Schrader EZ-Drive to SEMA

Schrader Sets Out on “EZ Street”

Schrader Sets Out on “EZ Street”

World’s leading TPMS manufacturer embarks on 6,000-mile “Road to SEMA” tour to promote industry’s first programmable and patented tire pressure monitoring sensor.

DENVER, Co. (October 18, 2010) − How are you getting to the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas? Carl Wacker and Tony Davenport of global automotive TPMS manufacturer Schrader®, are setting out today to drive cross country − from Detroit to Las Vegas − in an EZ-sensor-equipped Toyota® Prius. The duo will make “pit-stops” at multiple aftermarket retail locations along the way, demonstrating the benefits of EZ-sensor™, Schrader’s latest patented technology and the automotive industry’s first truly programmable tire pressure monitoring sensor.

The nearly two-week “Road to SEMA” tour will take Wacker, vice president, global sales and marketing, Davenport, business development manager, and other Schrader associates through Bowie, Md.; Chicago; Atlanta; Denver; Scottsdale, Ariz., and other cities. They’ll stop by the Tire Industry Association in Bowie, and several large automotive retailers along the way. The vehicle, which will be wrapped in EZ-sensor™ images, will arrive at the Schrader booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center on October 30. It will be used as part of live EZ-sensor™ demonstrations during the 2010 SEMA show.

Davenport is looking forward to the road trip. “It’s been a great year for Schrader,” he said. “We announced our EZ-sensor™ plans at last year’s SEMA show and now, after extensive validation testing, it’s here. We’re excited to show customers firsthand how simple it is to use EZ-sensor™, and how it accelerates TPMS service processes for technicians, while also reducing inventory costs, given it covers more than 60 percent of TPMS-equipped vehicles on the road today.”

Using Schrader-patented technology, EZ-sensor™ was created via a strategic alliance between Schrader and Bartec®, two of the world’s most respected names in TPMS technology. EZ-sensor™ can be programmed to function across diverse car makes and models, simplifying theTPMS service and replacement processes, and eliminating the need to inventory dozens or more sensor SKUs. Within one year, Schrader expects its two EZ-sensor™ SKUs to cover 90 percent of the TPMS sensors in use.

There are more than 50 million TPMS-equipped passenger vehicles on U.S. roads today, and 15 million more hit the road every year. Davenport summed up the significance to the industry, “If auto service centers have not yet seen an influx of TPMS-equipped vehicles, they soon will. We strive to make the TPMS service and repair processes as easy as possible for technicians.”

Wacker said he and Davenport also will be talking about another Schrader initiative during the road trip−the global TPMS awareness campaign Schrader launched earlier this year. The company developed and has been promoting a three-in-one website to address the specific TPMS information needs of drivers - TPMSMadeSimple.com, aftermarket retailers - TPMSMadeEasy.com, and original equipment manufacturers - TPMSMadeRight.com.

“We recognized that three years after full TPMS compliance, there are still a lot of questions about it − from within and outside the industry,” Wacker said. “These online resources not only offer straightforward answers to TPMS questions, but also provide a wealth of industry-tailored information to help with servicing and purchasing decisions, as well as tools to help the industry communicate about TPMS with their customers in the U.S. and around the world.”

Stop by Schrader’s booth (#42203) at SEMA for demonstrations of EZ-sensor™ installation and programming, and register to win one of five Schrader® 21230 programming tools the company is giving away during the show.

You can follow Wacker and Davenport on the “Road to SEMA” at www.EZ-Sensor.com or www.TPMSMadeEasy.com. They’ll be uploading video and photos of their travels and offering TPMS facts and servicing tips. Wacker and Davenport will cover more than 6,000 miles during the next two weeks. That means lots of tire pressure checks.

“That’s right,” Wacker said. “Even with TPMS, it’s important to check tire pressure at least once every month − and always before long road trips.”

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