SEMA Member News - May/June 2009 -
Free Services to Help Overcome Adversity
By Eric Saltrick
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| The HRIA Select Committee is constantly looking for ways to aid and advance the cause of industry businesses. Education, networking and a website loaded with useful tools are among the items already in place. Contact a member of the committee if you have an idea that you believe should be added to the list. |
The coming year is shaping up to be an unusual and difficult one for economies around the world. From local to national, few areas of business will be immune to changing economic conditions during 2009. The pressure to control expenses and spend money wisely will be felt by businesses of every size. For these reasons, the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) is committed to offering the kinds of free services that will help you weather the storm.
Networking
The best way to monitor trends in the hot-rod industry is to build and maintain relationships with your peers. Your HRIA membership offers countless opportunities for networking with other council members. The HRIA holds open meetings at venues across the country, offering you a chance to offer ideas and suggestions to Select Committee members. In addition, our annual HRIA Mixer at the NSRA Nationals (to be held August 6–9 in Louisville, Kentucky) provides the perfect setting to get to know people and companies in the hot-rod industry.
Education
The HRIA has always been committed to providing opportunities to educate yourself and your employees. And the best part of our education programs is that most of them are free. The annual HRIA Education & Training Day at the Hotrod & Restoration Show (Indianapolis, Indiana) is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to attend more than 30 workshops presented by leading companies in the hot-rod industry. The new HRIA Webinar Series will provide free online seminars with business and industry experts on topics related to small-business operations.
Website
Have you visited the HRIA website lately? The HRIA website offers free information that is important to businesses of every size and type in the hot-rod industry. Resources, such as a council directory with contact information, allow you to contact other HRIA members. In addition, industry news releases are posted to keep you informed of the latest happenings, and you can download a copy of the latest 2009–2010 HRIA Annual Report, which details the state of the segment, including challenges and opportunities. There’s also a calendar of industry events that lists not only a wide range of hot-rod shows, but other types of car and truck action.
The site also offers business tools, such as legislative news and alerts, a recap of new or pending state statutes, industry market reports from SEMA’s top-notch research division, updates on hot-rod bills and more. There are also abundant education services, including complete catalogs of SEMA’s future webinars as well as links to PDF and video downloads or past offerings. In addition, you can learn about HRIA’s youth awareness programs, including shop or company tours or visits to schools with company or employee-owned hot rods.
In these turbulent times, it is imperative that each of us takes advantage of every tool and opportunity available. The HRIA is here to help.
2009–2010 HRIA Annual Report
The 2009–2010 HRIA Annual Report is now available. The report provides information on what the HRIA council is doing for you, including updates on education and youth awareness as well as a legislative report. In addition, a review of the hot-rod industry, including HRIA award winners, is included in the report. To get a copy, simply visit the HRIA website , contact any of your Select Committee members or stop by any of the HRIA open meetings throughout the year.