Industry news from SEMA-member companies, including The AAM Group, Formula DRIFT, John Force Racing and more.

The economic recovery continues along a bumpy path. The number of new hires slowed in the month of September, and the outlook for the labor market remains unclear in the coming months as pandemic-related benefits are phased out. Consumer spending remains strong, even as some of these government transfers wane.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is governed by a Board of Directors who volunteer their time to provide leadership and guidance to the organization. Board members are nominated and elected by the association’s membership at large. Directors serve a three-year term, while the chairman serves for two years immediately after completing a two-year term as chairman-elect. The current Board was inaugurated at the SEMA Board meeting held on July 31, 2021.

While many businesses took a wait-and-see approach when Google released a major upgrade to its analytics software last fall—Google Analytics 4—now is a good time to begin experimenting with the latest version. The free software offers businesses a powerful way to analyze and improve on how visitors are interacting with their websites. It has been put through its paces since its release, and any kinks with the code appear to have been worked out.

Companies that rely on ad tech companies to post ads for their goods and services across the web will need a new plan in 2022, when support for that technology mostly disappears. Essentially, Google is warning businesses that its widely popular Chrome browser will no longer support the technology needed to make those ad placements—known as third-party cookies—beginning next year.

Consumer tastes may change with the seasons, but one thing that remains constant within the automotive aftermarket is the ongoing popularity of the annual New Products Showcase at the SEMA Show. A must-see for all attendees and a first stop for most, the Showcase hosts thousands of new products each year, and it provides insights into the new directions the aftermarket is proceeding and which markets present the best opportunities for future growth.

By the end of the ’60s, Parnelli Jones had earned an enviable driving record across multiple forms of motorsports. From Indianapolis to Pikes Peak and midgets to Trans Am, he had won races, set records and earned championships. About the only place his take-no-prisoners driving style didn’t result in trophies was in the desert.

It’s exciting to see the progress industry investments in business technology have yielded in the last decade. For example, we’ve seen additive manufacturing and computer-aided design dramatically reducing product development iterations, speeding up time to market and saving time and money.

Anyone following the headlines knows that the automotive industry is entering an era of transformation, with virtually every major automaker now intent on vehicle electrification. Add to that the rapid deployment of advanced driver-assistance and related autonomous driving technologies, and it’s easy to believe that a brave new world of green transportation is barreling toward us. But are the headlines overly optimistic? How fast will industry transformation come? What challenges or opportunities will today’s emerging technologies pose for the aftermarket?