Small Business Stories - Del Austin Video

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Small Business Stories - Del Austin

Small Business Stories - Del Austin Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees on SBTV.com coming to you from the floor of the Las Vegas convention center at SEMA 2007. SEMA, that’s Specialty Equipment Market Association and joining me here on the SBTV stage is Del Austin. Mr. Austin, good to meet you, sir. Del Austin: Glad to meet you. Alex Fees: I appreciate your being here. Del Austin is the publisher of Street Thunder Magazine. Del, have I done that justice? Del Austin: You’ve done that perfect Alex Fees: What is Street Thunder Magazine and who is your readership? Del Austin: Street Thunder Magazine is the club magazine for the National Street Machine Club. We’ve got 200,000 plus members that are prioritize from the novice clerk of the guide that owns a street road show and our membership own cars that are street rides, classic trucks and Muscle cars, early Corvette’s, early Mustangs, covers a gamut of what we’re doing here at SEMA. Alex Fees: Okay, Del tell me something about your relationship with SEMA are you here as a vendor or as participant, as an automotive journalist, what? Del Austin: Okay, we have a booth over at hot rod alley for Street Thunder and we have our editorial staff here doing event coverage for SEMA. I’m also a member of the select committee the Hot Rod Industry alliance so I’m here with a little bit of SEMA do this also this week kind of covering the gamut of the show. Alex Fees: You know I was talking to Chris Corseting yesterday about this and he explained that SEMA actually recently has decided they’re going to focus on quality versus quantity and yet the show just keeps growing what a problem to hell. Del Austin: Just coming over here from the other building I figured it would take 15 or 20 minutes and it took us 30 minutes to walk down. Alex Fees: And it pretty much got a billed time into the automobile transportation. What about this? Del, how have you been in the automobile industry? Del Austin: I’ve been in the automotive industry third generation. My grandfather had a frame and actual shop. My father was in the auto parts business. I’ve been in the auto parts business before getting into the publish part of it. I’ve owned my own stores. My own businesses so I bought advertising along before I sold the advertising so it’s a good deal. Alex Fees: That’s the case of most people. What about SEMA? How long is your personal association with SEMA? Del Austin: About 20 years already. Alex Fees: Del, talk to me about this, what have you seen change with SEMA in the past 20 years? Del Austin: I’ve think we’ve got a lot more responsive to the street, the hard core hands-on car guide. They’ve taken the manufacturer and got it done it down to the hardcore user and I think that’s really important. I think they select committees and the councils and they’ve done a lot to develop that, the niche market within the larger niche market. I think that’s important. Alex Fees: You said they’re focusing on the hands-on car guide and yet you have seen with 2007 we have plenty of them represented but also major corporations. Del Austin: Well, the major corporations are also looking at that a lot closer and realizing that all these cars aren’t core four million dollar cars or million dollar cars so there’s a lot of $50,000.00 and $60,000.00 cars being built and I think more of the dollars are being spend on those cars collectively than they are of the high in cars and I think they were getting more responsive to that audience. Alex Fees: So what about looking at the little picture here. What changes do you see for instance between SEMA ’06 and ’07? Is it all just related to Trans and the automotive industry or what? Del Austin: Well, trans are always a big thing and we’ve got stay as close to the friend of that as we possibly can and we’ve seen a lot in the street and I might have ended a hot rod and from the early cars to the 50s and 60s cars because of the availability. But we’re also saying a lot of reproduction cars and I was saying Camaro cars and Mustangs since you can build from brand new parts. So I think that, that’s really the trend to the future. Alex Fees: What is it about that era of cars that you’re talking about? Was it 50’s and 60’s? Was that truly a unique time? Del Austin: Well, the ride jumped on that van wagon pretty hard in the pony car the Mustang, 64, 65 and then we have the GTO 442 and the Corvette’s became high horse power cars and those were fun cars. The new Shelby cars, the new Mustang thing has rejuvenated that whole thing. And so that was a fun era. A lot of us were in high school at that time and looked forward to being able to own those cars and so those cars are the cars that we wanted to have then and now we can have. Alex Fees: And now you can hoard that. Del Austin: Now, yes, exactly. Hoard them. Alex Fees Alright, Del, you’ve been here for the past. What’s coming up, what’s coming up for the automotive industry for your magazine and for SEMA in the future? Del Austin: Well, for our magazine our membership is growing because hands-on real world, car guys. I think SEMA’s growing because of the same thing. I think we’re saying the baby boomers could be included that we’re part of the hobby or slash the industry that are now able to do it and we’re saying this big influx of people a new hobbyist and it takes a little bit of an education process to bring them into it and they’re having a lot of fun. They’ve got the income to do it, the discretionary income and I think that’s words going and I think you know people are concerned about an aging market or grain market but you look around us. Look at all the young people here and we’ve got to support ability now in this 50’s and 60’s cars, these kids are even enough and it’s great and they’re bringing a whole new style to hot riding which is wonderful. Alex Fees: So here on the floor at the Las Vegas convention center we have a lot of 18 and 19 year olds which is the impression and perhaps you don’t write to us when the cars really make an impression on the people and after our people here my as in your age who is still kind of thinking and that same mind setting as far as the appeal of something like this. Del Austin: Right and it’s coming together. It’s coming together more now than it was 10 years ago or 15 years ago. The car seems to bridge that generation gap which is good, that’s wonderful. Alex Fees: That sounds like a notification, Del. Del Austin: Thank you. Alex Fees: Give me the final words, sir. Del Austin: Thank you. Alex Fees: But before I do that I want the card here where can people find out about Street Thunder Magazine? Del Austin: Well, my phone numbers on there and our booth is 23280. Alex Fees: Okay but Del, what about our viewers? What about the people watching us at SBTV.com after this is over? Is there a website or something? Del Austin: Yes, they can go to StreetThunder.com. Alex Fees: Right, good deal StreetThunder.com. That’s what we’re looking for. Well, thank you so much. He is Del Austin with Street Thunder Magazine. I’m Alex Fees. You’re watching SBTV.com.

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Small Business Stories - Del Austin

Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees on SBTV.com coming to you from the floor of the Las Vegas convention center at SEMA 2007. SEMA, that’s Specialty Equipment Market Association and joining me here on the SBTV stage is Del Austin. Mr. Austin, good to meet you, sir.

Del Austin: Glad to meet you.

Alex Fees: I appreciate your being here. Del Austin is the publisher of Street Thunder Magazine. Del, have I done that justice?

Del Austin: You’ve done that perfect

Alex Fees: What is Street Thunder Magazine and who is your readership?

Del Austin: Street Thunder Magazine is the club magazine for the National Street Machine Club. We’ve got 200,000 plus members that are prioritize from the novice clerk of the guide that owns a street road show and our membership own cars that are street rides, classic trucks and Muscle cars, early Corvette’s, early Mustangs, covers a gamut of what we’re doing here at SEMA.

Alex Fees: Okay, Del tell me something about your relationship with SEMA are you here as a vendor or as participant, as an automotive journalist, what?

Del Austin: Okay, we have a booth over at hot rod alley for Street Thunder and we have our editorial staff here doing event coverage for SEMA. I’m also a member of the select committee the Hot Rod Industry alliance so I’m here with a little bit of SEMA do this also this week kind of covering the gamut of the show.

Alex Fees: You know I was talking to Chris Corseting yesterday about this and he explained that SEMA actually recently has decided they’re going to focus on quality versus quantity and yet the show just keeps growing what a problem to hell.

Del Austin: Just coming over here from the other building I figured it would take 15 or 20 minutes and it took us 30 minutes to walk down.

Alex Fees: And it pretty much got a billed time into the automobile transportation. What about this? Del, how have you been in the automobile industry?

Del Austin: I’ve been in the automotive industry third generation. My grandfather had a frame and actual shop. My father was in the auto parts business. I’ve been in the auto parts business before getting into the publish part of it. I’ve owned my own stores. My own businesses so I bought advertising along before I sold the advertising so it’s a good deal.

Alex Fees: That’s the case of most people. What about SEMA? How long is your personal association with SEMA?

Del Austin: About 20 years already.

Alex Fees: Del, talk to me about this, what have you seen change with SEMA in the past 20 years?

Del Austin: I’ve think we’ve got a lot more responsive to the street, the hard core hands-on car guide. They’ve taken the manufacturer and got it done it down to the hardcore user and I think that’s really important. I think they select committees and the councils and they’ve done a lot to develop that, the niche market within the larger niche market. I think that’s important.

Alex Fees: You said they’re focusing on the hands-on car guide and yet you have seen with 2007 we have plenty of them represented but also major corporations.

Del Austin: Well, the major corporations are also looking at that a lot closer and realizing that all these cars aren’t core four million dollar cars or million dollar cars so there’s a lot of $50,000.00 and $60,000.00 cars being built and I think more of the dollars are being spend on those cars collectively than they are of the high in cars and I think they were getting more responsive to that audience.

Alex Fees: So what about looking at the little picture here. What changes do you see for instance between SEMA ’06 and ’07? Is it all just related to Trans and the automotive industry or what?

Del Austin: Well, trans are always a big thing and we’ve got stay as close to the friend of that as we possibly can and we’ve seen a lot in the street and I might have ended a hot rod and from the early cars to the 50s and 60s cars because of the availability. But we’re also saying a lot of reproduction cars and I was saying Camaro cars and Mustangs since you can build from brand new parts. So I think that, that’s really the trend to the future.

Alex Fees: What is it about that era of cars that you’re talking about? Was it 50’s and 60’s? Was that truly a unique time?

Del Austin: Well, the ride jumped on that van wagon pretty hard in the pony car the Mustang, 64, 65 and then we have the GTO 442 and the Corvette’s became high horse power cars and those were fun cars. The new Shelby cars, the new Mustang thing has rejuvenated that whole thing. And so that was a fun era. A lot of us were in high school at that time and looked forward to being able to own those cars and so those cars are the cars that we wanted to have then and now we can have.

Alex Fees: And now you can hoard that.

Del Austin: Now, yes, exactly. Hoard them.

Alex Fees Alright, Del, you’ve been here for the past. What’s coming up, what’s coming up for the automotive industry for your magazine and for SEMA in the future?

Del Austin: Well, for our magazine our membership is growing because hands-on real world, car guys. I think SEMA’s growing because of the same thing. I think we’re saying the baby boomers could be included that we’re part of the hobby or slash the industry that are now able to do it and we’re saying this big influx of people a new hobbyist and it takes a little bit of an education process to bring them into it and they’re having a lot of fun. They’ve got the income to do it, the discretionary income and I think that’s words going and I think you know people are concerned about an aging market or grain market but you look around us. Look at all the young people here and we’ve got to support ability now in this 50’s and 60’s cars, these kids are even enough and it’s great and they’re bringing a whole new style to hot riding which is wonderful.

Alex Fees: So here on the floor at the Las Vegas convention center we have a lot of 18 and 19 year olds which is the impression and perhaps you don’t write to us when the cars really make an impression on the people and after our people here my as in your age who is still kind of thinking and that same mind setting as far as the appeal of something like this.

Del Austin: Right and it’s coming together. It’s coming together more now than it was 10 years ago or 15 years ago. The car seems to bridge that generation gap which is good, that’s wonderful.

Alex Fees: That sounds like a notification, Del.

Del Austin: Thank you.

Alex Fees: Give me the final words, sir.

Del Austin: Thank you.

Alex Fees: But before I do that I want the card here where can people find out about Street Thunder Magazine?

Del Austin: Well, my phone numbers on there and our booth is 23280.

Alex Fees: Okay but Del, what about our viewers? What about the people watching us at SBTV.com after this is over? Is there a website or something?

Del Austin: Yes, they can go to StreetThunder.com.

Alex Fees: Right, good deal StreetThunder.com. That’s what we’re looking for. Well, thank you so much. He is Del Austin with Street Thunder Magazine. I’m Alex Fees. You’re watching SBTV.com.

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