Meyer Distributing Opens Georgia Cross-Dock

Jasper, Indiana-based Meyer Distributing has opened a new cross-dock in Savannah, Georgia. 

The cross-dock will have a direct feed from Meyer Distributing's Orlando, Florida, distribution hub, which houses an inventory of automotive accessories, off-road parts and RV products. 

"The Savannah, Georgia, dock will significantly improve deliveries to coastal Georgia," said Jeff Braun, CEO of Meyer Distributing. "The Carolina and Georgia coasts have long been underserviced markets by Meyer, but with the addition of Savannah, Columbia, South Carolina, and Goldsboro, North Carolina, cross-docks, we're now well positioned to provide top-notch delivery service and frequency to the customer base."

For more information, visit meyerdistributing.com. 

Priority media registration may have passed, but reporters, journalists and content creators who would like to participate in the 2024 SEMA MPMC Media Trade Conference can still register to attend here.

Meet with companies and build connections at the 2024 MPMC Media Trade Conference.

Taking place in person on January 30–February 1, 2024, at the Embassy Suites Anaheim South in Garden Grove, California, the Media Trade Conference is the best way for journalists to take part in more than 40 quality one-on-one meetings, as well as build connections at networking events and social activities. There is no fee for media and the event includes complimentary lunch.

Media can attend one, two or all three days to meet with company representatives who are prepared to discuss their newest product lines, important updates within their company and the latest industry trends. It is the best and most efficient way for media to obtain editorial content to share with their audience.

For questions or more information, click here or contact Juan Torres at juant@sema.org.

SEMA News will resume on Tuesday, January 2. We look forward to connecting and serving you in 2024!

• Become a SEMA member here.
• Browse SEMA Virtual Education here.
• Read the "SEMA State of the Industry--Fall 2023" report, available for download at sema.org/market-research.
• View a list of upcoming events here.
• View a list of industry jobs in the SEMA Career Center here.

By SEMA News Editors

Nominations are now open for the 2024 SEMA Board of Directors. SEMA members are invited to recommend industry leaders to serve the association online by Friday, January 5.  

The following seats are open for the 2024 election:

• Manufacturer (two open seats) 
• Distributor/Retailer (two open seats) 
• Service (one open seat) 

"A strong SEMA Board means wise leadership and an association that serves its members well. As a member of the association, we are currently seeking your recommendation of industry leaders to serve on the SEMA Board of Directors," said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. "Our industry has many individuals who would be an asset to the Board, but we need your help to bring them to the attention of the nominating committee."

Submit your nomination form here. Be sure to include brief information about the nominee's qualifications, including background, experience and achievements.

Note: your SEMA business membership must be active and in good standing to be eligible.

By SEMA News Editors

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings nationwide. Below are some of the latest postings.

Wholesale Horsepower

Content Creation and Marketing Specialist in Garland, Texas

Wholesale Horsepower is seeking an individual to join the company as a media and marketing specialist for the ECUMaster, Verkline and ZRP brands. This position will be responsible for creating, managing and promoting content across various platforms, coordinating marketing efforts and supporting the company's trade show presence.

Canepa

Automotive Parts Manager in Scotts Valley, California

This position will maintain a balanced inventory, establish individual parts inventory levels, assist in the supervision of stock order procedures, analyze sales and departmental operations and more. Requirements include five years of automotive parts experience, management experience, computer skills and other qualifications.

By SEMA News Editors

UTV World Championship Expands

Manufacturers will compete for the UNLTD Off-Road Racing UTV World Championship Manufacturers Cup.

The UTV World Championship will expand from one to three races as part of the newly formed UNLTD Off-Road Racing Championship Series.

The three-part series schedule includes the Parker 400 in Parker, Arizona, the Mint 400 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the California 300 in Barstow, California.

The series is also inviting UTV manufacturers to compete in the series for a chance at winning the UNLTD Off-Road Racing UTV World Championship Manufacturers Cup, which will assign points to manufacturers based on in-race performances from affiliated race teams.

For more information, visit unlimitedoffroadracing.com.

NHRA Arizona Nationals Return to Renamed Firebird Motorsports Park

The NHRA will return to Phoenix for the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season for the Arizona Nationals next year at the recently renamed Firebird Motorsports Park. The NHRA had previously announced that the Chandler, Arizona, facility would close after the 2023 event.

The new moniker refers to the original Firebird International Raceway, the name of the track when it opened 40 years ago, according to the NHRA.

The Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock categories are expected to appear at the 2024 NHRA Arizona Nationals, scheduled for April 5-7, 2024.

For more information, visit nhra.com or racefirebird.com.

For additional racing news, visit the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) website. 

Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Scout Motors will implement the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for future products in North America, beginning in 2025. The change will provide customers access to an additional 15,000 charging points in the Tesla Supercharger network, according to the company.

Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Scout Motors will adopt the NACS in 2025.

Volkswagen Group brands are also exploring adapter solutions for vehicles with a Combined Charging System (CCS) charge port to provide access to the Tesla Supercharger network.

"This is great news for our electric vehicle customers in the North American Region," said Pablo Di Si, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. "This potentially provides them with access to more than 15,000 additional charging points as well as the current near-4,000 DC fast charging outlets operated by Electrify America. It would mean that customers of our fast-selling electric vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.4 will have access to an extensive and growing charging network."

Details of the planned integration will be provided at a later date.

For more information, visit vw.com.

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) has named Jenna Sage, president of the THADS Foundation, as the network's newest #SheIsSEMA spotlight member.  

Get to know Sage in her interview with SEMA News below. 

SEMA News: What do you enjoy most about working at your current company?  

Jenna Sage: I started THADS Foundation this past year, 2022, in honor and memory of my grandpa, who was a World War II veteran and spent his career working for Buick Motor, Co. 

Before our non-profit, my husband and I ran several successful restoration, collision and custom car shops. What I enjoy most about starting this non-profit is learning the ways that veterans and their families can support and transition to successful careers in the automotive industry. I love knowing that future generations will keep the trades and skills alive!

SN: What is the most challenging part of your business or job? 

JS: Balance. Running a non-profit business, working full-time and caring for family can be time-consuming, so I try to find ways to create balance. Not of time, that's impossible. In energy. When do I know I'll have the best energy to accomplish this task, or when do I know I need a break to relax? It can feel like we have to keep going, but to be our best, we need balance.

SN: How many years have you been in the industry, and what was your first industry job? 

JS: You could kind of say I was born into the industry. My family is from Flint, Michigan, auto-city U.S.A. My path was a bit different than most of my car-career family, as I became an educator. But cars were never far away. Then I met my husband and I was swept into the car world for life. We owned several businesses in Michigan before moving to Florida in 2005. We eventually owned several collision repair shops in Florida and now my husband is retired, working on our project cars, and I started our non-profit. In one way or another, I've always been engrained with autos.

SN: What three qualities got you to where you are today?   

JS: Tenacity. I don't always fit into every circumstance but I'm always willing to learn and grow. 

Belief. I hardcore believe that if it is meant to be, the universe and you will make it happen. I believe in setting a goal and chasing it. 

Love. It may seem cheesy, but passion and love go a long way when times are tough, or work is stressful. Leaning into the people and projects that you love can make the difference. 

Tenacity, belief and love have created the life that I want to live every day, where we get to work on cool cars, build cool [things] and meet awesome people. It's totally worth all the headaches and stresses!

SN: Being a woman in the industry, what have been your biggest challenges and accomplishments?

JS: My biggest challenge has been making breakthroughs across the industry. We insisted on being female-friendly at our shops to create an environment where 'non-car' customers, especially women could feel comfortable and confident. The industry doesn't always build that in, so myself and my husband work to create welcoming, inviting and inclusive auto environments!

I don't think my biggest accomplishment has happened yet! I want to see our love for cars combine with our care for the community and my passion for helping people find careers, so stay tuned!

SN: Who are your role models or mentors in the industry? 

JS: Certainly, my husband has helped teach me so many of the ins and outs. Being a business owner teaches you quickly. I tend to love fabricating and welding, I create metal art out of discarded and scrapped car parts, so I like watching Barbie the Welder create art with metal.

SN: What is the best career advice you have received?   

JS: The best advice I have received was from a mentor that I had during my graduate school (I have a doctorate in Special Education). My mentor at the time told me that the only way to thank her was to go out and be better than she was. It was a selfless act, a parental sentiment. I share it with mentees, apprentices and just the younger generations that come in and out of the shop. It has helped me remember that we aren't in this alone.

SN: Have you always wanted to work in the automotive industry?   

JS: Ha! I had zero idea ever that I'd be in the automotive industry in any way. My training and career have been in education and mental health. Being close to the car world has been an adventure but I wouldn't change it for anything! I have met amazing people, learned valuable skills and created lasting memories. I may not be swimming in the deep end of the automotive industry pool, but I'm thankful to be at the pool with everyone and to help others learn about the power and passion that cars can bring!

SN: Who was the most influential person on your career/goals? 

JS: I started this non-profit, with a mission to help veterans and their families build their "Mental Wealth" (through cars, community and careers). My grandfather's engineering mind, love for volunteering and care for cars have absolutely influenced our work. And of course, hanging with my hubby at the shop pushes me forward and further every single day!

Fill out a #SheIsSEMA spotlight form to submit a self-nomination or nominate a colleague and highlight how you or she is contributing to the specialty-equipment industry. Selected candidates are automatically eligible to be considered for SBN's #SheIsSEMA Woman of the Year award, featured on SBN's social media, SEMA News and recognized on the sema.org/she-is-sema website.  

By SEMA News Editors

Don Schumacher, NHRA team owner and Funny Car pioneer, passed away on December 20 at the age of 79. Schumacher had spent the past several months privately battling lung cancer before succumbing to illness-related complications, according to the NHRA.

Don Schumacher, 79

In November 2022, Schumacher was presented with the NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona Beach, Florida, and in May 2013, was enshrined into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Alabama. He was also invited into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.

A Funny Car match racer in the 1960s and ‘70s, Schumacher took a departure from motorsports to grow the family business, Schumacher Electric. In 1998, he returned to NHRA Drag Racing to build a team with son Tony Schumacher. Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) made its competition debut at the 1998 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, clinched its first championship title in 1999. His teams have won 19 NHRA world championship titles and 367 Wally trophies, including the five he won while behind the wheel of a Funny Car.

For the full announcement, visit nhra.com.

Image courtesy of DSR Performance

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) recently announced an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to gather the information necessary to develop performance requirements and require impaired driving prevention technology in new passenger vehicles. Congress directed NHTSA to establish a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) on "advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology" in 2021 when it passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Section 24220). 

The NHTSA is gathering information to develop performance requirements for impaired driving prevention technology.

The ANPRM presents three regulatory options for how the agency might mitigate driver impairment: blood alcohol content detection, impairment detection (driver monitoring) or a combination of the two. Section 24220 defines "Advanced Drunk and Impaired Driving Technology" as a system that: 

• (A) can passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired; and prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if an impairment is detected.

or

• (B) can passively and accurately detect whether the blood alcohol concentration of a driver of a motor vehicle is equal to or greater than the blood alcohol concentration described in section 163(a) of title 23, United States Code; and prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit is detected.

or 

• (C) is a combination of systems described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).

SEMA solicits feedback from our member companies developing alcohol detection technology or feel the new FMVSS will impact them. The ANPRM initiates a rulemaking to gather the information necessary to develop performance requirements and require new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology. This phase will help the agency review the maturity of advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology and develop the foundational elements for potential technology standards in all new passenger vehicles when the technology is mature. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also stated that an FMVSS should be issued only if it meets the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. 

NHTSA will open a 60-day comment period once the ANPRM is published in the Federal Register. For more information on the state of technology, we have provided this resource from The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Research Program.   

SEMA encourages aftermarket businesses to provide feedback on the rulemaking directly to our Government Affairs staff to ensure the association's official comments to NHTSA reflect the breadth of views and feedback from our member companies. Please send your comments on the ANPRM to Tiffany Cipoletti at tiffanyc@sema.org.