Category: Features

The latest feature articles about the automotive aftermarket from THE SHOP.

SEMA Webinars Explain SBA Loan Programs, Labor Laws

A recently held SEMA webinar explaining the Paycheck Protection Program and other Small Business Administration loan programs, is now available for viewing as a recording, the organization announced. Hosted by Daniel Ingber, SEMA’s vice president of government and legal affairs, and C.E. “Tee” Rowe, president and CEO of America’s Small Business Development Centers, the webinar… Continue reading SEMA Webinars Explain SBA Loan Programs, Labor Laws

Noise Cancelling Wind Diffuser For Roof Mounted LED Light Bars By ZROADZ

The ZROADZ patented Noise Cancelling Wind Diffusers provides an easy method to silence noisy roof mounted LED light bars. The simple installation process is designed to work with most standard heat sink LED light bars and will virtually eliminate wind noise caused by the airflow passing around the light bar. ZROADZ Wind Diffusers are a… Continue reading Noise Cancelling Wind Diffuser For Roof Mounted LED Light Bars By ZROADZ

Jeep Gladiator Overland Access Rack with Side Gates from ZROADZ

The Jeep Gladiator Access Overland Rack from ZROADZ is now available! The Access Rack is the first truck bed accessory mounting system engineered with bed access doors designed for lighter, larger accessories that are more efficiently stored in a way that does not take up valuable bed space and can be easily moved out of… Continue reading Jeep Gladiator Overland Access Rack with Side Gates from ZROADZ

State of Business Due to COVID-19

The global automotive industry imports $34 billion in motor parts from China each year. As Global Fleet says, “COVID-19 didn’t just start anywhere in China. Wuhan, the city that hosted the first major outbreak of the coronavirus, is one of China’s major automotive production (parts & cars) sites. GM, Honda, Nissan, Peugeot and Renault all… Continue reading State of Business Due to COVID-19

KPI: Manufacturing ISM

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector increased during February, and the overall economy grew for the 130th consecutive month, said the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®. The February PMI® registered 50.1%, down 0.8 percentage point from the January reading of 50.9%. The Report On Business® measures its data using… Continue reading KPI: Manufacturing ISM

KPI: State of the Economy

The country gained 273,000 new jobs last month despite growing concerns of the coronavirus pandemic—uncertainty that triggered stock market volatility and caused wary central bankers to implement emergency interest rate cuts. A few short weeks later, the administration’s decades-low unemployment rate of 3.5% is overshadowed by a fierce novel virus that is, quite literally, applying… Continue reading KPI: State of the Economy

KPI: The Voice of Consumers

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® reported a slight uptick during February, following an increase in January. “Despite the decline in the Present Situation Index, consumers continue to view current conditions quite favorably. Consumers’ short-term expectations improved, and when coupled with solid employment growth, should be enough to continue to support spending and economic growth… Continue reading KPI: The Voice of Consumers

KPI: New and Used Vehicles

New Vehicle Market The dead of winter turned out to be a pleasant surprise in total new vehicle sales, with Manheim and Cox Automotive data citing an 8.4% year-over-year increase during February. The SAAR came in at 16.8 million—a boost from last year’s 16.5 million, though down from January’s 16.9 million rate. A number of… Continue reading KPI: New and Used Vehicles

KPI: Recent Vehicle Recalls

2013-2019 Lexus and Toyota Cars Vehicles Affected: Approximately 1.8 million model-year 2013-15 Lexus LS 460 sedans; model-year 2013-14 GS 350 sedans; model-year 2014 IS-F sedans; model-year 2014-15 GX 460 and LX 570 SUVs and IS 350 sedans; model-year 2015 NX 200t SUVs and RC 350 coupes; model-year 2017 IS 200t sedans and RC 200t coupes;… Continue reading KPI: Recent Vehicle Recalls