Every year, scores of industry professionals from throughout the specialty-equipment marketplace make their annual pilgrimage to the SEMA Show. And while they are primarily there to take advantage of buy-and-sell opportunities, many fail to dig deeper to find out what else SEMA has to offer.

Not many years ago, the term automotive restoration typically conjured images of vintage vehicles lovingly restored and brought back to life true to their original condition. Recently, modern technology and innovation have made inroads into the restoration marketplace, spawning a growing interest in restomods upfitted with modern-day modifications yet still retaining their classic look.

A quick search of the SEMA website (www.sema.org) reveals an abundance of member benefits covering a range of business resources and solutions. In fact, no matter a company’s membership category—manufacturer, distributor, manufacturers’ rep, retailer or installer—there are tools and resources to help companies make smarter business decisions; be more strategic; save money; and expand their network among like-minded colleagues and industry leaders.

Manufacturers’ representatives are key channel partners. They are in the unique position to connect with virtually every aspect of the supply chain. From sales calls to warehouse distributors, retailers and installers in the territories they represent to their in-depth product and industry knowledge and sales expertise, reps provide valuable professional services to the manufacturers they represent.

Walk around the SEMA Show or attend any industry meeting or event anywhere, and you’ll cross paths with scores of businesswomen engaged in all aspects and at all levels of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. That wasn’t always the case.

Vehicle technology is evolving at lightning speed. For the automotive aftermarket, revolutionary new technologies such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) present both challenges and opportunities.

Over the years, the Wheel & Tire Council (WTC, formerly known as the Wheel Industry Council, WIC) has not only brought together two related industry segments for the common good but has also centered its sights on the collective technical and educational needs of its members.