AAPEX 2023 Review - DIESEL Motorsports!

I spent the first day at AAPEX (Tuesday) and into the evening at company VIP parties. AAPEX is quite different than SEMA, we used to call it the hard parts and fluid show. However, it is far from that today! Many companies have booths at both shows but the direction at AAPEX is all business for mass buying into chain stores or service centers on an international level.

There are many companies you would recognize there from the box stores such as Peak, Valvoline, Interstate Batteries, Mahle, CRC, StaBil, and many more! A lot of smaller companies looking to sell to the larger chain stores are there including, yes, foreign companies by country. 

A different atmosphere is at the AAPEX show, business dress is expected for meetings with usually the decision makers of the companies. You need to have meetings setup with the right people in order to get business done at this show.

It is fun to look at the many different part options for hard parts and fluids at this show! Many new innovative options are available including many new fluids that make a mechanics life easier. 

I looked at CRC's EvapoRust product which literally dissolves rust on all metal surfaces, a huge have to get for mechanics tearing apart older trucks and re-fabricating them. 

Off to the side I sat down to rest at a small booth and found new brake pads and rotors for our HD trucks that are far superior to OEM equipment! NewTek which is headquartered only 15 minutes from my office. Again you never know what you are going to find at AAPEX.

I attended the MAHLE VIP Dealer Give-away which was a 1000 hp Corvette or a Crawler JEEP to their best dealer among many of their top management and dealers. Awarded with some of the top racers in the country such as John Force and Clay Milican among many others.

Later I visited Alliant Power to view their new products and met with many new people there including some old friends who they just hired from Diamond Advantage. Later they invited me to their VIP reception where I got to see some diesel shops/distributors I have not seen in years because of COVID. Always good to see people from the beginning of our DIESEL Motorsports years!

It was a very productive day at AAPEX seeing many new products that would help our diesel/gas HD pickup markets along with some very nice people. I did go downstairs to visit the Joe's Garage! A little disappointing to tell you the truth, it did not replicate any garage I know but they had a few vehicles setup with companies pushing their electronic monitoring devices. I thought it would be a real garage setting with problem solving accredited mechanics working on vehicles. 

I have to say more people were at the AAPEX show than at the SEMA show if you are measuring all day attendance - very busy!

Always a pleasure to come to this show and view what many of us see at the box stores with many different products of hard parts and fluids. The displays and people working the booths are truly there to inform you of their products and/or services.

SEMA/AAPEX 2023 Review - DIESEL Motorsports!

Every year people who can not go to SEMA/AAPEX ask me how it went and what I saw at the show. Especially since they had to close down during the COVID years!

I have gone for many years and have experienced the days of glory of the auto aftermarket over the years. Saying that everything changes and sometimes for the better or worse depending on your view. Nothing remains the same.

2023 did not disappoint! Is it the same as 1997, 2007 or 2015? No way but after the Covid stall it was a success for both shows. The industry needs the show - period.

I always go on Monday while the vehicles and companies are still moving in and setting up for the show so I can get full view shots of the trucks without people in the way. Too bad SEMA won't let us media in early to get the shots of vehicles indoors on Mondays but they do let us in 30 minutes early every morning. Once the show opens it is very hard to get shots of the special vehicles.

The SEMA show has become somewhat of a world wide car/truck show for the best builds in the country with many of the top builders showing their wares. Inside is what i want to see which is the newest products from all of the manufacturers. So many companies have now combined into one corporation investment but it does give you their products under one banner. This makes the number of booths smaller since they all used to purchase single booths.

Saying that SEMA has filled the spots with new companies and manufacturers. New products are good and some are small so you would never see them unless you came to the show. Unique products for automotive aftermarket is good for our industry giving the performance geeks a chance to design and fabricate better than the OEMs on different model vehicles.

It is what makes America great! Out think the other guy and how to make it better for our vehicles. The big 3 obviously hate this since they are no longer part of the show (in any big way)! 

I was surprised to see so many foreign companies represented at the shows and many could not even speak english thus making them useless other than collecting their monies for being there. However, the direction of making SEMA a world event has been transforming for many years so not totally surprised.

A great time to see many people in the industry I have not seen in a few years because of COVID. Always good to network at the show and talk shop with some of the industries brightest people. They all come to one place and that is SEMA. 

Now as far as the trucks go it seems the new look for show is not performance but looks. The lifted trucks diesel or gas have very detailed fabricated lift kits that are beautiful plus very large wheels and tires. Many had custom wraps with very nice designs and companies represented on them. It's all in the details that set these trucks apart and the older trucks had some great performance adds to them.

Did I go to the BIG SEMA concerts afterwards, no I did not so I can not report on them. I am there for business with many companies and walk over 6 miles a day seeing them so I am pretty wore out to stay for a concert. From what I saw they had some great acts coming.

Photo Link: SEMA 23 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.725524559608995&type=3

AAPEX review coming tomorrow in my blog so revisit tomorrow.