Looking at the crowd on day 1 of the SEMA show makes you think twice about the state of the auto industry.

"The tide is changing," says Peter MacGillivary, Vice President of SEMA. "There's a lot of indicators that this industry isn't dead. This industry is building itself back up."

The news that Ford made a profit last quarter is one of those indicators.

But SEMA is all about the smaller companies of the auto industry-- the 7 thousand businesses that design and manufacture specialty auto equipment.

How are they feeling?

"We're on our uphill climb right now," says Randy Peterson, a sales rep with Bushwacker.  "The industry has reached the bottom. It's just going up from here."

More than 100 thousand people are at this year's show.

It's not quite as big as years past.

But it's still making an impact on the automotive industry and the local economy.

The focus this year is on innovation.

Companies are showing off new items that they hope will get customers excited about their cars and trucks again.

They're also focusing on fuel efficiency and green technology that will be the future of the industry.

"Innovation drives the economy, small businesses with big ideas," says MacGillivary.  "That's really the power this industry has."

"Seeing all the excitement here, it's good," adds Peterson.  "With the new products over there, it's positive reinforcement."

Stay tuned to Action News for more on the Economy in Crisis.