Eleven Professional Installers Earn SEMA Technician Credentials

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2002) - SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market 
Association, has admitted 11 more professional installers to the ranks of 
SEMA Certified Accessory Specialists, bringing the total of men and women in 
this elite corps of professionals to 27.

The SEMA Installer Certification Program was first launched in November 2001. 
A second test session was held in May 2002. Thus far, approximately 250 
accessory technicians have participated in the testing process.

The SEMA program to certify technicians who install accessories on cars and 
trucks includes four modules: Z1/Electric Sunroofs, Z2/Body Exterior 
Components, Z3/Leather Interiors, and Z4/Roof Treatments.

To receive the SEMA credentials, installers must pass at least one SEMA test, 
plus the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) A6 exam 
on electrical/ electronic systems.
Nearly two-thirds of the current candidates have already earned a passing 
score in one or more SEMA exam and are well on their way to attaining the 
SEMA Certified Accessory Specialist designation, according to Ellen McKoy, 
SEMA senior director of dealer relations. McKoy is the SEMA point person for 
development of the certification program.

"The SEMA certification program is part of an industry-wide effort to raise 
the level of professionalism within, and enhance the credibility of, the 
specialty equipment market," said Christopher J. Kersting, CAE, SEMA 
president. "We are pleased to see individual professionals entering this 
challenging program with the support of their employers. What's more, we 
envision the SEMA credential becoming the benchmark for the men and women 
employed within the restyling segment of our industry."

"We hear commendations about this new program from restylers quite often," 
added Richard Sherman, president of Automotive Enterprises, Phoenix, and 
chairman of the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO), a SEMA council 
which has ardently supported the certification program. "The growing 
groundswell of support is an indication of its value to the industry."

The next round of ASE A6 and SEMA exams is scheduled for November 2002. The 
examinations, conducted in many locations across the country for the 
convenience of the technicians working toward certification, are held every 
spring and every fall.

For information on the A6, contact ASE, 101 Blue Seal Dr. S.E., Suite 101, 
Leesburg, VA 20175; phone: 703/669-6600; fax: 888/265-3509; web address: 
www.asecert.org. More information about the SEMA certification program is 
available at www.sema.org/certification, or by contacting SEMA at 
beverlyr@sema.org, 909/396-0289, ext. 158.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, represents the $26 billion 
specialty automotive industry. The trade association has approximately 4,500 
member companies. It is the authoritative source of research data, trends and 
market growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products 
industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience 
and technology products for passenger cars, minivans, trucks, SUVs and 
recreational vehicles. For more information, contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley 
Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA, 91765-3914; call 909/396-0289; or visit 
www.sema.org or www.enjoythedrive.com.