ANNUAL TOP HONORS AWARDED AT 2021 SEMA SHOW
- Sara Morosan named SEMA Person of the Year
- Matt Kossoff named SEMA Gen-III Innovator of the Year
- Turn 14 Distribution named SEMA Warehouse Distributor of the Year
- ORACLE Lighting named SEMA Manufacturer of the Year
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 11, 2021) – SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), the trade association representing the $47.8 billion automotive specialty equipment industry, presented its top honors during the annual SEMA Industry Awards Banquet during the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Winners of the prestigious awards are:
- SEMA Person of the Year: Sara Morosan, Vice President, LGE-CTS Motorsports
- SEMA Gen-III Innovator of the Year: Matt Kossoff, Founder, Chief Product Officer, Driven Lighting Group
- SEMA Warehouse Distributor of the Year: Turn 14 Distribution
- SEMA Manufacturer of the Year: ORACLE Lighting
Industry business owners, luminaries, and media celebrated the thriving industry during the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet. The ultimate networking and social event was attended by industry leaders, rising stars, and volunteers. New SEMA Hall of Fame inductees Jessi Combs, Rick Love, Bob Moore and Carl Schiefer were also recognized that evening.
Morosan, vice president of LGE-CTS Motorsports and president of BAJA Forged, received the association’s most prestigious award for SEMA Person of the Year. During the pandemic, Morosan formed BAJA Forged, a company specializing in off-road products and custom builds. She also dedicated hours of her time to volunteer for SEMA and the industry, most recently as chair-elect of the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), a member of the SEMA Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) select committee, and a SEMA Cares Committee member.
The 2021 Gen-III Innovator of the Year award was presented to Kossoff, founder and chief product officer of Driven Lighting Group. With his company, he created an entire market segment by inventing the world’s first commercially available projector retrofit lighting product, and he continues to innovate the industry with his products. What started in his basement during college has developed into 80 full-time workers, and he owns six of the most well-known lighting brands in the industry.
Turn 14 Distribution was named SEMA Warehouse Distributor (WD) of the Year. Turn 14 has grown its business exponentially with technologically advanced, state-of-the-art warehouse facilities. The company makes data-driven decisions and is the first WD to implement a Brand Equity Specialist to ensure they comply with manufacturers that have real pricing policies.
The SEMA Manufacturer of the Year honor went to ORACLE Lighting. The company is a nominee for the 2021 Lantern Award (which honors excellence in manufacturing for the entire state of Louisiana) and has been named a Small Business Champion by the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Louisiana Exporter of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Jefferson Parish’s Small Business of the Year by JEDCO, Millennial Business of the Year by the Greater New Orleans Business Alliance, and winner of an American Business Award for Consumer Products Company of the Year (Bronze Stevie).
The SEMA Industry Awards recognize outstanding commitment to the industry and a high level of involvement with SEMA committees, task forces, councils, and board of directors’ participation.
About SEMA and the SEMA Show
The SEMA Show is a trade show produced by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a nonprofit trade association founded in 1963. Since the first SEMA Show debuted in 1967, the annual event has served as the leading venue bringing together manufacturers and buyers within the automotive specialty equipment industry. Products featured at the SEMA Show include those that enhance the styling, functionality, comfort, convenience, and safety of cars and trucks. Additional details are available at www.semashow.com or www.sema.org, 909/396-0289.
# # #