The following news briefs were compiled by Tire Business staffers during the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and Automotive Aftermarket Parts Expo (AAPEX) trade shows Nov. 2-5 in Las Vegas.
Tire sealant biz unveils formula
Accessories Marketing Inc. has introduced a formula for its SLiME tire sealant that is meant to seal punctures more effectively and last longer than the previous sealant.
The company said the sealant packs itself into any puncture area, preventing and repairing flat tires with a long-lasting plug. The sealant can plug multiple punctures at once and can clot punctures up to 0.25-inch.
The Grover Beach, Calif.-based company also said it has introduced a tire repair kit that includes a 300-psi air compressor, a 16-ounce bottle of SLiME Super Duty Sealant and a complete air valve tool kit. The air compressor plugs into the cigarette lighter, and the sealant is inserted into the tire through the valve stem.
Show hits high attendance stats
The Specialty Equipment Market Association said more than 115,000 people attended Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week, including the SEMA Show.
The show also featured 1,900 exhibitors and 3 million square feet of exhibit space plus about 59,000 buyers, SEMA said.
The Tire Industry Association said 6,500 tire and wheel dealers attended the Performance Tires & Wheels section of SEMA, sponsored by TIA. The section of the show also had 279 exhibitors, TIA added. The section had 217,150 square feet of exhibit space, up from 170,150 square feet last year, TIA added.
Michelin, TIA award scholarships
Michelin North America Inc. and the Tire Industry Association (TIA) named three 2004 winners of the Michelin/TIA Scholarship award during the SEMA Show.
The winners were selected based on their achievement both in and out of the classroom. Two winners received $5,000 while the third earned a $10,000 college scholarship. The joint program was launched in 1995 to benefit the dependents of full- and part-time employees of TIA-member tire dealers.
The 2004 winners are: Kelly Swindell, Michael Raines and Gregory Trum Jr. Ms. Swindell won the $10,000 prize and was sponsored by American Tire Distributors Inc. in Tampa, Fla.
Mr. Raines was sponsored by Radial Tire Wholesale in West Sacramento, Calif., and Mr. Trum was sponsored by Cross-Midwest Tire Inc. in Kansas City, Kan.
CRP introduces serpentine belt
CRP Industries Inc. launched a ContiTech serpentine belt program for North American automotive applications.
The serpentine belt program is aimed at complementing the company's timing belt and timing belt tensioner kit programs. ContiTech also makes the belts as original equipment on Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen vehicles in Europe.
Davin launches 2005 products
Davin Wheel Co. launched its 2005 collection-including a wheel that can either spin or stay static depending on a customer's preference-at the SEMA Show.
The Revolution 6.0 series features a spinning/non-spinning application.
With this, consumers can opt for either a spinning or non-spinning wheel with a few steps, the company said. A spinner is equipped with lock-down bolt access holes that lock the spinner to the base wheel.
Also for its Revolution line, Davin added a 26-inch size to go with the existing 20-, 22- and 24-inch diameter wheels.