Morrisville automotive students, professors attend premier automotive trade event SEMA show in Las Vegas

MORRISVILLE, NY—Morrisville State College automotive students got a first-hand look at industry trends while networking with automotive professionals and potential future employers during the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show held in Las Vegas Oct. 28-Nov. 3. 



SEMA, the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, new product launchings, educational events, and technical and business training. 



Free business and professional-development seminars covered a range of topics that included social media, marketing, customer service, and vehicle technology and industry trends.



Displays included a new products showcase with newly introduced parts, tools and components. 



New this year, SEMA instituted a Show Student Program, which provides students with unique learning experiences that integrate their fields of study with actual business and tradeshow opportunities in the automotive specialty-equipment market.



The annual show draws more than 70,000 domestic and international buyers.



Participating in this year’s show were the following students:



Billy Terrell, an automotive technology bachelor’s degree student from Sherrill

Daniel Stanton, an automotive technology bachelor’s degree student from Port Crane 

Christopher Bush, an automotive technology bachelor’s degree major from Silver Springs

Garrett Grinnell, an automotive technology bachelor’s degree student from Canastota

Ian Ball, an automotive technology associate degree student from East Syracuse

Sean Harrington, an automotive management bachelor’s degree student from Glen Falls

Matthew Hartunian, an automotive management bachelor’s degree major from Clifton Park

Stefan Komrowski, from Liverpool

Timothy O’Connor, an automotive technology bachelor’s degree student from Carmel



Also participating were: Ron Alexander and Ray Grabowski, associate professors in the Automotive Department. 



Morrisville’s automotive programs prepare students for automotive careers, aligning them with the current industry.



Morrisville’s facilities include an award-winning automotive technology building with nine state-of-the-art laboratories and a showroom, and an auto body building with a lab containing superior air purification equipment, a laser device for measuring frame damage and a Garmat paint station. It also has its own parts department and live service desk, both run by students who gain communication skills performing live work on faculty, staff and student vehicles. 



Morrisville State College’s curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs. 



The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings.