Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)

SEMA is bringing networking together with technical and business education to the Midwest with the pilot SEMA Fuel Your Future Regional Series, hosted by BluePrint Engines in Kearney, Neb., Sept. 25-26. Built for shop owners & employees, builders and automotive professionals, this two-day event will cover practical topics to help you sharpen your skills and strengthen your business. We’ll even set aside time for networking and visiting relevant industry vendors.

SEMA is bringing networking together with technical and business education to the Midwest with the pilot SEMA Fuel Your Future Regional Series, hosted by BluePrint Engines in Kearney, Neb., Sept. 25-26. Built for shop owners & employees, builders and automotive professionals, this two-day event will cover practical topics to help you sharpen your skills and strengthen your business. We’ll even set aside time for networking and visiting relevant industry vendors.

By SEMA News Editors Ronald "Ron" Shivers, owner of Dee Zee, Inc., the Iowa-based truck accessory manufacturer, has passed away. He was 73. After earning his CPA designation, Shivers joined Dee Zee as controller in 1978. He was promoted to president in 1987 and spent the following decades guiding the company before he eventually acquired full ownership of Dee Zee, retiring in 2013. Shivers was a proud SEMA and TORA member who dedicated much of his life to advancing the truck and accessory market.

By Denise Aquino, SEMA Market Research According to the 2026 SEMA Market Report, the specialty sports-car aftermarket is valued at $2.97 billion, with 24% of owners modifying their vehicles. By comparison, only 12% of CUV owners invest in aftermarket upgrades. From commercials and internet pop-up ads to auto shows and everyday driving, the types of vehicles we see have shifted over the last 20 years. Not long ago, ads highlighted the latest performance car driving on a racetrack.

By Ashley Reyes Motorsports product manufacturers have limited time left to save on registration for the 2027 MPMC Media Trade Conference, one of the industry's premier media networking events. Set for February 2-4, 2027, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Orlando, Florida, the event will mark three decades of connecting manufacturers with influential media professionals through its highly successful face-to-face meeting format.

By SEMA News Editors If you haven't booked your hotel for the 2026 SEMA Show yet, now is the time to make your move. With the Show just months away, rooms are becoming increasingly limited at some of the most sought-after properties in the official SEMA Show hotel block, including the Encore, Fontainebleau and others. The good news?

By Ashley Reyes The SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) has named Hannah Pennington, manager of mayhem at FLATED, as the network's newest spotlight member. Get to know Pennington in her interview with SEMA News below. SEMA News: What is the best advice you have ever received? Hannah Pennington: "Don't take life too seriously; you'll never make it out alive." I bring that energy to my professional life. When work is fun, that passion is transparent and helps convey your message.

By Ashley Reyes As part of its mission to empower emerging leaders in the automotive industry through education and networking, the SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) will host a virtual Lunch and Learn focused on successfully transitioning from an individual contributor into an effective team leader. The session, "FLN Lunch & Learn: The Accidental Manager," will take place on Thursday, September 24, at 10:30 a.m. PDT/1:30 p.m. EDT.

By SEMA News Editors Bob Vandergriff Sr., 1989 SEMA Person of the Year, 2003 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee and former owner of Hedman Headers and other aftermarket brands, has passed away. He was 84. Vandergriff has been associated with Petersen Publishing, NHRA and McMullen Advertising. At those organizations, he helped increase magazine circulations, contributed to company growth and received countless advertising awards.

By SEMA News Editors Bob Vandergriff Sr., 1989 SEMA Person of the Year, 2003 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee and former owner of Hedman Headers and other aftermarket brands, has passed away. He was 84. Vandergriff has been associated with Petersen Publishing, NHRA and McMullen Advertising. At those organizations, he helped increase magazine circulations, contributed to company growth and received countless advertising awards.