Mobile Electronics Magazine June 2016 by Mobile Electronics

June 2016

me-mag.com

Now, Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Here

15+Facts on False Floors

Bing Xu lays out pros, cons & build considerations

2016

Carlos Ramirez used people skills, business smarts and customer feedback to define the kind of business he wanted NVS Audio to be

Introducing the new class of premier retailers and installers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; page 28

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Volume 33// Issue 7

Ad Index

12 FEATURES 12 // News Feature: Job Satisfaction

To obtain better knowledge of how retailers feel about their work, Mobile Electronics sent out a survey to the industry regarding job satisfaction. Industry experts and retailers were asked about the results, some of which may surprise you.

28 // Top 50 Retailers And Installers

The time has arrived to unveil this year’s Mobile Electronics Top 50 lists. This year’s winners include Matt Schaeffer, Tim Baillie and Charles Brazil for installers with Musicar Northwest, Auto Trim Design and Blvd Customs of Lakeland representing retailers. Congratulations to all on the road to the Top 12!

Accele Electronics...................................... p. 2 & ®3 American Road Products ............................. p. 21 AudioControl ....................................................... p. 19 Compustar .......................................................... p. 59 DD Audio .............................................................. p. 39 Diamond Audio ................................................. p. 24 First Integrated Technologies .................... p. 24 Focal ......................................................................... p. 11 InstallerNet .......................................................... p. 41 JBL .............................................................................. p. 9 JL Audio .................................................................. p. 17 K40 ............................................................................ p. 7 Kicker ..................................................................... p. 35 KnowledgeFest ................................................ p. 27 Metra ....................................................................... p. 10 Mito ......................................................................... p. 57 Mobile Electronics ........................................... p. 53 SiriusXM ............................................................... p. 25 Sony .......................................................................... p. 5 Voxx ....................................................................... p. 60

32 // Real World Retail: NVS Audio

By combining strict policies and procedures with a fun-loving, family atmosphere, NVS Audio has transformed from focusing on selling product to selling itself and its services.

42 // Behind The Scenes: Voxx International

With products manufactured from every end of the aftermarket spectrum, Voxx is paving the way for the future, while maintaining a firm foothold in 12-volt. ME sits down with Voxx CEO Pat Lavelle for insight on the past, present and future of this tech giant.

46 // Tech Today: The Truth About False Floors, Part 1

Installation expert Joey Knapp teams up with partner Bing Xu to deliver the first of a two-part series on how to use a false floor to integrate equipment stealthily.

42 ARTICLES 18 Retail News/Who’s Who 54 Installs

On the Cover

Making a 12-volt retail store into a successful company is one thing, but doing so with a staff of two and creating a memorable brand with its own terminology is a feat worth mentioning. Such is the case with JML Audio of St. Louis, a point that Joshua Landau makes sure to reiterate in this month’s Real World Retail feature. Landau emphasizes the terms “facility” and “high quality” to show the importance not just in the focus of the shop but that branding takes place on every level of a business. COVER DESIGN: ROBIN LEBEL

4 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

DEPARTMENTS 6 Feedback 8 Editor’s Forum 10 Helpful Stuff 22 New Products 52 MECP News 58 From The President

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Experience tight, responsive bass through the MRC cone woofer and clear, dynamic sound on any budget with Sony speakers. ÂŠ2016 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. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice.

 feedback

Pathways to Growth: What Happens Next?

Steve Witt believes retailers can grow through changes, while Brandon Green sees too much diversity as a recipe for disaster. Other industry voices chime in on the best ways to grow your business. “CHANGE IS SUCCESS! Ask vendors WHY they bring THEIR product to market. The vendors that have a true purpose are always better to deal with, deliver better products, deliver better margins and inspire shops to join them in building new successful categories. Vendors that know their ‘why’ need shops that know ‘how.’ This is the new synergy in business today and is mission critical in the specialty retail channel(s).” Stephen Witt, American Road Products “One thing I have done since opening in 2012 is go at my pace, which is best for me. I think everyone has their own niche in their market that they can serve well if they want, but trying to do it all was a huge headache for a small shop in the beginning. My advice would be to set goals and a steady plan to achieve them. From someone who has been burned out on this industry more than once, it gets harder and harder to get the fire back, so pace yourself and prevent going down that path.” Brandon Green, The Car Audio Shop, St. Louis, Mo.

(brick and mortar stores) built this industry and any manufacturer that throws their hands up the air when the subject of transshipping and/ or loose internet regulation comes up, is obviously not concerned about your best interests so why we support them.” Bill Sommers, Sommer Sound Systems, Panama City, Fla. “Put more money in with one particular line to help increase your buying power. You can push yourself into other price tiers with deeper discounts.” David Phillips, The Sound Shop, Indian Trail, N.C. “Try to always understand a customer’s point of view when they are upset. Too often we get defensive and create a wall. Be open to their opinions and try to create the best experience possible. Once I adopted this there was no resistance with a client.” Warren Williams, Hi-Tech Car Audio, El Cerrito, Calif. “Don’t install inferior products in higher end vehicles or luxury vehicles. It’s a recipe for disaster.” Vic Orlando, Mobile Masters, Las Vegas, Nevada

“With social media ruling the world, treat every customer with the utmost respect and integrity. Whether it’s a $5 sale or a $5,000 sale, do your best and keep in mind that they could be a customer for life.” Darren Thomas, Audio Works, Newark, Delware

“Customers that do their research about MECP always come back to our store and become return customers. Customers start with confidence in us before we start work on their vehicle which helps them be even more excited with the final product.” Chaz Guyton, Best Buy, Roy, Utah

“We recently cancelled all of our phone book listings after downsizing over the last couple of years. Our tech-savvy future customers are not using the phone book to find us. We are using those dollars for in-store branding and direct communication with existing customers.” Neil Kostka, Rolling Audio, Roseville, Calif.

“When people return after a mechanic claims our install caused an issue we always call the mechanic to see if they even know what they are talking about. Generally, once our product knowledge and troubleshooting knowledge is shown to be superior, we find that no real work was performed dealing with our install.” Brandon E, Best Buy, Ames, Iowa

“Stay away from the manufacturers that are all over the web. We

6 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

ADVERTISING SALES Kerry Moyer 703.598.3733 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com ®

EDITORIAL Solomon Daniels 213.291.7888 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Ted Goslin 800.949.6372 ext. 466 • tedg@mobile-electronics.com Creative Layout and Design: Robin LeBel Contributing Editors: Jamie Sorcher, Laura Kemmerer and Rosa Sophia.

Published by

Chris Cook, President 978.867.6759 • chrisc@mobile-electronics.com Kerry Moyer, VP Strategic Partnerships 703.598.3733 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com Solomon Daniels, Dir. Media and Communications 213.291.7888 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Richard Basler, Dir. Technology Solutions 978.645.6449 • richb@mobile-electronics.com Karin Drake, Events Manager 978.645.6478 • karindrake@mobile-electronics.com Robin Lebel, Creative Director 978.645.6456 • robinlebel@mobile-electronics.com 1)Title of publication: Mobile Electronics. 2) Publication No.: 957-170 6. ISSN# 1523-763X 3) Date of filing: Oct. 1, 2015. 4) Frequency of issue: Monthly except FEB/MAR & APR/MAY 5) No. of issues published annually: 10. 6) Annual subscription price: $35.00. 7) Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 8) Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices of the publisher: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 9) 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 10) Owner. MERA, Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 11) Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 12) Tax Status: Not applicable. 13) Name of Publication: Mobile Electronics. 14) Issue date for circulation data below: August 2015. 6. a) Total no. copies (net press run) Average: 12,484 Single Issue; 12,826. B1) Paid/Requested mail subscriptions Average: 6834, Single Issue: 6826. B3) Paid sales through dealers, etc.; Average: 0. Single issue; c. Requested distributed by other classes of mail: Average: 531, Single issue: 520. Total paid and/or requested circulation; Average 7365. Single issue: 7346. d) Non-requested distribution by mail; Average: 4382 Single issue: 4223. Free distribution through other classes of mail: Average: 0, Single issue: 0. e) Non-requested distribution outside the mail; Average: 325. Single issue: 750. f) Total non-requested distribution; Average 4707, Single issue: 4973. g) Total distribution; Average: 12,072. Single issue: 12,319. h) Copies not distributed; h1) Office use, leftovers; Average: 412. Single Issue; 507 j) Total; Average: 12,484. Single issue; 12,826 Percent paid and/or requested circulation; Average: 61.01%. Single issue 59.63%.

editor’s FORUM Please, Take Us Back We took you for granted. We treated you like you weren’t important. But now, we know different.

hen I first started in the mobile electronics industry, vehicle security was king. Here in southern California, you were nobody if you didn’t have VSE, Martian or Clifford—or the household name, Viper—in your car. You had Excalibur or Crimestopper if you wanted multiple outputs, and Code-Alarm if you were a rebel. Retailers were making money hand over fist. Me and the boys would pull up to the car scene and right next to guys comparing subwoofers was another group comparing sensitivity of shock sensors, siren loudness or how many accessories you could operate from one remote control. Security was cool. At some point, security gained a partner. ‘Convenience’ was tacked on to represent the new features that car alarms could handle. Locking and unlocking doors. Rolling windows up and down. Lighting the way from the car to the home. And eventually, remote start. Retailers kept rolling it in. Me and the boys would stand outside the club impressing girls and making other dudes envious by starting my car from across the street. Convenience was cool, too. Then, albeit slowly and in small fashion, the duo became a trio. ‘Safety’ came on board to encompass features that focused on the driver. Cameras that aided in backing up and monitoring kids in the back seat. Sensors that told the driver how close he was to an object. And now, advanced sensors that keep a car in its lane and warn against front-end collisions. Me and the boys would … wait. There was no “scene” for safety. Safety was—and is—not cool. And up to this point, retailers are decidedly not raking it in. Because safety doesn’t have the flash of its predecessors, and because customers view it more like insurance than a driving necessity, most retailers have treated it as an accessory category rather than a mainstream profit center. “Sure we sell it,” said a retailer I talked with recently, “when people ask for it.” As a result, we have products that have continued to mature technologically—higher resolution cameras, 360-degree views, customizable sensor arrays and location-aware functionality— stuck in an aftermarket where the sales effort has simply not kept up. We let this growing, promising product category languish on our shelves or in our back rooms. We either haven’t

8 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

seen the value, or we haven’t put in the time to understand who the ideal customers are and how they should be approached. But the carmakers know. And they’ve taken over. The OEMs found a way to turn safety into sexy; how to create value with a broader reach of consumers, to the point where buyers will select a car primarily based on its safety features. They are making money hand over fist. And drivers in forums and real life are comparing intuitive functionality, multi-camera views and more. Yes, the argument can be made that we could have never accomplished the same result because we don’t have the marketing dollars that the carmakers have put into building the safety brand. But when has that ever stopped us? When we as an aftermarket industry have put our minds and passion behind a technology, it’s flourished for us in terms of market share, creativity and profitability. The good news is, we have a second chance with safety. There is very good margin in the products available to us. Another advantage is we have just about every feature you can get on a new vehicle, with almost none of the roadblocks that hinder us with adding aftermarket audio. All the pieces are there. What needs to change is us. So try this: 1. Be up front. Every showroom needs to have a safety display right up front so customers see what an important category it is to your store. Forget the brochures; make it interactive. Let walkers-in see themselves on a rear-view camera covered in parking grid lines. 2. Approach with caution in mind. When you go out to look at a customer’s car, look at a lack of a rear-view camera, dash cam or driver assistance system as an opportunity, and bring it up in your pitch. 3. Do your homework. You should know which new cars have which safety features, and therefore you’ll know where your opportunities are. 4. Spout some stats. Do some research to know what the accident statistics are in your area. Use these to show how adding safety features can prevent vehicle damage and possibly save lives. Safety presents our opportunity to regain mindshare lost to the carmakers. We all talk about how audio is declining and forcing us more into integration and installation; safety is going the opposite direction. The category will take us back; we just need to embrace it.

 helpful stuff

Books: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi At first glance, this might seem like a morbid book, but it’s actually an inspiring memoir about what it means to be alive. This 228-page book, When Breath Becomes Air, reveals a powerful look at Paul Kalanithi’s transformation when at the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, he was diagnosed with inoperable stage IV lung cancer. In one moment he went from being a doctor to a patient struggling to live. The future that he, his wife, and daughter had hoped for was never going to happen—and it was just a matter of time. Kalanithi died in March 2015 while working on the book (the manuscript was completed posthumously), yet his words are a life-affirming guide as he reflects and questions what makes life worth living in the face of death. “I began to realize that coming face to face with my own mortality, in a sense, had changed nothing and everything,” he wrote. “Seven words from Samuel Beckett began to repeat in my head: ‘I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’ ” In the book’s introduction, Dr. Veghese points out that once you finish the book, its impact will stay with you long after. He notes how Dr. Kalanithi had essentially postponed living his life while pursuing his career in neurosurgery. By the time he was ready to live his life and enjoy a world outside of the operating room, he was needing to learn how to die. Kalanithi flashes back through his experiences that brought to his current state. He was quite accomplished with two B.A.s and an M.A. in literature at Stanford, then a Master of Philosophy at Cambridge, before graduating cum laude from the Yale School of Medicine. He returned to Stanford for a residency in neurological surgery and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience. Read this gripping book for a reality check about what is important in your life and how to make the most of every day.

Services: Adt.com

Many mobile electronics retailers are in the business of selling security systems for cars, so it would seem obvious that these same business owners would have security systems for their shops. When you own or run a business, there are many things to consider to keep your operation running optimally and your inventory and interests protected. Whether it is an intrusion detection system, digital video cameras, a hold up/panic button, smart alarm system to deter thieves, or the capability to arm/ disarm your system from your smartphone, ADT offers a range of options—including smart controls to monitor your lights and thermostat-- that are worth considering. A simple call gets the ball rolling and they will give you a free quote. ADT, which has been around for 140 years, has 6.5 million customers and is the largest company of its kind in both the U.S. and Canada.

10 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

Software & apps: F.Lux (pronounced flux) Free for Android and iOS

https://justgetflux.com If you climb into bed at night with your laptop, tablet or smartphone, then you are very familiar with the eerie blue glow. During the day, it’s not a big deal since your screen is designed to be bright, but by 11 p.m., it’s actually a detriment, causes eye strain, and can be one of the reasons it’s hard to fall asleep. The F.Lux app controls the color temperature on your screen and adapts it to coincide with what time of day it is. It will be warmer at night and brighter during the day which makes total sense. Just tell the app what kind of lighting you have and where you live and let it do the rest. F. Lux removes the bright blue hue from your phone so you can still use it, but be able to wind down at night.

SitesTEDTo See: Talks

http://www.ted.com/talks http://www.ted.com/playlists/77/11_must_see_ted_talks TED, a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less), began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. With more than 2,200 talks (the history of the world in 18 minutes, the new bionics, do schools kill creativity?) to pique your curiosity, lifelong learners will appreciate this web site which is in the business of simply spreading ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world.

me-mag.com 11

 news feature

Job Satisfaction: How Happy Are You?

Over 130 people from all across the 12-volt industry were surveyed about various aspects of their workplace happiness. Several of those surveyed were asked to weigh in on the outcome, giving opinions with some surprising results. WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

In 1987, the Conference Board, a New York-based nonprofit research group conducted a job satisfaction survey. Since then, the survey has become a regular occurrence, the most recent conducted in 2014. In its first year, 61 percent of workers said they liked their jobs. That number fell over the years, reaching an all-time low in 2010 after the Great Recession with only 42.6 percent satisfied with their jobs. The survey went on to cover various elements of a person’s job including job security, wages, vacation policies, health and retirement plans and sick leave, among others. All elements pointed to a downward trend, showing that workers were happier in 1987 than they are today.

12 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

Mobile Electronics recently sent out a similar survey to try to identify how the industry feels about many such elements. 41 questions were asked with topics that included professional development, career advancement, enthusiasm for work, overall shop attitude, compensation, relationship between management and employees, various benefits and job security, among others. The majority of those surveyed are owners (40 percent) with lead installation technicians coming in second (15 percent) and regular installers (10 percent) coming in third. 131 people were surveyed in total. The survey reflected opinions from some of the top retailers and installers in the industry, including Top 12 list-makers

Jeff Cantrell of 660 Audio, Josh Mojica of GNC Customs and Matt Cropper of Stereo King. As an industry, finding quality employees has been one of the most talked-about struggles of the modern age. To solve it, various industry participants were interviewed to gather their take on what the information represents and how best to use it to improve the industry’s practices related to job satisfaction.

Work Hard, Play Harder Out of 113 people surveyed on being satisfied with opportunities for professional growth, 42 (about 37 percent) are satisfied. At the same time, while 30 percent agree they are pleased with the career advancement opportunities

available to them, about 26 percent are neutral and roughly 20 percent disagree. Those figures seem to suggest that while the majority of people surveyed are owners, they and their employees feel there is plenty of room to grow their skill sets but not a lot of room to advance their careers. As president of K40 Electronics, one of the industry’s top radar detection companies, one could say that Peggy Finley is an expert regarding happiness at her company. When she took over as president the company had high turnover and low morale. She transformed it into a positive work environment where the concept of “work hard, play hard” is center stage. Her style earned her a “Top 10 Bosses To

Work For” Award from Small Business Magazine. “We have a really open, transparent policy with our retailers. We also have it inside the company. If you walk inside the building, there are no walls. My office is all glass,” Finley said. “There are no hidden agendas or hidden product defects. If there’s an issue with the product everybody knows it.” When asked whether communication between senior leaders and employees is good in their organization, 20 percent disagreed, while 28 percent were neutral and 32 percent agreed. At the same time, when asked if management within the organization recognizes strong job performance, 40 percent agree, while only

18 percent were neutral and 12 percent disagree. This may imply that while communication isn’t always as high as some would like, recognition of a job well done is usually noted correctly. In contrast, when mistakes happen, it’s management’s responsibility not to overreact. “The culture is punishment free. No one is waiting to get in trouble for anything. It’s a culture that I think promotes creativity. We don’t call it problem solving. I would say it’s a creative environment,” Finley said of K40’s culture. “We have an opportunity to be creative together without fear that we might do something wrong. It’s an opportunity to learn from decisions we make and to make better decisions. One of the things that happens is the genius engineers design the product and give it to sales people to sell. They have objections because they are on front line. When we design a product, we get several retailers involved and salespeople involved. So it’s very cooperative and all-inclusive.” Cooperation between employees is very important, according to one set of survey responses. Regarding the question on whether employees have a good working relationship with each other, respondents were overwhelmingly in agreement with 56 percent saying yes and only four percent saying no. In comparison, when asked if employees have a good working relationship with their supervisor, they answered yes with 27 percent strongly agreeing, 43 percent just agreeing but 21 percent neutral. That may suggest that in order to be content with the day-to-day work environment, it’s more important for employees to work well together, rather than with their bosses. Finley is in agreement regarding workplace stability, stating the importance of finding a good fit in the office. “When we hire a salesperson, all the salespeople are involved in hiring process. We call it ‘speed dating.’ Once we have qualified candidates, we narrow it down to six or seven. We bring them all in and sit together in a big room. I’ll sort of interview them like Oprah. We’ll just talk about who they are, trying to get a sense of personality. Then all people interviewing will go to different rooms,”

me-mag.com 13

 news feature Finley said. “Each interviewer will have only one question. My question often is, tell me about a tough time in your life and how you got through it. They’re all open-ended questions. Once the interviewees have gone home, we sit around a table and whoever we decide we wouldn’t be able to work with, they are gone off the bat. Then we go through them all like that and decide who we call back. That’s our process so everyone feels like an owner. It’s sort of like adopting a baby into the family. If you bring someone new into a small and tight group, it’s important not to disturb the balance.” When asked if they are able to make decisions concerning their work, those surveyed were in agreement with about 41 percent strongly agreeing and 42 percent just agreeing. Only 12 percent were neutral and three percent disagreed. Finley’s approach is to create a culture of inclusiveness, which starts with transparency and aiding the hiring but continues with complete trust and autonomy to do the job. “Make them feel like owners. It’s not my job to keep them happy. When I first took over as president of the company, I thought it was my job and it’s really

shallow,” Finley said. “I had an employee come in and I asked, ‘what can we do better as an employer?’ Sometimes what happens is they love the company so much that they’ll do a job they hate. They’ll say they love everybody but get no respect. I like that no one feels like they don’t have a say. If you’re working with people who are generally unhappy, it hurts the company as a whole. Everybody wants people to believe that employees are grateful. But the truth is they are all volunteers and are free to work here or somewhere else. I believe gratitude is a necessary element.”

Give More, Get More The American Compensation Association conducted a study that surveyed over 1,200 randomly selected U.S. employees. The results showed that 54 percent of employees rated direct financial compensation as “very important” or “extremely important” to motivation. The ME survey found something similar regarding compensation satisfaction with 41 percent of respondents agreeing that they are satisfied with compensation, 20 percent neutral and 19 percent dissatisfied. In comparison, 40 percent are satisfied with

their compensation compared to others in the local market while only 13 percent are dissatisfied. This may suggest that employees feel they make a decent wage for their area, but perhaps not compared to their coworkers or managers. Jon Murphy, owner of Sound Works Car Audio & Security in Anchorage, Alaska, believes that the types of compensation available to employees play a big part in their wage satisfaction. “Everything is hourly or salary. I’d rather go to a commission-based structure, but don’t have the system in place to do it yet. I will do it in future,” Murphy said. “Every shop in Alaska has been hourly or salary because most of the revenue is seasonal due to the weather and remote starts. I’d rather go commission because it drives your employees to work harder and produce better. I’ve never paid my employees commission. It would be an experiment on how to do it right, not screw myself and not screw my employees.” Murphy further explained that with Alaskan winters his shop does many remote starts and if an installer was paid on commission, they’d be making lots of money at that time but wouldn’t

I Am Satisfied With My Opportunities For Professional Growth

Strongly Agree: 14.85%

Agree: 35.64%

Neutral/ Neither agree nor disagree: 20.79%

Disagree: 16.83%

Strongly Disagree: 11.88%

View the complete survey results at www.me-mag.com/jobsatisfaction16. 14 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

To help promote a transparent, safe work environment among employees, K40 President Peggy Finley has a glass office and an open office space with no cubicles so everyone can see her and see each other at all times. make ends meet when summer came. He admits it would take a mixture of two worlds to get the balance right. “I’ve been working on some stuff with Del Ellis regarding employee issues. It’s mostly leadership ideas with a lot of leadership training, trying to get those employees to learn more with a training program,” Murphy said. “I want to do something more performance-based, whether it be salary or something along those lines. Del and I talked about doing bonuses based on what the shop did as a whole or what the install bay did compared to the sales floor.” While the pay structure and level of compensation varies per organization, there are certain truths that are undeniable in the workplace. Generally, based on both the survey results and industry opinions, the more you give, the more you get, whether that be from owners or employees. Finley from K40 has developed a structure that works for her company, but it’s based on fairness. “All our people are salary. No salespeople get commission. We have a 401K that matches dollar for dollar up to seven percent. We also pay high salaries because it’s important that employees make decisions on not what’s best for them but what’s best for the retailer [customer].” When asked if they are satisfied with their total benefits package, those surveyed were split with 27 percent satisfied, 25 percent neutral and 19 percent both disagree and strongly disagree with being satisfied. The survey went a few steps

John Murphy of Soundworks has considered a commission-based salary structure but is unsure if it will work with his business climate. me-mag.com 15

 news feature I Am Often So Involved In My Work That The Day Goes By Very Quickly

» Strongly Disagree ............................. 1.02% Disagree ................................................. 5.10% Neutral/Neither agree nor disagree ......................... 14.29% Agree ................................................... 36.73% Strongly Agree ................................ 42.86%

In My Organization, Employees Adapt Quickly To Difficult Situations

» Strongly Disagree ............................. 7.14% Disagree .............................................. 19.39% Neutral/Neither agree nor disagree ........................ 27.55% Agree ................................................... 33.67% Strongly Agree ................................. 12.24%

I Am Satisfied With My Overall Compensation

» Strongly Disagree ............................ 8.33% Disagree .............................................. 19.79% Neutral/Neither agree nor disagree ........................ 20.83% Agree ................................................... 39.58% Strongly Agree .................................. 11.46%

I Am Satisfied With My Total Benefits Package

» Strongly Disagree ......................... 20.00% Disagree ............................................. 20.00% Neutral/Neither agree nor disagree ........................ 28.24% Agree ................................................... 23.53% Strongly Agree ................................... 8.24%

further asking about healthcare-related benefits (the majority strongly disagreed at 27 percent), the amount of paid leave (32 percent agreed, 17 percent strongly disagreed) and retirement plans offered (37 percent strongly disagreed while 32 percent are neutral). The numbers point out that most companies don’t offer much in the form of benefits, but some of those benefits (retirement plans) are less important than others (healthcare). But unlike major corporations, it can often be difficult for small businesses like 12-volt retail shops to afford some of those costly benefits. John Schumacher of Audio Solutions StL in St. Louis, Mo. has a theory as to why retirement plans aren’t popular in the 12-volt industry. “I think those numbers are where they are because as a whole our industry doesn’t offer those benefits to employees. The reason being most of today’s employees are young and would rather have more compensation right now, as opposed to having less now to have more later,” Schumacher said. “So the numbers are in an unsatisfactory rating because most employees aren’t being offered retirement plans as an ‘added’ compensation to what they already take home.” However, given the strong numbers presented in the survey regarding workplace flexibility (39 percent agree), job security (43 percent are secure) and the fiscal well-being of their organization (44 percent say their workplace is stable), the industry may function fine without those benefits. Either way, changing that element may prove too difficult given the current state of things. “Unfortunately, I don’t see a way to overcome it without the organizations and businesses owners coming out of pocket further, which may unfortunately hurt their bottom line,” Schumacher said. “Also, some employers already compensate employees very well. Therefore, their view may be that employee retirement planning needs to fall on the employee taking responsibility for his or her own financial future.”

Scent Of A Rose When it comes to the happiness of employees, no one trait has more claim

16 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

to the top spot than culture, especially given the strong numbers in support of its importance. Around 43 percent of surveyors agree that they are satisfied with their workplace culture. Furthermore, they agree overwhelmingly (43 percent agree) that their organization is dedicated to diversity and inclusiveness. Of course, that concept is open to interpretation. “Aside from having employees that are not family. Everyone at GNC Customs has to wear many hats,” said Josh Mojica, owner of GNC Customs. “Sales, installations, receiving and deliveries (for our furniture department). We do it all. I guess you could say that we are diverse!” Given how sensitive a work environment can be when the times are tough, having just one bad apple can almost certainly spoil the bunch. “Right now, the culture of the shop is good. In the past, I’ve had one employee that brought down the vibe of the whole shop. We have a pretty good team right now,” said Murphy of Sound Works. “I definitely think that having a good relationship with them and communication is key to having good employees. If you’re not communicating with employees on a daily and hourly basis, things can go sour pretty quick. Listening to them as well is important in terms of their input. Making them feel that they are part of the business is important for growth.” Although many retailers may agree on similar issues, it ultimately comes down to individuals within stores that determine the fate of an organization. Sharing information in an industry survey to help provide guidance is only one piece of the puzzle. It takes personal growth to make it all gel together. “We have to look at our lives as a whole. There isn’t one set of rules for home or business. There are universal truths about life and love that you should apply to every aspect of life,” said Finley of K40. “When I was 30 years old, I would test things. I kept a log of when you go from the role of fear to the role of compassion and empathy. Once I did that, it forever changed how I thought about work and life. That’s all I can tell you. The scent of the rose stays on the hand of the giver.” 

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 retail news

Cartronix staff (left to right): Adam Perry, Eric Carter, Liz Tosh, Shawn Poisel, Mark R. Other staff not pictured include Joe Wright, Phil Gibbs and Brian Hoeppner.

On A Roll Cartronix is still going strong after 40 years, with a brand new showroom and AvidWorx displays attracting new clientele. WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

The first of April marked a significant milestone for Cartronix in Valparaiso, Ind.—40 years in business. It’s a sign that the future will be prosperous indeed, and it’s no April Fool’s joke that Cartronix shares its anniversary with Apple. President and CEO of Cartronix, Eric M. Carter, has owned the business for six years, but got involved straight out of high school when his family owned the company. Currently, Cartronix operates out of one location with seven employees. “It got started with CB radios, and police scanners, and 8-track players,” Carter

18 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

said. “And continued to expand into the current technologies. I kinda grew up into the business, and then I purchased it completely.” Recently, Cartronix has gone through some notable changes ensuring a bright future. Last year, the business moved to a new location. This year, at the end of March, a brand new showroom with an AvidWorx display was completed. “We never had the chance to build our own displays because we were so busy,” Carter said. “We hired AvidWorx to do it, because it was our busy time of year during remote start season. They came in and got everything done within four days so I could focus on business.” The new AvidWorx display features comparisons to show the differences between factory speakers and amplifiers and what Cartronix can offer including marine and motorcycle, Sony, Hertz, Audiofrog, displays for back-up cameras and mobile video, headrest displays and more. According to Carter, the back-up displays also show lane detection systems

and parking sensors. “Lot of these we’ve never had before,” Carter said. “We’ve added a lot of new categories so clients can see them and work with them. It’s working … it’s almost too easy.” Although he liked the Cartronix showroom the way it was before, Carter stated the new showroom is “almost like a CES show, or something that’s extremely fancy but very comfortable. It’s pretty neat.” Whenever new clients come in, the first thing they receive is a tour of the facility. “We greet them, go and take a look at the vehicle to find out what they’re looking for, and we give them a tour,” Carter said. The client is then introduced to the staff and shown the fabrication department and how the car is protected. “Then we take them back to the showroom and discuss things with them and take them to each section to see what they’re looking for,” Carter added. Cartronix is marketing the new showroom and celebrating 40 years in business. “We’re doing a bunch of website articles, of our new showroom

… Facebook, Instagram, current press release celebrating 40 years,” Carter said. The business is also celebrating with a customer appreciation day in late April, during which the community will be invited in to see the new showroom and AvidWorx display. “All the advertising I do is social media,” Carter added. “That works the best.” In the past, Cartronix utilized other advertising avenues, such as the Yellow Pages and newspaper ads. Now, social media allows them to target their customers specifically. “It’s amazing

how much advertising has changed over the past five years.” Cartronix has also benefited from online forums and Facebook groups in which industry affiliates and store owners can share information. “We can learn from each other’s mistakes,” Carter said. “That’s been a huge thing. Interacting with store owners … ten years ago, we never did that. I didn’t want to talk to the competition. [Now] if I make a mistake today, I can post it looking for assistance, or I can help them.” After only a week of being operational, the new AvidWorx display garnered plenty of attention from new customers and regular clients. “The responses we’re getting has been amazing,” Carter added. “All displays are fully interactive,” and the business is now carrying new categories they’ve never had before. “[There are] a lot of products for customers to choose from. Our first customer that came in the store and saw the new displays, an older gentleman … came in with 250 to spend

on a new radio, and by the time he’d left, he had spent 2,600 dollars.” The display is already improving business. “It’s still hard to judge,” Carter said, “but I think we’ll see our sales increase about 21 to 22 percent this year.” Cartronix has many years ahead of them, according to Carter, who intends to open a second location in the near future— hopefully within the next three to four years. If business continues the way it has been, that goal should be easily attainable for Cartronix. “It’s amazing that people will drive six hours to come to me,” he said. “It blows me away that people will get on the Internet looking for car audio and they’ll call us and next thing you know they’ll say, ‘I’ll be there in five hours,’ and we schedule them. I guess we’re doing something right. We just had a gentleman that bought a brand new 2016 Harley, picked it up and drove it right here for a complete audio system. He was two and a half hours away.” 

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Who’s Who Shawn Poisel Cartronix Valparaiso, Ind. Years of industry experience: 10 Hobbies: Disc golf, art, tinkering What you’re really good at: Troubleshooting, thinking outside the box

Less Becomes More At Axxis Audio, increased staff efficiency has led to a higher volume of installs.

Sondralee Orengia Custom Audio Erie, Pa. Years of industry experience:33 Hobbies: Powerlifting (world, national and state titles), kayaking, biking, listening to music What you’re really good at: Selling

Jeff Cantrell JC Audio Jackson, Tenn.

Years of industry experience: 22 Hobbies: Hanging out at the house, my dogs, four-wheelers, work What you’re really good at: Making customers happy

Dave Clews 12volt Dave’s Audio Pottsville, Pa.

Years of industry experience: 30+ Hobbies: Music, grandchildren, cars What you’re really good at: Listening and selling

20 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

hat once consisted of two to three hours of labor installing a remote start has become a quick 30 to 45 minute job. Axxis Audio in Durango, Colo. has become even more efficient than before. According to the website, Dan Berghoff started the business while he was still in school at Fort Lewis College. At the time, Axxis was no more than 700 square feet, and now the business boasts over 5,000 square feet. Aron Roberts, MECP Master Technician at Axxis Audio, has been in the industry for 15 years and worked at three other shops before joining the staff at Axxis. “Our sales team works very hard at making sure we have installs lined up and product staged for each installer every day,” Roberts said. Now, a new lineup of Compustar T-harnesses has improved their efficiency greatly when it comes to installing remote starters. “Since it does snow a lot here, we do a ton of remote starts. Compustar makes the remote starts with generic harnesses that you have to hook up,” Roberts said

in regards to regular harnesses. “T-harnesses will be more specific to the brand of the vehicle, and they have connectors so we can unplug the ignition switches, plug the remote start right into it, and it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to install.” With just two installers, the new product helps Axxis finish more jobs at a faster rate. “We have a strong relationship with dealerships,” Roberts said. “They can call us and we can get it done the same day.” Before using the new product, the job might’ve been scheduled a few days out. iDatalink Maestro pieces have also been very beneficial to the shop, allowing Axxis to offer more factory fit options to customers. “Everything is integrated so well. It’s seamlessly possible with these new modules,” Roberts said. “For the Ford trucks, iDatalink came out with full dash kit. I think it’s one of the best kits on the market from factory to aftermarket. These are factory fit buttons, factory fit trim, factory texture … and it adds factory style USB cables to tie in. We don’t have to mount them somewhere else, they use the same ports, it’s integrated, works just

Aron Roberts, a 15-year industry veteran, works with the sales team to see that the most time-effective products, like Compustar T-harnesses, are sold to customers.

like it would if you bought a brand new car with a radio already in it.” Efficiency is key. “We have the product ready and available when the car comes in,” Roberts said. “Our salesmen bring us the cars, we do the installs. They go over it with the customer and stage the equipment. [The efficiency] is pretty good compared to other shops I’ve worked for.” Axxis first discovered these new options at KnowledgeFest, and they plan to learn more in the future that will continue to increase efficiency. “We get most of our information from KnowledgeFest,” Roberts said, adding that Axxis sends the staff to the event each year. The local dealerships appreciate how quickly Axxis can finish their work and send it off. Dealerships are given priority over other jobs. “With it being so easy to put the remote starts in, we can take more in and get them done quicker. [Then] we make more money, and they make more money. Efficiency is a very important aspect of our business.” 

me-mag.com 21

 new products

JL Audio MediaMaster Source Unit www.jlaudio.com

Notable: JL Audio is now shipping its new, full-featured marine audio source unit which was introduced in January at The Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. The MediaMaster MM100s marks JL Audio’s entry into this important product category and completes what is an already extensive lineup of high-end, marine audio products. The MediaMaster® MM100 is purpose-built for marine duty, with marine-grade, weatherproof construction (IP66 rated), and incorporates advanced audio features, specifically tailored to marine applications.

Power Acoustik Thin Subwoofer Enclosures www.poweracoustik.com

Notable: Power Acoustik is now shipping Thin120BXA pre-loaded enclosure with 12-inch subwoofers. The Thin-120BXA enclosure includes such key features as an internal motor assembly that reduces the mounting depth along with semi-circular frame venting that maintains thermal control.

Boom Mat Dampening Material

www.designengineering.com/boommat Notable: Boom Mat now offers a new peel and stick damping material designed to improve interior and stereo sound quality. Boom Mat vibration damping material is developed with a 2mmthick, asphalt-free, pure-butyl noise constraining layer backed with a 4mil aluminum panel stiffening top skin that can be easily installed in cars, trucks, vans, street rods, and commercial vehicles. 22 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

VOXX CarLink BT

www.voxxelectronics.com Notable: VOXX Electronics is now shipping its new Carlink BT device. The Bluetooth module provides remote start from a phone within 50 to 80 feet from the vehicle without any service charges. The module is included for free with VOXX’s Prestige PROCORE remote starters. To use the feature, however, users must download an app for $7.99. A standalone version of the Bluetooth module will also be offered that can be used with remote starters from other brands for a one-time charge. Customers who want an extended range can upgrade to a full cellular version for $99 per year.

AVIDWORX AudioFrog Displays www.avidworx.com

Notable: Audiofrog retailers, and soon-to-be Audiofrog retailers, can now benefit from affordable showcase solutions by AVIDWORX. The Audiofrog M3-3 Imageworx sound stage features branded wall art, an onboard video monitor, a wireless video system that also tracks user traffic, and switching for four speaker pairs. AVIDWORX will work with retailers to configure the system to showcase the right number of AV receivers, amps and subs. Retailers who sign on with the program will be eligible for rebates of over 15 percent of the total system value, plus a volume incentive rebate program from Audiofrog to help recoup their investment.

AAMP Global Reverse Camera Kit For Select GM Models www.aamp.com

Notable: AAMP Global has introduced the FC-CUE42 Reverse Camera Kit designed for select 2013–2016 General Motors vehicles. The kit comes fully equipped with all the parts needed to properly integrate a reverse camera into late model General Motors Lacrosse, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC makes. With a focus on integration, this solution allows drivers to add this important safety feature to their vehicles while still retaining the factory look and feel. The dynamic parking lines follow (bend) the movement of the steering wheel to display the vehicle’s trajectory while on reverse. The plug-and-play design and the license plate mounted camera allows for easy integration without any permanent modification to the vehicle. me-mag.com 23

 new products Crimestopper 1-Way Security and Keyless Entry System www.crimestopper.com

Notable: CrimeStopper has announced the launch of its new 1-Way Security and Keyless Entry System. The SP-102 allows the user to arm/lock, disarm/unlock, and release the trunk as well as do all of these functions without audible alerts with silent mode. The SP102 also offers single or double pulse for unlock as well as the ability to work with electric or vacuum locking systems. The SP-102 is now shipping with an MSRP of $69.95.

24 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

DD Audio Component Sets www.ddaudio.com

Notable: DD Audio has announced the addition of three new component sets to its Mids + Highs category. The CC6.5, DC6.5 and EC6.5 component sets are designed to give customers even more options to choose from when building their custom audio systems. The design criteria was for all the sets to be of equal quality, but engineered to perform optimally within set power bands. The CC6.5 power band is 60-180W, the DC6.5 is 50-150W and the EC6.5 is 25-100W. All sets feature high end performance elements such as copper pole caps, aluminum-double slit voice coil formers, rubber surrounds, and silk dome tweeters.

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me-mag.com 25

 new products Soundstream Wake Tower Speakers

www.soundstream.com

Notable: Soundstream is releasing its 2016 product line of Wake Tower Speakers. These units are made of heavy-duty properties designed to stand up to any extreme environments such as water, snow, mud, etc. and come in 6.5-inch or 8-inch sizes. Customizable lighting is also available on both models.

AudioControl Car Audio Amplifier www.audiocontrol.com

Notable: AudioControl has begun shipping its new LC-4.800 Car Audio Amplifier, the first in a new line up of industry first amplifiers. The amplifier’s OE Integration features include a 4-channel amplifier with rated power output of 125 watts per channel at 4 ohms and bridged output of 400 watts, making this amplifier capable of 4/3/2 channel operation. The included low level outputs for additional amplifiers feature AudioControl’s patented AccuBASS™ circuit and can be controlled with the optional ACR-1 dash controller. 26 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

KICKER Media Centers

www.kicker.com Notable: For the first time in its history, KICKER has developed high-performance media centers for the marine market, now available at authorized dealers. The KICKER KMC10 Media Center and KMC20 Premium Media Center deliver all-weather performance with IPX6 waterproof certification, as well as ASTM salt/fog and ultraviolet exposure guarantees. The radios and their accessory product KRC15 Digital Remote Commander are the first source units to carry the KICKER label. Bluetooth® devices easily pair with either KMC Media Center, and once a device is initialized, a custom 12-character source name can be added. The KMC20 Premium Media Center has an MSRP of $749.95 and was designed for full ease of use on the water.

Diamond Audio Motorsport Series Tower Speaker Pods www.diamondaudio.com

Notable: Diamond Audio is now shipping its Motorsport series tower speaker pods. The Motorsport series are designed to provide high far-field audio performance while withstanding the harshest environmental conditions. The pods are available in 6.5-inch and 8-inch sizes. Both HXM65POD (6.5-inch model) and HXM8POD (8inch model) are available in the following finishes; gloss white, carbon fiber white, gun metal gray, and matte black.

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YOUR BUSINESS YOUR ATTITUDE YOUR OUT LOOK YOUR PROFITABILITY YOUR FOCUS YOUR STYLE YOUR PRODUCT MIX YOUR INVENTO RY YOUR PROCESS YOUR OPERATIONS YOUR AUDIENCE YOUR MARKETING YOUR CUSTOM ERS YOUR LOOK YOUR PRODUCTIVITY YOUR FORECAST ST YOUR VISION YOUR DIRECTION YOUR BUSINESS YOUR ATTITUDE YOUR OUT LOOK YOUR PROFITABILITY YOUR FOCUS YOUR STYLE YOUR PRODUCT MIX YOUR INVENTO RY YOUR PROCESS YOUR OPERATIONS YOUR AUGUST 20 - 22 AUDIENCE YOUR MARKETING YOUR CUSTOM DALLAS me-mag.com 27 ERS YOUR LOOK YOUR PRODUCTIVITY YOUR KNOWLEDGEFEST.ORG

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 top 50 retailers

RETAILERS 2016

Sponsored by

Tim Baillie – Audiolines Mobile Sound Burnaby, BC

Dan Castro – The Car Audio Shop High Ridge, MO

Barry Barth – Prestige Car Audio & Marine Metairie, LA

Steve Coogle – Discount Audio Louisville, KY

Charles Brazil – First Coast Auto Creations Jacksonville, FL

Matt Cropper – Stereo King Portland, OR

John Cage – Spokane Audio Video Experts Greenacres, WA

David Cruz – Soundscape Car Audio Plano, TX

Jeff Cantrell – JC Audio Jackson, TN

B.J. Curcio – After FX Customs Stamford, CT

TJ Carlson – Kingpin Car & Marine Audio Wilsonville, OR

Daniel DiCampli – Windward Audio Kaneohe, HI

30 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

Brandon Douglas – Adrenaline Autosound Clayton, NC

Christerfer Pate – Mobile Toys Inc College Station, TX

Andrew Emelander – GNC Customs Goshen, IN

Adam Perkins – Sound Wave Customs Virginia Beach, VA

Andrew Evens – Industry Auto Designs Las Vegas, NV

John Phillips – Stereo One Carbondale Carbondale, IL

Nicholas Frazier – Innovative Concepts West Springfield, MA

Bryan Piper – Resonance Auto Craft Corpus Christi, TX

Aaron Garcia – Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security Anchorage, AK

Carlos Ramirez – NVS Audio Linden, NJ

Brandon Green – The Car Audio Shop High Ridge, MO Alan Hogan – Baileys Audio Lake Charles, LA

Alain Sainvil – NVS Audio Linden, NJ Mike Sandoval – Sound Warehouse Salt Lake City, UT

David Kosakowski – Total image McKees Rocks, PA

Matt Schaeffer – Safe & Sound Mobile Electronics Chantilly, VA

Brent Leavitt – Low Notes Garage Boise, ID

Jon Schmitz – Mach 1 Audio Washington, MO

Sam Lee – Audio Xcellence City of Industry, CA

John Schumacher – Audio Solutions StL St. Louis, MO

Dan Macilwain – Sound Advantage Rochester, MI

Mike Schwitz – Sound Connection St. Joseph, MN

Erick Markland – Markland Designs Lithonia, GA

Cj Silvey – Foss Audio and Tint Puyallup, WA

Aaron Markwell – Godspeed Rides Sarasota, FL

Jason Stone – Stereo Solutions Redding, CA

Scott Miller – Explicit Customs West Melbourne, FL

Vinny Tullo – VIP Customs Earlysville, VA

Rob Miller – JML Audio of St. Louis Fenton, MO

Bryan Turvaville – Auto Trim Design Amarillo, TX

Jeremiah Mojica – GNC Customs Elkhart, IN

Miguel Vega – Titan Motoring Nashville, TN

Jonathan Moore – Dreamworks Motorsports Roxboro, NC

Colton Wadley – Pro Audio Provo, UT

Michael Oechsner – Mobile Edge Lehighton, PA

Warren Williams – Hi-Tech Car Audio El Cerrito, CA

Chris Ott – Amplified Autosports Tampa, FL

Tyler Wilson – Spokane Audio Video Experts Greenacres, WA me-mag.com 31

real world retail

Left to right: Alain Sainvil holds Jairo Zuniga with Carlos Ramirez on the other end.

Sound Evolution After educating himself on best practices and choosing what worked best for him, Carlos Ramirez transformed his shop, NVS Audio, into every 12-volt owner’s dream: a thriving business. WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

achines work in different ways. Most are designed to maximize productivity while working toward a higher efficiency. Goals are met either through computer-assisted adjustments or outside calibrations. The internal combustion engine is one such machine. Its early designs relied solely on moving parts that needed periodic replacement. Now, the engines include computers that monitor its status and notify the driver when maintenance is required. The same could be said of a 12-volt retail business. If all is running smoothly, employees are generating revenue through a combination of sales and installation work. Occasionally, the store needs calibration due to the loss of an

32 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

employee, a new employee, new product or other event that temporarily disrupts workflow. But the question is, how do you maintain a balance between the automated parts and the organic ones at a shop, since every employee is, after all, an individual? One retailer may have found the answer. Carlos Ramirez, owner of NVS Audio in Linden, N.J. has created a shop culture that encapsulates the best of both worlds by creating strong processes for his staff to follow, no matter who’s available to work them. Of his three full-time employees (his wife Christina manages the books and inventory part-time), Ramirez admits that each has their specialty, but that doesn’t mean they are limited to just that one thing.

“Some guys are better than others at things. Alain is the wiring and remote start guy. He’s not good at wrapping upholstery. He struggles when trimming and wrapping. When we’re not busy, I will have Damian on wiring and Alain will be wrapping upholstery the whole day,” Ramirez said. “I like my guys crosstrained and efficient. Damian and Jairo are amazing at wrapping vinyl and upholstery. But with wiring, they get stuck on things Alain and I don’t. I need to be able to sell three custom jobs and know that all three are being worked on whether my guys are sick or on vacation. I make sure they are all cross-trained.” The training concept begins in-house but extends to encourage all staff to be MECP-certified, which they are. Ramirez

pays for any MECP test an employee wants to take, including paying them to take the day off for the test and providing a $50 cash bonus if they pass. Employee training doesn’t stop there, however. Two to three times a year Ramirez takes his staff to industry trainings with Sonus, Mobile Solutions and Del Ellis International. Employees are also trained on new products with the company’s vendors conducting trainings on occasion. Ramirez attends KnowledgeFest alone in Dallas to enhance his own knowledge base as well. Acknowledging that his staff are people and not just machines in a factory, Ramirez emphasizes the importance of treating his team like family to encourage better work and loyalty. This includes giving out bonuses for large jobs. “It’s a percentage of what the total build was. As long as it was done on time, I give out a percentage based on how long they’ve worked for me,” Ramirez added. All employees are salaried with Ramirez doing the bulk of sales himself. In another effort to give back to his staff, he regularly treats them to meals, requesting they bring family members when available. “If we had a rough work week, we go out. I make sure they take family. If your wife and kids hate what you do, you’re not going to be working here very long,” Ramirez said. “We go out to dinner all the time. The last employee who quit only quit because they moved. Because of the kinds of work the other shops in the area do, if an employee left for more pay, they’d be doing more work and more boring jobs.” New employees are given a threemonth internship period where they are not allowed to touch any machinery. The goal is to acclimate the new hire to the shop’s practices to ensure everything is standardized. The same goes for tools. “If an employee doesn’t have good credit it doesn’t matter. All my guys have immediate credit with Snap-on Tools. I have a list of tools you have to buy to work here. Some tools I provide. I buy the same socket set, one for each employee. Little things like that make us more efficient.”

me-mag.com 33

real world retail The longest tenured employee, Alain Sainvil, has been with NVS for 10 years, followed by Damian Kaminski with five years and Jairo Zuniga with just over one year employed. Each employee was discovered in different ways, with a grassroots, natural method used for each. “Alain has 16 years of experience and used to work at a big box store, 6th Avenue Electronics. He was hired parttime originally and used to wire big builds for me. Then he quit 6th Ave and came to work for me full-time. They didn’t do a lot of custom work. That’s what he’s passionate about,” Ramirez said. “Damian walked in with a customer and asked if we were hiring. He asked on a perfect day when we were busy. He had zero experience but just graduated electronics school and was certified. I hired Jairo fresh out of school. I don’t like hiring experienced installers because I feel I have to erase everything they think they know and start fresh. Damian never worked at a shop before and I’ve built him into one of the best fabricators I’ve ever known in my career. We do things a certain way. Every single part gets wired the same way. Every speaker adapter gets done the same way. We developed a system.”

The Factory Floor

Rookie fabricator Jairo “Pee Wee” Zuniga works with the router while owner Carlos Ramirez looks on.

34 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

Carlos Ramirez wasn’t born with a drill in his hand. He didn’t even think about the automotive field as a career path when he was younger. But one day, by accident, he found himself in the installation business. By age 12, his father taught him how to install a car stereo. Soon enough, a friend of a friend asked him to install an amplifier. By the time he was in high school, he had started a business installing stereos out of a friend’s garage. After high school, Ramirez attended electronics school, graduated and got a job wearing a suit and tie in an office working for Canon. His job was to fix copiers and computers. But he soon found out a truth that would change his career path forever. “I made more money in my garage. It didn’t make sense to go to work anymore. I was making really good money with no overhead,” he said. “But that didn’t last.

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real world retail

NVS AUDIO FAST FACTS

www.nvsaudio.com NVS Audio is a boutique style retail store located at 720 East Saint Georges Ave Linden, NJ, 07036. The store is located on a main road through town with a minimum of 10,000 vehicles passing by per day. The building is rented and consists of a total of 4,500 square feet, with 4,300 dedicated to the installation bay, woodshop, metal room, upholstery room, office, storage room and two bathrooms (one for employees, one for customers). The remaining space is used for the showroom, which features no product on the floor, only trophies and product displays for sales use. Primary marketing methods are word-of-mouth, social media and car shows. The company employees four full-time employees and one part-time book keeper/ inventory manager.

36 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

The neighbor was doing work on his house without a permit. Someone called an inspector and he walked past my place, saw all the cars parked in the driveway and asked what I was doing. He found out and threatened to fine the landlord $500 a day until I left. I found a bay around the corner.” Initially, his family didn’t take the news of his newfound career well after his departure from Canon. But that all changed once they saw the results. “My mother was very upset that I chose to leave a very good job to play with cars. She came and looked at my shop, saw how well I was doing and never bothered me again,” Ramirez said. “After six years, we decided to move to a new location because the store front was separate from the garage. It was a one-bay garage with only two cars. We had three employees; one worked for me at the original garage. When we opened around the corner I had to hire a sales guy.” The shop first opened in 1996 and moved in 2001 from Bellville, N.J. to Elizabeth. There it would remain for nine years until moving once again in 2010 due to finding a location with a better layout. “It had the same amount of space but the other shop had more retail space. The showroom was 50 by 80 feet. This showroom is a lot smaller at 20 by 10 feet.” With a total of 4,500 square feet at the current location, Ramirez has tightened up the presentation to have no product on display in the showroom. Only display panels and pictures of work the shop has done are on display for customers to see. The woodshop is four times larger than the old shop to accommodate more fabrication work. The facility also has a dedicated upholstery room, a metal section and two bathrooms, one for employees in back and one for customers up front. Today’s business consists mainly of custom work, with an emphasis on

selling solutions rather than product. “The biggest trouble we’ve had is the business transition from being a successful retail store moving a lot of boxes, but we weren’t getting good quality repeat clients. So I changed the direction of the business. We used to do 20 percent custom and 80 percent retail. Now it’s the opposite with 80 percent custom and 20 percent retail,” Ramirez said. “The average ticket used to be $149 but is now $749. Numbers are down but profitability is up. Our busiest year at the old location was $800,000. Last year was $500,000 but we made more profit than the other shop. Our labor rate is almost double what it used to be.” One large reason for the success of the new model is due to vendor accountability. “We only support brands that we can make a decent amount of margin on and ones that support us,” he said. Previously, the shop purchased product through distributors and used brands that allowed for only 10 percent margins. But that led to a problem of exclusivity given that any shop could sell those same brands, thus removing any kind of competitive edge NVS would hope to gain on competitors with product. “Now we use strictly protected brands that no one else can get. We’ve been able to build repeat business and take our time with every type of client. Our partnerships with Phoenix Gold, elettromedia and Compustar have allowed us to be super profitable. They offer training, special programs, and with all three companies I was able to negotiate extended terms without doing volume,” Ramirez said. “Even though we’re not doing $20,000 a month, they are giving us extended terms allowing us to deliver the vehicle before we pay the bill. These are companies that care about their product being installed properly in vehicles. Also, tech support is available to us almost around the clock.

“If something doesn’t perform or work well we aren’t selling it. Everything we sell I have to believe in,” he added. “We have it in our cars. If we don’t like it, we don’t sell it. If the customer doesn’t know how to use something, we can easily sell it because we have it in our car and can show them.”

Moving Parts Aside from employee stability setting the tone for the shop’s style of work, the shop’s mechanized processes center on how business is conducted with clients. For Ramirez, it all starts with the price. “Something I learned from Micah Williams is whatever price point gets you building at a quality you find acceptable, sell at that price point,” he said. “Most of our builds are between the $3,000 and $7,000 range. Whatever you feel comfortable building and selling, a customer will always be able to tell when you believe in what you’re saying.” The shop’s goal is to do $1,000 in labor per person per day. The daily breakdown makes each sale simpler. “Most shops break it down by hours. It takes one day to install, one day to fab, one day to tune,” Ramirez added. Given the higher rates expected for sales, the shop must match those levels with execution and presentation. All one needs to do is take a look in the fabrication rooms at the walls covered in templates from companies like Mobile Solutions and Sonus to know how those two aforementioned elements are represented. “People ask why I buy everyone’s templates. But what they don’t realize is it also helps me sell to clients,” Ramirez said. “They see it’s nicely organized. All my router bit trays are from Mobile Solutions. There’s a $6,000 router station, it’s neat and organized, looks professional, and it’s easy to tell if something is missing. As long as my tools make me money every day, they pay for themselves. My woodshop has helped me close more deals than I think my sales skills have.” Every sale includes a walkthrough of the install bay and fabrication rooms. Since fabrication is such a large part of business, there is always a project being

The showroom features a variety of trophies and displays to help convince guests that NVS is the right place for them.

me-mag.com 37

real world retail worked on to show off to customers. Seeing the work being done not only shows the quality but why the price is higher than other shops in the area. But that also scares off the customers who aren’t looking to spend the level of money needed on such quality work. “I have four to five people hang up on me on a daily basis. I also have a stack of business cards from other shops,” Ramirez said. “When someone comes in and doesn’t like my prices, I’ll give them a card to another shop. They say, ‘You’re really gonna send me to the competition?’ I say, ‘It’s not the competition, it’s another shop in our town.’ We can’t be everything to everybody.”

Communication Protocols

Ramirez always buys the latest fabrication templates on the market to insure his staff have the best tools available to do the work needed. 38 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

Thanks largely to the presentation tactics employed at the shop, NVS benefits from word-of-mouth marketing, having to spend no money on advertising to maintain its business. Ramirez uses social media sites to promote the shop’s work, posting builds on Instagram, which has over 16,000 followers. The shop averages about four jobs per month that are booked as a direct result of Instagram. With an advertising budget of $10,000 per year, NVS spends it exclusively on car shows and promotional events held at the shop. “The average show is between $3,000 and $4,000. We’ve never had a sale of less than $5,000 as a direct result of the show. When we go to car shows that we don’t host ourselves, we never take less than 10 cars,” Ramirez said. “We’ll gather ten of our best cars from that year. We have a really good relationship with our clients. We’ll invite the owner of the car and their family, pay for them to eat, pay for their entrance, put gas in their cars, wash the cars and have someone drive the cars if they can’t do it.” While the shop does not utilize email marketing, there are plans to implement a strategy in the near future. But that plan, according to Ramirez, is merely icing on the cake, considering the waiting list the company has accrued. “We have a two-month backlog for work. A customer would have to wait six to eight weeks right now if they came in for a stereo system,” he said. “We do

real world retail

KEY STAFF CARLOS RAMIREZ Owner, Sales

ALAIN SAINVIL

Installations, Fabrication

DAMIAN KAMINKSI

Installations, Fabrication

JAIRO ZUNIGA

Installations, Fabrication

CHRISTINA RAMIREZ

Book Keeper, Inventory (part-time) not offer any type of special or discount. We tried that in the past and we feel it attracts the wrong type of client. The clients we target don’t use coupons. They have a lot of disposable income.” With the majority of clients having affluent backgrounds, Ramirez puts maximum effort toward making them feel comfortable and happy with the services for which they are paying. That includes giving them lifts home while their vehicles are being worked on. “I call it ‘Point and Click’ sales. I don’t like clients waiting in my showroom. If you live within 10 to 15 minutes of my shop, I will drive you home,” Ramirez said. “Even if it’s just a remote start, we take the entire day.” Once an installation is complete, a vehicle is cleaned thoroughly, taken to a car wash if dirty and even taken to a gas station for a refill. “The problem of dealing with highend clientele is that they never argue price, but you’d better deliver. If there’s an issue, give the client plenty of time to adjust their schedule. Time is money with that type of client,” Ramirez said. “You’re not dealing with them like a normal person. There’s a lot of people who want to do what we do but are not equipped. Most of the big jobs we do we don’t even take a deposit from the client. It shows them that we take what we do seriously and we have money invested, too.”

40 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

The Price Of Perfection Over the past six months, the company switched from taking primarily walk-in customers to being appointment-only. It also made the Top 50 Retailers list five years in a row with Alain Sainvil making the Top 50 Installers list two years in a row. But with all the success, NVS has also had its share of failures, which have taught valuable lessons. “I had two locations at one time. I’ll never do that again. The only location that made money was where I was at for that week. Customers feel comfortable talking to me,” Ramirez said. “It made enough money to cover additional payroll and inventory. I got double the headache but not double the profit.” Keeping an eye on the bottom line is a requirement of any business, but Ramirez insists that there is much more involved in running a successful business. “Whenever I work on a car, I think ‘What would the other shop do?’ and try to do the opposite. Nine times out of 10, someone will do what makes the most money for the least amount of work. The difference between a good and great job is 10 percent more effort,” he said. “It’s little stupid stuff that other people don’t think is important. What they don’t realize is if you want that type of client, this is why the pay the extra money to drive a Mercedes over a Chevy. It’s that extra 10 to 20 percent that makes a difference.”

Giving that little extra does come with a price, which Ramirez incorporates both through cost and time. NVS Audio no longer does same day installs. This is to make sure jobs are done properly by giving each the time it deserves. “I used to think that because a customer said they need it done today that I had to agree. Once I stopped trying to deliver cars the same day, the quality of work improved tremendously,” he said. “It’s the same job for the same amount of money but you’re delivering a better quality product because you have time to go over it.” That method has paid off for NVS, mainly with about half its work load coming from fixing other shop’s mistakes. It’s become such a large part of their business that the company has created a phrase on its Instagram to describe that type of work: “NVS Audio Wiring Rescue.” “If another shop messed it up, we fix it with all new wiring and tuning. Sometimes I don’t feel like I deserve the success that I have. I’m not even smart. I’m clever. I know how to treat people,” Ramirez said. “If you’re not doing proper customer service, you’re not going to get that client. Be honest, do a good job, treat your customers right and you’ll be in business forever! It’s not magic.” 

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 behind the scenes

A Growing

From its small beginnings rooted in a now-obsolete product, Voxx International is manufacturing products at every end of the electronics spectrum, giving itself nowhere to go but up. WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER

Pat Lavelle, CEO of Voxx International

42 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

Does anyone remember pocket transistor radios? Probably not, yet this tiny gadget served as the foundation for one of the most formidable consumer electronics companies in the industry today— Voxx International. Back in 1960, John Shalam sold pocket transistor radios for an import company, but when a deal went south that left him saddled with 2,000 car stereos, he unexpectedly had a new game plan and a new company. By 1965 Audiovox was in business and Shalam was selling aftermarket car radios to car dealers. The timing couldn’t have been better since back then approximately 35 percent of the vehicles delivered to a new car dealer came without a car radio. From there, he moved the product to mom-and-pops and then to mass merchants. Today, that gumption is still very much part of the company’s ethos where Shalam remains as chairman of the board. Renamed Voxx International in December 2011, it is now headed by CEO Pat Lavelle who has been in that role since 2005.

“Starting with John and all the people who have been important in shaping the company along the way, it has always been entrepreneurial and still is,” Lavelle said. “John set the company up that way and we have carried on that entrepreneurial spirit even through all of our acquisitions. Really, the essence has not changed much from when I started with the company back in 1977.” Through its natural evolution and strategic acquisitions, Voxx has boomed from its car stereo roots to a major consumer electronics company that manufactures and supplies product to big box retailers, specialty and mass merchants, as well as to automotive OEMs including Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, DAF Daimler, Peugeot, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, General Motors Corporation, Toyota, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Nissan, Porsche and Bentley.

Pacing With Product Throughout the company’s evolution, Voxx has both embraced and extricated itself from certain product categories while trying to maintain momentum in the tech industry. The company’s ability to chart a

successful course while many of its comsetups for different needs. Voxx acquired “Fingerprint identification is very poppetitors have struggled or simply gone a controlling interest in the company in ular, but it’s not a good application for away has made it a strong partner for 2015. the car,” Lavelle said. “This double-iris 12-volt and specialty retailers who have At the moment, Voxx is collaborating scan gives you more security than any also gained the opportunity to invest in with Eyelock and ATM machine manuother type of biometric other than DNA. new product categories and technologies. It gives you much more security and is In the early 1980s, Audiovox was one much more scalable so we definitely see a of the first companies in the country to big automotive application here.” introduce remote car start. Today, These kinds of products definitely remote start remains a core represent a departure for Voxx. segment for aftermarket auto“We used to do many millions of motive retailers. dollars in sales in mp3 playThen the car phone ers,” Lavelle said. “Those are emerged as the next big all gone. The smartphone thing. “Everybody wanted has replaced them—and to have a phone in their that was challenging—but car,” Lavelle said. “We now we sell a lot of accesdeveloped our car phone sories for smartphones business which then and Bluetooth speakers expanded into handsets. that are all emanating We became a big supfrom smartphones. So the plier of cellular in the U.S., new technology also has and for a number of years given us new opportunities.” we had number one market In the accessory area, share in CDMA phones.” there are other new products By 2004, the cell phone that Voxx plans to encourage its business declined and Audioretailers to embrace. There’s the vox exited cellular leaving just the 360fly interactive action camera, the electronics. “We obviously had our roots Singtrix karaoke products, the 808 brand in the automotive side and wanted to of portable Bluetooth speakers and this continue with it,” Lavelle month the company will The 360Fly camera can record in every direction to capture said. Today, the automotive roll out its Project Nursery business—aftermarket and up to three hours of 360 degree HD quality video (1504 x 1504 lineup of high-definition OEM—accounts for 50 per- pixels) each time out or Live Stream via the free Livit mobile app. video baby monitors. cent of Voxx’s total volume. “We are very active in the aftermarket facturers. Here’s how it would work: A Go With The Flow and continue to look at disruptive techconsumer would simply walk up to an What has been critical to continuity nologies that are going to be introduced ATM machine, and just by looking into it, with customers is maintaining as much of in the aftermarket eventually moving into would be able to complete the transacthe status quo as possible. the OEM space.” tion. “That is so much more secure than “Through all the acquisitions we have cards or pin numbers,” said Lavelle. had, we also inherited a very strong manIt Takes Three The translation for the car is even agement team,” Lavelle said. “I could not The company now has three segmore compelling. “With Eyelock, when have gone out and hired the managerial ments—automotive, consumer accessories you walk up to the car, it will know it’s talent that we have in this company. A and premium audio. “It stabilizes the you and the car will open up,” Lavelle lot of it has come through acquisitions. business so if there’s any shot to one segsaid. “Once you get in, you can look in the We are well positioned in each one of the ment, we would be able to withstand it,” mirror, it will authenticate you and then groups. Each group stands by itself and Lavelle said. “Right now we’re looking at let you start the car." will grow by itself.” building out all of those segments and we To take it a step further, with an EyeThe acquisitions began in 2002 which are adding additional products that can lock system in the vehicle, as the driver has given the company about 30 unique be marketed to our existing network of would pull up to an ATM machine or brands under its umbrella. “We acquired customers.” bank teller window, the car would be able Code-Alarm back then which was doing One product that holds significant to tell the machine who is in the vehicle OEM work on security systems and potential is Eyelock, an iris identity and dispense the cash. remote starts,” Lavelle said. authentication system with iris scanning

me-mag.com 43

 behind the scenes From antennas to rear-seat entertainment, here is a look at Voxx and some of its acquisitions since 2002. 2012 — Hirschmann Car Communication is acquired, strengthening VOXX’s global footprint. The company, which has supplied automotive manufacturers for nearly 70 years, delivers technologically advanced automotive antenna systems and automotive digital TV tuner systems. Developed the world’s first analog to digital tuner and the first digital TV tuner for the Chinese market. Hirschmann holds more than 65 registered patents and has more than 100 patent filings which are currently pending.

Klipsch Group and its subsidiaries. This move adds world-class brands with strong distribution, both domestically and abroad, but also gives the company a foot in the door with the high-end installation market at both the residential and commercial level. 2010 — The company’s new subsidiary Invision Automotive Systems completes the acquisition of the assets of Invision Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of rear seat entertainment systems to OEMs, ports and car dealers increasing VOXX’s research and development capabilities. It adds a manufacturing facility to the business structure. This positions Voxx to increase its existing OE business.

2011 — Completes the acquisition of high performance audio solutions company

2009 — In October 2009, Audiovox German Holdings completes the acquisition of

The Myris eye scanner by Eyelock is a personal authenticator that can be set up by any user to allow access without a password, just a pair of eyes.

Not only have the acquisitions given the company a push into new areas, but there have been other benefits as well. “It expanded our manufacturing capability and now we have manufacturing plants in Germany, in Hungary and manufacturing plants for OEM in Orlando, Fla. assembling our rear seat entertainment products and security products.” It has also strengthened the company’s research and development capabilities with over 300 engineers on staff dedicated to product development. “When we looked at the acquisitions, the first thing we said was that it was paramount that we maintain the management and engineering teams who were running those companies,” Lavelle said. “Those are the guys who create the special sauce. We kept the customer facing entities in place whether it was sales, marketing, engineering, or new product development. What we did was look at the back end of the business where many of the functions are the same—logistics, warehousing, importation, accounting and IT. That is where we did a lot of our

44 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

certain assets of Schwaiger, a German market leader in consumer electronics, SAT and receiver technologies. This increases VOXX’s presence in the European accessory market. 2007 —Thomson’s consumer electronics audio video business (U.S., Canada, Mexico, China and Hong Kong), as well as the rights to the RCA brand come into the fold. VOXX acquires audio video brands of RCA, Advent and Acoustic Research as follow-up to a prior transaction with Thomson for accessories. 2007 —VOXX acquires Technuity, Inc., an emerging leader in the battery and power products industry and the exclusive licensee of the Energizer brand in North America.

consolidation.”

Down The Road As Voxx continues to address new products through its research and development along with continuing to pursue key acquisitions, Lavelle said he recognizes competition as more fierce than ever in the automotive aftermarket space. “Remote start is now being looked at more seriously by the OEMs,” Lavelle acknowledged. “But there are new things—our Bluetooth Car Connect products—that give consumers an option they have not had before and that is not offered by the auto manufacturer.” He also sees rear-seat entertainment as a stronghold for the aftermarket. “We know that the OEMs have not given the range that the consumer wants in their product,” Lavelle said. “Lots of people look at tablets coming into the car and, yes, it has impacted things, but a tablet is not maximized for the vehicle environment and neither is a smartphone. Neither is maximized to receive a signal at 70 miles per hour. But when you do an embedded rear seat entertainment system and you set up the antennas in the car to receive that signal—your streaming is going to be so much more robust and you’re not going to be tying up a phone in the car. “

2007 — Audiovox Germany completes the acquisition of certain assets of INCAR Limited, a UK business specializing in rear-seat electronics systems which adds a new, international OEM component and greatly enhances the company’s product development and engineering capabilities to service the European OEM car markets.

consumer electronics accessories, as well as the Recoton, Spike Master, Ambico and Discwasher brands for use on any product category, and the Jensen, Acoustic Research and Road Gear brands for consumer electronics accessories.

2007 — Oehlbach, a European market leader in the accessories business, is acquired by Audiovox Germany. VOXX adds an electronics accessory product line to its European business to complement its consumer electronics offering.

2005 — VOXX purchases Terk Technologies increasing market share for satellite radio products, primarily through an exclusive arrangement with XM Satellite Radio for direct-connect products. VOXX acquires its first accessories product line with hightech antennas and HDTV products at the forefront.

2007 — VOXX completes the acquisition of Thomson’s American consumer electronics accessory business which includes the rights to the RCA Accessories brand for

2003 — In July 2003, VOXX acquires the U.S. audio operations of Recoton adding the core domestic brands of Advent, Acoustic Research and Jensen for mobile and

Lavelle is excited about the new features and functions of the company’s EVO systems. “With our Sling Media products [integrating a Slingplayer into the EVO system of rear seat entertainment options] it will allow consumers to ‘sling’ or transmit whatever they are watching at home right to their cars,” he said. “When you look at the things the aftermarket will generate, it is incredible because they are always much more nimble than the car manufacturers. They can generate products that will resonate with the consumer.” Additionally, there is the install part of the equation. “When you look at 12-volt specifically with the installation component and the complexity of vehicles today, it will always allow for a robust aftermarket. Many of these products have to be installed in cars and have to be tied into the control modules. Although our engineers are always trying to make that installation simpler it still isn’t something that the average consumers are getting involved in.”

The Aftermarket World After All Lavelle, who is not a stranger to the ebb and flow of the consumer electronics world, is optimistic about

the future. “We are dedicated to the automotive aftermarket,” he said. “We are developing product and investing in that market. We have a strong distribution network of 12-volt retailers and 12-volt expediters, and we are going to continue to support them by developing products and programs that will allow them to develop business in their marketplace.” Could he have ever imagined the driverless car or iris-identity systems for vehicles in his lifetime? “I asked one of the senior executives at Audiovox way back then what was going to happen when the car makers made radios standard because at that point we sold radios and speakers—and primarily to the car dealers,” Lavelle said. “And he said to me, with his cigar hanging out of his mouth, ‘Listen, heaters used to be optional. Now they’re standard. There will always be something new being put into a car that will be an option that the factory hasn’t caught up with yet.’ And he was right. I am in my thirty-ninth year in this business and we are still selling products. The aftermarket is still very viable.” 

consumer electronics, as well as a host of international brands. It also marks VOXX International’s entrance into the European markets, the creation of Audiovox Germany and paves the way for future expansion. 2002 — In March 2002, VOXX purchases Code Systems, Inc., an automotive security product company, adding two prominent brands—Code Alarm and Chapman—and it marks VOXX International’s entrance into the OEM marketplace. Code has since grown to become a leading supplier of security products to select OE customers including GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and more.

The Eyelock nano NXT is an iris authentication device that the company hopes to help redefine the future of access control.

Voxx brand, 808, has released the CANZ wireless speaker, that feature Bluetooth control with a rechargeable lithium polymer battery to provide up to six hours of playtime from a single charge. me-mag.com 45

 tech today

The Truth abou Installation Expert, Joey Knapp WORDS BY JOEY KNAPP AND BING XU

e have covered a number of technical and fabrication related topics so far in this series. Moving from the idea of fitting a subwoofer in a footwell space, we are now going to look at another stealth way to integrate audio equipment: the false floor. I have the privilege of working with a master of false floor building, Bing Xu. Rather than share with you the details of building a false floor that I have learned over the years from Bing, I thought I would have him share it directly. Bing does a masterful job of fitting equipment into the confined space of a spare tire well. He has a lot to share on the subject, so enjoy part one of this two-part article.

46 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

ut False Floors PART ONE

Introduction I still vividly remember my first ever experience with aftermarket car audio. It was the summer of 1995 and I—along with most of my friends—had just gotten my driver’s license and obtained my first vehicle. One day, a good buddy showed me a catalog. In it were all kinds of gadgets and doodads that I had never seen before. From speakers and subwoofers, to amplifiers and even—gasp! Compact Disc players! My friend proudly pointed out the various products he had ordered, and

proclaimed that he was going to install it all himself and make his Nissan Pathfinder sound absolutely heroic. Of course, being a good friend, I naturally told him he was doing nothing but courting disaster. I told him that car audio installation is something that can only be achieved by professionals with years and years of experience, and it was more likely that he would transform his beloved SUV into a roman candle and I would be there to laugh at the ashes. Yet, a couple of weeks later, I found myself sitting in his

car, rolling down the street and blasting Bruce Springsteen, no doubt annoying the entire neighborhood with our dual 12-inch Infinity Kappa subwoofers in a pre-fabricated ported enclosure. I was hooked instantly and started planning the system in my own vehicle— of course, one that would be a billion times more impressive than his. As I slowly saved up to accomplish my dream, I hung out with my friend a lot and paid attention to the advantages and disadvantages of his design. After a while, it

me-mag.com 47

 tech today

Here’s how the whole false floor thing started for me. Two Coustic Amps and a Coustic 12-inch subwoofer in the trunk of a 2002 WRX. quickly became apparent that by far the biggest hindrance his system caused was the gargantuan sub box eating up about half of his cargo space. Every time we wanted to put our mountain bikes in the back, he had to unplug the damn thing and leave it at home. We also had to be careful what we put in the car for fear of puncturing the woofer cone. After a while, I began to wonder about ways of having a full-blown system in a vehicle without compromising cargo space and daily usability. Going off to a distant college put my sonic utopia fantasies on hiatus, but it didn’t stop me from diving deeper into the hobby. I purchased and read virtually every car audio magazine in existence, and it was from those pages that I became familiar with the term custom car audio. What especially fascinated me were the featured vehicles in which all the equipment was installed in a manner that allowed full usage of the trunk, where nothing could be seen until you decided to pop off a few covers and voila, the full glory of what was done is revealed. The seed was thus planted in my head that if I got into the industry, this would be the type of system I’d want to design and built. Gradually, I started offering my “services and expertise” to my college friends who had the means to upgrade their cars. It started with basic head unit swaps and door speaker installs and evolved to more complex systems. A few years later, while in grad school, I purchased my first table saw, jig saw and sander and started

48 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

WRX trunk in full stealth mode with covers in place.

to expand into the “custom” realm. The first opportunity to put my “space saving and hidden” design ideas to practice came with my friend’s brand spanking new Subaru WRX sedan. Combining the tutorials I had read in the magazines and web forums with my limited experiences over the past few years, I was able to craft my first ever true false floor. It was an all Coustic build with components up front and coaxials in the back, a four-channel and a mono amplifier, along with a 12-inch subwoofer. The sub was in a spare tire well fiberglass enclosure, and because I was obsessed with the amp internals displays I saw on various magazine articles, the two Coustic amps had their bottom covers removed and were installed upside down to show off their guts. I also made separate covers for the cutouts so that the entire system could be hidden out of sight. It was quite an ambitious project for someone with so little actual experience, but it came off quite well. Needless to say, looking back upon that original false floor build, there were a million things that I would have done differently today. But without a doubt, it gave me the foundations of being able to transfer simple ideas and concepts to reality within the confines of a vehicle. Over the next 15 years, I was able to slowly but surely evolve my craft in building false floors, learning from each mistake, expanding upon each success and incorporating new techniques learned from a wide variety of sources to end up where I am today. In the realm

of things, I am far from an advanced installer or master fabricator and this is by no means meant to be some kind of standard for building false floors. Nonetheless, It is my hope that through this article, I will be able to impart some of the things I have learned over the years and assist you in some way in your execution of a false floor project. This article will be divided into two parts. Part one will focus solely on the concept, pre-planning and design formulation of a false floor project, while part two will deal with step by step techniques in crafting the build itself.

Let’s get started, shall we?

PART I What Is A False Floor?

To me, a false floor design in car audio is one where upon initial inspection, it would appear there was little or no modification to a vehicle’s trunk or cargo floor. Yet most, if not all of the system’s main components resides beneath the floor plane, which could be either a newly constructed piece or the actual stock floor cover that came with the vehicle. Here are two examples of false floors I have done over the years, one of each variety: This 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee retains the OEM floor panel. A new presentation is fabricated beneath in the stock underfloor space to house a trio of Mosconi Zero amplifiers and two Illusion Audio C12XL subwoofers.

This 2015 Subaru WRX features a false floor fabricated from ½-inch MDF, wrapped in carpet and sits at stock floor height. A center tray houses eight Mosconi Pico2 Amplifiers and two AudioFrog GS10 Subwoofers. Advantages And Disadvantages Before you set out to build a false floor, it is important to understand the sacrifices and benefits of this particular design, which can be roughly summed up as the following:

Advantages: • Minimal loss of trunk space and maintains almost all of the car’s daily usability • Almost totally hidden when covered up, which is a natural theft deterrent • The duality nature of the design, which can transform from invisible to flashy (if so designed) just by removing a few covers, manually or via motorization

Disadvantages: • In many cases, it requires the removal of the spare tire • Depending on the vehicle, there could be strict limits on the footprint of the components you can use • Places more thermal resistance demand on electronic components due to a lack of ventilation In recent years, it is my opinion that as amps have become smaller and more efficient at heat dissipation, the basic

decision lies with whether or not you or your customer can accept the compromise of ditching the spare tire in exchange for a totally hidden system presentation. There are alternatives such as a false floor design that retains the spare tire, but those are far more complex and aren’t feasible in a vast percentage of vehicles. In my experience, the stealth vs. spare compromise is the decision for almost all of my customers when it comes to choosing a false floor design.

The Basic “Must Haves” To A False Floor Design Due to the sheer number of false floor projects I have taken on over the years (estimated to be over 250), I have developed a pretty strict definition of a false floor in my mind. This is by no means meant to be a benchmark and I am sure other installers would have their own take, but for me, these are my “must haves”: • There must be a way to hide the components and present a fully stealthy view of the trunk. To me, if you simply build the components into the floor with no way of hiding them, you take the “false” out of the false floor. I call these in-floor

builds and I have done quite a few of them over the years, mostly in dedicated show cars. By my definition, having a false floor means the finished product needs to give people the false impression that the floor is stock. • Key components must be protected from daily use and abuse. This is a follow-up point to the above principle. My end goal is always for the customer to be able use their trunk in the same manner as before, without the fear of damaging any of the components hidden beneath. This means either protected covers over all the components, or keeping the OEM floorboard in place above the components. • The finished floor should be as strong if not stronger than the OEM floor it replaces. This is yet another point toward daily usability and overall integrity. The customer should have no fear of bending, cracking or otherwise damaging the new floor by using it in a manner that would be safe with the OEM floor. To me the goal should be to make the new floor even more load resistance than the stock floor, as many cars come with rather flimsy fiberboards as the floor cover. I would venture to say I can safely sit my

This 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee retains the OEM floor panel. A new presentation is fabricated beneath in the stock underfloor space to house a trio of Mosconi Zero amplifiers and two Illusion Audio C12XL subwoofers. me-mag.com 49

 tech today 200-pound frame onto a vast majority of the false floors I have built.

This 2013 Subaru WRX features a false floor that remains at OEM height.

This 2014 Subaru WRX features a new floor that has been raised to the threshold of the hatch opening, in order to accommodate the OEM spare tire underneath the build.

Sound proofed trunk floor of a 2016 M4, note only a small storage well in the middle of the trunk floor.

This 2014 Audi A6 is a great example of a car that does not lend itself to the fake floor design, due to the massive OEM battery located in the middle of the spare tire well. 50 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

The finished floor should not look out of place. In my opinion, a false floor is only effective if it looks as if it belongs in the vehicle. Since we are dealing with a generally flat surface, height is about the only thing that can make a false floor look out of sorts. If possible, I always try to keep the new floor at exactly the same height as the old floor. On vehicles in which this is not possible, I try to limit the floor rise to about three to four inches. The absolute maximum should be the threshold of the trunk or hatch opening, and under no circumstances should the new floor be above that limit. I usually only approach this limit on cars with a very short distance between the trunk opening and the stock floor, while utilizing tall products or trying to retain the spare tire, but overall, it is my opinion that the closer you adhere to OEM height, the more stealthy and integrated it will appear. Here are two examples of the same vehicle, one featuring OEM floor height, and the other with a new floor raised to the hatch opening threshold.

Vehicle Compatibility To The False Floor Design While there are many other creative ways to hide equipment in a vehicle—be it side panels or even fabricating an amp rack into the ceiling or trunk lid—false floors remain the most viable option for installers due to the simple fact that most vehicles come with a lot of space under a flat surface in this area.

Nonetheless, it is important to judge whether or not a particular vehicle is compatible to the false floor design before deciding on this route. Here are some factors that would make a vehicle less favorable for a false floor, keeping in mind that I am by no means suggesting it is impossible to build false floors in them. Rather, what I am stating is that it will require far more effort and complex fabrication work to make that happen. Vehicles with no spare tire well – This is a trend that has been growing in recent years. Some manufacturers still provide you with a usable storage well while others do away with them completely. The challenge here is a simple matter of space. While you can build an amp rack on top of the existing floor and only lose about three to four inches of floor height, very few subwoofers will be able to reside in that space. The end result is that if you choose to build a fake floor in these kinds of vehicles, you will likely have to build the new floor much higher than the original height, resulting in a pretty drastic loss of trunk space and also rendering the whole build so obviously aftermarket that it partially defeats the purpose of a false floor. A good example of these types of vehicles are the late model BMWs. Vehicles with rear mounted batteries directly in the middle of the spare tire well – This is perhaps an even less desirable situation than the above attribute. Not only is the battery eliminating potential air space for the subwoofer enclosure, it is also sometimes problematic from a radiated noise perspective to have signal cables so close to

This 2014 Subaru STi sedan features a multi-tiered OEM floor, which required careful angling and placement of the various components to match.

While the OEM floor of a Lincoln LS may appear to be flat, it isn’t and instead, the OEM floor panel is molded to conform to the various curves and rises in the metal floor itself; as a result, I had to build the top floor panel by a combination of MDF and Fiberglass in order to conform to the profile.

This 2013 Scion FR-S has a small and shallow spare tire well, as a result, three diminutive Arc Audio KS Mini amps and a single Arc Audio 8-inch subwoofer were chosen for the project. a rear mounted battery. And finally, one would also need to account for the ability to remove and replace the battery in the event of a failure. Vehicles with a completely uneven trunk floor surface – This characteristic is more common than you might think. While it isn’t a complete killer, it does require a lot more calculations and engineering. Keeping in mind that the end goal is to mimic the OEM floor appearance as much as possible, having a car in which the stock surface is curved, raised, or multi-leveled makes this job far more difficult. What you will usually have to do is either place the components at different heights and orientations, fiberglass

mold the top floor panel so it conforms to the angles and shapes of the OEM floor, or a combination of both. Here are two examples:

Choosing Equipment Based On Available Space Over the years I have seen a lot of false floor builds go awry, and I would Chalk it up to 70 or 80 percent of them having an improper choice of equipment. At the end of the day, this is a simple matter of physics. Unlike many other types of car audio builds, a false floor is completely at the mercy of the space available below the OEM floor. Even if you plan on raising the floor to a certain height, you will

still want to keep it as low as possible for a clean appearance. Thus it is extremely important to survey the amount of room you have to work with and choose the equipment based on those dimensions. By now, you are hopefully well-armed with the mentality needed to design a false floor build. If there is a single point I want you to take away from this first article, it is that a false floor design places very tight requirements on vehicle attributes, equipment choices and installation ability, so plan carefully! In part two of the article, I will cover the actual execution of a false floor project. Stay tuned! 

me-mag.com 51

µ MECP News

5 Tips For New Installers I’m a MECP Master Installer with 17 years experience working in the mobile electronics industry. I have worked in the install bay, also for Best Buy corporate in a Tech Support role, and now I am an Engine Performance Mechanic at a high-volume Ford Dealership in Michigan. I hold an elite position in the service line, one typically earned through years of step-up positions within the service department. My Master Installer, ASE and state certifications, along with my experience in car audio installation qualified me to step right into this position. And although I am now Ford certified and attend ongoing manufacturer and vendor training, the core competencies I learned through earning my Master Installer certification are still the most important skills I rely on in my day-to-day work. Looking back over my career as a technician, I have a few pieces of advice for those just starting out:

Find a niche. You need a niche in order to make yourself valuable. I suggest specializing in something that will be in demand for the foreseeable future. For example, if you are knowledgeable about electric principles and diagnosing circuits, there will be a demand for you. Many mechanics and techs struggle with theories and concepts and the demand for these skills is high. Always remember that you may not be the fastest, but tenacity and repetition will make you faster. Don’t be the tech that never has the time to do it right the first time, but always has time to fix it. Be thorough and consistent.

Network. Talk to people—in your shop, down the street, and in your industry. You may be surprised at how much free information is available to you and how strong you can make personal and business relationships with some face-to-face conversation. This may also help break down barriers between you and competitors. Don’t get me wrong, a little competition between rivals is a great motivator, but you should be able to lean on each other if there is a customer experience on the line. After all, customers are why we are in this business. Take care of the customer and keep them coming back.

52 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

3 4

Share what you know. As tempting as it is to hoard what you’ve learned as a way to create a niche for yourself, this practice is not sustainable in the long run. There’s so much that’s not written down, and at some point you will need to ask for help. If you consistently lend a hand, then you won’t feel awkward asking for help when you need it. If your coworker sees you’re willing to help him, you can feel at ease asking for his help. You have so much to share, yet so much to learn. As I like to say, it’s our job to always be training our replacement.

Get certified. Products and vehicles have changed drastically, yet despite their increased complexity, in many ways integrating aftermarket components with OEM systems is becoming simpler and simpler. Vehicle-specific interfaces and plug-and-play modules make our work easier, but they also mean we know less and less about how they actually work. This makes for quite a challenge troubleshooting them when they don’t work as we expect. It also makes troubleshooting legacy systems very challenging for those newer to the industry. One of the biggest under-appreciated aspects of becoming MECP certified is mastering the basics of electrical theory and installation. Understanding how and why a component works, not just how to connect it, is vitally important to your career.

Be in the moment. Making myself less connected may seem like counterculture, but putting my phone down is one of the best things I ever did for my career. Between email, texts, social media and online forums, my mind was always somewhere else. Being in the now, giving my full attention to my colleagues and customers and taking advantage of learning opportunities made a huge difference in my work and in how I feel about myself. You don’t have to abandon technology altogether, but making time to live in the moment opens doors. Try it. These strategies have worked for me and I hope one or more of them will help you find increased success in your career, too. Thanks for reading.

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Better Than Yesterday Submitted by Matt Schaeffer, Safe and Sound, Chantilly, Va.

54 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

2015 Installer of the Year Runner-up Matt Schaeffer has a message alert that pops up every day with his daily alarm. It says, “Be better than you were yesterday.” He had his chance with this 2015 Tesla 85D, an OEM-style build seeking to keep the existing audio source, while upgrading the speakers, amplifier, subwoofer and signal processing. The idea was to style the added equipment how Tesla may have done it. The trunk was highlighted with a Tesla emblem that illuminates when the trunk is open. Parts used included a Mosconi DSP and JL Audio HD900/5 amplifier. Behind the grille is a 10-inch Focal 165KRXS Flax subwoofer, resting in a hand-made bracket with FAST Rings. Tucked under the arm rest in the center console is the bass knob for the subwoofer. Magnets were embedded into the enclosure to mount the trim. The trunk was finished with matching Alcantara suede, carpet and aluminum accents.

me-mag.com 55

 installs

Peaks and Valleys SUBMITTED BY JOSHUA MOLEN, AUDIO TECH OK, LAWTON, OK.

The team at Audio Tech Ok built up this 2015 GMC Sierra Crew in a way only car audio fanatics could. The build included a Mosconi V8 Processor, two Stinger SPV70s, a 12.6 cubic foot 6th Order enclosure, three DD Audio 3512 subwoofers and a total of eight DD Audio speakers of varying sizes. All acrylic was machined by hand. Wiring was done by Austin Noe and Phil Bonar.

56 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

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me-mag.com 57

Learning from Failure Leads to Success

uccess requires determination and focus. To realize it you must define what success will look like when achieved. Look at your own business. Do you believe it is successful in your measure? Does it resemble what you started out to achieve? Does it align with your mission statement and goals for your business? All good questions. At times, throughout the history of your business, you will come to realize that many things can contribute to success. So, let’s take a closer look at one of the contributing factors to discover how failure can help you succeed. Regardless of the size of your business, it is your business and livelihood. When your ideas fail to produce the expected results, you must review the original goal, understand what failed and then take the appropriate action. Remember that a failed idea should always be a learning experience to help you grow your business and not the end of your dream as an entrepreneur. Have faith in yourself and in those on your team. On that note, let’s talk failure. First, you need to understand failure. In the simplest form, it is just a lack of success. When you fail, it will tend to bring about feelings of being defeated and discouraged. Face it, we all want to succeed. When we don’t, it is easy to take it personally. Don’t! This is your business and you have the ability to turn things around by learning from your mistakes. Take responsibility for the failure and realize that it’s one of life’s greatest lessons. Next, you should move past excuses. When you analyze where things went wrong, avoid “ifs”. For example: If I could’ve had a different circumstance. If the deal would have gone through. If there was more time. None of these “ifs” make a difference. Why focus on excuses for everything that

58 Mobile Electronics  June 2016

did go wrong when you can focus on what can go right? Now, let’s move to recovering from failure. Or, what I like to call climbing out. When recovering from failure, you need to realize that fear can inhibit your recovery. This fear is even stronger when you have put everything into something and you still fail. So, what should you do to recover? Refer back to your mission and or vision statement. It should be the guiding purpose you created to help focus on what is important. Your mission should be a direct reflection of what you deemed success should be for your business. If not, take this time to reflect on why you chose it and if it’s still the right statement to guide you. If it is, then outline the next steps. If not, review it. Remember, a vision statement expresses your optimal goal and reason for existence. While a mission statement provides the overview for you to realize your vision by identifying what you offer to a specific target audience; keeping the values and goals of your business in mind. Recently, at the Town Hall meeting at KnowledgeFest Indy, I was surprised at the response from the audience: Very few owners had a mission and or vision statement for their business. If you don’t have one, make it a priority. Without it, you are destined to fail again. Living too cautiously can inhibit you, so don’t easily give up. Try other alternatives. Make sure you have given it your all, holding nothing back. Success usually follows. In other words, trying and not succeeding is not true failure, it is a part of the discovery process for what works. Do a reality check to make sure that what you are attempting is an achievable goal. Take the time to reach out to others who are succeeding at something you desire to achieve, and then listen to what they have

done to overcome similar obstacles. Learning from others can save you pain in the future. You see, failure is only final when you give in to it. Your new approach should not include statements like “I don’t want to get my hopes up,” or “I’ll try it, but I know it probably won’t work.” These are fear statements that will only serve to ensure your next failure. You should truly embrace failure with maturity. Let the benefits of failure allow you to strip away things that may not matter. This will provide you with a renewed focus. It will create a determination to succeed. Look, you and your business have survived and now have the opportunity to write your next success. Remembering this quote should help. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Let’s face it, failure can be painful. But it serves as a reminder not to repeat the same mistake. In contrast, success is sweet but requires a determination that is unwavering. So, look at yourself in the mirror. What you see is the person ready to move forward with a new idea that will make your business a success!

Chris Cook, President, Mobile Electronics

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