january-february

20 Sakurai believes that off-roading and overloading or adventure travel are the trends that will have the greatest impact in 2019. “Look at the numbers from other related industries such as RV and outdoor/ apparel, and it adds validity to this assertion. There have never been as many campers as there are now, and the numbers are growing steadily. The desire to get outdoors and to be in the wild for extended periods of time is leading to sales of rooftop tents, refrigerators, and a host of related products,” he said. “And once they start camping, the natural progression is to a truck or SUV capable of towing a trailer, and this is what’s fueling the movement,” he added. Joel Smith, owner of Auto Definitions in Claremore, Oklahoma believes that there is an immense amount of opportunity within this market segment… and it’s only getting started. During a recent interview, Smith said that some of his hardcore rock crawling customers have expressed an interest in dialing things back to enjoy more of the ride. For helpful off-road and overlanding merchandising suggestions, turn to page 22 and read “4x4 Shops Appealing to Off-Road Customers During the Off-Season.” Aftermarket manufacturers certainly rolled out the red carpet for truck and SUV cargo accessorizing this year. “Truck beds are incredibly versatile and SEMA showed us hundreds of ways to customize them. The upstairs portion of the SEMA show’s South Hall is filled with trucks and 4x4s, and just about anything with a bed had some sort of tonneau, rack, or shell. Truck Hero had no fewer than eight different styles of rolling and folding bed covers in its massive booth, and it spilled all over the show. In Central Hall, Ford and Chevy had custom-built full- size and mid-size trucks on display with motorcycle racks, TVs, and tool boxes. We’ll be honest, it did inspire us to daydream about our ultimate off-road camping vehicle, tailgating rig, and portable fabrication shop, and it reminded us why we love pickups so much,” commented Hagerty. Wheels and Tires One can’t talk SEMA without focusing on wheels and tires. “Wheels and tires are fundamental to every automobile and therefore remain aftermarket staples. The 2017 SEMA Market Report estimates the current custom wheel market to be worth $1.21 billion in sales, while performance and special-purpose tires top $2.22 billion combined, [with the] off-road and plus- size tire market estimated at another $1.62 billion,” SEMA explained. “Bigger and bolder is better” certainly drove the wow factor at this year’s event. From oversized casts and a throwback nod to earlier-era white wheels to bright colors and brushed gold finishes, this year’s wheel scene was wild. Fab Fours, the masters of innovation, shocked the crowd by releasing a stylish wheel and tire combo, along with the world’s largest brake rotor kit. “Cast wheels are getting bigger—24” is like the new standard, with 26” starting to become more common. This used to be forged-only territory! And bigger wheels mean bigger tires. Toyo is releasing a 26, Mickey a 24, and Fury is up to a 30 now. My first TJ had 28” tires,” laughed Dan Guyer, Category Manager of Wheels & Tires. Like we said, “Bigger and bolder is better” was this year’s theme. Unfortunately, that statement includes a wave of huge, inexpensive, unbranded tires from overseas as well. “Cheap knockoffs— need I say more? Tires, wheels, anything. Buyer beware,” added Guyer. For more about trends, highlights, and takeaways, review post-SEMA coverage on The Engine Block (www.theengineblock. com). Browse the Q&A sessions with Jason Sakurai of Hypertech and Josh Poulson of Auto Additions for more detailed information about new products, trends, and the impact of current and future tariffs, as well as how to make the most of all those post SEMA leads. SEMA Soundbite with Josh Poulson of Auto Additions Impacting the industry: “The overall health of the industry is very good.Most companies are experiencing growth in the current economic state. Any of the fears that companies have are mostly long-term fears vs. short term. Many companies wonder how quickly self- driving cars will be in the market place. Will this affect consumer’s current trends of personalization?Will the next generation have the same enthusiasm in vehicles the way the last three generations have? Will technology in vehicles become proprietary enough that the aftermarket can do nothing to them. There will always be fears as to what is coming over the horizon, but the good news is we are part of an industry that reacts and can adapt to any situation and trend.” Latest Trends: “I feel the Jeep ® market that many felt was going to fall off when the company announced the JL, didn’t. Once the changes were unveiled, it became apparent that the Jeep ® market will remain as busy as ever with the new model. Also, the film business has continued to grow, whether it is window tint, paint protection film, or wrap film. Ceramic coating is a hot new trend that is becoming a more popular product for all cars, not just high-end models.” My focus in 2019: “Awareness of our products has been and is still the biggest issue in my part of the industry. [Ignorantly] everyday consumers just don’t realize that you can add a lot of our products to vehicles, so to be able to make them aware of these upgrades at the time of purchase is my goal in 2019. I have been working with a few companies to develop a product configurator that helps bring awareness. Also, using social media to show the things we can do for consumers will continue to be a big push. When I look at the amount of work we do compared to the vehicles being sold at the dealer level, we are a very small percentage. So, if I can raise awareness then even if the needle only moves a little, it could potentially double my business.” (continued from page 19)