Leather car seat upholstery maker rides auto sales wave - USA TODAY
Leather car seat upholstery maker rides auto sales wave MONTEBELLO, Calif. -- A factory here bustles with activity, whether it is workers scrutinizing dyed steer hides for imperfections or sewing together leather strips, thanks to the sizzling market for new cars. -- A factory here bustles with activity, whether it is workers scrutinizing dyed steer hides for imperfections or sewing together leather strips, thanks to the sizzling market for new cars. Katzkin Automotive Leather is one of hundreds of companies that cater to customers who want to customize or otherwise dress up their new cars or trucks. It's riding the wave thanks to the strongest new-vehicle sales so far this year in a decade. Lately, it has been seeking to cash in on huge demand the pickup trucks. "People who buy pick-up trucks tend to accessorize them," David Giddings, the company's marketing vice president, says. Auto sales are up 4. 5% this year through May, compared to the same five months last year, Autodata reports. Once behind the wheel, many new-vehicle buyers can't wait to pimp their rides. Aftermarket purveyors raked in $33 billion in 2013, a figure that likely will have risen 10% last year once the figures are in. Peter MacGillivray, vice president of the aftermarket trade group, the Specialty Equipment Market Association or SEMA,... Source: www.usatoday.com
