Growing up in Ohio, Chris Kersting had five older brothers, “and they were all bigger than me,” he recalled. One morning as he played outdoors with the older boys swinging on vines, he fell and broke his wrist, earning a trip to the hospital. Returning that afternoon with a cast, he again joined his brothers, this time climbing onto a platform in an apple tree. When he got knocked off the platform, he broke the other arm and went right back for another cast. “I think the same shift was still on at the hospital,” he laughed.

Longtime followers of the automotive aftermarket need no introduction to Jim McFarland. Formerly an editor at Hot Rod who attended the first-ever SEMA Show, he became renowned for his work at Edelbrock as vice president of R&D through the ‘70s and ‘80s. Later, he worked in marketing and engineering positions at companies including Flowmaster, Hedman and Hypertech. He is the author of more than 400 technical articles, including SAE papers and publications for the motorsports, TV and outdoor markets. He was SEMA’s Person of the Year for 1985, and he was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2001.

After four decades of service to SEMA and the aftermarket industry, SEMA Senior Director for Federal Governmental Affairs Stuart Gosswein is retiring. His career with the association represents one of incredible achievement, but more than that, said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting, Gosswein’s tireless and respected voice as an industry advocate will be sorely missed.

The return of the SEMA Show to Las Vegas this past November was historic in so many ways. One of the week’s high points was the renewed gathering of 2,500 industry professionals at the in-person SEMA Industry Awards Banquet on Thursday evening, November 4. The event featured award presentations for SEMA Manufacturer of the Year, Warehouse Distributor of the Year, Gen-III Innovator of the Year, and accolades for the 2021 inductees to the SEMA Hall of Fame. But the capstone to the annual ceremony is always the SEMA Person of the Year Award, and for 2021, that honor went to Sara Morosan of LGE-CTS Motorsports.

SEMA recently announced the hiring of Ben Kaminsky as operations manager for the brand-new SEMA Garage Detroit ahead of its opening in 2022. In his new role, Kaminsky will be responsible for the overall management of services and facilities at the 45,000-sq.-ft. Garage to assist members with new-product development and integration.

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.

Welcome back to an extra special Global Tire Expo (GTE)–Powered by the Tire Industry Association. This year, in addition to the excitement of returning to Las Vegas and the GTE/SEMA Show following last year’s COVID-19 shutdown, we are proud to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of our Association. What a milestone that is!

Welcome to the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas—one of the most amazing automotive events in the world. The SEMA Show embodies the ultimate in automotive innovation and creativity—with thousands of modified cars and trucks displayed on the Las Vegas Convention Center campus. More than 1,300 exhibitors are introducing new products, technologies and innovative services to the automotive industry this week.

In the early months of the pandemic, as state after state began to lock down, SEMA News examined the advantages that social-media content creators (aka “influencers”) could bring to enthusiast and consumer engagement. Our article entitled “The New Media Landscape” asked: “Can tapping social-media influencers promote business recovery?”

Created in 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame represents the most prestigious honor that the association can bestow on an individual. It is reserved for outstanding achievers whose work has significantly enhanced the stature and growth of the industry and association. For 2021, SEMA inducted Jessi Combs, Rick Love, Bob Moore and Carl Schiefer, all of whom have made lasting impressions on the automotive world.