipment Sales Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels. Read More: https://bit.ly/3LdaK9S.”—Autobody News, via Twitter
