Less than a year after the death of his older brother Bobby, Alfred “Al” Unser Sr. succumbed to his years-long battle with cancer in December. He was 82.

As most SEMA members have learned by now, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting, who traditionally pens this column, announced his retirement on January 5. In his position over the last 20 years, Chris has helped guide the industry through numerous challenges, and his leadership will surely be missed. His retirement will bring changes, but at times like this, we are reminded that change is inevitable—it’s the only constant in life and business.

Businesses are discovering the hard way that websites forgetting to accommodate disabled people are targets for usability lawsuits. The great irony underscoring the trend is that scores of service providers can quickly analyze your website for a few hundred dollars and advise—point for point—how to safeguard it against such a lawsuit.

As the threat of ransomware reached new heights in 2021, many businesses have doubled down on their defense against the scourge—making sure they’ve done everything they can to avoid becoming its next victim. Indeed, successful ransomware attacks on key infrastructure and supply lines in the United States have proven so visceral this year that they’ve triggered an executive order from President Joe Biden, nudging all U.S. businesses to get serious about ransomware protection.

The Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show is known across the racing and performance sector as a concentrated indicator of the industry’s latest developments and opportunities. After a forced hiatus due to COVID-19 in 2020, the 2021 trade event made its highly anticipated return to the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Thursday through Saturday, December 9–11.

Not to be confused with the annual “SEMA Market Report,” the “State of the Industry Report” is released biannually in the spring and fall and details specific manufacturer and retailer data, sales trends by product category, and popular retail channels and vehicle segments. It explores the industry from a company perspective rather than at the consumer level.

Here’s a first look at the ’23 Nissan Altima while testing in Metro Detroit. The sixth-generation Altima debuted in 2018 at the New York Auto Show as a ’19 model. Since then, there have been virtually no changes made to the model other than some appearance packages and Nissan Safety Shield 360.

The ongoing supply-chain disruption has affected businesses in many ways: shipping delays, production issues, inability to find suppliers and increased costs, to name a few. However, the worst of the effects have likely passed. Most issues, including transportation delays and supply shortages, should improve throughout the year and return to more normal levels by the end of 2022. However, some elevated prices may linger into 2023. See “The Supply-Chain Breakdown” on p. 110.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a dramatic surge in online sales beginning in 2020, and the automotive specialty-equipment sector was no exception. Online aftermarket parts sales exceeded 50% of total sales for the first time, and while in-person sales have gained traction again as the pandemic recedes and lockdowns ease, online sales still account for nearly half of total sales and are forecast to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Industry news from SEMA-member companies, including Truck Hero Inc., VP Racing Fuels Inc., Safelife Group and more.