Camaraderie and Passion on Full Display at the 2023 SEMA Trade Show With Mike Edge of Tread Partners

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Episode 108

Mike Edge

Tread Partners

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Don Detore is the Editor of Tire Business, an industry trade magazine published by Crain Communications, and has over 35 years of journalism experience.

Geoff Doster is the President of Linglong Tires, spearheading the brand’s North American growth initiatives.

George Kingman is the Founder of Advanced Shop Leadership, a group of consultants focused on improving financials, team culture, training, customer experience, and operational excellence.

Greg Draper is in charge of purchasing at Dunlap & Kyle Tire Company, a tire distribution company that sells to wholesalers and resellers.

Jordan Swerdloff is the Founder of ADV.1 Wheels, and Chief Of Design and Partner at 4PLAY Wheels, making industry leading wheels specifically for trucks.

Melanie White is the CEO of Hellwig Products, a part of her family for four generations, and is the SEMA Chairman-elect.

Michael Mathis is the President of Atturo Tire, a niche brand of private-label tires for the SUV, crossover, and 4×4 market.

Robert “Sonny” McDonald is Sr. National Training Manager at Toyo Tires, where he has worked for more than 20 years. He previously served as an aircraft maintenance specialist in the US Air Force.

Troy Coughlin Jr. is the most comfortable on the drag strip. It would be hard to find anyone who is more excited about all things related to the quarter-mile than Troy Jr., who eats, sleeps and breathes the sport.

Wade Kawasaki is the Executive Chairman of The Wheel Group and has started and built multiple aftermarket companies.

In this episode…

The Specialty Equipment Market Association hosts an annual exposition event. The 2023 SEMA Trade Show is the pinnacle event in the automotive aftermarket industry, drawing thousands of key buyers and decision-makers who were eager to engage with exhibitors.

Participants value the SEMA Trade Show’s unparalleled networking opportunities, facilitating business expansion within a vibrant community. The chairman-elect, Melanie White, highlights the show’s growth and SEMA’s crucial role in advocating for automotive rights, such as the right to work on one’s own vehicle, which resonates deeply with small business owners. SEMA not only represents the largest assembly of small businesses worldwide but is also a bulwark protecting the interests of the automotive community.

On this special episode of Gain Traction, Mike Edge attends the annual SEMA Trade Show in Las Vegas, where he speaks with ten participants who discuss the value of the trade show, their appreciation for SEMA as an association, and the focus of their respective automotive businesses.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Don Detore talks about what the SEMA trade show means to the Tire Business publication
What makes SEMA valuable to 26-year industry veteran Geoff Doster?
George Kingman describes clients’ improved work-life balance after receiving coaching from Advanced Shop Leadership
Why coming to the trade show is important for Greg Draper to thrive in his role as a purchasing manager
Jordan Swerdloff reacts to winning the 2023 New Product of the Year award in the wheel category
Melanie White shares how her great-grandfather founded Hellwig Products in 1946
The SEMA trade show is the biggest gathering of small business owners and executives in the world
The brand-new tire Michael Mathis and Atturo Tires introduced at SEMA
Robert “Sonny” McDonald discusses how SEMA promotes the aftermarket
Troy Coughlin, Jr. discusses the types of products available at JEGS.com
Wade Kawasaki describes the crowd and overall vibe at the SEMA trade show

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Transcript

Announcer:

Welcome to the Gain Traction podcast, where we feature top automotive entrepreneurs and experts and share their inspiring stories. Now, let’s get started with the show.

Mike:

Welcome to the Gain Traction podcast. I am Mike Edge, your host. So today is going to be a unique podcast. The reason is, is I did a compilation of 10 selected interviews at the SEMA show this year, 2023. Very excited about delivering these to you. They’re very authentic. You’re going to hear noise in the background at each of these interviews, some. And man, these people are great. I mean, it’s just a wide variety of people. And ultimately, I’m asking them who they are, what their products or services are, what SEMA means to them, what SEMA means to the industry, and then how you can reach these folks or find out more about their products and services. So sit back, enjoy, and I’ll be back with you shortly. Hey, folks. Mike Edge here with Gain Traction podcast. I have Don Detore to with Tire Business. And, he has been working his tail off meeting a lot of the people here in the South Hall where the tire folks are at the SEMA show. Don, welcome to the podcast.

Don:

Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here. It’s a pleasure to be at SEMA.

Mike:

Well, you guys are such a big part and integral part of the industry. What does SEMA mean to you guys?

Don:

SEMA is very important to our brand and our publication. As you know, Mike, in the South Hall in Vegas, there’s a lot of tire related companies that have exhibits here, and they’re our audience. There are people who read our publication, and so we want to be with our customers, we want to be with our audience, and we think it’s important to have a real strong presence here at SEMA. I think we’re probably one of the only publications to have a pretty prominent display here at SEMA, and we think it’s very important.

Mike:

Well, I think it’s very nice and I appreciate the seat, because I’m tired right now. And, I mean, you got some couches and chairs here. It’s very nice and it’s in a very convenient spot. So, I think everybody that comes in this hall at least passes you once or twice at least.

Don:

Yeah. And believe that this is probably the longest I’ve been in this booth since I arrived here Sunday, four days ago, just because I’ve been out talking to people, interviewing some of the executives that have meetings at their hotels. I’ve been to the Trump Hotel today. Yesterday, I was at the Venetian. Just a lot of different places. But it’s all fun and it’s good that we have an event that unites the tire and automotive industry, because-

Mike:

It really does, doesn’t it?

Don:

… Yeah.

Mike:

Yeah.

Don:

I think it’s an important thing to put on a show for everybody.

Mike:

And all the vehicles that are being displayed here are just incredible, but they all have tires on them, right?

Don:

Right. Right. And it’s funny, as I was walking in here this afternoon, I was looking and I was watching people look at the tires. These big jacked up cars, and of course, the tires are at their eye level, and they’re out there looking at what tires are on there.

Mike:

Yeah.

Don:

So, it’s all good stuff for the tire industry.

Mike:

I have to admit, I did the same thing, which of course, you see the vehicle as you’re coming up on it you’re like, “Holy cow, look at that thing.” And some of them are so jacked up these trucks and souped up and everything, but then, being the tire guy, we want to know what they got on it.

Don:

Exactly.

Mike:

What was their choice.

Don:

Exactly. Yeah. And, we have a team of reporters and editors here that cover all the news events that are happening. And, on our website, tirebusiness.com, we’ll be publishing a lot of the news and information we get, some of the stuff that the companies release and other stories that aren’t part of what people are promoting, stories we find ourselves, which is a cool mix.

Mike:

Well, I appreciate you doing this interview with Tire Business. And, welcome again to Gain traction. I know we just had you on recently, but you’re always welcome back.

Don:

Thank you very much. I enjoyed and I enjoy your podcast, Mike.

Mike:

Thank you, Don. Hey folks. We’re here with Geoff Doster, president of North American Sales for Linglong Tire. And Geoff, tell us a little bit about the SEMA experience and what’s going on with you.

Geoff:

Well, first off, thanks for having me on. SEMA for us is an opportunity for us to actually be able to promote some of the latest and greatest products and brands that we’re coming out with. It’s a really great opportunity for us to be able to meet with a lot of our customers, ensure that we can start setting out the direction in the future of where we’re looking to grow with them and supporting them. The big focus for us really is to make sure that we’re clearly communicating some of the direction of where our brands are going and how we want to find opportunities to support some of the new factories, like our new Serbia factory that’s coming up and running.

Mike:

Awesome.

Geoff:

Both with the PCR and TBR opportunities, and finding new ways to support and actually grow with our dealers.

Mike:

Awesome. So do you have the opportunity to meet a lot of your new dealers here or expand the dealer base at SEMA?

Geoff:

Yeah, for me-

Mike:

And you’ve been in the business obviously forever.

Geoff:

… I’ve been in this business for 26 years.

Mike:

Yeah.

Geoff:

And, this is an opportunity for me to get to sit and have those discussions in terms of where we want to go with those new customers and also existing customers.

Mike:

Awesome.

Geoff:

To make sure that we have a voice with them and a format that makes it something that we can ensure that we’re developing our programs and all of our product plans together with those customers.

Mike:

Fabulous. Well, if someone’s listening and they want to find out a little bit more about Linglong Tire, what do they need to do?

Geoff:

Well, we’ve just updated our website at linglongtire.com. You can go to the website and look at that. And you also be on the outlook for new websites. They’ll be promoting each one of our individual brands as well. Those coming soon.

Mike:

Fantastic. Geoff, thanks for being on.

Geoff:

Thanks for having me.

Mike:

All right. Mike Edge here at the SEMA Show. I’m sitting now with George Kingman. He is a founder and CEO of Advanced Shop Leadership. George, welcome to the Gain Traction Podcast.

George:

Thanks so much for having me, Mike.

Mike:

So tell me about SEMA, and your involvement, and what does SEMA mean to you of being here?

George:

I’ll tell you, I’m having a super fantastic time seeing all these cool cars and everything else. It’s certainly a lot of fun. But I’ll tell you, I’m seeing so many great people, and great people in the industry, and that’s what I’m here for is to see these great people network, expand my business, and SEMA does exactly that for me.

Mike:

Well, we were talking about that last night at dinner and just what SEMA does by bringing… It brings all the industry together. We’re all together basically, and all you got to do is find each other. And, it’s almost hard to get it all in while you’re here.

George:

I’ll tell you, I’m not going to be able to get it all in and I’m disappointed, because there are some cool things I’d like to see.

Mike:

Yeah.

George:

But seeing all my friends, connecting with new contacts and networking, that’s what it’s all about. That’s what SEMA does for us.

Mike:

So briefly, tell our audience a little bit about Advanced Shop Leadership.

George:

So Advanced Shop leadership, we’re a coaching company. We help people who own automotive or tire repair centers help them improve their culture, improve their business, improve their bottom line, and essentially, anything that’s required to help them improve their business.

Mike:

Give us a little short explanation, maybe some success. What do people see after they hire you guys to get involved?

George:

Well, they generally have a much better work-life balance. Their teammates are a lot happier, because we help find ways to improve the teammates, which improves the bottom line, which improves the owner’s success.

Mike:

And mental piece. Yes. If someone wants to reach you, how do they get in contact with you?

George:

Best way is go check us out on the internet. It’s advancedshopleadership.com. It’s advanced with a D, or you can give me a call, 704-506-2164, and you can speak with me or I’ll hook you up with any of my number of great coaches.

Mike:

George, thanks for being part of the Gain Traction podcast.

George:

Thank you, Mike.

Mike:

Hey folks. Mike Edge here still at the SEMA Show, and I’m with Greg Draper. He is the purchasing manager for Dunlop and Kyle Tire. Greg, welcome to the podcast.

Greg:

Thanks, Mike. Appreciate you having me.

Mike:

Tell us what you do, and then tell us how important SEMA is, or why you guys are here.

Greg:

Yeah. So, Dunlap & Kyle in my role as doing domestic purchasing, it allows me to interact a lot of manufacturers direct that we deal with. So, coming to SEMA is really important, because it lets everybody in the same group communicate and see the latest, greatest new product.

Mike:

Well, I mean, right now, we’re in the South Hall lower and that’s where all the tire guys are, right?

Greg:

Yeah, absolutely. And, I mean, it’s thick as thieves from import to domestic. I mean, it’s-

Mike:

Oh yeah, they’re on every corner, right?

Greg:

… Yeah, yeah. Exactly right. From all across the world. But yeah, I mean, if you’re anybody in the tire business you’re at SEMA.

Mike:

Yeah.

Greg:

It’s a great place to get everybody on the same page and in one location.

Mike:

Well, and even if you’re not necessarily going to see them in one of these halls, you know they’re in the town and the city, and if you’re texting with them or whatever, we’ve all been in one of the conference rooms at a hotel, or somebody’s hosted, or reception, or something along those lines. It makes it so convenient.

Greg:

Yeah. And the cost of doing business at the senior show, I mean, to Dunlap & Kyle, our motto, we want to become the most dependent tire distributor in North America.

Mike:

Yeah.

Greg:

To do that, we’ve got to have valuable partners, and SEMA’s a good place to find those vital partners.

Mike:

Yeah, absolutely. Well, Greg, I appreciate you being on the podcast. If anybody wants to find out any more about Dunlap & Kyle or working with you guys, because I mean, you’re a very well known name. You’re big in the industry. How can they reach you by phone?

Greg:

Yeah, phone number at the Nashville office, which is where I’m from, 615-612-5666. You can email me at [email protected].

Mike:

Awesome. Greg, thanks for being on.

Greg:

Thanks, Mike. Appreciate you.

Mike:

Hey, folks. I got Jordan Swerdloff here with 4PLAY wheels. Jordan won the SEMA New Product of the Year Award in the wheel category, and it’s an absolute phenomenal trophy. I think it weighs 50 pounds. Jordan, tell us what you’re thinking right now after this big award.

Jordan:

It’s an honor and it’s such a surprise, and it’s really probably, I would say, a childhood dream. I’ve becoming to SEMA since 2005, and to win an award like that, and for it to be presented on this huge stage, and I mean, what an honor and a surprise. So, it was really just amazing. I got to meet the CEO of SEMA. It’s just incredible.

Mike:

Tell the audience about the product itself, the one you won the award for.

Jordan:

So it’s part of our Defiant wheel line. It’s a wheel specifically for Tesla. And it’s just a really good-looking wheel. It looks a little bit different than the others, but still has that OEM feel with better performance and better-

Mike:

It’s got a good sleek look to it.

Jordan:

… Yeah, it’s got a sleek look. It’s got a really nice smooth satin gun medal finish. I mean, I could see why it won. It’s a really cool wheel and it’s different.

Mike:

Well, what does SEMA mean to you guys? And why do you guys come to SEMA?

Jordan:

I mean, SEMA to me is everything I would say. Since I was a boy, it was always a dream to be able to come to SEMA. And now, as an adult, to be able to have a beautiful booth at SEMA and to be displaying such great products.

Mike:

And then, win the award. That’s like the Super Bowl, isn’t it?

Jordan:

Yeah, it’s a lot. It’s a big deal.

Mike:

Yeah,

Jordan:

It’s been a big day for me and for all of us as a team.

Mike:

Well, tell everybody real quick where they can find out more about your products, what websites?

Jordan:

You could jump on 4playwheels.com, defiantwheel.com, or oewheels.com. Those are our three brands.

Mike:

That’s awesome, Jordan. Thanks a ton for being on the interview.

Jordan:

Thank you. It’s an honor.

Mike:

Congratulations.

Jordan:

Thank you very much.

Mike:

Hi, folks. I’m here with Melanie White. We’re in her booth. She is the chairman-elect for SEMA, and I can’t wait to talk to her. Melanie, welcome to the podcast.

Melanie:

Thank you. Yeah, my main job and the one that pays me is CEO of Hellwig. So, I get to talk about Hellwig.

Mike:

Yeah, tell us about Hellwig real quick.

Melanie:

Yeah. So, I’m actually fourth generation, so my great-grandfather started the company back in 1946 with my grandpa. And, they would manufacture the products at night. During the week, they both had full-time… My grandpa was a senior in high school. My great-grandfather had a full-time job. And so, they would manufacture the products at night, and they would sell door-to-door into small shops on the weekends.

Mike:

Wow.

Melanie:

So every time I think about-

Mike:

Complaining.

Melanie:

… Complaining, I think about what they did, right?

Mike:

Yes.

Melanie:

It also reminds me though, that we like to stay busy as a family.

Mike:

Yes, you do.

Melanie:

They had full-time jobs and did this on the side.

Mike:

That’s inspirational.

Melanie:

Yeah.

Mike:

I mean, it makes me feel like a wimp in some ways. I mean, my gosh, weekends and nights too.

Melanie:

Yeah.

Mike:

And raising a family. That’s awesome. What a team. I mean, I don’t see a lot of couples be able to do that together.

Melanie:

Yeah, yeah. And, my grandpa who was 18, right, so young, would lay on the ground and install our product in the driveway. And it’s really easy to see if you need Hellwig, because we do helper springs and sway bars. So helper springs, if you have a sagging rear end, we have a no saggy bottoms policy. So my grandpa would go up to the door and say, “Hey, I can fix your problem.” My great-grandfather would say, “Hey, can fix your problem, or my kid can, because he’s going to lay on the ground and install the product.” And they would do this all for $7. So you bought the product, got it installed for $7. I would love to know the people that got those products. Those cars are probably in someone’s barn somewhere.

Mike:

Oh, yeah. You’re definitely going to see some [inaudible 00:15:06] one day. And it’d be cool watching one of those antique auto shows.

Melanie:

I know. And finding that. Yeah, that would be my dream. So any of you listeners out there that know that.

Mike:

[inaudible 00:15:17] Hellwig’s products, please.

Melanie:

Yeah.

Mike:

So tell us about SEMA. You’ve been on the board for a long time and now you’re the chair-elect.

Melanie:

Yeah.

Mike:

It’s a big role.

Melanie:

It’s a big role. My family has been a part of SEMA, so they displayed at the first SEMA show back in the ’60s in Dodger Stadium. And so, it’s interesting to see the way the show has grown and also the association. And so, what we found though as a company is that association really does so much. We have to protect our right to modify vehicles. And, right now, that is a big deal.

Mike:

Yeah.

Melanie:

In Sacramento, there was a law that came out several years ago where you can’t work on your own car in your driveway, and all of our products are things that you can install yourself.

Mike:

That’s so crazy when you think about our country and how car fanatic we are.

Melanie:

Right? And how we started, and the land of the free, right, home of the brave. We want-

Mike:

But don’t fix your car in your driveway.

Melanie:

… Yeah, don’t fix your car in your driveway.

Mike:

Wow.

Melanie:

So, I think, for me, it’s like protecting companies like mine that are smaller businesses SEMA’s one of the organizations that… This actually is the biggest gathering in the world of small businesses, which is really cool. And so, to think about small businesses and the opportunity that I had to be able to protect all of us, and our right to modify, and really help steer SEMA in the way to help small businesses like mine, I’m very interested in that. I want this industry. It has to be healthy. I have a son who’s 14.

Mike:

Yeah,

Melanie:

Hey says he wants to do something in the industry, but not necessarily wants to come-

Mike:

Not for mom and dad.

Melanie:

… Not for mom. But, I think, he wants to make his own mark. And part of that is, I want this industry to be healthy for generations to come. Not just my next generation, right, but generations.

Mike:

I love that. I love that.

Melanie:

We have to make some important decisions to be able to steer it that way.

Mike:

Great summation of the whole situation and SEMA. It makes me even more proud to be part of SEMA. So, thank you for doing this podcast. I mean, we’re excited to have you on. How can people reach Hellwig if they want to find out more about your products?

Melanie:

Yeah, if you want to find out more about Hellwig, it’s Hellwigproducts.com.

Mike:

And you spell that H-E-

Melanie:

Double L. Yep. Hell and wig. So, hell and hair is how you’ll find it.

Mike:

… Wait, I’ll remember that. Hellwig

Melanie:

Yeah.

Mike:

I love it. .com.

Melanie:

Yep. I always wanted to have a different, more simple last name. So, I found my husband, I was like, “Yeah, you got the right last name.” But now that I’m in the business, I want it again, right? I now remember though when I have to tell people how to spell it, the complication of it.

Mike:

Well, thank you so much for being part of Gain Traction.

Melanie:

Yep. Thank you.

Mike:

All right. Mike Edge here again with Gain Traction podcast. I am with Michael Mathis, Atturo Tires, and they got great products, man. And, Michael, you’ve been on the podcast before. Welcome back.

Michael:

Thank you very much. Glad to be here again.

Mike:

So, what are you guys focused on out here at SEMA?

Michael:

SEMA for us is such an important piece of what we do every year, to be able to come out, be in front of all of our direct customers and their customers, and show our new products, new sizes, introduce the whole brand over again to everybody.

Mike:

You guys have a great booth, by the way.

Michael:

I appreciate that. Thank you. We try and keep it fresh.

Mike:

I like where it’s centered. Nice spot.

Michael:

Yeah, we’re right here where Mopar should have been. But nonetheless, we’re glad to take that traffic.

Mike:

Awesome. So how’s the show going for you or gone for you?

Michael:

It’s been a good show. We keep seeing SEMA build back up to where it was 2019. And I think this is another step in the right direction from it. We’re seeing both a good volume of customers, as well as a good number of highly qualified ones.

Mike:

That’s awesome to hear. Any particular products you’re highlighting while you’re here this time?

Michael:

Yeah, for sure. So, we introduced a brand new tire this year. It’s our AZ810, which is a all-weather high performance tire. So, it’s got fitments from passenger sizes through EVs, SUVs, crossover fitments.

Mike:

Yeah.

Michael:

And then, we’re also focusing on our power sports products here as well.

Mike:

Awesome. Well, let me ask you this, what is SEMA… I know you guys come every year, right?

Michael:

Correct.

Mike:

Is this the grand [inaudible 00:19:56] for you guys, I mean, of all shows?

Michael:

Oh, for sure. This is by far the biggest aftermarket event in the country and it’s actually the biggest show that we do in the world. We handle shows globally and this is the biggest.

Mike:

Awesome, well, Michael, great to see you again. How can your customers reach you or prospective customers reach you?

Michael:

For sure. So, start off at atturo.com at our website. You’ll find a couple different options there. You can fill out a contact form or just drop us an email.

Mike:

Awesome. Hey, great to see you again.

Michael:

Thanks for having me. Look forward to it.

Mike:

All right, folks, I got Sonny McDonald here from Toyo Tires. Sonny, tell us what you’re doing here in Las Vegas.

“Sonny”:

Mike, this is the showcase of the industry right here, Mike. We are at SEMA. We’re at Toyos Tread Pass. We’ve got world Premier builds here. We’ve got excitement. We bring the lifestyle branding. Customers love us. We love the show and everything that SEMA does to promote the aftermarket. The aftermarket is still alive, and well, and going. You have tuner cars, you have lifted trucks, you have lifted Jeeps, you’ve got mods, you’ve got everything here.

Mike:

It’s funny, I was just about to ask you, give a visual of it, but you just did. I mean, it’s huge. It’s hard to describe.

“Sonny”:

It’s huge. We have 30 plus world premiere cars that have never been seen by anybody. They’re all professional builders. And you know what? They’re all running Toyos.

Mike:

Awesome. Well, tell us any particular brand or model you want to highlight right now?

“Sonny”:

Well, the big launch for us is our brand new open country AT3 EV.

Mike:

All right.

“Sonny”:

It is the first all-terrain product that is specifically designed for EV vehicles.

Mike:

Awesome. Where can they find it? Where to go to find out more about it?

“Sonny”:

So, we are going to launch the tire in 2024, but if you want to see any previews on the tire, you can go to toyotires.com.

Mike:

Fantastic. Sonny, thanks a ton. Good to see you again.

“Sonny”:

You, Mike, too as well.

Mike:

All right, brother.

“Sonny”:

All right.

Mike:

All right folks, I’m here with Troy Kauflin Jr. with JEGS. Troy, welcome to the podcast.

Troy:

Thanks for having me on. It’s an absolute honor.

Mike:

Well, tell us a little bit about your product line and what you’re doing here at SEMA.

Troy:

Well, at jigs.com we’ve got pretty much anything you need for something on wheels. So if you’ve got a race car, whether it be a drag car, or a round track car, or when it comes to hot-rodding, we’ve got everything you need to make it run. There’s so much stuff. You just have to log onto jegs.com to check it out.

Mike:

Fantastic. What do you think about SEMA?

Troy:

Oh, it’s huge. There’s so many cool new products out there. There’s amazing vendors that we carry at JEGS that are here on display, and it’s great to see all those people face-to-face. So, we always love coming to SEMA and we’re happy we’re here on day one.

Mike:

Well, I’m glad you’re here too, and thanks for being on the podcast. Good luck to you.

Troy:

Thank you very much.

Mike:

Take care. Hey, folks. Mike Edge here again with the Gain Traction podcast. I got Wade Kawasaki with us. He’s the executive chairman at the Wheel Group and the executive director of the SEMA Political Action Committee. Wade, welcome to the podcast.

Wade:

Thank you, Mike. Just what a great see show we have out in front of us.

Mike:

It’s fantastic man.

Wade:

Isn’t it?

Mike:

You almost can’t even walk around, it’s so crowded.

Wade:

Yeah, you know what? And it’s not only that it’s crowded, but the excitement, you can feel it. I mean, people are excited who are passionate about what we do. It’s great to be back together again. And, it’s great to show off some new products.

Mike:

Absolutely. And, it’s amazing how many people are really videoing so much stuff this year. It seems like I’m walking into somebody or trying to avoid somebody, their coverage of it or whatever, but everybody seems to want to snap pictures, including myself.

Wade:

Yeah, and that’s a good thing, right? I mean, all of that gets posted on social media, and just keeps people connected to the things that we do.

Mike:

So tell us about The Wheel Group and SEMA.

Wade:

Right, so again, The Wheel Group, we are so excited to be here to support our dealers and our distributors here. That’s something that we take very seriously. We have 17 warehouses across the United States and Canada to support those folks as well. And we enjoy supporting SEMA. So we’re a member of many SEMA councils. Really want to give back to the industry that has given us so much.

Mike:

Amen. Tell us a little bit about your position with being the executive director of the Political Action Committee.

Wade:

Yeah, so that’s a big part of it, right? I mean, there are so many legislators that would love to legislate us out of existence, right? So we want to make sure that we have a group that’s there in Washington DC and we have a Washington DC office that is fighting for our rights to modify and to customize our vehicles, both for performance, for looks, and for capabilities like we do on the overlanding. But I’ll tell you, Mike, back in the South Hall, we have introduced dozens of new lines of wheels, dozens of new offsets, and also dozens of new finishes.

So, hey, if your listeners go to the wheelgroup.com, they can see all these new products, they were just launched here at SEMA, really fresh on our website. Can’t wait for your folks to be able to see that. As well as our new Amp Tire, which is an RT style tire. Super aggressive look on one side, but on the other side it’s a little more mature look as I could say. So, no matter if you want that super aggressive look or you want something a little bit more subtle, this is a tire that falls between our AT line and our MT line, great tire on the road, great tire off-road. Can’t wait for you guys to take a look at that.

Mike:

Fantastic. And that is the wheelgroup.com.

Wade:

That is the wheelgroup.com.

Mike:

Wade, thanks so much for being on Gain Traction.

Wade:

Alrighty, take care.

Mike:

All right. So folks, how about that? Those were some great interviews, weren’t they? Man, I can’t say enough in gratitude for those folks that joined us for those interviews. Like I said, they were authentic, on the fly, and I think each one of them for taking their time in telling us about the product, services, and SEMA. Until next time, thanks for joining us. Be safe. Talk to you soon. Thanks for listening to the Gain Traction podcast. We’ll see you again next time. And be sure to click subscribe to get future episodes.

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1 In this episode…

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In this episode…

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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