New SEMA Garage Planned in Michigan

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) purchased a 45,000-sq.-ft. building in the Detroit, Mich., area to be used as a second SEMA Garage.

SEMA says manufacturers will have access to advanced product-development tools and equipment, an emissions testing lab, an ADAS research and development center, and technicians who will help bring products to market.

Like the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, Calif., the Detroit facility will give aftermarket parts manufacturers access to resources typically accessible only to large-scale manufacturers, SEMA says. In addition to exclusive OEM measuring sessions, scanning services, advanced tools and equipment, a CARB-recognized emissions lab, and a modern training center, the Detroit facility will include expanded services and offer new SEMA benefits through the ADAS research and development center.

The ADAS Center represents a new venture for SEMA, where manufacturers will be able to obtain static calibration of on-board vehicle ADAS systems, SEMA says. With access to OEM-quality equipment and procedures, manufacturers will be able to easily troubleshoot software/hardware obstacles, as well as work on dynamic testing in conjunction with local facilities.

Located in Plymouth, Mich., less than 30 miles from the heart of Detroit, the Detroit facility is three times larger than the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, which opened in 2013.

SEMA says the SEMA Garage Detroit will undergo extensive facilities improvements and include new equipment, such as emissions and horsepower testing for all-wheel-drive and diesel vehicles, vehicle lifts, full sets of tools, fabrication equipment, an alignment rack, 3D scanning tools, and engineering software. The lab will be purpose-built to accommodate a 48-in. all-wheel-drive chassis dynamometer and include a new emissions test bench. With equipment that meets CARB’s new 1066 testing requirement standards, SEMA Garage Detroit will be able to perform all required CARB and EPA test procedures.

Through the SEMA Garage’s resources, SEMA says manufacturers are often able to develop fully functional prototypes in as little as two weeks, and obtain CARB EOs in as little as 12 weeks.

The SEMA Garage Detroit facility is scheduled to be open for members in early 2022.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."