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.