Each year, manufacturer members of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) submit products to the Hot Product Showcase in order to gain exposure for their businesses. This year marked the 17th annual event at Spring Carlisle, one of the world’s largest gatherings of automotive restoration enthusiasts. The 2014 event was held April 23–26 and boasted more than 60 products from 24 ARMO-member companies.
The Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) will install new leadership following its most recent election cycle. Dennis Roberts, vice president of Distinctive Industries, will take over the chair position, and Erika Wiesman, the owner of Hydro-E-Lectric Inc., was selected as chair-elect. They laid out their backgrounds and plans in recent interviews with SEMA Member News.
Roberts has been involved in the restoration industry for more than 30 years after having been introduced to musclecars in 1970 through a ’70 Trans Am owned by a friend of his older sister. He bought a ’67 GTO as his first car in 1974 at the height of the gas shortage and became a hands-on restoration enthusiast for life.
The Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) Hot Product Showcase will take place April 24–26, once again at the Spring Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet, Corral & Auction in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This event is an opportunity for ARMO members to display one or more products in front of one of the single largest gatherings of automotive restoration enthusiasts in the world.
In addition to the products being placed on display in the Hot Products tent, a professional photographer will shoot each one. The photos will be available to the manufacturers and will also be used in a slideshow at the...
The Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) industry awards reception took place on Tuesday evening, November 5, during the SEMA Show. According to Chair Alex Tainsh, the decision to make networking the central focus of the evening was an important step in facilitating connections among council members. Tainsh knows that many individuals join ARMO to network with others, and the annual reception is one of the best venues for interaction.
ARMO Industry Awards Reception
ARMO leads off the week with its annual industry awards reception on Tuesday evening, November 5. The event will take place in Ballrooms D–E of the Las Vegas Hotel from 5:15 p.m.–7:30 p.m. In addition to networking opportunities, the council will take time to honor some of the individuals whose lives and work have made significant impacts on the industry.
“We intentionally keep the reception about networking,” said ARMO Chair Alex Tainsh. “We really simplified the program a couple of years ago. We want to keep the program short and allow attendees the chance to meet and greet others in the industry.”
The Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) welcomes two new volunteers to the Select Committee as a result of this year’s election cycle. Ben Tucker is vice president of Camaro Central and Muscle Car Industries, two companies that specialize in Camaro and Firebird restoration parts. Mark Cotter is in charge of sales and new-product development at Repops, a manufacturer of reproduction parts for classic musclecars. SEMA Member News recently asked both of them what they are looking forward to in their “freshman” terms on the Select Committee. Cotter was literally on the run and had to be brief with his responses. Nonetheless, he assured us that he is anxious to see how to best serve the restoration market through the ARMO council.
The ARMO New Product Showcase became the ARMO “Hot” Product Showcase for 2013, and the simple name change paid immediate dividends in terms of participation. A record 71 products from 32 ARMO companies were on display at the event, which was held at Spring Carlisle April 25–27.
“Everyone likes to see new products,” said ARMO Chairman Alex Tainsh. “But our overall participation from year to year was always dependent on which companies actually had a ‘new’ product. So we decided to change the name for 2013 to ‘Hot’ products. Instead of restricting a company to new stuff, we basically said: ‘Send us whatever it is you want to push; whatever is hot.’ It appears that the plan worked because we had record participation, and the products were as cool as ever.”
“The presentation of the awards is still the focal point of the evening,” said ARMO Chairman Alex Tainsh of Parts Unlimited Interiors. “However, we are getting great feedback on our increased emphasis on networking and socializing. Being on Tuesday night, the first night of the Show, it’s the perfect time for folks to sit down, catch up with each other and just relax. We ran out of food, shut the bars down at 7:30 p.m., and folks were still there after we packed up and left. I think they like the new format!”
SEMA and its Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) and Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) announced that the next Collector Car Appreciation Day will be celebrated July 12, 2013. The date marks the fourth consecutive commemoration in what has become an annual event to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society.
Collector Car Appreciation Day 2013 is still several months away, but there may be no better time to remind everyone in the restoration and other automotive specialty-equipment segments of this important celebration. In this issue of SEMA Member News, two Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) members explain in their own words how they use Collector Car Appreciation Day to not only celebrate with other enthusiasts, but also educate the non-enthusiast public about the importance of preserving our automotive heritage.
