THE ROAD TO SEMA 2014

PART ONE

INSPIRATION

Imagine how it feels to take your first product to the biggest aftermarket show in the world for the very first time.

SEMA 2013

After 30 years of manufacturing products for other companies, Amanda Manufacturing was about to introduce their own – an ingenious concept that came from the world of off-road racing.

…in a world where drivers run the risk of getting hung up on – or wedged between – rocks and boulders. Before this product, there wasn’t any fast, easy way to get back on track. Traditional methods include attaching recovery straps to tow hooks, d-rings or shackles.

There was a lot to solve; but the solution was surprisingly simple. We named it “SpeedHook™.” Just loop the end of the recovery strap under and over the hook and tug. It’s fast and secure – and we knew we had something special. Amanda Products was created to tell the world and suddenly it was show time.

SEMA 2013 at the Las Vegas Convention Center

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11/5/2014Amanda Products combined brand debut with product introduction. SpeedHook™ was one of more than 2,000 new products at a show that drew more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers.

Mike Klensin – Ultra 4 racer and owner of Crossed Up Customs in Tucson, Arizona built an Ultra SS 4-seater chassis in partnership with Artec Industries and Ready 4 Rocks; it featured component parts by Amanda Products.

FEEDBACK WAS CRUCIAL

Input from industry insiders and off-road enthusiasts was a priority from day one. Robert Gruschow (President of Deshler – AP’s parent company) enthused “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from both the media and store owners. We’ve also received quite a few great ideas to consider developing.”

A survey that doubled as a contest invited opinions at the show and online. When Tyler Parsons of Phoenix won the prize – an Xbox One – he found it easy to remember the booth “because of the white chassis with the green SpeedHook™ and all the tabs and brackets. I have a Jeep and wheel a lot as part of two clubs here in Arizona; as a fabricator I can see the benefit in all the products.” That’s what we like to hear.

Amanda Products hit the ground winning

The brand launch was overwhelmingly successful and SpeedHook™ won a Global Media Award. The show rewarded our commitment to the off-road market – but we felt it was just the beginning. SEMA is a trade-only event for people who buy and sell within the automotive aftermarket industry. They flew back to their home airports and slid behind the wheels of their great gleaming SUVs and Cadillacs.

How would SpeedHook™ be received by the off-road types who regularly use recovery equipment?

The information gleaned from the survey would lead us into the next phase of the effort.

The true thrill-loving, four wheeling, rock crawling enthusiasts can often be found miles from civilization, in remote places without electricity or water. So we created a nomadic Spectator Recovery Station. We would give them free water and offer to charge their cell phones; they were welcome to hang out and tell us what they drive – and where; and we could ask what they thought of our product samples.

We hoped their input would inspire new product ideas. We would not be disappointed.

Stage One: INSPIRATION