SEMA News: Why are you running for chair-elect of the SEMA Board of Directors (BOD)?

Donnie Eatherly: I am very passionate about this industry and channels of distribution. I think my perspective would be good on all distribution-channel issues as well as how industry changes, policies and legislation affect how our products make it to consumers.

Buyer registration for the 2015 SEMA Show, November 3–6 in Las Vegas, is open and available at www.SEMAShow.com/register. Distributors, retailers, installers and buyers are encouraged to refer to these simple tips to help ensure a fast and efficient registration process for the annual trade show.

Microsoft’s Mea Culpa to PC Users

Businesses that reacted to Windows 8 with howls of incredulity can take heart: Microsoft is bending over backward with its next Windows release to win back the mouse-and-keyboard crowd. With Windows 10 (there will be no Windows 9), due for release in the summer of 2015, Microsoft will make it simple once again to navigate the operating system with a keyboard and a mouse. Moreover, the Redmond Goliath will be bringing back other features, such as the Start Menu that made Windows a hit in previous incarnations. “It’s a practical approach, which is ‘customer first,’” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

In late 1963, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth was a busy guy. By that point in his career, he had built the Outlaw, Beatnik Bandit and Tweedy Pie—cars that established him as one of the premier (and wackiest) car customizers on the West Coast. Model maker Revell took notice of Roth’s creations and began offering scale versions of them as well as model kits of Roth’s freaky monsters, including Mr. Gasser, Drag Nut and Rat Fink.

Get to Know the Nominees

Eleven candidates entered this year’s election, each vying for a position on the 2015–2018 SEMA Board of Directors. The SEMA Board provides strategic direction to the association and plays a critical role in shaping the future of the automotive specialty-equipment industry.

Voting for the 2015–2018 SEMA Board of Directors Election opened May 13 and will be available online until June 9. Voting is open to current SEMA members, and votes must be submitted by the designated primary contact of each voting SEMA-member company.

The May issue of SEMA News magazine doubles as the annual SEMA Membership Directory, and SEMA encourages you to keep this copy on your desk throughout the year to use as your reference tool in locating SEMA-member companies.

The membership directory is also available online. The online membership directory is continually updated to include new SEMA members. In addition, the online version of the membership directory lists members’ staff personnel, and you can contact them via e-mail through your MySEMA account.

Ford Super Duty
The 2017 Ford Super Duty, with its body-hugging wrap, reveals some of the design influences from the latest 2015 models—

Mercedes GLC
Here’s a look at two of several prototypes for the new Mercedes GLC that were caught on film leaving the factory.

Mini Clubman
With the light camouflage helping to reveal finer design cues, this prototype for the next Mini Clubman S and the sporty...

BMW X3
A prototype for the next-generation BMW X3 has broken cover, hitting a frozen lake in the Arctic Circle.

One of the more challenging quests in the specialty aftermarket is to attract, hire and develop qualified employees—people who will fill a range of roles and help our members’ businesses transition to the future. This is especially challenging as new technologies emerge at an increasing speed.

That’s why the SEMA board, councils and staff are focused on new ways to equip the next generation to find jobs and grow careers in our industry. These efforts can be divided into three fronts—development training and experiences for existing members; establishing better ties and pipelines with schools where students are already studying automotive fields; and establishing pathways to allow even more young people to aim for a career in the specialty segment of the industry.

Breaking news from SEMA member companies, including Brake Parts Inc., Quest Automotive Products, Yokohama Tire, Action Car and Truck Accessories, Surf City Garage and more.

New Gear From the SEMA Show

The Trucks, SUVs & Off-Road section of the 2014 SEMA Show was dedicated to products engineered to tackle life’s harshest, and most exciting, terrain. For buyers who understand their customer’s passionate desire to shift into four-wheel drive, exhibitors unveiled hundreds of new SKUs with items ranging from tonneau covers and bedliners to toolboxes, trailer hitches and suspensions.