COVID stole the show in 2020…literally! Immediately following a hugely successful SEMA Show in 2019, the car builders were fast at work, sketching out plans for their next show-stopping vehicle while manufacturers were already tooling up for their next big product launch.
2020 was also the year that the all-new Edelbrock Group was planning its first unified appearance at a major industry event. And then the pandemic threw a curve. The Specialty Equipment Market Association followed suit with every other major organization’s response to COVID and did what was inevitable at that point. They hit the brakes on the world’s premiere automotive trade show for 2020. SEMA went virtual last year with the first-ever SEMA360 online platform. The Edelbrock Group participated, but anybody who has ever attended the real SEMA Show in person knows that nothing compares to the sensory overload that we’ve come to love and expect since the first SEMA Show in 1967.
News of one of the automotive aftermarket’s biggest mergers could not be kept under wraps. The Edelbrock Group was created in 2020 consisting of five legendary “power brands” that include COMP Cams, Edelbrock, FAST–Fuel Air Spark Technology, Russell Performance and TCI Automotive. With nearly 130 years of manufacturing and business acumen now combined to form an aftermarket powerhouse, the Edelbrock Group is capable of producing an exceptional line of high-performance engine and drivetrain components as well as specialty tools to meet the demands of every American muscle car, hot rod and racing enthusiast around the world.
“We couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to present the Edelbrock Group and our portfolio of industry-leading brands to the industry as a unified organization built on innovation and passion,” said Chris Douglas, Chief Commercial Officer for the Edelbrock Group. “Our team has worked very hard to prepare for the 2021 SEMA Show and we know the attendees are going to share our enthusiasm for a great line-up of new products from Edelbrock, COMP Cams, FAST and TCI.”
The Edelbrock company has been owned by private equity firm Industrial Opportunity Partners since 2010. At the beginning of 2020, IOP acquired the COMP Performance Group which included COMP Cams, FAST, TCI Automotive, RHS (Racing Head Service), ZEX Nitrous Systems, Powerhouse Products, and Inglese Induction along with many other brands. News of the acquisition was released in February of 2020 and ground-breaking for the new 300,000-square-foot Edelbrock Group headquarters in Olive Branch, MS, took place shortly thereafter.
Much has happened over the past year and a half, and the SEMA Show is the perfect opportunity to renew old friendships and introduce the automotive world to the new Edelbrock Group family of brands. The Edelbrock Group currently operates eight facilities located in different states across the country that include COMP Cams in Memphis, TN and Bronson, MI; the Edelbrock Tech Center in Cerritos, CA; Edelbrock foundries and heat-treating plants in San Jacinto, CA; the Edelbrock Race Center in Mooresville, NC; TCI Automotive in Ashland, MS; Edelbrock Carburetors in Sanford, NC; FAST–Fuel Air Spark Technology in Memphis, TN; and Edelbrock Group Headquarters, Distribution and Manufacturing in Olive Branch, MS. While most of the industry and our customers are aware of the massive expansion that has taken place during 2020 and 2021, we are looking forward to talking in person with SEMA members about the exciting changes, our new products, and the future of each brand.
As the final displays are being constructed for the 2021 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Tom Gattuso, SEMA VP of Events, said, “The Edelbrock Group is such an important member and contributor to the foundation of the industry; we are excited that the Edelbrock Group brands are participating in the 2021 SEMA Show, where professionals will be gathering in person for the first time since 2019. With product demonstrations, interactive exhibits, and in-person meetings, the SEMA Show is the best place for businesses to connect with one another.”