The products featured below are from SEMA Data member companies that have attained Gold- or Platinum-level data, which means that their product data is robust and complete—likely to drive customer purchase decisions. SEMA Data members meeting data scorecard requirements are invited to submit product releases for consideration to enews@semadatacoop.org.
It’s no secret that overlanding has been one of the fastest-growing segments in the automotive aftermarket, and as it has gained popularity over time, the market has diversified. This can be seen in the types of vehicles employed as build platforms. Once dominated by midsize Toyotas, the overlanding segment has grown to include Jeeps and, increasingly, fullsize HD pickups with their superior load-carrying capability.
Many employees hear things like “the company’s for sale” or “we’re being sold to a private-equity firm” and conjure up an image of Michael Douglas playing the role of Gordon Gekko, the ruthless slick-haired Wall-Street tycoon. They see the man who said “greed is good” taking over their company, firing everyone and counting the checks after he sells the business.
In 1963, before there was even a SEMA Show, a group of small business entrepreneurs who made parts for early hot rods organized to support the hobby, the enthusiasts, and the motorsports lifestyle. One of their original goals was to have a voice at the table when it came to negotiating with state, federal and regulatory agencies that often proposed overly broad restrictions—failing to perceive less-obvious, often detrimental side effects. Now, 60 years later, it’s clear that SEMA’s watchdog role on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arena continues to be of critical importance to everyone in the industry—hobbyists and motorsports participants included.
The automotive industry—and consequently the aftermarket—has entered a period of unprecedented change. Emerging technologies, new ways of doing business, and market, social and governmental forces are creating a barrage of opportunities and challenges for our industry. As a trade organization, SEMA is committed to helping members navigate industry trends so they can future-proof their businesses, succeed and prosper.
When Dick Erickson was building his business, Sun Tire, in northern Florida, he took a different approach than many other entrepreneurs. Of course, he wanted to be successful, but that wasn’t all about profit margins and moving the most product.
Once the province of outback adventurers in Australia and southern Africa, overlanding has gone global since the birth of the 21st century. The term may mean many things to many people, but it’s generally a form of vehicular adventure travel where the journey, not the destination, is the ultimate goal. Regardless of definition, it’s a rapidly expanding component of a $112 billion adventure tourism industry that’s projected to surpass $1 trillion by the end of the decade, according to a recent study published by Allied Global Insights.
The products featured below are from SEMA Data member companies that have attained Gold- or Platinum-level data, which means that their product data is robust and complete—likely to drive customer purchase decisions. SEMA Data members meeting data scorecard requirements are invited to submit product releases for consideration to enews@semadatacoop.org.
If we’re not already at it, we’re likely near the cusp of an electric vehicle (EV) tipping point. Two years ago, the state of California mandated 35% EV sales by 2025 and banned all new non-EV sales by 2035; Washington state’s mandate is even more ambitious: by 2030 it will refuse to license any vehicle made that year or later unless it’s electric, a push that resembles the one in several Western European countries.
An interview format where hosts pitch ads feels a touch anachronistic in this digital-everything age. Podcasts seem more like the kind of medium our grandparents’ generation would’ve invented, had the internet spontaneously appeared in their youth. You just know Milton Berle would’ve slayed.