{"id":230215,"date":"2022-08-17T14:22:53","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T18:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=230215"},"modified":"2022-08-17T14:23:02","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T18:23:02","slug":"new-sema-garage-shaping-future-of-auto-aftermarket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2022\/08\/new-sema-garage-shaping-future-of-auto-aftermarket\/","title":{"rendered":"New SEMA Garage Shaping Future of Auto Aftermarket"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
It\u2019s an otherwise nondescript building tucked in amidst an assortment of faceless offices and warehouses in the western Detroit suburbs. But inside the 45,000-square-foot structure the future of the automotive aftermarket is taking shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since almost the moment the first automobiles rolled out, buyers have found ways to customize them, whether adding a bud vase on the instrument panel or bolting on a supercharger to boost performance. For the members of the Specialty Equipment Market Association that adds up to about $42 billion in annual sales today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the auto industry is in the midst of the most dramatic transformation it\u2019s faced since those early years. Sedans, coupes and sports cars are rapidly fading into oblivion as millions of buyers migrate to SUVs, CUVs and pickups. The easily replaced radio in the instrument panel has been supplanted by deeply integrated infotainment technology. Indeed, virtually every aspect of today\u2019s vehicle is digitally controlled. That includes the powertrain where internal combustion engines are beginning to be phased out in favor of electric drive technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such changes pose significant challenges to aftermarket suppliers \u2014 though they also present tremendous opportunities, says Ben Kaminsky, the auto industry veteran who has spent the last 18 months overseeing construction at the new SEMA Garage in Detroit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to help our members develop new products\u201d that will find a niche in today\u2019s changing automotive world, \u201cFull stop,\u201d said Kaminsky as he showed a visitor around the dust-covered facility ahead of its Aug. 18 grand opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term \u201caftermarket\u201d is a nebulous one, covering a vast array of different products and offerings. A sizable portion of SEMA\u2019s membership focuses on appearance and convenience items \u2014 everything from in-car air fresheners to decals to SUV brush guards. There\u2019s growing demand for electronics. And, of course, there\u2019s the performance side which covers everything from custom shocks to \u201ccrate\u201d engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But aftermarket suppliers are struggling to adapt to changing consumer demands, new technology and increasingly stringent regulations. Federal regulators are \u201ctrying to crack down\u201d on products that don\u2019t meet emissions and safety standards, said Kaminsky. That was underscored earlier this year when Spartan Diesel Technologies<\/a><\/span><\/strong> founder Matthew Sydney Geouge was sentenced to 366 days in jail for selling \u201csystems to boost the performance of diesel-powered Ford pickups” \u2014 while also spewing out plumes of choking black smoke, earning them the nickname, \u201crolling coal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new operation in Detroit is actually one of two SEMA Garages, the original one opening in Diamond Bar, California in 2013. The Motown facility will be larger of the two and significantly more advanced. At an initial cost of $12.5 million, it will be \u201cthe single largest investment SEMA has ever made,\u201d said Kaminsky. And it will take advantage of the fact that scores of engineering centers, operated by automakers domestic and foreign, are based in and around Motown. The region also has key testing labs run by government agencies such as the EPA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Garage has rooms full of dynamometers and other gear that can be used to test and calibrate performance products. That includes the ability to comply with the latest standards set by the California Air Resources Board \u2014 generally the toughest in the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Significantly, the facility will be able to assist SEMA members hoping to develop parts and accessories for the next generation of electrified vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSEMA’s largest investment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n