SEMA Member News - November/December 2010
HRIA Member Profile
Jeff Major of Bed Wood & Parts
 Jeff Major is the founder and owner of Bed Wood & Parts in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. During the ’80s, Major was a practicing geologist and traveled the world. Having spent years considering a new career, Major combined his love of trucks and his geology background to form Bed Wood & Parts. |
|
Major attended his first SEMA Show in 2006. He was overwhelmed by the size and scope of the Show and was hooked on the industry. During the ’80s, Major was a practicing geologist and traveled the world. However, he grew up watching his father build hot rods and race, which instilled in him a lifelong passion for hot rods and classic trucks. Having spent years considering a new career, Major combined his love of trucks and his geology background to form Bed Wood & Parts.
Bed Wood & Parts manufactures high-quality bed woods for all makes and models of pickups, both as replacements and for custom work. Major’s knowledge of geology has allowed Bed Wood & Parts to discover and produce exotic woods in a variety of rare colors and styles.
Major decided to attend the SEMA Education Conference in the spring of 2007 when he started the business. That first involvement with SEMA brought a wealth of industry contacts as well as the overwhelming volume of business information provided by the conference. That first SEMA involvement was a huge success for his company, and Major decided to get more involved. He wanted to be a part of a larger organization with its primary focus on the automotive specialty-equipment industry only.
Major said that SEMA provided him and his new company with opportunities to network and learn from his peers, learn from the successes and failures of others and use the many business resources offered by the association. “The business relationships and friendships that have been fostered through SEMA are immeasurable, both professionally and personally,” he said.
Major joined HRIA to make strong contacts in the hot-rod and custom market. As a result, he has formed business relationships and made friendships that have assisted him in growing his business. Going forward, he hopes that HRIA will address three issues he feels are critical to the industry. First, he believes in American manufacturing but is concerned about the growth in overseas production of parts for the United States specialty-equipment market. He also hopes to work with HRIA on increasing the awareness of hot rodding to the younger generations of auto enthusiasts. Finally, he hopes that SEMA will continue to be a leader in monitoring the continued issues regarding online transactions involving aftermarket parts.
Jeff Major is a great example of why SEMA and HRIA exist. After attending the National Education Conference, he left with a pocket full of SEMA members’ business cards—contacts who would become his friends, mentors and partners. His attendance at HRIA meetings and functions brought him even more industry contacts as well as a better sense of the industry he wanted to be a part of. The association looks forward to seeing more involvement from Bed Wood & Parts in HRIA and SEMA.
Message From the Select Committee
HRIA hopes that you find value in your membership and that you will continue to support the council and industry through your participation. HRIA is actively working to support our hobby through legislation, education, youth awareness and networking.
As a council, we work closely with the SEMA Action Network (SAN) to ensure that our interests are promoted and to protect our industry against legislation that will hurt it. HRIA Education Day, held at the Hotrod and Restoration Show in Indianapolis, continues to be a focal point of our efforts and provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from industry experts. The next Education Day will take place on March 17, 2011, and will offer attendees 40 seminars to choose from. HRIA is also heavily committed to supporting youth awareness through local, state and national outreach efforts. These efforts can range from a local fair at a member company’s shop to working with the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, National Street Rod Association and Championship Auto Shows to develop cooperative opportunities to reach the next generation of rodders.
Our annual reception at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas will be held on Wednesday, November 3, 2010, from 5:15 p.m.–8:30 p.m. in the Las Vegas Hilton, Ballrooms A–B. This reception continues to be one of the best-attended events throughout the week and offers HRIA members an exclusive opportunity to interact and learn from one another.
As things continue to change, HRIA holds to the belief that business is about relationships, and we strive to better the hobby we are all passionate about. Please take the time to visit us at www.SEMA.org/hria to learn how to get involved and to read our annual report.