A Few Words With John Waraniak

John Waraniak, SEMA’s vice president of vehicle technology, has tinkered with machines and building fast toys since he was a kid growing up in Detroit. Waraniak is equally at home in an aerospace skunkworks in Pico Rivera, California, a boardroom in Mumbai, India, on a motocross track in Buchanan, Michigan, or on the Vehicle Technology Center stage at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. His love for racing, performance and systems engineering have led him to master’s degrees at the University of Illinois and Caltech as well as executive careers in the stealth aircraft, automotive racing and action sports industries. He was eventually recruited as SEMA’s “chief engineer” in May 2006.

The Racing & Performance section of the SEMA Show is the largest on the floorplan, completely taking over the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center each year.

In 2012, a total of 507 exhibitors set up booths, entering a vast array of their latest offerings into the Ideas Alive, featuring the New Products Showcase. The following pages represent more than 500 of the new and featured products that exhibitors registered in the Showcase. Along with the products, journalist Steve Campbell interviewed industry executives to get their thoughts about the trends they perceive and some words of advice about what might lie ahead.

Wheel manufacturers continue to innovate with attention-grabbing designs, vibrant colors and exotic finishes. Striking a delicate balance between style, fitment and overall performance—nearly 200 exhibitors unveiled their latest creations at this year’s Show.

The following products spotlight innovations from Wheels & Accessories section exhibitors, as seen in the 2012 SEMA Show New Products Showcase.

Innovations of Generations Showcased in Las Vegas

As the specialty-equipment industry’s premier trade event, the annual SEMA Show is the number-one barometer of automotive specialty-equipment trends. If anything, the 2012 SEMA Show, held October 30 through November 2 in Las Vegas, indicated a vibrant, growing industry definitely bullish on the future.

Consider these Show statistics: Total attendance rose to 135,000—up 2% over last year. Meanwhile, exhibitors hit the 2,250 mark, with 500 of them being first-timers. There were more than 60,000 buyers plying the Show floor, along with 3,000 media representatives. All in all, the Show offered 1 million net square feet of innovation, education and business opportunities. 

As a trade association, SEMA is governed by an elected Board of Directors that is composed of industry leaders who volunteer considerable time, talent and insight to guide the organization.

Elected by the association’s membership at large, SEMA’s Board of Directors reflects the wide spectrum of businesses to be found within the specialty-equipment marketplace, from manufacturing to distribution, and from sales to service suppliers.

By now you’ve likely heard news that this year’s SEMA Show is tracking at near-record levels. When the Show opens October 30, we’ll have more than 2,100 exhibiting companies, 1,500 custom rides, close to 1,800 new products in the Ideas Alive showcase and more qualified buyer attendees than ever before. The SEMA Show is once again set to deliver the best of our industry’s innovative genius gathered into a single, highly effective marketplace.

We’re shining a spotlight on “Innovations of Generations”—celebrating the accomplishments of our past but also highlighting the advances and innovations being led by our younger industry members.

Some of the Attractions at the World’s Greatest Automotive Show

The SEMA Show is the world’s largest automotive trade show, but it’s much more than that. It’s a museum, a looking glass into the future, a university, a carnival, a catalog of innovation, a media frenzy and an incubator for tomorrow’s industry leaders. In short, from Tuesday, October 30–Friday, November 2, it’s the place where every automotive professional should be and where every auto enthusiast wishes he or she could be.

In order to qualify for the SEMA News “35 Under 35” list, each individual first required nomination by his or her peers. In evaluating those nominations, we looked for signs that the candidate is someone who, at age 35 or under, already displays the responsibilities of leadership and has become a trusted, skilled player within his or her own organization. We also considered the level of industry involvement shown by these individuals and their expertise in their particular segment as perceived by their customers and peers.

SEMA Honors Nick Arias Jr., Bill France Sr., Mark Heffington and Bob Larivee Sr. With Hall of Fame Induction

For a chosen few, an obsession develops. Regardless of personal or professional success, this select group never stops raising the bar. Even when they take the checkered flag at the track or produce an event that attracts thousands of rabid fans or they literally break the mold when it comes to reinventing performance parts, it’s still not enough. There’s always room for improvement, and every person inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame spends a lifetime trying to find it.