Women vehicle builders are on the rise, and successive generations are now flexing their garage prowess in growing numbers. That fact was especially demonstrated in the recent SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) All-Female ’21 Ford Bronco Wildtrak Build, unveiled at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Mike Burns came to the specialty-equipment market after launching a successful career in finance. A holder of an MBA from the University of Colorado, he has worked as an analyst for energy companies such as ConocoPhilips and as a budget and resource director for the U.S. Air Force. A 2018 SEMA Launch Pad semifinalist, Burns developed his ValvoMax Quick Twist Valve to facilitate easy oil changes without the use of tools. The ValvoMax has sold more than 50,000 units to date, and for his efforts, Burns was named SEMA’s 2022 Gen-III Innovator of the Year at last year’s 2022 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet. The award recognizes young entrepreneurs (age 40 and under) for their innovations in the specialty-equipment market.

For decades, recreationists and off-roaders have been able to enjoy riding all types of motorized vehicles from trucks and SUVs to dune buggies and quads on a California beach. That thrill will soon vanish if the California Coastal Commission has its way. The Commission issued a plan to abolish off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to California’s Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) by 2024. SEMA is challenging the Commission’s extreme plan in California Superior Court for San Luis Obispo County. SEMA’s joint lawsuit with Ecologic Partners—a legal collaboration between the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA), American Sand Association, and American Motorcyclist Association District 37—is scheduled for a June 15, 2023 hearing and will be a key moment in the fight to protect motorized recreational access around the country.

Consumer trends and preferences may change over time, but in the automotive sphere, pickups never really fall out of fashion. They’re the ideal multipurpose vehicles that function equally as daily commuters, job-site workhorses or recreational trail toys. For sheer versatility, nothing compares to them, and that’s probably why the bestselling vehicle in the United States for more than 40 years in a row has been a pickup.

Lawmakers in Virginia introduced SEMA-supported legislation to repeal the law tying the state to California’s motor vehicle emissions standards. Under current law, sales of new gas- and diesel-powered vehicles will be banned starting in 2035. Virginia is seen as the most likely state to repeal its mandate and Governor Glenn Youngkin has made it one of his top priorities. However, control of the legislature is narrowly split between Republicans and Democrats, making the final outcome hard to predict.

It’s a popular nostrum that the COVID-19 pandemic provided the accelerant that enabled the explosion in e-commerce sales that continues unextinguished to this day. Cautious consumers under remain-in-place orders stayed away from brick-and-mortar retail outlets in droves, the story goes, and turned to the convenience of the internet as a shopping and purchasing alternative, turning the conventional point-of-sale business model on its head.

As a specialty-equipment market trade association, SEMA’s mission is to help its business members succeed and prosper. To this end, it offers a broad variety of programs. Some are designed to help a business as a whole, while others are tailored toward employees or individuals. Combined, all SEMA programs and benefits offer powerful opportunities to grow brands, careers and industry enthusiasm. But how can members discover and access them all?