Built for the big time

A Checotah junior transformed mechanical curiosity into a debut at one of automotive’s biggest shows in Vegas.

Sixteen days before his truck was due in Las Vegas, Trey Anderson’s build sat in pieces.

It had no axles, paint or guarantee it would even run.

Still, the Checotah High School junior was determined to make it to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, one of the largest automotive trade events in the world, this time not as a spectator, but as one of its youngest exhibitors.

Each November, more than 160,000 people attend the four-day event at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where more than 2,400 companies showcase products across 2 million square feet of exhibit space. For the East Central Oklahoma Electric Cooperative member, it was his first appearance as an exhibitor.

“I have always been mechanically interested in various machines and love taking apart things to find different ways to put them back together,” Anderson says. “When I was about seven years old, my parents bought me this old brown semi-truck to start working on so I would stop taking apart my toys.”

Anderson’s schedule is packed. He serves as student council president, coaches Special Olympics and is active in FFA, where welding quickly became his favorite class.

“FFA has been a huge part of high school,” he says. “But welding is where I really found what I love.”

When he’s not in class, he’s usually building something — helping construct prom decorations, volunteering at blood drives or working livestock shows.

“It was my mom’s idea to start an automotive customs business,” Anderson says. “My brother, Blake, taught me how to work on trucks, and both of us have taught ourselves most of the things we do within our businesses today.”

The business, called 333 Customs, takes its name from Trey’s motocross racing number.

Road to Vegas

Getting to Las Vegas proved nearly as challenging as building the truck itself.

“It felt like every step we took forward, something else would send us three steps back,” Anderson says.

As the deadline approached, the entire family pitched in. Blake handled much of the wiring and interior work while Trey focused on exterior lighting and custom components.

One of the biggest projects was a 2,000-piece starlight headliner.

“The 2,000-piece starlight includes all of the little individual fiber optic pieces, which are about the size of a fingernail clipping, and installing that alone was about a 22-hour project,” he says.

Meanwhile, Trey’s mother, Tina, painted the interior trim pieces while his father, Roger, painted the truck.

“It was a family affair for sure,” Anderson says.

The final days before departure brought a fresh round of setbacks. An oil cooler failure led to an overnight repair. Additional leaks appeared after the engine was reassembled, and dropped bolts had to be retrieved from the motor before work could continue.

Finally, after multiple repairs, the truck was loaded onto the trailer.

Then another problem surfaced: the wheel caps had not arrived because of a powder-coating delay.

“We called the company and had them overnight shipped to Vegas and prayed they would get there in time,” Anderson says.

Against the odds, the family and the wheel caps made it.

“You have to be invited to attend the SEMA Show as an exhibitor,” Anderson says. “The companies that sell automotive parts are typically who do the inviting, and in return they have their products displayed on actual vehicles in their vendor booth.”

His truck was displayed in the booth of Carbon Shock Technologies, an Oklahoma City company that manufactures suspension systems.

“Maxxed Diesel got me the sponsorship with Carbon Shock Technologies after seeing a photo of the truck on my social media page,” he says. “Once we were in our booth there were several other companies that came up to me wanting photos and offering sponsorships for next year.”

For Anderson, the trip was more than a successful debut on a national stage. It was another step toward turning a passion into a profession.

“Our business currently offers paint, light, sound, interior design, suspension, flat bed and motor-related services, but we are hoping to add powder-coating and wheel-forging eventually,” he says. “My hope is to turn this into a long-term career because it’s what I enjoy most.”