3M Announces Wrap2Wrap Winner

For vinyl manufacturers, the Specialty Equipment Market Assn. (SEMA) tradeshow, which takes place every November in Las Vegas, provides a significant opportunity to preach the gospel of wraps. SEMA, a trade organization that spans the full breadth of automotive-aftermarket components, encompasses a range of products that vary from improving performance to special effects such as undercarriage lighting or suspension modifications. So, the industry-only SEMA show provides fertile ground for promoting wrap materials to auto manufacturers, distributors and aftermarket-product vendors to offer as a value-added service.

Fittingly, 3M Commercial Solutions chose the SEMA show as the backdrop for its vehicle-graphics championship competition. 3M conducted a head-to-head, vehicle-wrap battle between Steve Hargittai, who works at Florida Car Wrap (Davie, FL), and William Chaney, a wrapper at Tidal Wave Graphics (Chesapeake, VA). The finalists were chosen from three knockout rounds that were voted upon on a dedicated website, www.3mwrap2wrap.com.

In 3M’s booth on the SEMA show floor, Hargittai and Chaney directed crews of 3M Preferred Certified graphics installers to install wraps on 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z28s. A team of celebrity and industry judges, which included Rutledge Wood, host of History Channel’s Top Gear show; Jessi Combs, host of Velocity Channel’s All Girl Garage; Phil Aquin, a representative from Knifeless Tech Systems; and David Zuckerberg, publisher of Rides Magazine, among others. The panel selected Hargittai’s project based on the wrap’s aesthetics, conformity to the Camaro’s body lines and a “vision statement, where each competitor described the methodology behind their wraps’ design and production.

For his efforts, Hargittai received a set of 20-in. Vossen flow-forming-technology wheels, a set of Pirelli tires and $1,000. Chaney earned Vossen CV wheels, Pirelli tires and $500.