Mobile Electronics Magazine March 2018

March 2018

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Volume 36 // Issue 3

Ad Index

46 FEATURED STORIES 14 // What’s Happening: Retailers and Reps

Positive relationships between retailers and their reps helps to push mobile electronics products. Meet Pete Daley, Jamie White and Ian Worrall—reps who agree that mutual support from both sides improves the industry as a whole.

24 // Real World Retail: First Coast Auto Creations

In Jacksonville, Fla. Charles Brazil continues to grow his business by reaching out to friends and supporters within the industry who offer advice and encouragement.

36 // The Support Team: KENWOOD

Meet the KENWOOD team that works to ensure dealers all over the country—and in Puerto Rico—are as knowledgeable and confident as they can be when it comes to the product they’re selling.

Accele Electronics...................................... p. 2 & 3 Alpine.......................................................................... p.5 Businessworx..................................................... p.45 Crux Interfacing Solutions.............................p.55 Escort ........................................................................p.11 Firstech/Momento............................................p.59 Hybrid Audio Tech............................................. p.44 InstallerNet ......................................................... p. 53 JL Audio ...................................................................p. 19 JVC............................................................................ p.43 K40 Electronics ...................................................p.17 Kenwood....................................................................p.7 Kicker........................................................................p.23 MEA ......................................................................... p.45 No Limits.................................................................p.42 Orca:Focal...............................................................p.33 Rockford Fosgate................................................p.31 Rocky Mountain Radar ........................ p. 48-49 Scosche ................................................................. p. 12 SiriusXM ................................................................ p. 13 Sony .......................................................................... p. 9 Voxx Electronics............................................... p. 60

Contents

40 // Strategy & Tactics: HR for Small Business

Retailers and experts, including Bryan Schmitt of Mobile Solutions, discuss focus points for cultivating and preserving positive business culture.

46 // Tech Today: Sport Wagon Audio System Upgrade

Joey Knapp introduces Dave Evans of Adrenaline Autosound, who discusses upgrading

the sound quality in a 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon while integrating smoothly with factory upmixers.

On the Cover

Charles Brazil of First Coast Auto Creations in Jacksonville, Fla. is the focus of this month’s cover. Over the years, Brazil has built a solid client base and continues to reach out to industry friends and colleagues for support whenever needed. We wanted to showcase how First Coast Auto Creations continues to grow and evolve through a strong network of community support and creativity. Also on the cover: KENWOOD backs its dealers by providing continued training and client support.

COVER DESIGN: ANA RAMIREZ

4 Mobile Electronics

March 2018

54 6 Editor’s Forum 8 Feedback 10 Statistics 12 Helpful Stuff 14 What’s Happening: Retailers and Reps 20 Retail News/Who’s Who 24 Real World Retail: First Coast Auto Creations 36 The Support Team:KENWOOD 40 Strategy &Tactics: HR for Small Business 46 Tech Today: Sport Wagon Audio System Upgrade 54 Installs 58 From The President

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editor’s forum

Be a Billboard

Move up the career ladder by not letting them forget about you.

WHO WOULD LEAVE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR MICHIGAN? I did. I packed my entire apartment into a U-Haul and drove my shiny red Dodge Intrepid up onto the rear trailer. It was cold when I left: 63 degrees, which I would later find out was sunbathing weather at my destination.

I was moving because, evidently, I had impressed the head honchos at Code Alarm. When not taking tech calls at the California warehouse, I had started a company newsletter and built a troubleshooting flowchart based on the most frequent call-in issues. I happily accepted when they offered me a technical writing position at their Madison Heights headquarters. At least it got me off the tech support lines. No more helping wayward installers get “fire through the wire” for me.

Different people are motivated by different aspects of work.

Some want money. Others want belonging. Still others seek continuity. But one thing is for sure: we all want to grow.

But how do you do that? Most of us who are gung-ho in a new job think the answer is hard work. If we work hard, we will impress those who matter and we will be rewarded. But compare this to swimming.

You can hit the water, put your head down and stroke with all the power you can muster. But if you haven’t picked a direction, all that effort could lead you far away from where you thought you wanted to go. Still think hard work is all that’s needed?

My motivation was to show my value. I figured if I could do that, money, belonging and continuity would come naturally.

I wanted my bosses to know that their investment in me was more than worth it. So I set goals for myself, and it didn’t stop there. I let my supervisor know how I wanted to show value, then I would follow though. It’s a three-step process I learned through necessity early on: Tell them you’ll do it, do it, then tell them you did it.

So back to my Midwest indoctrination. I learned two things arriving in Michigan. (Actually I learned a lot: how braking when skidding on ice can cause a major freeway pileup; what “muggy” weather really means; how everyone knows “Sweetest Day” is a scam but Lord forbid you ignore it; and where those beautiful autumn postcard pictures actually come from. But for

this, I’ll stick to two.) First, you can’t jog in 20-degree weather.

Coming from southern California, gloves and scarves were things people only wore in movies. And second, I learned the meaning of the question, “How do you rate?” as it was said to me by several co-workers.

It turns out many of the people I worked with were of the “work hard and hopefully be noticed” variety. In two short years, I had gone from tech writer in a shared office to graphic designer and on to national marketing manager with my own corner office. With the question, they wanted to know how I was able to get something they were still waiting to accomplish.

Moving up the ladder is akin to marketing. You can be exposed to a product once, and more than likely you’ll forget it.

But if you are exposed to it multiple times in different ways, it will be the first thing you think of when you are ready to buy.

That’s how you need to manage your career. Stay top-of-mind with your employer by communicating your value, tastefully but consistently.

“My work motivation was to show my value. I figured if I could do that, money, belonging and continuity would come naturally.”

6 Mobile Electronics March 2018

As a warm-weather native, three years of “actual real seasons” in Michigan was all I could stand. I high-tailed it back to California and leveraged my growth into the editor position at Mobile Electronics magazine. Six years earlier I had been passing out business cards at Radio Shack stores, travelling to homes and businesses to install Tandy® and Realistic® radios.

Now I was leading the industry’s premier publication.

As an employee, have you set goals, or are you just going to work and waiting to be recognized? I believe that no one has your best interest in mind other than you, which means you can’t leave your opportunities solely in someone else’s hands. Take charge of your career. Define a goal and use the three steps that work for me to stay relevant, and you’ll keep moving up. facebook.com/MobileElectronics

 7

 feedback

Specialize to Stand Out

ADVERTISING SALES Kerry Moyer 978.645.6457 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com

EDITORIAL Solomon Daniels 978.645.6463 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Creative Layout and Design: Ana Ramirez Contributing Editors: Jamie Sorcher, Joey Knapp, Laura Kemmerer and Rosa Sophia.

Published by

James Smith warns retailers not to focus on their competition. Instead, as Tomas Keenan suggests, set the business apart by specializing—because retailers are often too broad in what they attempt to accomplish.

“Put a plan into place. It doesn’t matter what the task or goal is, but create a plan to make it happen.

Whether it is changing the road sign on pre-designated dates as part of your marketing plan, or recommendations your sales team offers during a promotion or event, set a goal and create a plan to achieve that goal.

Communicate the plan to others and hold each other accountable. Failing to plan is planning to fail no matter how you look at it. Without a plan, success is just luck and that eventually runs out for us all.” Joe Cassity, Tunes-NTint, Lakeland, Fla.

“A customer wanted to use his own radio. The radio ended up being bad. I was able to show him [this] with some of the tools we have, and after a little complaining, I sold him a new radio. I swapped the radio for no charge and told him there is typically a charge for this, but it was an easy enough car.

System worked great. He left me a five star Google review and has been back two other times for other stuff.” Lee Bartels, Elite Sound Innovations, Geneva, IL

“Stop focusing on your competitors and focus on yourself. Be better than you were yesterday, not better than them!”

James Smith, ACT Audio, Vernon, Conn.

“Find a specialty and stick to it. I find that most retailers are very broad in their reach, causing them to be good at many things but not great any specific one.” Tomas Keenan, Top Class Installations, Hicksville, New York

“Do the best you can and don’t be afraid to learn. We can all learn from one another. Sharing is caring. Be a brother to another. Boosting one beyond you is the real challenge. Support and trust the guys you’ve put in the position.” Robert Gonzales, Sunshades Tint & Sound, Austin, Texas

8 Mobile Electronics

March 2018

“Everyone should do some charity program at least once a year. It doesn’t matter what season or month. But get involved in the community.”

Joe O’Byrne, Brentwood Car Audio, Antioch, Calif.

TM

mobile electronics association

Chris Cook, President 978.645.6434 • chrisc@mobile-electronics.com Kerry Moyer, VP Strategic Partnerships 978.645.6457 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com Solomon Daniels, Dir. Media and Communications 978.645.6463 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Richard Basler, Dir. Technology Solutions 978.645.6449 • richb@mobile-electronics.com Tony Frangiosa, Chairman of the Board, MEA 1) Title of publication: Mobile Electronics. 2) Publication No.: 957-170 6. (ISSN# 1523-763X) 3) Copyright © 2017 by the Mobile Electronics 4) Date of filing: Oct. 1, 2017. 5) Frequency of issue: Monthly. 6) No. of issues published annually: 12 7) Annual subscription price: $35.00. 8) Periodical postage paid at Lawrence MA and additional mailing offices. 9) Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 10) Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices of the publisher: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 11) Full names and complete mailing address of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Chris Cook, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845; Editor/Managing Editor: Solomon Daniels/Ted Goslin, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845 12) Owner: MERA, Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 13) Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 14) Tax Status: Not applicable. 15) Name of Publication: Mobile Electronics. 16) Issue date for circulation data below: October 2017. 6. a) Total no. copies (net press run) Average: 10,237 Single Issue; 12,826. b) Paid/Requested mail subscriptions Average: 6,039, Single Issue: 7,346. c) Paid sales through dealers, etc.; Average: 0. Single issue; d) Requested distributed by other classes of mail: Average: 435, Single issue: 520. Total paid and/or requested circulation; Average 6039. Single issue: 6024. e) Non-requested distribution by mail; Average: 3,860 Single issue: 4,973. Free distribution through other classes of mail: Average: 0, Single issue: 0. f) Non-requested distribution outside the mail; Average: 267. Single issue: 750. g) Total non-requested distribution; Average 3860, Single issue: 4,973. h) Total distribution; Average: 9,899. Single issue: 12,319. i) Copies not distributed; h1) Office use, leftovers; Average: 338. Single Issue; 507 j) Total; Average: 10,237. Single issue; 12,826 Percent paid and/or requested circulation; Average: 61.01%. Single issue 59.63%. 17) POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Mobile Electronics, 85 Flagship Drive Suite F, North Andover MA 01845-9998

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www.sony.com ©2017 Sony Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony and the Sony logos are trademarks of Sony Corporation. Android Auto workswith devices using Android 5.0 software or higher. Some devices may not yet support Android Auto, see the Google site for the latest list of compatible devices. Android Auto and its logo are trademarks of Google Inc. Apple CarPlay works with iPhone 5 and newer phones. Apple CarPlay and its logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice.

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10  Mobile Electronics March 2018

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 helpful stuff Book:

The Common Good By:Robert B. Reich In 1963, over 70 percent of Americans trusted the government to do the right thing; now just 16 percent do. In the late 1970s, 32 percent trusted big business; by 2016, only 18 percent did. All of this, according to Robert B. Reich, is why we must restore balance and common decency to our economics and politics. An American political commentator, professor and author, Reich served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. He served as Secretary of Labor from 1993 to 1997 in the Clinton administration, for which Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. He has written fifteen books. In his latest, The Common Good, he makes the case for renewed civic awareness and urges a renewal of civic education. Basing his argument in reality and common sense, Reich relates that the common good is what defines a society. Societies and nations must battle against many enemies and vicious cycles. Our country, Reich says, for the last five decades has been in a downward cycle. The time has come to step up as a nation. He asks us to consider what is most important; this must be reflected in our honor, patriotism, truth and the meaning of leadership. A powerful and provocative piece, it is a manifesto to save America’s soul.

12 Mobile Electronics March 2018

Sites To See:

Verizon

http://www.verizon.com/about/news-tag/5g-technology With the annual Mobile World Congress in the books, the world’s largest gathering for the wireless industry, it’s time to make sure you are fully versed in what 5G means for you and your customer. In the second half of 2018, Verizon is scheduled to roll out its 5G fixed wireless network in Sacramento, Calif. Verizon plans between three and five fixed 5G rollouts in 2018. 5G is expected to make a major impact on the US economy. Residential services could be a major benefit for telecommuters and people who work from home, providing faster, more consistent Internet speeds. By 2035, 5G will enable more than $12 trillion in global economic revenue, and support 22 million jobs worldwide driven by the digitalization of industries such as transportation, agriculture and manufacturing, according to Verizon Wireless.

App: Shopmonkey http://www.shopmonkey.io/ If you own a business, it can be time-consuming handling administrative tasks.

Shopmonkey, a cloud-based solution which bills itself as a way to “spend less time shuffling papers, and more time getting things done,” is loaded with features to make your life easier. For instance, its helps you create, manage and search for customer and car information and sift through completed jobs. It lets you engage with your customers from within the system. Conveniently, it gives you transparency into what’s going on in your shop—whether you are there or not. No more sticky notes and notepads to track work. Get instant updates when customers authorize a job.

Create multi-point inspection sheets to document work. If you don’t have something like this now, it’s worth the free trial. It is a flat monthly rate with no contracts to sign.

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 what’s happening

Beyond the Numbers

Mutual support between retailers and reps helps to kindle success in business. Representatives, including Jamie White from Opus Marketing and Pete Daley from Marketing Pros Inc., share their thoughts on what makes these relationships fruitful.

Ian Worrall of DAS Companies, visiting Tint Works Plus in Prince Frederick Md. On the left: Ritchie Gibson, owner; middle, Ian Worrall; right, J.R., lead salesperson.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

In the bustling world of retail, business owners need quality reps—and a rep’s job is truly multi-faceted. Representatives not only serve as the connection between businesses and vendors, they may also offer advice, trouble-shoot, make suggestions regarding marketing and showroom displays, and become a valued friend of the business. “Sales isn’t 100 percent of it,” said Pete Daley of Marketing Pros Inc., who has been a sales representative for about 27 years.

“It’s a two-way street. When the retailers give, the reps can give back.” The rep is an advocate of both the retailer and the manufacturer. And these relationships can often grow into friendships.

“I can talk about my family, they can talk about theirs. There’s not much we

14 Mobile Electronics

March 2018

can’t talk about,” Daley said. “When there’s a more difficult time, they tend to be more open.” When problems arise in relation to a product or line, having this relationship makes it easier to handle.

“They know we will figure out a way to correct things.”

Being Proactive and Communicative Leads to Success Ian Worrall has worked with DAS Companies Inc. for seven years. Before that, he spent 15 years as an installer, so he knows both sides of the business.

Worrall has observed that successful retailers tend to be outgoing and are willing to operate outside the box when it comes marketing, advertising and proactively training their employees, “whether it’s attending events or working with reps to get training.” He added

that while successful retailers also tend to have well-merchandised showrooms, this isn’t a constant. Some successful businesses have no public showroom and operate by appointment only.

Jamie White of Opus Marketing echoed these comments. “Everyone who is employed at Opus came out of 12-volt and I think that makes a big difference,” he said. White has been a rep for 20 years, and has owned Opus outright for six years. “If you came out of retail, you know the quirks you go through.” Part of being an effective rep is understanding the challenges of retail. “If you have experience in retail as a rep, you’ll be able to hopefully close the gap on figuring out a problem faster,” he said.

White added that, at one time, reps looked in the phonebook to research a

Beyond the Numbers

Pete Daley analyzing Porsche GT3 for OEM integration of a Mosconi processor at Brusome Designs.

retailer. Now, they go straight to Facebook. “[We] start looking at pictures and things they post, try to get an idea of what type of dealer we’re going to be visiting,” he said. If they’re active on social media, he explained, it’s probable that they’re also “an active retailer looking to push retail better.

Those are things we look for even before we make conversation.”

Reps also attempt to identify the brands the retailer works with and how they are sourcing them. “Are they factory direct, or are they buying from a distributor?” Finding out how the retailer gets their product can shed light on the age of the shop. “If they’re direct with the vendor, there’s a good chance they have an open line of credit,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with sourcing from a distributor, but it gives us an understanding of whether the line we are working with makes sense for them.”

Further, if the rep can’t answer a question for a retailer, they may have experience with someone who can.

Such knowledge helps solve problems faster “and puts a personal touch on the situation,” White explained.

A good rep will do what they can to help the retailer, such as assist a customer when they’re in the store— especially when it’s their product the customer is looking at.

Similarly, Worrall is able to offer suggestions based on his past experience as an installer. “If I’m in a store mid-sales pitch and a tech says there’s an issue, I might have the answer, and if I don’t have the answer I’ll help them figure it out,” he said, “regardless of whether it’s a product from my company or not.”

Because the rep acts as the line of communication between the retailer and the vendor, Daley said, they are not only handling issues with the retail stores but also anything that may happen behind the scenes in relation to the demands of the vendor.

Daley also handles collections.

“We sell it, we have to make sure they pay their bills.” The manufacturer may not comprehend flaws on the retail side, either. “Sometimes the vendors demand pressure. We [have to] leverage our relationships with the retailers, but we can’t have that pressure go direct. We’re the buffer. We get pushed from both sides.”

White recalled that during his experience in retail, he was able to see what he wasn’t getting from his reps.

“As a rep, what motivates me is trying to remember the things I needed that they didn’t address,” he said. “I try to figure out what the retailer needs by listening to them, watching what they’re doing and trying to be part of

Pete Daley conducting a training for AAMP on PAC/ Stinger.

their success. [We] portray ourselves as a partner to their business.”

Reps Note the Importance of Being Open to Opportunities in Retail It’s important in any situation to be open-minded, and the continuously changing world of retail is no exception. Daley said that sometimes smaller retailers get distracted easily because they simply have too many duties to handle. “They go from sales to management to installation,” he said, adding that it’s important to invest in the proper team that will be able to execute a plan or set of goals. “It’s stressful no matter what. Hire the proper staff to execute your game plans, and have a goal. You can’t go from the bottom to the top overnight. You have to do it step by step.” He added that he tends to be more relaxed in his approach with businesses that have more structure.

Daley recommended that retailers who are having problems should extend themselves beyond their front door and figure out how to bring customers into the shop. “It’s frustrating as a rep because you know the store has potential,” he said. “You want to grow your business with them. It adds additional pressure on us when the numbers don’t perform as well as we would like. Every store is different.”

White noted that relationship plays a facebook.com/MobileElectronics

15

 what’s happening

The Stereo Shop: Julio Murillo on the right, Pete Daley on the left. Marketing Pros, Inc. sells AAMP to this shop. Here, they discuss merchandising of new displays.

role, but at the end of the day, it’s business. “We will call those we know will answer their phones,” he said. It isn’t just about ordering product. Reps can also assist when it comes to in-store displays and even obscure questions. “A good rep, if you have that relationship, can go through the back door to get the information faster,” he said. “When it comes to opportunities, having a strong relationship is important.”

Because reps don’t always have the same lines, a new line will attract a lot of attention. For this reason, White said, having a positive relationship with the rep helps. “We can email you, call you, so you can hear about it now versus a month from now.”

Such a relationship also helps when it comes to accounting. “Having a good relationship with a rep makes the process of aging with a vendor smoother. If you’re past due and you’re not taking the calls, and the rep gets questioned by the credit manager, all we can do is tell the truth.” If the rep and retailer have a negative relationship, the rep has to explain this to the vendor. “If the dealer doesn’t have a good relationship with the rep, we’ll tell the vendor,” White said. “We don’t have a great relationship and we’re struggling, too.”

16 Mobile Electronics

March 2018

Do’s and Don’ts for Retailers and Reps On both sides of the relationship, there are several key aspects that are essential to efficiency and effectiveness, according to Elias Ventura of Sound FX. “Attentive. I think that’s a huge plus.

Follow-through would be another, and promptness,” he said, adding that it’s always important that a rep should be attentive to the needs of the retailer.

“They [should] follow through and in a timely fashion.”

Both the retailer and the rep have responsibilities they must adhere to.

As in any relationship, there are some behaviors it would be best to avoid.

Daley, White and Worrall agreed that poor retailers exhibit certain negative behaviors.

White said that one of the first things he notices in a business is the cleanliness of the bathroom, especially if it’s a public restroom meant for customers. This can be a “telltale sign of how the business operates in general,” he explained, because this is how they’re presenting themselves to the public.

There’s always more learning to do, and Daley stated that retailers who claim they know everything they need to know have made a grave error. “If you’re not learning, you’re dying. Learning is profitable.” Many of these retailers,

he added, “go from sale to mortgage payment. If you make the sale and it never even hits the cash drawer, there’s no stability.” Another weakness Daley noticed is not stocking enough inventory to accommodate the demands of the customer.

“I have guys who will have say they can’t get techs employed, and can’t get work, but they won’t invest in their own education to learn about new trends, marketing strategies,” Worrall said, echoing Daley’s statement about the importance of education.

White said that after events or trade shows, reps will share the information they’ve gathered with retailers. “When we come back from CES, we’re coming back with new product, new programs and a bunch of excitement,” he said. “We want to show them [...] because they didn’t go to CES for whatever reason.”

Sometimes, a retailer declines an appointment or doesn’t provide enough time for a good presentation. “The rep is just trying to communicate,” White explained, adding that they’re offering opportunities. “That’s our livelihood, too. When we look at all the layers— the vendor, the rep and the retailer—all three layers have needs. The vendor is usually in another part of the country and they are relying on the rep.”

Things fall flat, White said, when the retailer chooses not to listen to the suggestions or recommendations of a rep.

“The concept is the same for all three layers but what makes a poor retailer is the vendor and rep will listen to the bad and the good, but the retailer only wants to listen to the good. But when something goes bad, they’ll contact us.”

Retailers also shouldn’t complain about other retailers who receive more marketing press, White said. “If you want the best price, the best price aligns with volume. If you’re not figuring out how to give that vendor more volume, you can’t expect to get the best deal,” he said. “I find that to be common with newer owners.”

White compared reps to stray cats.

“We’re only going to go where we’re being fed,” he explained. A vendor “will give their attention to the dealer

Beyond the Numbers

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17

 what’s happening who’s feeding them more.” The same concept works in-store. “If [retailers] have a store full of customers, who will they talk to first—the one who’s kicking the tires, or the one who has their wallet out?”

Conversely, White added, there are reps who do their jobs and those who don’t put in enough effort.

Worrall advised retailers to “play the hand they’re dealt.” Rather than focus on the negative, try to find what can be done to improve the situation.

Working Together to Make it Happen Every day, battles are fought with various aspects of the business including product availability, shipment issues and more, according to Worrall.

“We have to be flexible to figure out the solution,” he said.

While in Maryland, Worrall received a call from a retailer in Baltimore whose order hadn’t arrived yet. A fire at a UPS hub had destroyed the product.

“I was down seeing dealers in southern Maryland and he was in northern Maryland,” Worrall said, adding that he visited three or four retailers to find all the product needed, then took a detour to bring the product to the shop. “He had a customer who needed the car done before they went out of town for a trip,” he said. “I went out of my way to call dealers around him, picked up the

product and delivered it to him. At the end of the day, the retailer wins, the customer wins—everyone wins.”

Recently, Daley visited with the new president of Alpine and they traveled together to see six sales stops. “He took over in June or July. He said this is the best field visit he has had since he’s been president,” he said. “[He was] impressed with the quality of stops. Getting the voice of the dealer is important for growth.” Daley added, “I love what I do.”

Ventura stated that he feels the importance of the relationship between the rep and the retailer is something that isn’t talked about enough. “I think it’s [just as] important for us as dealers to show the same level of commitment back to our reps,” he explained. “I think it’s mutual. We take reps for granted and expect them to meet our requests. At the end of the day, we’re in it together.”

According to White, a rep has to create value to have value. Part of their job is to listen to the retailer—both the good and bad. The hope is that the rep can help solve a problem or connect a retailer with someone who can help them. “We know a handful of dealers that specialize in Tesla,” he said. “If we have another dealer who gets a Tesla, we can say, ‘Hey, call this guy, he specializes. He can give you five or ten minutes of his time.’ The relationship helps connect those dots. That’s a big thing that reps do. We do it a lot and it’s a positive thing.”

Mobile Toys, Inc.: Chris Pate on left, Pete Daley on right, reviewing new Focal subwoofers.

18 Mobile Electronics

March 2018

Creating Solid Goals and Executing a Plan Ventura added that he’s very happy with all the support he receives from his reps. “All the reps I dialogue with always show 110 percent support,” he said.

White stated that value can also be attained by sharing ideas, best practices and even information about employment. “Installers seem to move around a lot, so a rep becomes an important person when it comes to knowing whether any installers or salespeople are looking for a job,” he said. “We sense who’s not happy and we can share information through conversation.

Sometimes it gets delicate, but the rep gets hit with that a lot.”

Part of the rep’s job is to pitch and explain the culture of the vendor and how they operate. “Especially when there’s a problem,” he said. “If the rep can explain, it helps ease the tension. What a retailer doesn’t realize is we shield the retailer from all the bad and ugly coming from a vendor. A good rep will know more of the back doors at the vendor.”

Ventura added that reps are valuable for retailers because they help a retailer support brands. “We rely on them and they rely on us,” he said. “If we build relationships, everyone will be happy.”

Daley teaches retailers about product as well as how to sell it. “I convey the message on how they can do better and change the things they need to do,” he said. “Not to say my plan is the best. The owners shake their heads at me because they have to execute it. You follow up with them and they haven’t even started.”

It can be hard to manage tasks with a small staff, but change is a necessary part of business. “The main thing is, again, set a plan,” Daley said. “Alter, adapt and change,” as needed. He stressed the importance of structure and balance. “Just because you’re in business 30 years doesn’t mean you’re doing well. It just means you’ve survived,” he added. It’s important to have structure for inventory and service, as well as assigned duties for personnel. “That’s the hardest part. Have an open mind.

Execute a plan.”

Beyond the Numbers

Simplify.

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 retail news

WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER

Grand Re-Opening Event Promises New Beginning For Tunes-N-Tint Florida-based mobile electronics retailer Tunes-N-Tint held a grand re-opening event at the end of January to mark 10 years of serving the local community, a recent shop remodel and to reach out to customers and remind them of what the shop had to offer.

Toward the end of 2017, Tunes-NTint underwent a store remodel to better display what the shop offers, which includes window tinting, car and marine audio systems, vehicle wraps and in-dash video, among other options. The remodel also included the addition of over 20 interactive customer stations.

The re-opening event had factory reps on site to help out, while also

20 Mobile Electronics March 2018

representing mutual brands such as Kicker, Viper, Rockford Fosgate and Kenwood. According to Tunes-N-Tint, Rockford Fosgate and the team from MAG Sales brought the Rockford Fosgate SoundLab for a live, interactive demo. Mike Lee, a local radio personality, also attended and contributed by hosting a live radio feed and streaming the gathering on social media. During the radio feed, Tunes-N-Tint gave away $1,000 in gift certificates to keep traffic moving through the event.

Attendees could participate in giveaways, with many areas being wellstocked with goodies such as shirts and hats. Guests could also enjoy pizza while taking a look at the vehicles on

display, which included four-wheelers and side-by-sides, among others.

To keep things running smoothly, Tunes-N-Tint did not perform any installations at the event, and a section of the parking lot was closed off.

“Our goal of having this event was simply to invite people out,” said Joe Cassity, Tunes-N-Tint Operations Director, in a press release. “We wanted to show them all the different cool stuff we could do to their vehicle. Whether it’s a boat, car, truck, motorcycle or even [a] side by side, we had some demos on site to show off. It was really a lot of fun.”

Cassity added that he thought the goal had been achieved.

Car Audio Shop Adds Young Talent to Team For The Car Audio Shop, attracting dedicated talent to the team has been an asset, especially when one of those members is a recent addition to the 12-volt industry. Dan Castro has been working for the shop for three years as of June, noted Brandon Green of The Car Audio Shop. Castro works as the installation and store manager.

Cameron Noland, on the other hand, has been a much more recent addition to the mobile electronics industry, getting his start at the Missouri mobile electronics retailer as an installation tech. Green knew Noland personally, and due to having difficulty in managing the day-to-day, bringing the young installer on board was only natural.

“We’re training him ourselves,” Green said. “He’s pretty green as far as the cars in general and mobile electronics. He came in not knowing a whole lot of anything. We started teaching him the basics, learning wiring and stuff. He’s progressing, asking questions and he’s been really good. After six to eight months, he [started] handling remote starts on his own.”

Noland has been helping Castro around the shop, while also learning how to pull door panels off high-end cars. While Castro and Green have extensive experience with high-end exotic cars, they try to keep things higher quality without the high-end pricing.

Hot Rides Inc. Car Overhaul Attracts Other, Larger Projects For many mobile electronics retailers, the most demanding work comes from previous clients. For Hot Rides Inc., located in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a previous client, inspired by a Ford F150 build by Texas-based Starwood Motors, inquired if Hot Rides could replicate such a build. After some discussion, the client chose a Ford F350 Diesel for the project.

“We did full air suspension, wheels and tires, fender flares, bumpers, grill, remote start, full stereo system, full built-in K40 Radar Detector,” said store manager Daniel Bowman. “It was a new truck when we got it. We pulled out the black leather and put in two-tone brown and black leather. We also did a big LED lighting package on it.” This posed an issue or two—mainly with timing due to sending the truck out to a body shop

to get two-toned, and waiting for parts to come in. The client wanted the vehicle to make a statement. For how much work went into the truck, it only made sense to also install a nice-sounding stereo. This kind of in-depth job influenced the kind of work the shop took on later, as this was the first build in which Hot Rides Inc. installed Kelderman suspension. Since the Ford F350 Diesel job, the shop has installed Kelderman suspension on three other vehicles.

“These big jobs sort of paved the way for people to see that we can execute these larger complete restyling jobs, and they act as a great calling card,” Bowman noted. “They do have their downsides, as they take up a lot of hours and space, but to have something of that level out on the streets with our name on it does raise an eyebrow.” facebook.com/MobileElectronics 21

 retail news

Who’s Who

Faces in the Industry Chris Rossi

ACT Audio Celebrates 10 Years In Business With Upgraded Facility

Sometimes location really is everything.

For Vermont-based ACT Audio, the old location was too easy to miss. Paired with the need for more space and celebrating its tenth year in business, it was time to upgrade to a new facility.

When ACT Audio took over Pirate Radio in 2008 and James Smith joined the shop as co-owner in 2011, business began to boom. The shop outgrew its available space and moved into a new facility that is roughly three times the size, noted Smith. Four cars can now fit into the bay, rather than just one.

The new location has also helped with raising shop awareness. “We’re on the same street, about a mile down—not even. We’re in an area where we can be seen much more visibly and traffic is a little slower, so people can look around a little more.”

The closest businesses include a towing company and a body shop, which naturally channel customers toward ACT Audio.

22 Mobile Electronics March 2018

Sunshades Tint & Sound Adds Fabrication Faculty and Facility To keep things moving smoothly in the business sometimes requires more than just a team that works well together— sometimes it requires facility expansion and the addition of functionality, along with continuing to add talent to the team.

For Texas-based Sunshades Tint & Sound, this meant the addition of a fabrication studio, the recruitment of a new fabricator and refocusing what the shop offered.

With 5,000 square feet of space, 1,500 of which is devoted to a showroom, streamlining operations remained imperative.

The addition of the fabrication studio helped with the flow of the shop, noted Robert Gonzales, the self-proclaimed “Man Next to the Man.” “We had all these tools already, but we didn’t have them in a way where we could use them efficiently.”

Sunshades Tint & Sound also recruited Michael Sanchez as a new fabricator, Gonzales noted.

All of this together has been part of a shop-wide move to refocus on diversifying what is offered, or risk being left behind in the business world.

Tunes-N-Tint Lakeland, Florida Years of industry experience: 2 Hobbies: Gym, working on cars, basketball, video Games What You’re Best At: Well-rounded in all areas of installation. Specialize in suspension lifts and fabrication.

Greg Boyla Specialty Marketing Mechanicsville, Virginia Years of industry experience: 25 Hobbies: Poker, Bowling, Golf What You’re Best At: Helping others find the right solution for the right products.

Tomas Keenan Top Class Installations Hicksville, New York Years of industry experience: 21 Hobbies: Anything that gets me outdoors What You’re Best At: providing professional installation services

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real world RETAIL

The Bigger

Team

Charles Brazil started First Coast Auto Creations in Jacksonville, Fla. with help from his friends, and has since expanded his support system by leveraging social media and industry friendships for a steady stream of advice and encouragement.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

24  Mobile Electronics March 2018

The Bigger Team

“Ever since high school, it’s always been something that interested me from the beginning. I didn’t know it would be something I would pursue to this extent.

T

hough Charles Brazil was born in San Diego, he grew up in Florida. While in high school, Brazil and a buddy began installing radios and building systems when they were supposed to be in class. Later, his friend became an install manager at Best Buy. “When he came into that position, he heard about a tech training position and he said, ‘Why don’t you come over here and do this program? It would be a good way to get you in,’” Brazil said. “I interviewed and they told me I wasn’t qualified. They wanted to put me somewhere else in the store.”

His friend called him up after the interview and asked how it went.

“I said I didn’t think I could do it.

They asked me all these questions and I said I had not professionally installed, so I didn’t know the answers.” But the interview was for a tech training position, so Brazil’s friend made some calls and talked to them about it. He got the job after all.

“This was 2002,” he said. “Ever since high school, it’s always been something that interested me from the beginning. I didn’t know it would be something I would pursue to this extent. facebook.com/MobileElectronics 25

real world RETAIL FAST FACTS FIRST COAST AUTO CREATIONS www.firstcoastautocreations.com Location: Jacksonville, Fla. Number of Stores: 1 Address: 7949 Atlantic Blvd, Suite 201, Jacksonville, Fla. 32211

Facility Square Footage: 3,500 Store Type: Boutique Number of Employees: 3 50 yards from the main road 10 to 20 cars drive by per day 1 to three people walk by

KEY STAFF Owner / Sales / Technician / Fabricator: Charles Brazil Technician: Jarrod Bruden

MAIN FOCUS Car audio/Custom fabrication – 60% Automotive Upholstery – 20% Interlock – 20% Every Dollar Re-Invested When he was in high school, Brazil worked at an arcade as the attendant.

After a while, he became a manager and was trained on repairing arcade games. “I didn’t think it would end,” he said, adding that he started working there in his junior or senior year.

“I went straight from that into the tech training program [at Best Buy].”

The program trained anyone who wanted to be an installer. Students shadowed a lead installer in the bay and went over various processes.

“You watched them install and [then you] did the same. You took a test, they signed off on it, and you were good to go,” Brazil explained. Those in the tech training program would learn how to install speakers, amplifiers and more. Students had to

26 Mobile Electronics March 2018

demonstrate knowledge in order to earn their MECP, which was how the program was completed. “To be in the bay, you had to be certified,” he added. “Unless you were shadowing someone or you were being certified, you couldn’t do it.”

Eventually, Brazil opened First Coast Auto Creations with a buddy who later left the company. “We ponied up the money and threw down a deposit for our first and last month’s rent, but we did not have a single dime saved up,” he recalled. “We needed to find a decent location … that wasn’t like some shade-tree operation. We had a decent workspace, but we didn’t have anything other than the tools we already had. No compressor, no router or any of that stuff. We started really rough.”

One by one, the shop outfitted the bay with tools. “The first job, we bought a compressor,” Brazil said. “We didn’t have a table saw or anything. I already had clients who wanted work done, it was just a matter of how we could get it rolling. Every dime we made, we put into buying tools for the shop.”

Brazil wasn’t worried about getting the work done, though. “We did a full system in a BMW, and it was a processor, amp and sub setup— nothing crazy, it just made things not as easy because we didn’t have all the luxury we are accustomed to as fabricators. In that regard, it was difficult.” But, he said, as long as you have the knowledge, anything can be done. The key is to be creative in your thinking. “What can you use to get that end result?”

The Bigger Team

Building an Information Network Inspiration can take many different turns, but for Brazil, it focused mainly on sound. While working on cars and upgrading the audio was certainly a part of everything he’d gotten into during high school, what he found most interesting was what his friends enjoyed, too—who had the loudest system, he said. “Making a bunch of noise! That desire to make the most noise led me into the love for it.”

At first, opening a business wasn’t the first thing on his mind. “I was more fascinated with wanting to perfect the craft of fabrication and installation more than I wanted to have my own business,” Brazil said. “There’s a lot of responsibility that’s on your plate.

The people who are working for you don’t really see that.” His career never

focused on opening a business in the first place. That came later. But the seed that started him down the path was the realization that he could make a difference.

“It came down to this: I see there is an opportunity for me to open a business and fulfill a need that I am not seeing done in this area,” Brazil explained. “If these guys can do it, I gotta be able to do it.” He added that he knows his customer service is good because he does not try to sell product simply to sell it. “I operate on: How can I help this person fulfill this need or what they are trying to achieve?”

First Coast Auto Creations does not have a lot of product sitting around. The business does not utilize many displays. Brazil asks himself what he finds value in—what is most

important and helpful to him—and he feels this is how he knows it could therefore help his clients. “If you come in for better sound, or you want a backup camera because you have blinds spots,” Brazil said, “how can I help you achieve [that]? You make a sale, you make a friend.”

The business’s clientele is mostly male between the ages of 25 and 55.

“We work on a wide variety of vehicles,” he added. “Everything from old to new, basic to high-end systems. We also do automotive upholstery and convertible tops.”

The business opened in March of 2015, and Brazil continues to reach out to friends within the industry for feedback, advice and support.

“The people I talk to are a close-knit circle,” he said, mentioning Carlos facebook.com/MobileElectronics 27

real world RETAIL

“Every dime we made, we put into buying tools for the shop.”

28 Mobile Electronics March 2018

The Bigger Team

facebook.com/MobileElectronics   29

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Ramirez, Micah Williams, Erick Markland and David Phillips. “There are a bunch of people I talk to on a daily basis. If I’m down that day, things don’t seem like they’re going the right way, they give me some relatable experiences they had which they worked through.”

The industry as a whole provides a good support system, he said. “In 2008, Facebook was nothing. If you wanted to see stuff people were building, you had to open a magazine. Now, the amount of access that you have to people and those who are willing to help you is way different.” Business owners and professionals are able to connect and assist each other in ways they never could previously.

30 Mobile Electronics March 2018

ROI-Mindful Marketing In Jacksonville, Fla. the market is fairly saturated, according to Brazil, who says there are several other shops within a five- to six-mile radius. Most of their business focuses on car audio and fabrication. Despite the fact that the St. John’s River is so close by, First Coast Auto Creations doesn’t do many jobs in the marine audio sector. “That market for some reason is hard to crack into here,” Brazil said. “A lot of the marine business tends to be held by the boat and dock marinas. We get the occasional fabrication jobs on jet skis and ski boats.” When it comes to attracting more marine audio work in the future, Brazil said he is always planning, but his main focus continues to be strengthening the business’s current offerings.

Much of their marketing remains online. “We do marketing with Internet Fellas. They do a lot of social media, our website, some Instagram stuff,” Brazil said. “We also do a lot of social media on our end. We do Yelp, but we don’t do anything with Google.”

They also utilize an app that sends customers an email or text to remind them to leave a review and let others know about their experience. Because of this, the business has a lot more reviews, which are posted to whichever platform the user or client chooses. “A lot of people are busy and it’s hard to follow up with that kind of stuff. They want to do it for you, but they might not remember after they leave,” Brazil said.

“This is a way for you to get the reviews, and for them to get a reminder. Reviews

The Bigger Team

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are posted to your website, Facebook or Google.”

Sometimes when a business opens, he added, the business might offer too much for free or utilize marketing in the wrong manner—in a way that doesn’t really benefit the business. “You don’t see the return on the investment.

Choose what fits best with your business. Did it really benefit you?” Brazil said. “Did it benefit you in that relationship with that person—yes. Did it benefit your business? Maybe not. What did you get back from that?”

It’s best for an owner to pick and choose carefully what’s best for his or her business. “I worked at other companies where we did radio advertisements and newspaper [ads],” Brazil said. “I don’t know what we really got back.

Other than, ‘Hey, I heard you on the

32 Mobile Electronics March 2018

radio at five in the morning.’ It’s like, okay, great. But it’s someone you already dealt with.”

Currently, the business is much too overwhelmed with work to take part in any local car shows. However, Brazil is looking into sound quality shows and hoping to bring audio awareness back into the Jacksonville area. “There’s not [many] sound quality events up here,” he said, “so I am trying to speak with the guy who runs them out of Orlando and bring a show up here and maybe bring people from South Georgia.”

Brazil hopes to eventually hold an event at his shop’s location. “It’s a good way to bring people in.” As for timing, he hopes to hold the event in September.

Cars will be on display and the public will be invited. Free food and drinks will be provided. “We’ll try to raffle and

partner with AAMP Global. They are a huge support to us. We’ll try to make it a memorable experience.”

Time Management Means Regular Hours The team at the shop is small—a total of three people—but things are good right now. It’s all about chemistry for Brazil, who wants to make sure an employee really fits the culture and environment he’s trying to create within the shop prior to hiring. “For me, it’s more about the chemistry of the person. I’ll set up an interview, show them around, see if their energy will fit,” he said. “Does this person feel like a good fit for the environment? I would rather go with someone I can teach, who has more heart than hands. I try to look at someone who might not have all the answers,

The Bigger Team or the experience—which you can never have all the experience—but he’s willing to learn and has a passion for the industry. Is he teachable, trainable?”

Currently, the shop has an installer who is fairly new to installing and someone who handles all the upholstery who’s been doing it for a while, according to Brazil. When it comes to hiring, the shop has its own procedure. Especially if they’re new to the industry, “we have to watch them. We never turn them loose on cars on their own. It’s hard to find any really good technicians that are just diamonds in the rough right now.

That’s the one downside to it.”

There are few instances, Brazil said, in which “I find someone who is what I am looking for, a great fit, I can just throw some keys [at him] and say, ‘Here, go make money.’ That’s something that is always in the back of my head—what’s the next move as far as employees.”

New staff always shadow a technician for 60 days and take time to learn about the company’s Standard Operating Procedure, or what Brazil refers to as the culture of the business. Once a month, the shop has a sales training for new products and categories that they

are introducing. “We often host other fabricators and techs. We also attend industry trainings across the country,” Brazil said.

The average staff tenure is one year, and employees are offered incentives that provide encouragement. This includes lunch. Employees also get paid days off, and Brazil will work with them when they have situations or personal needs that must be handled. “Right now, the guys are salary for the most part,” he said. “There are bonus incentives on completion of larger builds as long as it’s completed in time.”

Brazil added that he doesn’t want to have to stay late or work beyond closing.

“I, myself, have worked more hours than I have ever been paid for,” he said. “I want to be home with my family, moving on from the day. My goal is to get 10 hours of work done in eight, not the other way around.”

The business handles large projects—big builds that consume a lot of time. Brazil warned that it’s dangerous to think that you can take advantage of all 24 hours in a day. “That’s a bad way to think because you are pacing yourself in that time,” he said. “Instead of

AAMP Global “I have been partnered with AAMP Global for three years. I would also like to thank Rick Booth from Ambassador Marketing.

“I have a great relationships with my reps—Mike Eckley, Kevin Glatfelter, Jeff Smith of AAMP and Rick Booth of ambassador marketing.

“They have offered me business and tech support, along with allowing us room to grow into who we are, not pushing us to buy products that do not fit our culture and clientele.

“The Phoenix Gold brand as a whole has been a top seller for us. We are definitely excited about the new Phoenix Gold DSP 8.8 and where it will go from here.

“One of our core values is to offer quality products to our clients that have form and function, but even more so, the company’s associated brands give us the ability to offer amazing warranties to our clients that help protect them and their investment in their vehicles.”

facebook.com/MobileElectronics 33

real world RETAIL

“We Saw Your Jeep!”

“We were approached with the opportunity by a local doctor’s office to do the audio in a vehicle giveaway.

“The project was a Jeep Wrangler, and people would vote for an A or B package and then a drawing would be done to see which one we would install. The initial goal was to raise public awareness of the company through giveaway. All marketing would be handled by the doctor’s office which included printed and online marketing monthly.

34 Mobile Electronics March 2018

“So, after coming up with the two packages, we then had to get the product we needed. At the time, we did a short video that was blasted on social media channels. I happened to be talking with a mentor of mine, Carlos Ramirez, about it and he said, ‘Why don’t you reach out to your AAMP rep and see if they will help you out?’ I said, ‘That’s a great idea.’

“I put a call out to Mike Eckley and he said, ‘No problem, get a list together.’ I told him which of the two packages won and he said, ‘That’s it,’ and then proceeded to offer to supply the products for both packages which include a set of Phoenix Gold speakers, amp, a subwoofer and Stinger

wiring. He sent the request up and within two days we had all of the product we needed.

“The most difficult part was finding the time to execute the install within our already busy schedule. So time was invested afterhours to assure we completed the install in our allotted time. I feel the goal was reached to raise public awareness in our market.

I still get calls about the Jeep along with people saying, ‘We saw your Jeep on the road.’

“I would have done more social media marketing on our end of the actual work being performed, but as we were tight on time, we just got down to business.”

The Bigger Team

something that might take you an hour, it takes two, because you’re like, ‘I have 24 hours.’ I don’t want to boss anyone, but as long as everyone is completing their tasks, we’re okay. We are staying on point. I don’t want to work late to play catch-up. We need to be ahead.”

Recently, First Coast completed a larger build on a Hummer that included a full build with a full interior facelift, complete sound deadening, and a color change of all the panels from tan to black. The vehicle was a gift from a father to his 16-year-old son, according to Brazil.

“We talked about it a month prior.

We had several emails and texts. He shows up and I’m like, ‘Dude, this is way too cool for a 16-year-old,” Brazil said, laughing. “I was driving my mom’s GMC Safari as a kid. We didn’t

get a chance to see the end of it. The kid had a party, the dad left and said he was going to get the cake and gave him the keys.”

“It was pretty cool to be part of that,” he added. “To work on such a large build. [The vehicle had a] full Phoenix Gold system, three subs, custom enclosure, custom seats, custom headliner, new Phoenix Gold amps and new door speakers.”

The chance to complete such a build—and to make a client and their family happy—is a rewarding experience that creates a positive impact both inside the shop and beyond.

To continue to grow and evolve, Brazil does his best to look at things as openly as possible. “How can I apply this where I am?” he said, thinking of the market and various

strategies for improving business. “I may not be able to fully apply it, but there’s always something you can take from somewhere else and make it your own. Focus on your clientele.”

For him, the hardest thing to accept can be falling short of an expectation. “When we do an install and we know it’ll push it, I’m that guy who’s going to do everything [I can]. So, [defeat] is a rough pill for me to swallow.”

However, there’s always something new to learn in every experience. “We’ve got to learn,” he continued. “What can we actually do in this amount of time?” In a high-pressure situation, stress can be difficult to handle, but efficient time management is the key to getting the job done. facebook.com/MobileElectronics 35

 The Support Team

Show And Tell Seth Halstead uses a “green screen” background to create training videos that showcase new products or explain features.

A strong combination of how-to YouTube videos, top-notch cross-country trainings, and a committed call center keep KENWOOD’s dealers and customers in the know WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER

You won’t find Seth Halstead, Regional Training Manager for KENWOOD, in one place very long. He is not typically sitting at his desk answering calls and you won’t find him looking into a computer screen.

Most of the time he is on the go visiting dealers and training the KENWOOD sales rep force. His mission is

36 Mobile Electronics March 2018

simple: to make these folks the go-to guys if dealers have any questions, problems, or challenges.

“I am at the forefront of tech support and service by providing information upfront,” he said. “Then I am available for escalated, advanced issues that come about in the field.

Above all, my goal is to provide as much possible information upfront to prevent issues so people don’t

even need tech support. Obviously that will never be 100 percent, but it is the goal.”

Halstead said together their task is essentially to head off problems or issues before they ever reach a call center by making sure dealers and sales reps across the country are as knowledgeable, confident, and prepared as possible.

“We cover all 50 states as well as

Christina Crespo, senior vice president of operations for KENWOOD customer support partner NexGen, saud her center receives over 5,000 end user calls per month.

Puerto Rico,” said Halstead. “We have a base of KENWOOD regional sales managers and sales rep firms. At multiple times during the year, we train the reps on all the up-to-date information with our goal to make sure they are the first place all of the dealers can go to if they need assistance. “ Dealers can purchase KENWOOD products either from a distributor or from KENWOOD directly. “We go out to train distributors on the products and give them as much knowledge as possible,” said Halstead. “They are directly fielding calls from any of the dealers who might have issues—maybe it’s an installer who needs help with something. They can also refer calls to our customer care center or they may refer them to me if it is an escalated issue.”

The same procedure is in place for the KENWOOD sales reps across the country. “All of these sales reps are being educated and trained to be the experts,” said Halstead. “The more that dealers can rely on our reps as the experts, the more respect these reps earn and deserve. Our sales reps let their retailers know to call them first—the reps are the first level for

our dealers because they are highly trained and we provide them with a lot of tools to solve any issues.”

Halstead said he most recently created a training presentation that reps can use when they go out in the field.

It can also be used to train dealers that Halstead may not personally be

KENWOOD USA

Home Page & Social Media Links: KENWOOD USA HOME PAGE http://www.kenwood.com/usa/car YOUTUBE HOME PAGE: https://www.youtube.com/user/ KENWOOD FACEBOOK PAGE https://www.facebook.com/ KENWOOD INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ explore/tags/KENWOODUSA KENWOOD TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KENWOODUSA

able to get out to train himself.

“For trainings we offer webinars to our dealers and in-person trainings, regional events, and our involvement with programs like Knowledgefest,” he added.

YouTube, Multimedia are a Large Part of Training Program While exceptional prep, trainings, and in-person visits all up add to a strong tech support system, it is not lost on Halstead that times are changing. He has noticed over the last few years how critical timely content can be to everyone involved in the process. What’s more, content has come to mean much more than information on a web site.

“About two years ago we started creating these YouTube videos and it really started to take off,” Halstead said. “We recognized that people were going and seeking out this kind of information. Some folks were just happening upon it. Either way, we realized it was something we could be promoting during trainings. A sales rep can easily refer an installer to a video.

It might happen, for example, because someone says ‘I don’t know how to facebook.com/MobileElectronics 37

 The Support Team

Errol Hodgson (left) and his team oversee NexGen’s support staff and serve as liaison with product information and technical updates.

set up this dashboard camera that you guys just came out with—I just don’t get it.’ What we’re finding is that with video content, not only can an installer or salesperson watch it, they can watch it multiple times and they can do it on their schedule--any time of day, any day of the week. They can pause it, rewind it, and fast forward it.

The benefits of that far outweigh what can be done in person. There are cases where someone at a training might feel awkward or intimidated to ask a question so this is where video is incredibly helpful.”

With the success of its videos as demonstrated by the increasing views, Halstead said more of them are being created this year. Each video will focus on a specific product.

“We recently came out with a new technology partnering with K40 and iDatalink so we collaborated on a video that shows how all of these products work together,” he said. “It was a video based not only on what the products are, but what you need to do for installation—like where the connections are. It shows how the

38 Mobile Electronics March 2018

product actually works so a dealer can easily describe it to a customer. Even better, the customer can watch the video and be able to make an intelligent purchase decision. The video is solving multiple different aspects for us in terms of tech support.”

Not only does KENWOOD have its YouTube channel, but the videos are also posted to the vendor’s Facebook page and when it makes sense a link is posted on Instagram or Twitter.

“On Facebook, when we posted the link to this K40 and iDatalink announcement, we actually saw that within the first 24 hours we received the most hits we have ever received on a video,” said Halstead. “We got over 10,000 views. For us to acknowledge that we can now reach an audience of 10,000 people in 24 hours, by delivering this type of content, we have really seen that things have changed. It has confirmed for us that we need to change the way we build out our content. We have had much more of a focus on that.”

With video becoming an even more important training tool, Halstead said another current endeavor is

creating an internal video-based portal system that will provide short training videos for dealers. “They can learn about products or if they ever have an issue they can reference one of these,” he said. “We have a website for direct KENWOOD dealers that allows them to go in and access this information.” The site is still in progress, but Halstead said he expects it to be up and ready by the beginning of April.

Solutions and Feedback Another key part of the tech support revolves around the customer call center. Working in conjunction with Halstead is Errol Hodgson who has been part of the JVCKENWOOD call center since 2003. The 800 number receives calls for all JVC and KENWOOD products.

Three years ago, JVCKenwood decided to outsource its customer service portion of the business to NexGen Agency in Deerfield Beach, Fla. It has allowed the manufacturer to focus on what it does best--building the best products it can, but it also

“What we’re finding is that with video content, not only can an installer or salesperson watch it, they can watch it multiple times and they can do it on their schedule--any time of day, any day of the week.”

Phil Garcia, Senior Technical Support Service Manager, JVCKENWOOD USA Corporation. His primary duties are to insure that all consumer products are meeting the printed specifications by the manufacturer. Reports of any quality issues from the field are investigated by tech-support and verified. Any issues that require hardware or software improvements are reported to Japan and internal R&D divisions.

allows the company to maintain its all-important customer care.

Hodgson serves as Customer Support Manager overseeing the NexGen Agency based in Deerfield Beach, Fla. There are 25 people on the team with Christina Crespo serving as senior vice president of operations. The center receives about 5,000 inbound calls a month and 1,500 emails, according to Crespo.

“We have universal agents here and it is all skill-based routing,” Crespo said. “We currently use a platform called Bright Pattern and within that we are able to prioritize certain skills based on our agents’ strength and weaknesses.”

The agency handles 100 percent of KENWOOD’s inbound and outbound email for Level 1 and Level 2, said Hodgson. “Level 1 is inbound customer service manual related items—our callers are not really reviewing the manuals so these calls are typically related to hookup and operation support,” he said.

“Level 2 is more isolated cases, irate callers, things pertaining to firmware or product enhancement, or any direct

communication with engineering. Level 3 support is based out of the corporate office and that involves isolated cases or direct involvement with engineers.”

As for Hodgson’s responsibilities, these include communicating product enhancements, firmware updates, and sharing news from JVCKENWOOD’s marketing and engineering teams to the NexGen Agency team.

Hodgson also handles high escalation customer issues involving legal or personal injury matters. Through his and the agency’s efforts, he said, there have been less product returns and increased customer satisfaction.

A typical day for Hodgson starts with checking emails and then getting online to hunt for any negative remarks or product reviews. “My team will go to places like Crutchfield.com to see what questions customers are asking about products,” he said. “We also look at social media including our Facebook page. With our calls we are always trying to detect if there are any common denominators.”

Aside from addressing concerns and resolving issues, Hodgson said the customer calls provide a wealth of information that can then be routed back to the appropriate teams. “We get great feedback from our customer calls,” he said. “Then we can give that feedback to engineering—if you put this in the box, it will sell faster or if you redesign it in this color it might move faster. It is small little things like that—what we include in a manual--that can help improve sales.”

Three years ago, the Advanced Knowledge Base System (AKBS) was developed which Hodgson said was done completely from scratch. “It is a cloud-based web site that houses all

the questions that get asked and it’s where the faqs are posted,” he said.

“This is not for public view. It also includes brochures, service manuals, pictures, issues, firmware--everything you might need to know about a product.” Hodgson updates the system daily.

Another invaluable tool for tech support are white papers which are accessible and encouraged for use. Hodgson and his staff rely on them as well as the dealers.

Anytime there is an issue that we have seen come up repeatedly or if there is something that is difficult to understand, or not easily identified in the owner’s manual, we will create a white paper,” Halstead said. “It allows a dealer to go in and get an understanding--it shows pictures and step-by-steps as how to resolve common problems and issues.

Our dealers can access these but we also email them out to the sales rep force.”

For now, videos are huge focus for this year. The project is no small undertaking. Videos that Halstead has overseen (filmed, edited, and uploaded) on YouTube are divided by year and then are classified by style. “For example, in 2017, I had 39 product information videos,” he said. “This year, so far, we have 8 videos. We could produce a higher quantity of videos, but it is more important that we are focused on the quality. We have found that the videos with better content and that look better-- like the one where we collaborated with K40 and iDatalink--tend to get more shares and more views.

Just creating a basic video that doesn’t look professional doesn’t work and it won’t get as many views. The videos are proving successful so this is the direction we are going in for KENWOOD.” facebook.com/MobileElectronics 39

ďƒŽ strategy & tactics

HR for Small Business

Learning strategies for management is one of the toughest parts of owning a business. Cultivating a positive business culture is essential for growth.

Retailers and experts discuss focus points for improving culture in the workplace.

40  Mobile Electronics March 2018

HR FOR SMALL BUSINESS together but she handles payroll, time off, and personal issues we have with employees.”

Brian Layton, vice president of Sound FX in Lewes, Del. defined HR as “tasked with adding value to the strategic utilization of employees and ensuring that employee programs are impacting the business in positive and measurable ways.” The focus of HR should be building a positive business culture and maintaining that culture over time.

Listen and Provide Support

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

Human resources is addressed differently in every company. Joe Cassity of Tunes-N-Tint in Lakeland, Fla. specified topics such as payroll, benefits, time off requests, inter-office conflicts, hiring, firing and disciplinary action.

Mobile Solutions in Tempe, Ariz. is a small team, managed by Bryan Schmitt, president, and his wife, Michele, who is the CFO of the company. “Michele handles most of the logistics,” Schmitt said. “We do it

Effective communication can be taken for granted if teammates have known each other for some time.

After working with the same team for a while, it can become easy to make assumptions, according to Cassity.

“Sometimes it’s still helpful to spell things out clearly,” he said. “Being more clear in task assignments, workloads or activities in general is something that even I personally benefit from, not just our team.”

The important thing, Schmitt said, is to listen closely. “I’ve read a few books on being a good manager and they all tell you that no one is born a great manager. It takes practice, and you get better as time goes on. No one is just excellent right out of the gate.

Every situation is different. Be flexible with employees, but don’t let them run the company for you.”

Schmitt recommends The E-Myth, which is part of a series of books by Michael E. Gerber, and Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins.

Cassity advises staying positive with the team. “Nomenclature, no matter how trivial, is important and helps set that positive environment and mindset,” he said, adding that team members aren’t “employees, workers, subordinates or even associates. A lot of people view those as negative right out of the gate. Instead, in all verbal communication, written both internally and client-facing, we refer to our staff as team members.”

This includes everyone who works for Tunes-N-Tint, Cassity added. “It also sets the stage right away. We must move, act and operate as team members and teammates, not as independent contractors.” Using such terms makes it clear from the beginning the kind of culture the business is attempting to create and nurture.

Meet the Needs of Employees At Mobile Solutions, employees are provided vacation and sick time.

After one year, they are given five days of paid vacation. “After three years, they get two weeks,” Schmitt said. “We encourage them to take time off, and I think that’s important.”

Sound FX endeavors to maintain positive morale, which “is a core focus of our HR department,” Layton said. “During the middle of last year, Sound FX implemented our Golden Rule, centered on how employees treat one another. The Golden Rule arose out of necessity and has been instrumental in reinforcing our aim for a positive culture.”

The Golden Rule, as defined by Sound FX, is a document that outlines how employees are expected to behave and treat one another. The document also outlines the company’s disciplinary procedure should an employee violate company rules.

“Sound FX seeks to always add value to our employees through our HR initiatives,” Layton said. “With our open-door policy, we invite all employees to discuss any issues or concerns at their earliest convenience. Direct and immediate HR access has proven to be a win-win for all parties involved.”

Cassity also advocates the opendoor policy. “As we are a smaller team, the role of HR and all the jobs entailed fall onto my shoulders. I have a very open-door policy,” he said. “I’m always available for help or guidance, both professionally and personally.

Being more engaged in the problems our individual team members have helps to curb or warn of potential pitfalls and problems in advance.” facebook.com/MobileElectronics 41

 strategy & tactics

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Stephen Bivens, owner of Hot Rides—a business with one location in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey— has been in the industry since 1986.

“Every person I [have] hired has a specific set of needs I try to meet,” he said.

“You have to figure out how to customize their job so they are happier.

Mold the job to their life. They are not going to mold their life to your job.”

Empower Employees Mobile Solutions endeavors to empower employees within their positions, according to Bryan and Michele Schmitt. “We define what the position is, and all the tasks that go along with it and we let them have some flexibility and creativity within that,” Schmitt said.

“They’re held accountable to their own goals and what we’ve defined for them.”

Bryan Schmitt receives a report each day on how things are going, but he refrains from micro-managing. “This helps build that culture because they have a lot of ownership in their position. They do care and that’s super important,” he explained. “We have team meetings. We call it a huddle.” At the huddle, they discuss what’s going

on, as well as any problems. “Everyone has specific goals, and they’re held accountable by themselves and their team members.”

For Bivens, payroll and keeping his employees happy is his number one expense. Hot Rides has paid for trips, training and paid leave. The company attends trade shows together and hosts company dinners. “We do extensive Christmas bonuses, and bonuses throughout the year based on performance,” he said.

He added that he’s also a big believer in listening to the ideas of others. “Any time someone comes to me with a great idea, they are rewarded financially,” Bivens said, underscoring the fact that anyone who is on the team should have a voice in the company. “You have to listen to them.”

Encourage Autonomy Part of encouraging the team to be creative is building an environment that team members can feel proud to be involved in. “Build a community,” Schmitt said. “If you’re building a good culture, you will attract new talent.

They will want to be part of your team.

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 strategy & tactics Everyone wants to be part of the winning team. Even if you don’t pay as much as someone down the street, if you have a better culture, you’ll attract them and keep them longer.”

Schmitt said his facility is clean and organized with a dedicated lunch room. “Everyone has a locker. They can feel it’s part of their home as well,” he added. “They take pride in it and it helps build that culture.” Conversely, a messy workplace makes it difficult to build a positive culture. “When they leave and you have high turnover, it costs so much money to train someone. It’s very costly,” he added.

“To not have the culture is detrimental to your business, because you’re always trying to replace someone.”

Cassity said that it’s as simple as caring about your employees. “If you care about them, everything else is natural,” he said. “A team that knows the owner or management truly cares about their needs—in and outside of work—will care about the needs of the business as well. Keep your team engaged. Talk to them on a regular basis, not just about the job. Remind them you care. Not just about the work they do, but about them.”

Have Fun at Work Mobile Solutions is always ready to celebrate. “Any birthdays, we bring in cake,” Schmitt said. “[For an] anniversary, they get recognized. We have some type of cake or we buy lunch. We try to make it fun. We want the chemistry to be there.”

Schmitt said a lot of their time is spent managing people—just as much time as they spend managing the business itself. “Their problems are our problems,” he said. “If their home life is bad, it will affect what goes on at work. It’s constantly changing, ongoing, but we try to make it as nice and fun as we can.”

Cassity agreed that it’s important to make the work environment fun. “I’ve seen many business owners feel as though they are doing someone a favor by employing them, but I’ve also seen just as many associates think they are

44 Mobile Electronics March 2018

HR FOR SMALL BUSINESS doing their employers a favor by being there,” he added. “If you feel as though the relationship is one sided, in your favor or theirs, it probably is and it isn’t a healthy relationship.”

If the job is only a means to an end, “that doesn’t lead to happiness,” Cassity added. “Being happy when you show up to work every day is incredibly important for retention.”

These focus points add up to a healthy system of human resources within the workplace. However, if an unhealthy situation continues, it may be hard to decide what to do next.

Take Steps to Remedy a Difficult Situation Sometimes a workplace environment can become toxic. “I think it depends on who’s making it that way,” Schmitt said. “If we do have a bad apple, to use that scenario, that can spoil the whole bushel. We would try to talk to them and turn it around.

If we can’t make the correction, they might need to go pursue other things.”

Schmitt advised thinking of it in these terms: “Everyone has the opportunity to play ball, [but] maybe not on our team,” he said. “We want the best players.” Pinpoint the problem, apply strategies and find a solution.

Cassity reminded owners and managers that it’s one step at a time. “You must turn the ship [around] one step at a time, one customer at a time, one team member at a time. You can’t turn it around right away, but a bunch of gentle nudges in the right direction over time will create a more positive environment,” he said.

Another essential step, he added, is to change the language used in the business immediately—without any delay.

“Ban negative words,” he said. “And if need be, replace individuals who cause conflicts or can’t play well together.

Never be hostage to someone’s ‘skills’ and allow them to have a poor attitude.

Skills can be trained and taught, but often, a person’s mindset can’t.” Despite this, he said, “Give them the opportunity to try.”

Refusing them a chance to turn things around, Cassity said, is “having a negative outlook yourself. Give them the opportunity to grow. If they can’t, part ways quickly. Negativity is like a poison that spreads quickly,” and we also need to be willing to recognize it in ourselves.

“If you’re the problem,” he added, “hire your own replacement now. No shame in that, even as an owner.”

Things are great now, but in the past, Schmitt said they’ve had difficulties.

“The older I get, [the more] I try to listen and think about it for 24 hours and get all the facts and all the information,” Schmitt said. “I’ll talk to everyone individually and not just one person.

Then I build a strategy and we have a meeting and a discussion. How are we going to fix this—and how will we be better than yesterday?”

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 tech today

Every Seat Is the Best Seat In This Cadillac Sport Wagon audio system upgrade retains factory upmixer for best of both worlds.

WORDS BY DAVE EVANS, FOREWORD BY JOEY KNAPP

46 Mobile Electronics March 2018

Every seat is the best seat in this cadillac 2013 Cadillac CTS-V in front of Adrenaline Autosound

I hope everyone enjoyed reading about the start of my new shop remodeling. The article for this month was supposed to look at the woodshop in detail. As some of you know, I still fly back to California to work at Simplicity in Sound every now and then. Before I was able to finish my woodshop, I had the opportunity to fly out and work on some interesting projects. It also looks like after a short layover at home I will be heading back out. So, currently, the woodshop is functional but not finished. I don’t want to reveal it until everything is ready. Sometimes life and opportunities happen, and we have to capitalize on them!

My job with 1sixty8 media centers around publishing articles and pages on client websites. It is always fun when I get to work on a build post for one of our clients. I enjoy getting to see and read about work others are doing. One shop I particularly like to see work from is Adrenaline Autosound. Dave and Brandon consistently produce some of the best work I have ever seen. They have great attention to detail, and it shows in every aspect of their work. So everyone else could see some of what I enjoy from them, I asked Dave to write an article for our Tech Today section.

As soon as I am home long enough to finish my woodshop, we will revisit its completion.

Take It Away, Dave…

Hello, everyone. I’m Dave Evans, owner Adrenaline Autosound, which is just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.

This article is a bit different than what is normally featured in the Tech Today section of the magazine. It doesn’t go into the deep details of a highly technical topic, nor does it teach you how to perform a super-secret specialized fabrication technique. At a glance, it likely appears to be an article discussing a rather plain-Jane install. To an extent that’s correct, as there aren’t any fancy custom trim panels or edge-lit acrylic in this vehicle. I believe that a relevant concern within our industry right now is properly integrating audio upgrades into vehicles that include an upmixer in the factory audio system. We’re seeing an increasing number of upmixers in factory audio systems as time goes on and, unfortunately, there can be some

seriously detrimental consequences to not integrating properly into these applications. In the November and December issues, Andy Wehmeyer and David MacKinnon did a phenomenal job with the two-part article they wrote about upmixers. It’s filled with valuable information that I urge everyone to be fluent with because it can truly mean the difference between a successful outcome in your client’s vehicle, and the kind of outcome that none of us want to encounter. It also provides a solid foundation that will clarify many of the technical details of this article. I thought that it may be helpful to walk through a practical application pertaining to integrating into an upmixed factory audio system. All the design and integration work discussed here was performed by my right-hand-man, Brandon Douglas, and myself, on premises at Adrenaline Autosound.

The Interview Our client came to us in search of dramatically improved audio reproduction in his 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon. This consultation started off the same way as every one of our consultations. We asked a lot of questions.

We employ a philosophy that embraces developing a deep understanding of each client’s unique situation. It’s our belief that no degree of tuning, fabrication, or integration prowess can make up for improperly understanding a client’s needs, desires and goals for an audio system. We try our best to develop an understanding of where on the spectrum of technical understanding our client resides. This is quite helpful, as it aids in determining how to frame up questions and explanations, allowing us to better gauge what terminology and concepts are most appropriate for the conversation. In this case it proved to be helpful facebook.com/MobileElectronics 47

 tech today to provide the client with some guidance while sitting in the vehicle with him playing music that was familiar to him.

This process revealed many relevant components of what he liked about the factory audio system, as well as the deficiencies that we needed to correct.

Fundamentally, he was happy with the staging, imaging and general placement of sound in the vehicle. This was no surprise to me, as the factory Bose Centerpoint audio system utilizes an upmixer to provide a realistic soundstage with a great center image from either front seat. He also was very pleased with the overall functionality of the factory audio system and features such as Bluetooth and rear parking sensors that operate through the factory audio system. It was important to him that the functionality of such features would not be changed.

He was not happy, however, with the overall sonic performance of the audio system, as it lacked dynamics and accurate sound quality. The sub bass wasn’t deep or accurate sounding, and it didn’t

get loud enough to truly enjoy. Our client obviously desired serious enhancement of the factory system, and the only sensible way to accomplish this was to fully integrate into the factory system without defeating a single feature, especially the upmixed multi-channel audio system architecture. During this initial consultation we also determined that our client not only wanted deep, articulate sub-bass, but wanted it to be abundant.

He also needed for all the aftermarket

equipment to be able to integrate into the vehicle without reducing any of the cargo space, nor drawing major attention to it. He was not interested in any aesthetic customization. Instead, he prioritized audio performance and practicality of the vehicle.

Starting Point The factory audio system consisted of a total of 10 discrete amplifier channels powering a total of 10 drivers. The front

The Mosconi D2 100.4 was mounted beneath the forwardmost section of the cargo space floor after reconfiguring the mounting of some factory modules.

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Every seat is the best seat in this cadillac doors housed 8” mid-bass/midrange drivers. There were three Bose “twiddlers” (wide-band midrange drivers) positioned in the dash: a center channel, front left and front right. The rear doors were equipped with 6.5” mid-bass/midrange drivers, while the rear “D”-pillars were equipped with “twiddlers” as well. The factory subwoofer was a very small driver in a small plastic enclosure mounted under the rear cargo floor.

The grills and trim rings of the AudioFrog GS10 tweeters were painted to match the factory grills/trim panels in the rear pillars.

The Upgrade The design for the upgraded audio system that we proposed to our client would utilize a total of 15 drivers, 13 amplifier channels, and 12 channels of DSP. Adhering to a 1:1 ratio between factory audio system channels, DSP channels, amplifier channels, and the number of drivers is relatively common when integrating into upmixed systems. This is, of course, because each discrete channel serves an important purpose, and thus isolation is necessary. In our case we did not adhere to

this ratio. We had more drivers, as well as more channels of DSP and amplifier than the factory audio system. This was because the factory “twiddlers” are being used to cover the entire spectrum of midrange as well as all the way up to the top of the frequency spectrum (as you may already know, the twiddlers do a poor job of accurately reproducing the top of the spectrum). Instead of employing such a compromise in our design, we opted to use a dedicated

midrange driver and an additional tweeter. An AudioFrog GB25 paired with a GS 10 would be sure to provide our client with smooth frequency response all the way up, which is precisely what we needed to meet our client’s objectives. This was done for the front left and right dash locations as well as the rear “D”-pillar locations, accounting for four of the additional drivers and two of the additional DSP and amplifier channels (passive

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They need the protection of The Judge by facebook.com/MobileElectronics 49

 tech today crossover networks were utilized for the rear GB25/GS10 transition, so no additional channels were needed for those).

As is often the case with many applications, managing to physically integrate all this equipment into this vehicle in a clean, serviceable and aesthetically pleasing manner, while maintaining our client’s requirement for the cargo space to remain unobstructed and fully functional, would prove to be challenging. Fortunately, there was a respectable amount of space for us to utilize below the cargo space floor in what would be the spare tire well if the CTS-V were to come with one. However, a pair of 12” subwoofers, three amplifiers, an amplifier/ DSP, a standalone DSP, and a pair of large passive crossovers were not all going to fit into that space. We mapped out the usable space and determined that we could fabricate a bracket that would allow the Mosconi 6to8 DSP to mount in a small void of space between the vehicle’s battery and the tail lamp assembly. The Mosconi D2 100.4 would be able to mount to a factory panel beneath the forward-most section of the factory cargo space floor.

This panel already had a variety of factory equipment mounted to it. We determined that we could strategically reorient two modules and create enough space to house the D2 100.4.

There was just enough of a void behind the interior trim of the left rear quarter panel to mount the passive crossovers.

This meant that we would simply need to fit a pair of 12” subs and three JL Audio XD amplifiers into the spare tire well area.

Sub System The enclosure is a simple fiberglass/ MDF hybrid design, utilizing fiberglass to maximize the use of the awkwardly shaped space that the enclosure fits into. This provided us with precisely the two cubic feet of internal volume that the AudioFrog GB12D4 subs needed. We securely bolted the enclosure to the vehicle, anchoring nutserts into what would have been the

50 Mobile Electronics March 2018

Fusing was implemented with serviceability in mind. Simply opening up the factory panel to access the battery provides access to all fuses.

An ABS bracket was fabricated in order to mount the Mosconi 6to8 DSP into this otherwise unused space.

provision for the spare tire mount. The subs are each configured to present a final 2-ohm load, allowing each of the JL Audio XD600/1v2 amplifiers to provide 600 watts RMS. The three JL Audio XD amplifiers reside just forward of the subs. The XD800/8v2 8-channel amplifier powers the front stage. One channel pair is connected to the midbass drivers in the front doors, another to the GB25 midrange drivers,

and another to the GS10 tweeters.

The final channel pair was bridged to power the center channel GB25 midrange driver.

Signal Processing The input signal for those three JL Audio XD amplifiers comes from the Mosconi 6to8 DSP, which has the perfect number of input and output channels to handle the front stage and

Every seat is the best seat in this cadillac subwoofers. We integrated into the output of the factory Bose amplifier to provide the proper input signals into the 6to8. As stated earlier, the factory audio system consists of one discrete amplifier channel per driver.

This equates to five input channels that correspond to the front doors, left and right dash, and center to round out the factory front stage and then the factory subwoofer channel provides signal to input channel six on the 6to8. The eight output channels mirror those input channels apart from the two additional output channels being used for the additional tweeters added to the dash. Of course, these tweeter channels get their input from the same input channels as the midrange drivers that they’re paired with. For the most part, factory crossover points were utilized, other than the transition between the midrange and tweeter on each side of the dash. In order to mount the 6to8 DSP in the tight location mentioned earlier, we fabricated an ABS mounting bracket for it. One side of the bracket hooks into a factory provision and then there are two other mounting points that bolt to mounting points that we created. Nutserts and stainless 8-32 hex head socket cap bolts were used to provide reliable and serviceable mounting.

The Mosconi D2 100.4 DSP/amplifier takes care of processing and powering the rear speakers. It receives input from the four discrete rear output channels from the Bose amplifier.

One pair of output channels drive the GS60 woofers in the rear doors and the other pair drive the rear pillar speaker locations that house the GB25/GS10 combination. We elected to forgo using independent channels for the rear tweeters, instead using AudioFrog passive networks. This ultimately fit this application better and with the rear channels being utilized primarily for ambience, we believe that the difference would be negligible. The benefit was being able to fit the D2 100.4 into a perfect, out of the way space under the forward portion of the cargo floor, as mentioned earlier.

With the factory floor folded up the AudioFrog subwoofers and JL Audio amplifiers are visible.

With the factory floor in place the cargo space is every bit as usable as it was before the audio system upgrade.

Speaker Upgrades When it comes to integrating the AudioFrog speakers into the factory locations, things were pretty standard.

We, of course, ran new speaker wire to each individual driver. The factory mid-bass drivers in the front doors were 8” in diameter. We fabricated adapters out of ½” HDPE to provide the AudioFrog GS60 6.5” woofer with a rigid, non-resonant, environmentally stable baffle. Each of the three dash locations that received an AudioFrog

GB25 also required that we fabricate adapters for proper mounting. These were made from ¼” HDPE. Of course, standard sound damping practice and acoustically sealing the drivers to the grille/panel covering them was adhered to with all of the drivers. The addition of the GS10 tweeters to the dash was not possible behind the original grille. We mounted them flush on the dash panel, immediately next to the midrange grille. For aesthetic consistency, we painted the GS10 grille facebook.com/MobileElectronics 51

 tech today and trim ring to match the graphite color of the dash panel. Mounting the GB25 drivers in the rear pillar locations was straightforward. Again, there was no provision to accommodate the GS10 tweeters behind the factory grille, so we flush mounted it next to the midrange grille and painted it to match the factory trim panel/grille perfectly.

All wiring was loomed to match the factory wiring and was run alongside factory wire looms and within factory wire channels.

Servicability We believe that one important attribute of a well-integrated audio system is for it to possess a high degree of serviceability. For example, things like fuses should be in logical and accessible locations, and equipment should be mounted in a manner that allows for it to be removed in a reasonable, simple way. In this application, we located power distribution and fusing for the new electronics immediately adjacent to the factory fuse panel in the rear of the vehicle, right next to the battery. If servicing the fuse for the 6to8 DSP became necessary, we wanted to ensure that it was easily accessible as well. We used epoxy to bond a small fuse holder to the factory fuse panel immediately next to a row of factory fuses to provide intuitive serviceability. Every component that we integrated into the vehicle can be removed in a simple, painless manner.

The Tune We generally find that when retaining upmixers the tuning process is actually more straightforward than tuning a traditional audio system. For the most part you don’t have to adjust time delay, nor crossovers, and just need to adjust equalization to the desired response curve. In our case, since we did add the additional tweeters up front, we did of course need to establish appropriate crossover points The AudioFrog GB25 midrange drivers were mounted in the factory locations after fabricating HDPE adapters.

52 Mobile Electronics March 2018

to transition between the midrange and tweeter. In terms of the process of tuning the equalization, we followed the same process that Andy Wehmeyer teaches, and it worked effectively and efficiently.

In fact, we have done a good number of audio systems in vehicles in which we’ve retained factory upmixers, and we follow that same tuning protocol each time and it works extremely well. As I stated in the intro, Andy Wehmeyer and David MacKinnon recently wrote an excellent two-part article all about upmixers that was featured right here in the Tech Today section of the magazine.

It’s filled with great information for anyone looking to broaden their understanding of upmixers and how best to work with them.

Brandon and I were super impressed with the results of this upgrade.

Staging and imaging was phenomenal from either front seat. The audio system reproduces music faithfully and is capable of playing downright loud, without concerns of distortion. Just as our client was looking for, the sub-bass was extremely articulate and detailed, while also being capable of playing nice and loud. When our client came in to pick up his vehicle, he told us that he couldn’t be happier and that it met all his desires perfectly.

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facebook.com/MobileElectronics 53 www.InstallerNet.com • 800-444-1644

 installs

COUTURE CONSOLE Submitted by: Brent Leavitt, Low Notes Garage, Boise, Idaho

Brent Leavitt at Low Notes Garage created a work of art with this one-off custom console. The mix of materials, textures and patterns create a feast for the eyes.

The console finds its home in a 2006 Yukon Denali XL. Contained within the console is a sealed enclosure for a single inverted Crossfire C7 10” subwoofer, a pair of SMD VM-1 voltmeters and the controller for an Alpine C800 processor. To further enhance the functionality of the console two stainless steel cup holders were added.

The console is wrapped in OEM matching grey vinyl. Accent pieces which featured routered grooves were upholstered in a lighter color grey. A combination arm rest and magnet protector was highlighted with a backlit acrylic ring. The icing on the cake for this console was the integration of OEM matching woodgrain panels.

54 Mobile Electronics March 2018

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ď&#x192;Ž installs

Bespoke Bentley

Submitted by: Dave Kosakowski, Stereo Installs, Mentor, Ohio The team at Stereo Installs, led by Dave Kosakowski, recently completed the work on this 2016 Bentley GT Speed. In keeping with the high line appeal of the car, Bryan Hutson sold the client products by Illusion Audio, Mosconi and Kicker. For the front stage, Dave and the team installed a set of Illusion Audio C6 component speakers. The speakers were installed on expanded PVC plates and sealed to the door with foam rings to maximize their performance. Rear audio duties were handled by Illusion Audio E6 components. To minimize the impact on the vehicle real estate, Mosconi D2 amplifiers were chosen for their small size. A Mosconi D2 80.6 DSP actively powers the front speakers with the two remaining channels

56â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Mobile Electronics March 2018

powering the rear components. The subwoofer output of the D2 80.6 DSP signal is sent to a Mosconi D2 500.1 mono amplifier. The output of the mono amplifier powers a single Kicker Q class L7. The subwoofer was installed in a sealed enclosure designed and built by Brandon Flint and features a slick rear trim panel stitched by Bryan Hutson and featuring a large flying B logo. To help facilitate the bass entering the cabin of the car, a center armrest grille was made. The contoured grille is also embellished with another, smaller, flying B logo. Once the vehicle was tuned, the client had fingertip control of the system via the Mosconi DSP-RC-MINI controller mounted in the center console.

facebook.com/MobileElectronics â&#x20AC;&#x201A; 57

from the President

Recognize Accomplishments Get past the problems and celebrate your achievements.

Success is rarely achieved without first failing. When

them to want to go out and accomplish more. To have the

problems arise, it is easy to spend time focusing on the

desire to be better and become a stronger, more produc-

issues. In business and in life you must simply expect that

tive member of the team. This, in turn, will cause them

there will always be failures—trials and tribulations that

to influence others to replicate their successful behavior.

happen in pursuit of your goals. Issues that can weigh

Celebrate today, knowing that you were the one who was

you down and take the energy right out of you. But that is

motivated to drive your team to a successful completion.

not all there is to business and life. There are also accom-

It may not always feel that way, but remember to cele-

plishments. Times when you meet and exceed your goals.

brate the highs and the lows, because you can’t have one

These times provide you with great reasons to celebrate

without the other if you want to remain successful in this

the success you worked so hard for, which has helped you

industry.

overcome your challenges. When you achieve a pinnacle

Let’s also look at some other ways to celebrate. As I men-

of success in anything, it is important to recognize and

tioned before, I will continue to highlight the key element

celebrate it with your team.

of celebrating yourself and those around you, looking at

Let’s talk about celebration and how to best recognize

the accomplishments the team has made in a congruent

accomplishment. Take some time to think it through

effort as a unit. Without your effort at the head of the

without recalling negatives. Celebrating success is rein-

table, your team may lack the ability to achieve the tri-

vigorating and provides the necessary motivation to

umph of success on their own. Remember, everyone on

continue with your mission, and more importantly, to

the team is a reflection of you, so don’t be shy in recogniz-

continue growing your business. It offers a pause to take

ing that your guidance helped shape your team’s beaming

a fresh look at what you’re able to accomplish with your

success. You deserve to celebrate together. Regardless of

team. It is important that you recognize your team for

how large or miniscule a role you may have played in a

their part in the business’s successes. So, let’s look at how

project, you were still part of a team that made it happen!

best to celebrate.

Keep in mind when looking at individual accomplish-

The Webster’s dictionary definition for celebration is usu-

ments that it’s imperative to provide a reward. To be a

ally the next sentence in most articles and I could simply

successful team leader, you must look at the best ways

state it. However, celebration in this context is a planned

to reward individuals and the team as a whole. Reward

recognition of a significant accomplishment. Both you

is an important part of recognition for accomplishment.

and your team spent time pouring yourselves into some-

Though part of the process may seem small to many, it

thing to achieve greatness. When you get to that pinnacle,

may be the key to letting them know their efforts are

it’s important to thank those on your team. Thank those

appreciated. This in turn provides the fuel for them to

who made significant contributions over and above what

remain positive in their role in your business. Rewards

anyone should be asked. It’s also important to thank

show appreciation, and when accepted and embraced, it

them as individuals—not just a pat on the back, “atta boy”

will provide those on your team the needed incentive to

or “atta girl,” but a true recognition of their individual

excel. Not because of the value of a reward, but because everyone wants to be recognized when they make a significant contribution to bolster the success of the business.

accomplishments.

Because that’s what really motivates people. It motivates

58 Mobile Electronics

March 2018