All the news from the specialty-parts industry.
SNAP-ON PICKS "GLO-MAD" AS WINNING NAME FOR STREET ROD
The entries have been reviewed and the winner has been selected. After much anticipation, the 1957 Chevrolet Nomadstreet rod being built by Snap-on and Dr. Neon has a name—the "Glo-mad"—in honor of the car and Dr. Neon's work with neon lighting.
The Glo-mad is being built in honor of the 50
The winning name was submitted by David Graves, a fleet manager and general contractor from Carrollton, Texas. He is a member of his local Classic Chevy Club and has just finished the restoration of a '56 Corvette—a project that took nearly five years.
A frequent visitor to www.aintstreetlegal.com, the Web site documenting the build of the Glo-mad, Graves has been keeping up with the progress of the car's construction by watching live Web cams and video episodes of Dr. Neon and his crew. For dreaming up the winning name, he will receive a Snap-on gift certificate for $1,957 in honor of the 1957 street rod.
"It was definitely a tough decision, but after going through nearly 3,000 entries, Graves' was chosen for its creativity and overall simplicity," said Alicia Smales, vice president, marketing for Snap-on. "This naming contest speaks to the interactivity of the project. Using all the tools of Web 2.0, we have been able to maximize participation in this one-of-a-kind build from celebrities, technicians, and enthusiasts alike."
The Glo-mad is on track to be finished for its first public display at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show held in Las Vegas from October 30 to November 1. The Glo-mad is scheduled to be displayed in the BDL Industries booth at SEMA. The booth number is 21089.
The actual construction is taking place in Asheville, North Carolina, under the direction of Dr. Neon, whose most recent project was an Air Force Thunderbirds motorcycle that was auctioned at Barrett-Jackson earlier this year. Dr. Neon is a legend among bikers and street rodders for his signature neon "Glo-job" spark-plug wires. For almost 20 years, his famous eye-catching neon plug wires have given nighttime appeal to tricked-out bikes and street rods.
BOSAL EXHAUST LAUNCHES UPDATED WEB SITE
Bosal, a manufacturer of OE replacement and high-performance exhaust systems, catalytic converters, and related components, has launched an updated Web site at www.bosalna.com.
Inspired by feedback and suggestions from users, the new Web site is more user friendly and features a new online electronic catalog that is continuously updated and includes complete diagrams for all systems and their components. A catalog search provides information as to whether or not a part is available at a certain distributor.
The new installer quotation system is designed to allow shops to print price quotations for customers without having to contact suppliers for pricing. The quotations system includes labor and allows installers to plug in their appropriate discount.
Established Bosal customers can check open orders, invoice history, account status, and place new orders by way of the b2b customer secure access. There is also a section for user feedback, which will allow Bosal to offer continual improvements and address any issues that may arise with the site.
MITCHELL 1 AND WHI INTEGRATE
Mitchell 1 has integrated its Shop Management System with WHI, an e-business solution provider to the wholesale distribution and retail markets, to provide e-commerce capabilities to benefit service providers through increased efficiency.
WHI's Nexpart Link e-commerce module allows Mitchell 1 users to place orders online with more than 4,000 parts distributor locations already integrated to the Nexpart Network. The integration highlights the release of Mitchell 1's new Manager SE next-generation shop management system.
"The integration exemplifies Mitchell 1's commitment to connect service providers with the parts providers of their choice," said Nick DiVerde, general manager of Mitchell 1's Shop Management Solutions.
MAGNAFLOW STAGES WIDE OPEN HOUSE
There is good news for the performance exhaust market. According to figures quoted at the recent MagnaFlow Wide Open House held at Joe's Garage, an auto museum located in Tustin, California, the market is growing. Predictions call for growth of 158.7 percent between 2002 and 2012. The trend is the traditional exhaust business is fading and the performance exhaust business is growing.
MagnaFlow reports its market share has increased from 13 percent three years ago to 21 percent. MagnaFlow is known for performance exhaust, but it is also in the catalytic converter business, which is in the midst of change. Remanufactured catalytic converters are going away (mandated by laws in some cases, especially in California) and being replaced with new, direct-fit replacement catalytic converters. As Brian Van Dyke, director of international sales for MagnaFlow points out, "The California aftermarket is the toughest in the U.S. We know that the direct-fit catalytic converter business will continue to grow and the universal catalytic converter will go away."
Should you consider adding performance exhaust to you inventory? It worked for Dan Fitzgerald, vice president of sales for U.S. Tire and Exhaust with eight locations in the Midwest. "We used to carry the traditional lines, such as Walker and AP replacement exhaust. Then about seven years ago, we added performance exhaust to expand our business and it worked. It really opened the doors for a new customer base," he said.
"We have found that performance exhaust spans the generations. Having it available has allowed us to reach the kids as well as their parents. I would say that 20 percent of our business now is performance exhaust. We are now MagnaFlow's largest distributor," Fitzgerald said.
DALE JARRETT RACING ADVENTURE PREPARES FOR RECORD YEAR IN 2008
Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure, Inc., a "Full Throttle" lifetime experience company, has begun adding race cars and personnel in preparation for what is expected to be unprecedented growth in 2008. The company also plans on ramping up branding and advertising campaigns starting this Christmas.
The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure stock-car racing school allows participants to pass their friends at high speeds. Dale Jarrett Racing is also equipped with the latest safety equipment, including the HANS device. Starting this quarter, the company will market these competitive advantages through advertising campaigns and revamping the corporate Web site. Management believes a strong advertising push during 2008 will bring a record number of people to the race track.
Tim Shannon, Dale Jarrett Racing chairman and CEO, commented, "Along with adding race cars and support staff to accommodate more race dates and allow greater guest capacity, the company is also hiring sales staff to grow the corporate event side of the business. The last five years have been about building a strong self-sustainable business for the long haul. Now comes the time to accelerate the model into the next stage of our plan and expedite the company's growth track. We can add a significant amount of race days with very little additional overhead, so we are very excited to see what the business model can do with a little advertising push."
JACK ROUSH TO HOLD SEMA PRESS CONFERENCE
Motorsports legend Jack Roush will unveil the most powerful ROUSH Mustang ever built in the company's history at his SEMA press conference Tuesday, October 31, from 9:30-10 a.m. in the ROUSH Performance booth #25001.
Also on display will be the recently introduced ROUSH 427R Trak Pak Mustang, the only pony car designed to shred open track days. Other announcements from ROUSH Performance may also be included. Time will be available following the announcement for individual questions from participants.
EXCLUSIVE CONSUMER OUTLOOK SURVEY RESULTS AT AAPEX SEMINAR
Results of the 2008 Aftermarket Consumer Outlook Survey by the NPD Group to gauge consumer buying patterns and behaviors will be presented for the first time during an Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) seminar, Wednesday, Oct. 31. AAPEX will be held Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.
David Portalatin, NPD's director of industry analysis, will review the findings that indicate whether American motorists will buy new cars, repair and maintain old ones, or choose to alter their lifestyle behaviors that result in modified spending patterns. The trends and economic factors influencing their decisions and how consumers feel about the state of the aftermarket will also be presented.
Portalatin will interpret the findings in light of NPD's wealth of aftermarket research to give an early projection of what to expect in 2008. "In 2008, millions of American motorists will make everyday decisions that affect your bottom line. If we can understand how and why these decisions are being made, we can then align our business strategies to position ourselves for the best possible success," said Portalatin.
The 2008 seminar will be held from 10-11 a.m. in room 304 of the Sands Expo Center. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required and can be done via www.aapexshow.com.
STREET-PERFORMANCE SEGMENT GROWS 5% ANNUALLY SINCE 1993
Manufacturer sales in the specialty-equipment market's street-performance segment have grown from $438 million in 1993 to $717 million in 2006, a 64-percent increase, according to SEMA research. Within the segment, performance parts have recorded some of the steadiest growth, up 16 percent from 2000 to 2006 ($262.4 million last year, third only to performance parts sold in the compact-performance and light-truck segments, respectively).
Suspension components and accessories in the street-performance segment grew with less fire than performance parts, although suspension did experience the single greatest spike in sales over the 13-year period. In 2001, suspension sales peaked at $290.6 million before dropping down to $194.3 million the following year.
