Mobile Electronics Magazine October 2018

October 2018

me-mag.com

odel, mers. m e r k to bac for its custo t n o r f full how With a o put on a s st m i a o i JC Aud PLUS:

Public Relations, Part 2: Make Friends; Make the News Cold GOLD: How Your Peers are Prepping for Hot Winter Selling Season

Dream Team Build: The Industry’s Best Get Together for a Worthy Cause

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Volume 36 // Issue 10

Ad Index

14 FEATURED STORIES 14// What’s Happening: Winter is Coming Retailers have remote start season and the holidays in common, but each business has its own unique way of tackling year-end opportunities.

32// Real World Retail: JC Audio JC Audio operates from the very same building in which owner Jeff Cantrell first began his career. Today, it is a robust business that is also giving back to the industry by hosting training sessions at its location.

40// Strategy & Tactics: Public Relations for Retail, Part 2 Now that you’ve created your message, it’s time to make the news. In this installment, learn to build your media distribution list and how to prepare to send your press release, as well as how to evaluate overall performance.

Accele Electronics….................................... p. 2 & 3 Arc Audio….............................................................p. 26 AudioControl….....................................................p. 53 Audison…................................................................p. 42 DD Audio...............................................................…p. 11 Directed: DS4 / Viper.................................. …p. 43 Firstech: Drive for Coats….............................p. 32 Firstech: Drone…................................................p. 59 Harman: JBL.........................................................…p. 7 InstallerNet....................................................... …p. 40 K40 Electronics…...............................................p. 22 Metra Electronics: iBeam.......................... …p. 28 MITO Corporation............................................. p. 30 Orca: Mosconi / Gladen…................................p. 13 Rockford Fosgate............................................…p. 17 Scosche................................................................…p. 51 SiriusXM…...............................................................p. 12 SounDigital…...........................................................p. 5 VAIS Technology….............................................p. 25 Voxx: Code Alarm….......................................... p. 60 Waylens...................................................................p. 19

Contents

44// The Support Team: Cerwin-Vega Mobile Cerwin-Vega Mobile has gone through many changes since the brand was first founded in 1954. With a small team dedicated to helping dealers and installers, the tech support and product development departments of Cerwin-Vega continue to persevere.

56

48// Tech Today: The Dream Team In part one of this behind the scenes look at the MSC America dream team build, those involved share how they decided to transform an Audi Q5 into a stellar demo vehicle that would debut at KnowledgeFest Dallas this past August.

6 Editor’s Forum 8 Feedback 10 Statistics

On the Cover

12 Helpful Stuff

COVER DESIGN: Solomon Daniels

14 What’s Happening

JC Audio in Jackson, Tenn. is now housed in the same building in which owner Jeff Cantrell began his career in 1994. The business has previously made Retailer of the Year, and has been named among the Top 50 Retailers on several occasions. This year, it was named a Top 12 Retailers.

JC Audio is a small team with big dreams—and for that reason, they are featured on the cover of this month’s issue.

23 Retail News

4 Mobile Electronics October 2018

27 Hot Sellers 33 Real World Retail 41 Strategy and Tactics 49 Tech Today 56 Installs 58 From the President

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editor’s forum

Things to Do in

DENVER

How could I not use that classic movie title for my headline?

I don’t know if I’d ever want to live in Colorado, but my second trip to the M.E.S.A. Summit had me feeling right at home. The Mobile Electronics Specialists of America held its annual gathering in the land of sparse oxygen this past September, and I was honored to get an invite. Of course, like many industry gatherings, it was like old home week as I got to see retailers I’ve known for years, not to mention vendors with whom I have strong relationships. But I also got to view and be part of something special you don’t typically see in gatherings of this size: a total cohesive synergy. It was as if I entered the living room of a family reunion that has been happening every year since forever.

The interesting dynamic was that, like a typical show, there are buyers and sellers. But it’s almost like those are parts that are played during the show floor hours and discarded after. Vendors and retailers form one group as industry professionals with a common goal.

Of course, there are elements of the M.E.S.A. structure that lend themselves to this experience. It’s an organization in which everyone needs to participate in order for anyone to benefit. That in itself comprises the bedrock on which the camaraderie is built. But there’s more to it. The relationships that have formed on top of this foundation are genuine and altruistic. Members want to see other members do well. They celebrate their accomplishments and offer support to those experiencing a dip in business. What’s developed is an environment in which no one is embarrassed to bare their souls.

6 Mobile Electronics October 2018

The Summit experience is a testament to those who run the organization.

Every activity is designed to foster strong relationships. You don’t need that level of cohesiveness to run a successful organization of this type. But they did it anyway.

You’ve heard me describe my role and that of my writers at the magazine as “keepers of the ideal.” It’s our job to present perfect-weather scenarios so that readers can see what’s possible and set goals to get as close as they can.

Many elements of my Summit experience fully demonstrated the ideal. The peer support. The vendor participation.

The trust. These are positive aspects of our business that can exist outside of the M.E.S.A structure and be implemented in a different way. We can set goals to get as close as we can together.

M.E.S.A. members represent some of the smartest and most successful businesspeople we have. And while the organization has a responsibility to benefit its members, we all have a responsibility to keep our industry alive. I would like to see M.E.S.A. develop an industrywide communication that presents ideas and best practices from the experience of its members, so that we all can become better. So that our industry can be stronger.

My goal has always been to bring out and champion things that make us great, regardless of the source. I thank M.E.S.A. for giving me these experiences to share, and I hope that the organization will join me in this broader effort. What’s done in Denver can be done for all.

Why You Should Trust

JC Audio I used to think the “J” in JC stood for Jackson, but it stands for Jeff Cantrell, the owner. However, once you’ve had the JC Audio experience you’ll conclude that the J might as well represent the community where he’s done business for over 15 years.

Jeff is known for being meticulous in everything he does, and that includes caring for your vehicle. It take special expertise to connect new products to the complicated electronics of today’s vehicles. That’s why every technician in the store must achieve and maintain specialized certification to even touch your car, truck or boat. In addition, the JC Audio team undergoes continuous training to ensure your service experience is as fulfilling as your new driving experience.

Not every mobile electronics retailer requires this high standard, but you deserve it!

 feedback

SECURING

THE BRAND

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

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

Published by TM

Retailers agree that promoting the store’s brand and demonstrating an experience are an important aspect of a business’s evolution.

mobile electronics association

Chris Cook, President 978.645.6434 • chrisc@mobile-electronics.com

“Always sell your number one brand: YOU. Create value in everything you talk about and present to customers. Differentiate yourself from your competitors.” Odin Mattes, Earmark Car Audio, Plano, Texas

Kerry Moyer, VP Strategic Partnerships 978.645.6457 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com

“I like to share our build logs so prospective clients and other retailers can see that these kinds of things can be done. There are so many times when I have seen an install and gotten excited to either replicate it or try my own hand at making it better. This is what makes our industry so great: everybody is willing to share knowledge and insight.” Pierce Barrett, Soundscape Car Audio, Carrollton, Texas

Richard Basler, Dir. Technology Solutions 978.645.6449 • richb@mobile-electronics.com

“For years I’ve been really close-minded to other people’s ways of thinking, mostly because nobody in my country achieved what we are doing right now. Four years ago at my first KnowledgeFest, that changed for good. I got to meet people performing at the level I want to be at some day. It is true that my closed mind helped me through the first part of the journey as I see it, but we need more good input and more advice from the right people, and this all happened at KnowledgeFest for me.”

Ricardo Rangel, Monster by Rangel, Mexico City, Mexico “Invest in your business. I find that if I have product in stock, I can sell it. Buy the tools needed to do the work efficiently. Make sure you can demonstrate the experience, not just show pictures.

The Internet can show pictures 24/7, but it cannot give the client a real world experience. If you can give an effective demo and ‘touch’ the client, you have the keys to their wallet.” Alan Roath, Cartronics, Miami, Fla.

8 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Solomon Daniels, Dir. Media and Communications 978.645.6463 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com

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

TM

mobile electronics association

Supporting the specialist channel to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Technology Education

Information Partnerships

Mobile Electronics believes a strong, growing specialist channel is critical to the future of the automotive aftermarket industry. ®

Media

We are committed to providing channel support that includes education, access to information, technology, and media.

We believe industry growth depends on our dealer members investing in their businesses in order to make them better and stronger, while delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Contact us today to become a Mobile Electronics® partner.

Mobile Electronics® • info@mobile-electronics.com • 800-949-6372

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 helpful stuff Book:

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Cities like Charleston, Oklahoma City and Des Moines are predicted to be the next hot spots. Each is a place powered by a can-do spirit, valuing compromise over confrontation and progress over political victory. Once regarded as a forgettable city in “flyover country,” Oklahoma City has become one of our nation’s most dynamic places. Cornett translates his city’s success—and the success of cities like it—into a vision for the future. It is a study of the changes re-shaping American urban life, and a blueprint for those to come.

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 what’s happening

WINTER IS COMING

Retailers have remote start season and the holidays in common, but each business has its own unique way of tackling year-end opportunities.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

Retailers everywhere are gearing up for remote start season and beginning to prepare for the holidays. In Vernon, Conn., ACT Audio and Mill St. Auto presented the Cruise’n on 83 event on the twenty-third of September. The sound-off drew a big crowd, trophies were awarded and ACT Audio raffled off items—including a Viper remote starter.

14 Mobile Electronics October 2018

This was the shop’s first time hosting such an event. “One of the reasons we do remote starters in raffles and giveaways is because, in the customers’ eyes, they hold so much value,” said James P. Smith, who manages ACT Audio with business partner Adam Thomas. Smith remarked that while a $200 gift card could be offered instead, the customer tends to feel the remote starter is worth more to them. Customers then pay for

the work involved and any add-ons.

The shop has no trouble selling remote starters. According to Smith, they sell between 700 and 800 per year, and they don’t need to advertise very much at all.

“We’re a very busy remote starter store,” Smith said, adding that the shop gets backed up with work very easily.

“The year before last, we were six weeks backed up.” If the shop advertised remote starters, they’d have to start

Winter is Coming

At the Cruise’n on 83 event in Vernon, Conn. ACT Audio raffled off a Viper remote starter. Hosting this event was a first for the shop. The event attracted a large crowd and there were about 45 cars present to participate in the sound-off.

rejecting clients, Smith added.

ACT Audio attributes much of its recent success and improvements to KnowledgeFest. Two years ago, Smith attended for the first time. “I didn’t realize what was out there,” he said.

“KnowledgeFest reignited my fire, so I went back and worked really hard to implement what I always wanted and make a grade-A store. We did the expansion and changed the environment.”

While the number of tickets went down, the business’s revenue continued to rise. “We’re doing less work, but more high-quality work.”

Special Sale Prices and Holiday Incentives

fleet vehicles. “Remote starters are just a bonus,” he said. “There are so many commercial vehicles, and more and more government mandating for safety.”

This kind of work is consistent yearround for them. “There’s a huge push for it in November because everyone has their budgets they have to spend,” Mease added.

When it comes to special sales at Mobile Toys in College Station, Texas, owner Christerfer Pate said the business takes a good look at what has been popular over the previous year. This year,

they’re pushing radar detectors. “Also, our custom sub enclosure business has been really good,” Pate added, “so we will probably push that in our ad campaign and we’ll look at our inventory and see what we have a lot of.”

The business then runs a Christmas sale that starts the day after Thanksgiving. “We’ll run that through the day before Christmas, and we’ll launch our end of the year sale after that,” Pate said.

Certified Autosound and Security, with several locations in British Columbia, Canada, sells the most

ACT Audio chooses to raffle off a remote starter at events like this one because they hold so much value to customers, said James P. Smith.

Offering a special price can also help increase sales, which is exactly what Fenix Audio of White Marsh, Maryland decided to do. Owner John Mease stated that Fenix Audio is looking for two fulltime technicians, but it’s been a difficult search. “We have no real prospects,” he said, “and it’s getting a little late in the season to try to train someone. We needed a remote start technician in the springtime to train.”

For this business, retail is secondary, Mease added. Most of their revenue comes from installing GPS tracking in facebook.com/MobileElectronics

15

 what’s happening ACT Audio’s newly expanded store includes this showroom, which James P. Smith renovated after gaining insight and inspiration from KnowledgeFest.

remote starters from October to February. “Being that we are on the west coast, our remote starter market isn’t as big as people think,” said Chris Cope, one of the business’s owners.

“We have very mild winters, so remote starters aren’t massive sellers like they are in other provinces.”

Most recently, the store implemented a call-back program on all previous remote starter sales. “Basically, this consists of us doing a Certified tune-up leading up to winter so we can get the customer back in the door and make sure the remote starter is functioning properly,” Cope said. The business’s biggest sellers are remote starter alarms, backup cameras and audio, he added.

ACT Audio chooses not to run sales around the holidays because they’re already too busy, Smith said. “Over the summer, we offer incentives to sell remote starters,” he added. “It’s not just to keep the car warm, but to keep it cool, too.”

16 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Fresh Knowledge and Expertise Helps Revitalize a Business Shops in other areas, such as Virginia—which is neither too cold nor too hot—might have some difficulty selling remote starters. Ethan Blau of Sound Wave Customs in Virginia Beach, Va. stated that the uncertainty of the weather plays a part in whether or not the shop will sell very many of them.

Sound Wave Customs also advertises remote starters during the summer, pointing out that it’s just as important to get the air conditioning started in 95-degree weather as it is to turn the heat on when it’s freezing outside.

“Adjusting to the changes in climate and changes in our demographic, we’re having a stronger and stronger season every winter,” Blau said. “This year, I’m preparing in September, which I’ve never done before. Usually I don’t prepare for that until the end of October.”

With planning in full swing, the business is increasing their

advertising budget and focusing on avenues such as Google Adwords and social media. Charity is another avenue that Sound Wave Customs enjoys taking part in each year. “I’m always looking for things that people might forget about, and try to cater to that,” Blau said. The endeavor is always win-win for both parties.

The shop also has two new hires, both of whom came from stores that sold a lot of remote starters. “I have two new transplants here: Stephen Krell, who owned Syracuse Customs, and Bob Mickonis, who came from northern Pennsylvania and Mobile Edge.”

Krell is the manager in the front of the store, and handles a lot of sales.

Mickonis is now the operations manager. “With these two talents on my team, we can do a lot better this year and have record setting numbers,” Blau said. Both new additions to the team will be able to offer their knowledge and expertise on selling remote

Winter is Coming

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17

 what’s happening starters. “We’re definitely increasing inventory this season,” he added.

Creative Product Combinations Make for Busy Bays

(Left to right) Bob Mickonis, Operations Manager; Ethan Blau, Owner; Stephen Krell, Customer Service & Front of House Manager. As new additions to the team, Mickonis and Krell have brought their knowledge and expertise of selling remote starters to Sound Wave Customs.

18 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Blau recalled when Compustar and Drone Mobile first began working with Amazon Alexa. With a careful plan in mind, Blau purchased some Amazon Echo and Echo Dot units. “For a higher-end remote start system—about $1,100 installed—the customer would get the full Alexa that they could either keep or gift,” Blau said. “On a lower-end system, which was around $899 or $799, we gave them the dot.” The solution was a success.

The method even impressed Compustar, according to Blau, who added that the company called and said they’d been considering doing the same thing.

December is always a good month for Mobile Toys, according to Pate. “It’s the second or third largest month in the year for us. It hasn’t been the largest in the last two or three years,” he said.

“The first month of summer is usually huge and overshadows it. There’s always a bump in December. There’s always an increase over the previous months.”

Mobile Toys gets the chance to increase some of their inventory in December. “JL Audio gives us the opportunity to do our buy-in for the next year,” Pate said. “We would rather get it done and over with and sell that inventory. We stock up on our main brands in late November and early December.

Radar detectors are the biggest grab and go thing. We sell a ton of radar detectors like ESCORT and K40. That seems to be the number one thing when someone wants to grab something easy.”

While Pate added that they don’t hire additional help during the holidays, they may shift some of their staff to the busier College Station store, depending on how things go. “Any shop that’s busy is probably looking for someone right now,” Pate said. “If I had two more installers, I’d hire them.”

Methods and strategies for increasing sales in any category will vary depending on a business’s demographic. “Once you find something that works, keep

Winter is Coming

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 what’s happening

Offering a free Alexa Echo or free Echo Dot helped raise awareness of remote start installations and options at Sound Wave Customs.

doing it until it doesn’t work,” said Ata Ehdaivand of Absolute Electronix in Rockville, Md. For Absolute Electronix, remote start season is one of the most important times of the year. “It dictates the next year,” Ehdaivand said. “If we have a good remote start season, we have a good year. Our number one thing is to create awareness of what we do with remote starters and we begin now.”

The business carries out a few strategic sales, Ehdaivand said. This includes an “ultimate sale” around the holidays: “Buy one, get one free remote start. You buy one with an installation, and you get a free remote start by itself.” The individual is then responsible for the cost of labor for installation.

ACT Audio followed a similar path when it raffled off the Viper remote start. Smith said the raffles at the Cruise’n on 83 event went very well.

“I think in the beginning people were afraid to come over to us because they were afraid we would try to sell to them,” Smith said. “Once we went to them and said, ‘Hey, we’re raffling off great items,’ people came, and the word spread.” Those who won received the item, but of course would have to pay the labor to install.

Recently, the business took part in a raffle at a different local event. “People

20 Mobile Electronics October 2018

had to put down their name, email and number,” Smith explained. “Anyone who didn’t win the raffle, we sent them an email and said, ‘Hi, you didn’t win, but if you’re still interested in getting a remote start, you can have $50 off.”

Although this was a good incentive, Smith said not a single person responded to the offer. “We’re going to do it again. Maybe we’ll have different results this time.”

Connecting with the Community Through Charity and Events This year, the TowneBank Norfolk In-Water Boat Show was supposed to happen during September but was rescheduled for November because of Hurricane Florence. As long as everything goes according to plan, Sound Wave Customs will be participating for the first time.

The business is also taking part in the Coastal Virginia Auto Show, also held in November.

In early December—this will be their sixth year—Sound Wave Customs will hold a show at their location, with about 60 to 80 cars in attendance, with trophies, food vendors and Santa Claus available to take photos with the children.

“All the proceeds go to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters here in

Virginia,” Blau said. The shop also does a toy drive. “We start advertising probably early November. We have donation boxes and we bring in other businesses.

The idea is for people to donate brand new toys, and we take them to the kids.

We had whole landscaping trailers full of toys [last time]. There are kids in there who are terminally ill that don’t get to leave the hospital. We try to bring them some joy.”

Mobile Toys also takes part in charities. They begin prepping for the holiday season in October. According to Pate, the business reviews what they did last year to find out what worked best and what didn’t work. “We start thinking about new campaigns. We go through different charities. We do two or three different charities each year,” Pate said. “We either sponsor Toys for Tots, or something else for kids, and we decide which ones.”

Pate added that it’s easy to feel inundated during the holiday season because there are so many options when it comes to choosing which charities to contribute to.

Taking Advantage of the Weather When it comes to remote starters, though, Pate said they don’t sell very many. “We do more during spring and summer than the rest of the year. I always joke that the shops up north

Winter is Coming

This advertisement and the one pictured above helped bring awareness to Sound Wave Customs’ remote starter offerings.

probably do more in a week than I do in a quarter,” he added. “We probably do one per week. It’s fairly steady all year long and picks up during the spring.

The heat drives people in. They want the automated AC.” For Fenix Audio, remote start season is an important time of year. “It’s about 80 percent of our revenue in the winter months,” Mease said, adding that the business utilizes mainly Google Adwords, Facebook and Instagram.

Fenix Audio stocks up on inventory to prepare, ordering ahead of time during regional trainings. “Most of our remote starters we buy 50 or 60 at a time,” Mease added.

At ACT Audio, between Smith and Thomas, they’re able to complete a lot of remote start installs quickly. “From Thanksgiving to Christmas, and a little beyond, I become a full-time installer and we double up the work,” Smith said, adding that for the rest of the year, he doesn’t do as much installing himself.

“This year, we’re definitely putting in a large order so we’ll be fully stocked and ready to go and we won’t have to worry about back-order stuff.”

He stated that customers have already begun to inquire about remote starters this season.

When they need extra help, ACT Audio calls on previous employees with whom they have maintained good relationships. “They come in and help out,” Smith said.

Ehdaivand anticipates much higher sales on remote starters this season at Absolute Electronix, where they are expanding into the Omega brand of remote starters. The business also carries Fortin.

Rather than hiring additional workers, he said they simply extend appointment times. “We’ll go three weeks out instead of two weeks out,” he said. “We try to work a little bit more and pay the guys extra instead of bringing someone else in.”

He advised that business owners should be original about their ideas.

“Play it until it doesn’t work,” he added.

“That’s the key to success for us, for most of what we do.” facebook.com/MobileElectronics

21

Winter is Coming

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22

 retail news

WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER

Mobile Sound Systems Expands Business Working With Texas MasterCraft Those in the industry understand that building healthy relationships with other businesses is one of the most important things a shop can do. For Arlington, Texas-based Mobile Sound Systems, this meant partnering with Texas MasterCraft to provide their clients help with their stereo and lighting needs. The partnership kicked off in 2013, and Mobile Sound Systems has seen significant growth since.

“What they wanted is to have some stereo experts helping their clientele,” said Mobile Sound Systems general manager Nick Williams. (This particular Texas MasterCraft location is a dealership for the brand, not representative of the entire brand itself.) Before working with Mobile Sound Systems, the dealership had to refer a customer to a stereo shop, which meant boats had to be transported back and forth.

It got to the point where the business wanted to keep everything under one roof. After reaching out to a few different shops, Mobile Sounds Systems was chosen. The shop had previously done work for MasterCraft, and the plan they

23 Mobile Electronics October 2018

proposed—doing all of the dealership’s stereo work onsite—helped forge the partnership.

In the beginning, Mobile Sound Systems would send over a tech to help with customer needs as they arose, but in 2016, with the relocation of the dealership, the shop worked out a deal where they secured a section of Texas MasterCraft’s new space. “It’s a store within a store concept. That’s the best way I can put it,” Williams said.

“We interface with this client and work the deal with them. Sometimes they pay us directly, and sometimes they even finance it into the boat deal. Obviously that’s advantageous for us.”

A huge part of the shop’s business comes from working with Texas MasterCraft, and that has directly contributed to business growth, according to Williams. While there are other shops in the area that have expanded into marine offerings, there aren’t many that have it as a main category of business dealings.

“We were able to tap into our marine category because we’re eating, living and breathing boats and boat stereos every

single day.”

What Williams is seeing now is an increase in that kind of business because the shop is being more proactive with advertising it on Instagram and Facebook, which has helped bridge the disconnect between customers being unaware that Mobile Sound Systems does boats, and realizing the extent of the work the shop is capable of.

“We’re also about to send our main guy to tint school. That way we can also tint the windshields of the boats.”

The shop currently has to subcontract that responsibility out to someone else. Williams hopes that both tinting and clear protection can keep the shop busier during the winter months. When customers bring their boats in for winterization, they often have the stereos checked out at the same time.

Who’s Who

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

1954 VW Beetle Transformed Into Head-Turning Beach Cruiser A classic Beetle displaying SoundSkins colors sat on the show floor at KnowledgeFest Dallas this past August. The owner of the car, Daniel Waldrep, initially had no idea that SoundSkins and Mobile Toys planned to go all-out on the vehicle. “Chris at Mobile Toys really spearheaded everything,” said John Schwartz of SoundSkins. “We gave him some ideas, and he and the crew went to town!

There was a good dent on the lower panel and Chris decided we can’t match the paint, so he got the whole car repainted. They have an amazing crew down there.”

Schwartz and Waldrep have known each other for a long time. “He’s the nicest guy in the world and he can’t catch a break,” he said. “He got this awesome car, and it’s SoundSkins colors, so we use it as a SoundSkins car.

Last year we were talking about stuff and we somehow talked him into letting us have the car for a month, and we decided to surprise him and built the whole car for him. Daniel goes to the beach a lot with his kids, so now it’s a great little beach cruiser.”

SoundSkins has used the car in advertisements. “We decided to use this for the show and trick it out, so we all threw ideas into the pot and it was a done deal.”

BLAM and Helix provided the equipment, including Helix P-SOX DSP; Helix P-TWO; Helix Bluetooth Direct Card; Helix Q12W Subwoofer; BLAM Signature WS 6.100 6.5” mid-bass; BLAM Signature FRS 3N50 midrange; and BLAM Signature TS 25MG 57 Magnesium Tweeters. Five rolls of SoundSkins PRO material was also used in the vehicle.

Heath Oliver Store: Rekless Rydes City: Lufkin, Texas Position: Owner Years of Industry Experience: 12 Hobbies: Building one-off vehicles, playing GTA 5 on Xbox What you’re really good at: Kerfing wood

Joe Cassity Store: Tunes-N-Tint City: Lakeland, Florida Position: Operations Director Years of Industry Experience: 18 Hobbies: Fishing , cars Real estate investing, traveling with family, coding and design What you’re really good at: Creating processes and systems for tasks

Pierce Barrett

Store: Soundscape Car Audio Stereo West Auto Toys

Tunes-N-Tint Sponsors Trophy Segments at Bike Night Events WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER

Lakeland, Florida-based Tunes-NTint has become involved with a lot more shows this year, according to shop operations director Joe Cassity, and that means sponsoring trophy segments in audio and lighting at Bike Night events, which helps promote the business.

“For motorcycles, those are two categories we see a key push in, and great growth opportunity,” said Cassity, also

Faces in the Industry

going on to mention that the shop is starting to do the same thing with another Bike Night event.

Tunes-N-Tint started getting into sponsorships by setting up booths at these events, which has allowed the business to expand from cars into the motorcycle market.

City: Carrollton, Texas Position: Technician Years of Industry Experience: 4 Hobbies: Car audio and road racing What you’re really good at: Wiring is my strong suit. I’m confident in my abilities and love to push myself to be better than the last time.

facebook.com/MobileElectronics 24

 retail news

Elevated Audio Takes On Challenge of $40,000 Build

Like most shops, Lakewood, Colorado-based Elevated Audio has its big-ticket projects come in the door. But its largest to date—a $40,000 build on a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle—inspired those working on the car to bring their game to the next level.

After spending a number of hours consulting with the customer, the client chose the shop out of several to do the work.

According to Tommy Craig, system designer for Elevated Audio, 250 to 300 manhours total have gone into the car so far.

The build includes: the Sony RSX-GS9 radio, three-way

Morel Elate 603 speakers, a pair of Elate 6-inch mid-woofers, one Audison Sr1dk amplifier, two Audison AV Quattro amplifiers, two AV Due amplifiers, two JL Audio 10W6 subwoofers, an Audison BitOneHD processor, an iDatalink security system, a Rydeen rearview mirror with a 4.3-inch display, a Rydeen MinyHD2 camera, a secondary battery and a number of other features.

Craig’s favorite thing about the job was that the customer was as passionate about audio as the shop was, and the fact that the project called for doing deep dives into products and treading in some unfamiliar waters. The shop had taken on all of that work in specific, individual segments, never as part of an overall project like this. The biggest issue was providing an accurate timeframe as designs and plans continued to unfold.

As a result of the project, the shop started to carry AudioQuest cables. “You’re only as strong as your weakest link in an audio system,” Craig said. The limitations of other products prompted research into AudioQuest, and once the company came out to complete a demo, Elevated Audio signed on to become a dealer.

Craig hopes to make the shop a local household name in the next five years, and with projects like the 1969 Chevelle under its belt, that shouldn’t prove to be a problem.

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25 Mobile Electronics October 2018

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Sound Connection Inc. Hosts Second Fabrication Class

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CLARITY • QUALITY • TONALITY • DYNAMICS • PRECISION

To further industry outreach and education, Waite Park, Minnesota-based Sound Connection Inc. recently hosted its second fabrication workshop. Previously, the shop hosted a class for customers. This most recent iteration was for industry professionals only, however. During the course, participants built three take-home projects, covering a range of topics from ASIC enclosures to multiple layered trim panels.

Mike Schwitz, installation manager for Sound Connection Inc., started hosting the classes earlier this year. During the first class, Schwitz was focused on showing attendees what his job was all about. Schwitz’s schedule allowed for a second class, though restricted admittance ME Mag ARC Audio RShe Ad October.pdf 1 9/12/2018 11:56:51to AMindustry professionals only, as the first class got too full and he

wanted to shift focus. Attendees came from all over the place, even Pittsburgh.

On the first day, attendees got to try their hand at vinyl embossing. “Everybody got to print a logo, decided what they wanted—a lot wanted their shop’s logos,” Schwitz said. “We all did a simple embossing project, so you could just add simple flare to a box.” Other projects included working with tweeter pods and subwoofer trim panels. Mobile Solutions and 12v Tools both provided some of the materials for the class.

While this kind of training does not do much for customer outreach, Schwitz is looking to expand what education he can to topics that are not being highly covered in the industry currently. “A lot of other training facilities focus on higher-end fabrication. We’re looking to teach new installers the basics on how to do stuff like box builds and general router work, and we’re looking to expand into general installation classes as well.”

Many who attend these classes come from far enough away that Schwitz does not see them as competition. “It’s just to give back to the industry; it’s not really to gain any business or anything else. Currently, for [the] chain store, we like to give back as much as possible. I feel like it’s time to give back as much as I can.”

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 hot sellers

Alpine iLX-F309 Halo9, 9-inch head unit w/ CarPlay and Android Auto Submitted by: Mike Bartells, Extreme Audio Inc., Mechanicsville, Va.

Main Selling Features: “Popular features combined with flexible installation options make the unit a home run.”

Primary Objection: Size, color or style.

How to Overcome: “The concept of a ‘floating tablet’ can be hard for some to wrap their minds around. Keeping a screen loose, to carry out to the vehicle and lock up, helps the client visualize it in their vehicle better.”

27 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Sony XAV-AX200SXM Double-DIN Head Unit Submitted by: Amari Schwartz, Perfectionist Auto Sound, Anchorage, Alaska

Main Selling Features: “CarPlay and Android Auto are the main selling features, and the fact that it has a knob for convenience.”

Primary Objection: Learning curve.

How to Overcome: “Offer a training on the product and make sure client is well-versed before leaving.”

facebook.com/MobileElectronics   28

 hot sellers

Kenwood DDX6904 Apple CarPlay/Android Auto head unit w/CD/DVD Submitted by: George Smith, Mobileworks / Tintworks, Santa Maria, Calif.

Main Selling Features: “It fits so many people’s lifestyles and

Audison bit Nove Sound Processor with Parametric EQ Submitted by: Sean Davis, Tip Top Customs, Morris, Ill. Main Selling Features: “Being able to use the processor to prop-

makes driving more fun. It is also easy to use.”

erly integrate an audio system into their vehicle properly...and the sound quality benefits it offers.”

Primary Objection: Price and learning curve.

How to Overcome: “Show them the differences between

Primary Objection: Price How to Overcome: “We show the client the differences in our

models and ask more questions on how there using this product. Then go into more features that would benefit them while using this product.”

Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX Wireless Carplay and Android Auto Submitted by: Dana LeBlanc, Parkway Sound & Security, Everett, Mass.

Main Selling Features: “We are located in a high-theft area, so the detachable screen is a huge selling point for our clients.”

Primary Objection: Labor cost to install and additional parts required.

vehicle protection processes, installation procedures, and how we are able to achieve reliable predictable solutions for them.

I think once they leave they understand but their are plenty of consumers who don’t have the budget for the work we provide. Understanding this will make your life better.”

JL Audio VXi Multi-Channel Amplifiers with DSP Submitted by: Odin Mattes, Earmark Car Audio, Plano, Texas Main Selling Features: “It’s a compact, high-powered amplifier from a quality brand, that has a feature set that allows it to be more flexible than any competitive product in its category.”

Primary Objection: Price.

How to Overcome: “We sell the technology of active speaker systems and DSP tuning throughout the sales presentation, including a demonstration.”

Hybrid Audio Technologies U5A Five-Channel Amplifier Submitted by: Pierce Barrett, Soundscape Car Audio, Carrollton, Texas

Main Selling Features: “Value. By building value into your product, you are also building value into yourself as a company. By educating the customer, they can easily make a conscious decision on which product at which price point is best for them.”

Primary Objection: Labor cost to install.

How to Overcome: “By educating the client and building up our work, they tend to feel comfortable with paying the higher price.”

29 Mobile Electronics October 2018

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 hot sellers Kenwood Excelon DDX9904S 7-Inch DVD/ Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Receiver Submitted by: Bill Sommers, Sommer Sound Systems, Panama City Beach, Fla.

Main Selling Features: “Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with Kenwood Connect app features.”

Primary Objection: Additional parts required.

How to Overcome: “We inform and educate the customer on the new technologies incorporated in data-based vehicles which necessitate the need for these items.”

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small, rugged and lightweight. It provides starting power when a battery runs as low as a half-volt. This product can also power up a mobile device to a full charge, and has a bright built-in flashlight. Available for $199.00.

Main Selling Features: “Free Bluetooth smartphone control of the system.”

Primary Objection: Price.

How to Overcome: “Show the customer how the product has more features and value for the price.”

DB Drive WDX6MOTO 6.5-Inch Pro Audio Motorcycle Audio Speakers Submitted by: Buddy Beckner, Extreme Car Audio, Morristown, Tenn.

Main Selling Features: “Since we do lots of motorcycle systems at the store and at bike rallies, it helps us with the knowledge that a pro audio speaker is best suited for a motorcycle.”

Primary Objection: None.

Hertz H8 8-Channel DSP Submitted by: Ricardo Rangel, Monster by Rangel, Mexico City,

Morel Maximo Ultra 602 Coax 6.5-Inch Two-Way Speaker System Submitted by: Tony Gestri, Doc’s Auto Sound, Chico, Calif.

Main Selling Features: “The importance of a good quality installation.”

31 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Mexico

Main Selling Features: “When showing the customer about the enhanced audio experience this product may bring to the table.”

Primary Objection: Price How to Overcome: “We show what a proper system sounds like with and without it.”

facebook.com/MobileElectronics   32

real world RETAIL

HOME GROWN

JC Audio operates from the very same building in which owner Jeff Cantrell first began his career. Today, it is a robust business that is also giving back to the industry by hosting training sessions at its location.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

33  Mobile Electronics October 2018

JC Audio is a small team for now, but their policies and procedures for staff members allow them room to grow if needed.

O

pening in November of 2001, it seemed that JC Audio was meant to be. Owner Jeff Cantrell knew almost from the beginning what he wanted, though prior to his involvement in the industry, he had a few other short-lived jobs.

As a kid, Cantrell worked for his uncles’ asphalt business, laying asphalt and sealing parking lots.

“It was from my uncles that I learned the importance of having a skill, and that I’d always be able to support myself if that was the case,” he said.

For several months, he even learned and taught line dancing and built sets at a dance studio. At 16, he got into 12-volt and never looked back.

“I grew up in a family of entrepreneurial parents, brothers and uncles who taught me the value of hard work,” Cantrell said. “Mobile

electronics is simply the vehicle to which I’ve applied these principles, in order to build a career.”

In high school, Cantrell studied electrical theory. He recalled his high school electronics teacher, Mr. Johnston, “who never settled for anything less than a perfect job.” Cantrell went on to receive an Associate’s Degree in Business Management in 1999. Now, he is an MECP Master Technician and stated that he even had the opportunity to contribute to part of the latest MECP Mobile Product Specialist study guide. With a focus on learning and sharing knowledge, Cantrell continues to attend KnowledgeFest and has served as an instructor on several occasions.

“I started out working at a shop called New Wave Electronics in 1994 as an installer,” Cantrell said. Much, much later, when it became clear that JC

Audio needed a new location, the location chosen turned out to be the very same building that was once New Wave Electronics, Cantrell added—right where he’d gotten his start in the industry.

A Small Team With Mighty Goals The JC Audio team consists of Cantrell, who also serves as lead fabricator, his wife Jamie who handles the books and is also an installation tech, lead technician Alex Mendez and salesperson Matt Conley. Though the staff size is small, (JC Audio is currently looking for one more salesperson and another technician), Cantrell employed his business acumen to put scalable policies in place. The sales and installation staff are required to earn MECP (Mobile Electronics Certified Professional) certification within 60 days of being hired. Technicians must have at least facebook.com/MobileElectronics 34

real world RETAIL FAST FACTS JC Audio www.jacksoncaraudio.com Location: Jackson, Tenn.

Number of Stores: 1 Address: 58A Carriage House Drive, Jackson, Tenn. 38305 Facility Square Footage: 1,500 square-foot showroom, 1,500 squarefoot bay, 1,000 square-foot training / break room, and 500 square-foot fabrication shop.

Store Type: Mid- to high-end retailer.

Number of Employees: 4

KEY STAFF Owner: Jeff Cantrell Bookkeeper / Installation Technician: Jamie Cantrell Sales / Customer Service: Matt Conley Lead Technician: Alex Mendez

MAIN FOCUS 31% Car Audio 10% Rear Seat Entertainment 6% Radar 4% OEM Repair 2% Security / Remote Start 12% Misc.

35% Labor

basic level certification and salespeople must have the mobile product specialist certification. The company pays for a passed exam and covers the cost of the study guides.

“We believe strongly in the MECP material and how it represents an individual’s willingness to better his or herself through increased industry knowledge and pride in their career,” Cantrell explained.

Team members can earn more as they become more productive.

“The more productive they are, the higher percentage they get,” Cantrell said. “I’ve always thought it was extremely counterproductive to ‘take away’ from someone as they make more money for the company. I see this in other industries and it makes no sense to me for a long-term strategy. I believe that the more successful someone becomes, the larger portion of their product they deserve to keep.”

35 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Full-time employees receive health insurance, including dental and vision, and vacation time. The company also makes matching contributions to individual retirement plans.

Show Exposure Markets Offroad, Radar Expertise Each year, JC Audio exhibits at the Motor Mania Car Show in Jackson, which helps the business increase its visibility in the community. The show is organized by one of the local radio stations and draws several thousand people to the local fairgrounds. The event, however, is invitation only and showcases the best cars in our region in a climate-controlled building, which is great in the event of rain.

“This past show, we displayed two side-by-sides and a new Corvette that we’d done an upgrade on,” Cantrell said. “We showcased audio systems on a Honda Pioneer and a Can-am Maverick

X3, as well as a full JL Audio and Hertz audio system and K40 Integrated Radar system in a 2016 Corvette.”

Cantrell observed that the UTV (sideby-side) market has continued to gain momentum. “We thought it was important to demonstrate that we are the go-to place for great sound and lighting in the category,” he said.

During the KnowledgeFest trade show and education conference in Dallas this past August, the shop formed a partnership with PROBOX to sell roof-mount UTV speaker enclosures. “We’ve done very well with the category and I think this will be a significant part of our business going forward,” Cantrell added.

Also at shows, JC Audio has endeavored to bring awareness to the radar and laser detection category by showcasing vehicles with custom-installed K40 systems. Cantrell stated the category can be overlooked by some shops as a viable source of income, but it is very profitable. “It’s not a product that can easily

Sony and K40 “Two companies stand out from the rest. Sony and K40 stand behind and support the specialty retailer like almost no other companies do.

“They have protected margins, great product, and a team of people who take pride in what they do. They take responsibility when there’s an issue and are proactive about making sure we feel appreciated as their customers.

“I always love getting little thank you cards in the mail from Justin at K40. Sony’s Kris Bulla and I have been friends for a long time, and he’s always been willing to help out with events, product planning, MECP training and general business advice.

“If all companies in our industry treated their business the way these two do, we’d be in a much stronger position in the marketplace as a whole.”

be done by DIYers,” he pointed out.

Fabrication Areas Receive Upgrades to Wow Potential Clients JC Audio is currently remodeling its fabrication areas. “We installed an epoxy floor, new insulated roof, new exterior wall, and new counters with Formica MicroDot laminate,” Cantrell said. “A cyclone dust collection system was integrated with the four inverted 3.25hp Porter Cable routers that each have their own Incra Dust Cabinet for minimal dust in the air.”

The table saw now has dust collection underneath it, Cantrell added, as well as an overhead arm system that serves as dust collection, and a blade guard.

“We have one large exhaust fan that pulls fine dust out of the room, as well as an additional overhead in-room air filtration unit to get anything that’s left,” he added. “Two floor sweeps were installed and connected to the collector so that dust doesn’t have to

be picked up and put in a trash can.

You simply sweep the floor up to one of the floor sweeps and the collector sucks it all up.”

New storage has been installed, as well as a mobile workstation that doubles as large tool storage in cabinets underneath. Workstations can now easily be moved, thanks to casters.

“We also designed it with a 42-inchhigh work surface so that a technician has a more comfortable position when assembling an enclosure or building a custom panel.

“We have a comprehensive set of templates from Kingpin University, Mobile Solutions and Evol, so we always have the right shape or pattern to create something cool for our clients and do it efficiently,” Cantrell said.

Cantrell added that the ceilings, walls and countertops are all bright white and the floor is a light shade of gray to increase visibility for working

and to give a nice clean look. “We’ve invested north of $20,000 in the fab shop remodel so far and still have a few small things to finish up. We use it as a selling tool with potential clients to demonstrate our expertise and attention to detail, by showing them how well kept and equipped it is.”

The separate metal fabrication room is getting improvements as well, including a custom vent hood that the technician will be able to lower above the welding table. “It will have built-in lights and an exhaust fan to pull any welding smoke or odors out of the building,” Cantrell said.

After the fabrication areas, the entire store is getting a facelift, and Cantrell said the showroom remodel is scheduled for February of 2019, followed by a grand re-opening / customer appreciation event. “The shop might retain one or two of its existing displays, but many new displays will be added,” he said. “These facebook.com/MobileElectronics 36

real world RETAIL

Alex Mendez is the lead technician at JC Audio, with 25 years of experience in the 12-volt industry.

The Back2Basics training session offered attendees a refresher on RTAs, oscilloscopes, phase testers, DMMs and more.

will include radar, lighting, truck accessories, motorcycle audio, sound dampening and new remote start displays, among other things. We will also have a display dedicated to the financing and leasing options that we offer.”

Television Commercials and Signage Most Effective Marketing for JC Audio Top-of-mind awareness is the focus, according to Cantrell, who stated that TV commercials and signs are intended to get people talking about the shop’s brand—so they’ll think of JC Audio first. The business utilizes radio, television, Facebook, signage, surveys and email marketing.

“Our strategy is to maintain a consistent schedule each month with each outlet,” Cantrell said. “We’ve been advertising for 17 years and have never missed a month.” Cantrell added that the business is able to get good deals with local media outlets because JC Audio is a repeat customer.

“Facebook does a decent job of making contact with potential clients as well and it seems to be more of a source to keep clients informed of what services we have to offer,” he said. “We showcase products, installs, store news, and funny stuff on our feed. We have a contract with Jon Dewar from Modern Media Geeks to handle our

Facebook marketing and have for the last two years. We’ve found that this was an area that was neglected when we did it ourselves, and he’s done a great job of keep our store visible on Facebook. Radio is still a viable marketing media for us as well, and we see a fairly good response to whatever the current commercials are about.”

Clients receive email surveys after a sale, so JC Audio can gauge how happy they are with their experiences. The customer is able to send in additional feedback. “This is done automatically through third-party software and the results are emailed directly to me,” Cantrell said. “Our email campaigns are done through Angie Dirk from Dirk Marketing.

This is an area that we’ve been working on getting better at for a long time.”

Currently, the business has a database of about 20,000 clients and 4,300 email address. It stays booked several days to weeks out for most of the year, he added, including the weeks prior to Christmas.

Supporting the Industry Through Training When it became clear that there were no regional training courses easily

37 Mobile Electronics October 2018

First Back2Basics Lays Groundwork for More “We had a full class and tons of great feedback from the students as well as our vendor partners for our Back2Basics course in June,” Cantrell said. “During the training, students learned about using oscilloscopes, RTAs, DMMs, phase testers and more, to gather information from cars so that technicians can integrate products most effectively and efficiently. We also reviewed a list of many other quick tips that save time and help make for more professional and predictable outcomes.”

Jamie Cantrell not only handles daily bookkeeping and store maintenance, but she is also an installation technician, handling interlock device installs. She has a Masters Degree in Administration.

The fabrication areas have received a total makeover and help serve as a selling tool to demonstrate the business’s expertise to potential clients.

The course involved both classroom instruction and hands-on experience with vehicles and tools. The classes began at eight a.m. The event was sponsored by Audison, Alpine, Kenwood, JBL, Wavtech, AAMP Global, Modern Media Geeks, Window Tint School and Sony.

“We were also joined by Lance Doss, a guest trainer, and representatives from other sponsors such as Brian Cargile, Tory Sanders, Jon Dewar and Ricky Ross,” Cantrell said.

accessed from his location, Cantrell decided to create his own. The Back2Basics training has attracted a lot of attention, and future courses are in the works. “We’ve hosted a fabrication training with Kingpin’s Jason Kranitz, the year before last, and then our Basic Integration Training with Ray West this June,” Cantrell said.

Back2Basics came about because Cantrell has seen a lot of professionals struggle when it comes to keeping up with the constant changes in the industry. “Technicians have to remember the last 20 to 30 years of skills and cars, and then learn new cars and new techniques every year on top of that, so it’s a challenge to say the least,” he explained.

“Keeping your basic foundational

skillssharp is very important if you plan to build your knowledge.”

This is exactly what Cantrell aims to do with the Back2Basics Training courses. “You can’t build a skyscraper on a foundation built for a small house. Our foundations as technicians require continual maintenance and upkeep,” he said.

The inspiration for the training courses came in part from one of JC Audio’s key industry reps, Brian Cargile. Cantrell said Cargile encouraged him for months about creating a course to help industry professionals continue to hone their skills. The course would help them use their tools to properly diagnose signals and identify various details about the OEM

Thanks to the vendors, each student went home with some type of door prize. Audison awarded one of the attendees with a bit Tune and software, valued at $1,400.00.

“I couldn’t be happier with the support they gave us,” Cantrell continued, “to help the attendees further their knowledge and expertise in the industry. With vendors standing behind those of us who want to do what we can to stabilize the future of the industry, we are certain to be around for a long time. Our next training, which will be a follow-up to this one, is tentatively scheduled for the first of December. We plan to continue to host at least one to two trainings per year moving forward.” facebook.com/MobileElectronics 38

real world RETAIL Reliable Rep “Neal McSweany from AAMP Global has been, and still is, one of the best reps we’ve ever had. JC Audio opened in November 2001, and we were Neal’s first customer.

In turn, he was my first sales rep.

Seventeen years later, we’ve both accomplished quite a bit.

Students at the Back2Basics training course took part in both hands-on and classroom instruction.

Matt Conley manages the sales department, as well as handling graphic design and store maintenance.

systems in new cars, Cantrell said.

For now, Cantrell sees himself more as a facilitator than an educator. “I’m pretty good with putting the right students with the right trainers and getting the right manufacturers to support it,” he said. “My goal is to help people progress in their skills, so that together, we may all continue working to keep a strong foundation so those who come after us can build their careers on it.”

Besides offering trainings, JC Audio supports employees in their endeavors to attend other educational trainings.

“Techs get a yearly training budget that can be used for educational trainings and we also attend various regional manufacturers trainings throughout the year,” Cantrell said.

39 Mobile Electronics October 2018

As owner, Jeff Cantrell handles HR, marketing and many other duties in the store.

“Moving forward, we plan to bring trainers in-house several times each year in order to have more focused, one on one sessions for our staff.”

Points for Style JC Audio was named Retailer of the Year by Mobile Electronics magazine in 2009, and received the publication’s Top 50 Retailers award several times.

This year, the business was named among the Top 12 Retailers.

For several years, Cantrell has been giving “JC Audio Points” to others within the industry. The small round token has become quite popular. “I get hit up for them at every industry event and it’s become quite the fun little game,” Cantrell said, adding, “There

“Neal knows my business about as well as I do! He knows my purchasing patterns so well that when I make a mistake, he almost always corrects me. He always does his best to give us support on things that make it easier for us to do business and that’s what a rep/retailer relationship should be about—helping each other.

“With Neal’s help, JC Audio has been Retailer of the Year and has grown to what I feel is a good representation of what a specialty retailer should be. Neal has also had great success and is now a Regional Sales Manager for AAMP Global, but I wouldn’t let him take the job unless he could continue to be my rep! Oh, yeah, and he was also named Mobile Electronics Magazine’s Rep of the Year for 2018. He certainly deserves it.”

may be very exciting things to come in the future for the JC Audio Points holders.”

For other storeowners, Cantrell advised to become an expert at finances. “Reinvest everything you can back into your business as quickly as you can,” he said. “This will help you become ‘recession proof’ and will prevent you from stressing yourself out when you hit a slow patch.”

He also stressed the importance of consistency, honesty and selflessness.

“Always do what’s best for your business, not for yourself,” Cantrell said.

“Don’t learn by making mistakes—learn from other people’s mistakes! And lastly, if someone else can accomplish something, so can you.”

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www.InstallerNet.com • 800-444-1644 facebook.com/MobileElectronics 40

 strategy & tactics

Public Relations for Retail - Part 2 You’ve made your message.

Now, make the news.

WORDS BY SOLOMON DANIELS

In the last issue (Part 1) we determined the value of public relations as a way for customers to gain trust in your business by letting trustworthy entities—namely, the media—tell your news to their audiences. We compared public relations to word of mouth ( just as trustworthy), advertising (wayyyy more trustworthy) and reviews (you control the narrative).

Then we examined the tool to share your news with the media: the press release.

We laid out its most important components: easy-to-find contact information, a compelling and catchy (but accurate)

41 Mobile Electronics October 2018

headline, a comprehensive first paragraph that delivers the five Ws (who, what, when, where and why), follow-up paragraphs that add detail, a quote that gives the press release personality, and at least one image.

We also went over some tips for preparation: • A press release is not an advertisement. Don’t over-embellish.

• Have your press release proofread to ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors.

• Use only information that you are allowed to use, and facts that you can prove or reference a source.

• Never disparage others in your press release copy or your quote.

So now, assuming we have an engaging press release ready to deliver to the world via the media, we’ve got some homework to do! First, we need to create a media list, then we need to communicate our message and follow up. Finally, we’ll go over some events in your store that will make great news to share.

Building A Media Distribution List If we were to compare this step to the steps in fabrication, this would be equivalent to sanding: It’s easy work but requires time and finesse. Simply put, you go online and search for every

Public Relations for Retail-Part 2 newspaper, news website, TV station, radio station, special segment or blog that covers news for your area. Gather the contact information of the most relevant people and create a contact list.

In addition to your own preferences for local news, a Google search should provide most of the media outlet names and websites. Also, ask your neighbors which outlets they trust.

By the way, if you think this is difficult, it’s not and here’s why: News outlets depend on getting news, and a lot of their content comes from people who give them tips and story ideas. That means, by default, media outlets make it easy for you to get in touch. So for each media outlet, the contact information should be relatively easy to find.

For each connection, find a first and last name, phone number and email address. If available, also learn their area of specialty; i.e. the tech reporter of a news station or the person who handles the small business beat at a newspaper.

For the few media outlets that don’t supply contact information but instead require you to fill in a form to provide your news, make note of the website URL. (You will need to manually upload your press release to each of these individually, but once you’ve established a rapport with the reporter, you can get a direct email address to use in your mainstream distribution.)

Gather this information into an Excel spreadsheet. Microsoft Excel is the preferred storage method because it’s easy to add or change information as you create relationships, and sort your media outlets based on that information.

Setting Up Your Press Release to Send There are two ways to send items to a group: traditional email or an email marketing service. I always suggest using a service regardless of how big or small your list is. Of course, it’s a lot easier to just plop some email addresses

into the To: or CC: field of an email, attach your press release and blast away.

The problem is, that’s all you get. You don’t know if the recipients got it or what they did with it. And if you’ve sent to a lot of email addresses at once, the receiving ISPs (Internet Service Providers) might perceive you as sending spam and blacklist your email address.

(I speak from experience!)

Email marketing services make it a priority to maintain good relationships with ISPs to ensure that messages sent by their customers get through to the recipients. They make sure that each message (also called a campaign) adheres to established email guidelines by providing you with tools to maintain healthy email lists, write non-spammy headlines and content, let recipients know where the email came from, and give them the option to opt out (unsubscribe). But the most important feature they provide is the ability to track the performance of your campaign by telling you which

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 strategy & tactics recipients opened it and what action they subsequently took, such as sharing your news or clicking on a link.

My preference for email marketing services is MailChimp. I’ve found the setup to be pretty painless and intuitive, and they provide a variety of templates to let you easily create your campaign and have it look good on the recipient’s device, whether it’s a computer, tablet or smartphone. Plus, if your list contains fewer than 2,000 people, it’s free to send up to 12,000 emails (across all campaigns) per month.

you can use your email marketing service’s monitoring tools to see who received it and if they viewed it or clicked on an image. Think of these recipients as hot leads. Set aside time to call the recipients with the goal of offering additional information to help them tell your news.

It’s very important that you:

Here are the basic steps for most email marketing services:

• Fulfill requests right away. Did I say they are busy? If a reporter asks you for an image, additional quote or other material to help them develop your story, don’t make them wait. If you take too long they may move on to a story that is easier to produce.

• Sign up and create an account.

• Use the service’s list management feature to name your list (“Long Beach Media Contacts”) and upload your Excel spreadsheet to transfer your media contacts to the service.

• Start a new campaign by selecting your distribution list and creating your email subject. Start with “Press Release:” or “For Immediate Release:” and then add your press release headline.

• Understand their time is valuable.

Busy writers and reporters can receive tons of emails and story ideas per day, plus they have deadlines. Be concise, and most important, be polite!

• Offer your expertise for future

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Remote Start • Create your campaign by selecting a template (typically a single-column design for press releases) and using the drag-and-drop features to input text and images.

• Proof your press release with the service’s test feature, which allows you to send a test version of the campaign to one or more email addresses for review. Important: Review your press release on multiple devices (computer, tablet, phone) to be sure it looks as you intended.

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• And one warning: Keep in mind that media outlets survive on advertising, so don’t be surprised if the reporter passes your contact information on to the ad sales guy. That’s business. But if a reporter requires you to buy advertising as a condition of including your story, politely refuse and move on to the next guy. (It’s considered unethical in journalist circles, and at the very least it’s bad karma!)

So, What’s News?

I get this question a lot from clients.

Things that we think are everyday occurrences can in fact be highly interesting to someone who is not part of our industry.

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• Once it’s set to go, send it or schedule the press release to go out at a certain time.

Once your press release is distributed,

opportunities. Every reporter needs a stable of go-to sources they can call to get a quote or have a question answered.

As you build rapport, communicate your areas of expertise and make yourself available as the need arises.

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Public Relations for Retail-Part 2 A good example is the ability to add cameras to an existing factory rearview camera system. We take it for granted, but the average consumer—who sees TV commercials every day touting multicamera systems (and wishes they had one)—may not even know they can have their vehicle upgraded to add cameras.

So a story in which you “Turn a Cyclops Into a Four-Eyed Sentry on Wheels” would be informative and engaging. Here are some other ideas:

“Piggyback” Opportunities: These are situations in which an organization issues a report that’s related to your industry, and you create a press release that delivers additional insight.

For instance, if AAA published its annual numbers for how many drivers will take to the road for summer trips, you can offer a story that references their news and adds the “Top 5 Sellers of Road Safety and RearSeat Entertainment Devices.” For theft statistics, you offer “3 Products to Beef Up Your Factory Security System.” You come off as the expert because, of course, you work with these products every day!

Holidays and Seasonal Events: Write about “5 Great Car Gifts to Give for Christmas.” For graduation season, your story can be “How to Give Your MusicLoving Teenager Added Bass Without Taking Up Space.” And of course after your journey to CES, you can submit “10 Tech Upgrades for 10-Year-Old Cars.”

The Usual Suspects: News and events in which your store interacts with the community are low-hanging fruit for stories. Participation in school events, partnerships with charities (such as a winter coat or food collection drive), store beautification or additional services, car shows or competitions, and celebrity installs (assuming you have permission), are great reasons to reach out.

I’m sure you’ll come up with more great ideas based on the unique aspects of your store, staff and surroundings.

And talk with your peers about news that’s worked for them. Now go get in the news! facebook.com/MobileElectronics 44

 The Support Team Right in the thick of things, Cerwin-Vega Mobile sets up shop at SEMA, a major show on the mobile circuit. It’s an event for car audio, trucks, bikes, ATVs, and UTVs. Over 3,000 products are displayed and more than 2,400 companies head to this annual Las Vegas expo.

Enduring Through the Years Cerwin-Vega Mobile has gone through many changes since the brand was first founded in 1954. With a small team dedicated to helping dealers and installers, the tech support and product development departments of Cerwin-Vega continue to persevere.

WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER

When you’ve been in car audio since 1972, and worked for—and started—some of the most iconic brands in the business, it’s second nature to run a tech support team of one. Just ask Larry Frederick, who heads up new product development and tech support for Diamond Audio/ Cerwin-Vega Mobile.

45 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Founded back in 1954 by Gene Czerwinski, an aerospace engineer and a devoted music fan, the Cerwin-Vega brand has a unique heritage (honored with an Academy Award for special technical achievement in film for Sensurround, not to mention relationships with bands like The Rolling Stones and The Boom Town Rats). It remains a cornerstone in the home and pro

audio universe, and gives Cerwin-Vega Mobile its solid reputation in the market today—even as 12-volt continues to drastically evolve.

The Simple Approach to Tech Support Today, Cerwin-Vega Mobile has maintained a loyal following even as its ownership has changed over the years. When Cerwin-Vega was bought out by The Stanton Group back in 2002, the brands were all moved to south Florida. Gibson Guitar then bought out Stanton, except for Cerwin Vega Mobile. Now, along with sister company Diamond Audio, Cerwin-Vega is based back in California.

Situated in downtown Los Angeles, Cerwin-Vega Mobile makes its home in a historic building. “Way back when,

Enduring Through the Years

The director of new product development and technical support for Cerwin-Vega Mobile, Larry Frederick, tells it like it is and says he’s a “no BS guy.” He got into the car audio business in 1972 and never got out.

Westinghouse, a huge TV manufacturer in the fifties and sixties, and maybe into the eighties and nineties, was based here,” Frederick said. “It is a 200,000 square-foot building right off the 10 highway. It is half a mile from USC [University of Southern California] with two floors of apartments that we built for the college students and then the bottom floor is for us.”

Surprisingly, the company is comprised of just 20 employees in total. With such a lean operation, Frederick keeps things uncomplicated with his no-nonsense style and simple rules of operation.

The first one is practically a no-brainer being that the company is based in SoCal. “My official wear-to-work every day is Tommy Bahama shirts and shorts,” Frederick said. “That is every day.”

On a more serious note, though, Frederick has some basic guidelines for success. “The tools of the trade are an oscilloscope (an O-Scope) and an RTA,” he said. “Audio guys need a scope and you can get a decent one for $80.

Everyone should have those to get their job done. The other rule is you’ve got to be smarter than the equipment.”

Leave a Message at the Beep For tech support, whether that involves consumers, retailers, or installers, Frederick is the one to handle the issues. ”It’s really just me,” he said.

“What happens is that the phone system carousels between me, Ryan Klein (in Southern California), and Rick Beltran (our warranty guy). Still, 80 to 90 percent lands on me, but those guys get the fallout. If they can’t answer the phone call, it comes back to me. It will go to voice mail, and then I will call that customer back.”

Understandably, Frederick doesn’t want too long a window of time without a person who phones in to get a return call. “That is one important issue, but the other one is that usually when these guys are calling in they’re in the heat of battle,” Frederick said. “They’re trying to solve a problem and they need immediate help. The bigger issue that I have, though, is that people don’t leave a voicemail. So they don’t leave a message and then they wonder why they don’t get a call back. Then my office will call me and say, ‘Hey, Larry, this guy has called 20 times. Call him back.’ And to that I say,

Ryan Klein, western regional sales manager, stands alongside some CV Mobile gear.

Klein offers back-up for Frederick with tech support calls.

‘No, he hasn’t. I have all the voicemails.’ If someone leaves a voicemail, I will return the phone call.”

Since not everyone likes to call in or leave a voicemail, and Frederick is mindful of that, there are other resources for answers and assistance. “Our website is being rebuilt right now,” he said. “So it’s up, but there isn’t a lot of stuff on it. “ Under the Support tab, though, there is a Product Support Form that can be filled out and emailed back.

The Diamond Audio website has more information available, for now. There is a whole tutorial on the Diamond website about gain. “And by the way, my number one phone call—number one—is how to set gain on a four-channel amp,“ Frederick said.

Since the early seventies when he got started in the business, things have dramatically changed. “I have been in car audio since the dawn of time,” he said.

“IASCA in the nineties was huge. It was really happening and I miss those days.

Now it is just a business.”

Frederick recognizes that as the industry has evolved so have the ways that companies need to connect facebook.com/MobileElectronics 46

 The Support Team “We make an 800-watt 4-channel amp and a 1200-watt monoblock in the Micro Series HXM and guys are putting them on motorcycles.

What? Who puts 1,000 watts of power on a motorcycle? 2,000 watts is 232 amps of current.

Where is that coming from? What guys are doing is adding a bunch of batteries,” Frederick said.

“They have to plug them in to show them off at a sound-off event, because sound-off events now are almost all motorcycles. It is unbelievable.”

Introduced at CES 2018, Diamond Audio’s BTDSP-46 is a Bluetooth “Trillion” digital signal processor that delivers high-resolution clarity and custom sound settings to a sound system application in any environment. It seamlessly integrates into a car, motorcycle, marine, or power sport vehicle and corrects the factory sound system so you can hear an artist’s music as it was intended. The “Trillion” app, is manageable and straightforward to use.

with their various audiences. “Yeah, in the last few years everything has changed,” he said. Social media, handled by Jacob Scott, has become increasingly important.

Cerwin-Vega Mobile has a Facebook page with over 10,500 members along with a Product Support Page. There is also a Diamond Motorcycle Audio page and a forum just created so members can talk to each other.

“I am the how-it-works guy, but on a motorcycle the problem is if you’re not physically touching it on a daily basis with different versions and different models, you’re not going to be as knowledgeable,” Frederick said. “You won’t know to lay that wire over here, not over there, because otherwise you will get induced noise.”

All of this is increasingly important because the motorcycle business, according to Frederick, has become

47 Mobile Electronics October 2018

This Diamond Audio Elite Series five-channel full-range Class D amp is built to sound dynamic and generate continuous solid power.

bigger than ever. “Car audio is actually not our main business anymore,” he said. “Our major business is motorcycle.

I designed these amps years ago called Micro and they have really taken off.

They are really little which makes them great for motorcycles. Everyone just likes the physical size and we did a great job with the product but these really just took off all on their own.”

Exploring the Problem to Find a Solution Whether for car audio or motorcycle issues, Frederick mans the phones and answers all types of inquiries. “Well, it makes sense since I designed it all,” he said. “What I teach the installers and the dealers is this: there are no fairies, no pixie dust and no unicorns. Things work a certain way. We have a lot of problems where people just don’t understand how things work.”

Frederick is talking not just about consumers, but installers too. “When installers call it’s usually because they have some kind of weird noise issue,” he said. “With the way products are built today, we typically don’t have too many issues. It’s not like the old days, especially with the technology now. I step in and try to determine if it’s a product issue.” He went on to explain that they’d had problems related to RGB controllers.

“All of a sudden, you would get these buzzing sounds,” he said. “It didn’t happen very often, but when it did, you would turn the stereo on and hear this bzzzzzzzzzz sound. It wasn’t actually the stereo causing the problem—it was the lights. So it turned out the issue was that the red LEDs drew more current than the green, yellow or blue. What we figured out was that we had to change the circuit and add a switching circuit supply so that it was self-regulated.”

Enduring Through the Years

Bob Chanthavongsa, vice president of sales and marketing for Cerwin-Vega Mobile and Diamond Audio.

With his role in product development, Frederick is able to fix things that other folks haven’t even thought about. “When an installer has something happen that they don’t understand, I have to tell them what they are describing isn’t possible,” Frederick said. “I have to tell them something else is going on. We go through this whole thing with disbelief and not understanding, and then ah-ha, we figure out what is going on. Sometimes you have to drag it out of people to find out what is really happening. They tell you parts of the story, but not all of the story.”

An Overabundance of Information Can Muddy the Waters What has been helpful for Frederick is working with his dealer base for answers to issues as well as them reaching out to him for information.

“I have some great dealers who I can call up and they can actually help me

out,” he said. “I can ask them, ‘Hey, have you ever heard of this?’ And they either have or they have not, but if they have had experience with something they can tell what they did to deal with the problem. Like, ‘Yeah, I moved the wire over here and it went away.’ So it works out because it is an interactive situation.

And while we still do car audio, and quite a bit of it, we do have a lot of motorcycle, marine and UTV. Those dealers can be very helpful when I need to get answers.”

Where things can get muddy for dealers and installers—not to mention consumers, Frederick said, is with the amount of misinformation out there.

“There are so many YouTube videos of guys showing people what to do,” he said.

“And I will say that some of those tutorials are very good, but some are not so good. So there is a lot of mystical voodoo stuff out there.”

Not surprisingly, that makes the

Internet both a blessing and a curse, according to Frederick. “With all of my dealers—and with retailers when they call in—is that I am really a hard ass,” he said. “I don’t want them to tell me things like, ‘It don’t hit, it don’t slam, it don’t bump.’ I don’t know what that means. That is zero information. Get your scope out, get your voltmeter out and see what is going on. If an installer doesn’t understand that they need to use those tools, the next thing they will hear is a dial tone—because I can’t help them. If they won’t help themselves then I can’t help them. If you don’t have any information, I can’t help fix it. People may get mad while they’re talking to me, but by the time we get off the phone I am their best friend.”

facebook.com/MobileElectronics 48

ďƒŽ tech today

The Dream Te

Bryan in the paint booth applying the black paint to the grille components.

49  Mobile Electronics October 2018

The Mobile Solutions Rocket Bit provides a stylishly tapered contour to the sides of the midrange enclosure.

The Dream Team

eam

An acrylic plastic mounting bracket for the BLAM tweeter attaches to the factory tweeter mounting location.

The pod is finally assembled and in place on the door. An accent piece with the BLAM logo was cut on using Mobile Solutions’ laser.

In part one of this behind the scenes look at the MSC America dream team build, those involved share how they decided to transform an Audi Q5 into a stellar demo vehicle that would debut at KnowledgeFest Dallas this past August.

WORDS BY DAVID MACKINNON

This story has played out time and time again in our industry. An employee at a manufacturer, distributor or retailer gets a new car and they want to install a sound system to show off their products.

This process is nothing new and has been commonplace for decades. Sometimes the vehicle’s owner handles the design and installation themselves and sometimes their co-workers help with the project.

Doug Dobson, the director of technical support at MSC America, bought

himself the Audi Q5 you see here. MSC America is the distributor for Audiotec Fischer GmbH (Brax, Helix and Match) and BLAM products in Canada and the U.S. Around the same time, the president of MSC America, Larry Penn, started discussions with his team about plans for a demo vehicle for the KnowledgeFest conference in Dallas, Texas, in August.

Dobson offered the Audi as a platform and Penn agreed and gave him the green light to build whatever he deemed appropriate. With the build turning into a company project, Dobson knew the results would have to be absolutely stellar.

Accompanying photographs were provided by Bryan Schmitt, Doug Dobson and Jason Digos.

Bringing Together a Dream Team of Industry Professionals How Dobson and MSC America brought the sound system to fruition is part of what makes this project unique.

Dobson is a long-time friend of Bryan Schmitt at Mobile Solutions in Tempe, Arizona. Mobile Solutions is one of the most recognized and respected mobile electronics installation and integration training facilities in the industry. Dobson facebook.com/MobileElectronics 50

 tech today

Project Notes from Bryan Schmitt I get to see a lot of builds each year. Many of them demonstrate amazing craftsmanship and creativity.

For the Audi, we wanted to create something that was truly bespoke regarding style, integration and materials.

Tom’s design replicates what we think Audi would do if they had a team of veteran mobile audio experts on staff.

The doors and A-pillars are creative and tasteful while demonstrating the use of painted plastics and pressed mesh grilles. The cargo area is simple with a unique enclosure that features advanced fabrication processes and finishing techniques. The subwoofer enclosure is designed to look like a piece of cargo, but with a style that perfectly replicates the materials and accents

used elsewhere in the vehicle.

Once we had Tom’s designs, I sat down and planned the installation to ensure we would meet our extremely tight four-day fabrication schedule.

With the team assembled at the shop, we divided tasks and set to work. Fabrication was complete in three and a half days and we didn’t overwork ourselves. Our detailed plan was the key to his successful and great-sounding project.

If you ever have the opportunity, be sure to ask for a demonstration of Doug’s Q5.

Even a plan for a “quick listen” can turn into an hour or more of enjoying Norah Jones, Holly Cole or Dire Straits, so schedule your time carefully. The system sounds truly exceptional and I love the way it looks.

51 Mobile Electronics October 2018

and several other industry experts often help Schmitt with projects and training sessions at the school. He reached out to him and several of the Mobile Solutions alumni to see if they’d be interested in helping design and build the sound system in the Audi.

Quickly, a dream team was put together to design and install the sound system for the Q5. Tom Miller of Musicar Northwest in Portland, Ore. and JT Torres of Automotive Entertainment Huntington Beach agreed to fly to Tempe for the build. MSC America brought down Canadians Dereck Brown from Mobile Solutions of Calgary, AB and Tyler Neault from Certified Autosound and Security in

Maple Ridge, BC to help with the project and pick up a few tips.

The plan was for the team to create a reference-level sound system to demonstrate amplifiers and signal processing solutions from Helix and speakers from BLAM. Tom Miller is well-known in the industry for his amazing audio system designs and installations. He used photographs of the vehicle along with software and sketches to create truly masterful renderings that the team would use as their templates for the build. Torres and Miller are both previous Installer of the Year winners. Bryan Schmitt assumed the role of quarterback on the project. He would plan the fabrication methods

The Dream Team

The Shopping List Stage 1 Nav TV Zen-V NTV-KIT860 Helix DSP Pro MK2 Helix HEC BT-PRO/MK2 Helix Director Create Helix C-FOUR Amplifier 155W x 4 (3) BLAM Signature 165.300 Helix Q10W SoundSkins Pro Mega Kit (5) SoundSkins Rings (2) Scosche Power Distribution and Wiring Stage 2 Helix DSP MINI BLAM Signature FRS 3N50 BLAM Signature TS 20 HR BLAM Signature S 165.80 BLAM Signature FRS 3N50 Non-Audio Items: Escort Max360Ci Mid City Engineering MAXINTA29 Flir PathfindIR Nav TV Audi-VC Nav TV P-60H Apple TV BlackVue DR650+ Dashcam Scosche MagicMount Wireless Charger

and processes for the installation. He’d oversee scheduling and delegation of tasks to optimize the skills and efficiency of the team.

With the Groundwork Complete, Fabrication Began Once the team finalized the design for the system, Doug set to work acquiring products from MSC America, SoundSkins, Scosche, NAV-TV, Escort, FLIR and Mid City Engineering while Miller started work on the cosmetic design of the system. Dobson created the foundation for the installation. He took care of the NAV-TV Zen-V MOST to Toslink interface installation as well as the task of running Scosche power and speaker wires through the vehicle.

As you can see from the accompanying equipment list, the Audi also features a state-of-the-art Escort MAX 360Ci radar

detector and laser defense system. The MAX 360Ci integrates into the large color LCD screen in the dash and the steering wheel controls using a Mid City Engineering interface. Dobson also added a FLIR PathfindIR object detection system to the vehicle. He had the groundwork complete before the dream team assembled at Mobile Solutions to begin the fabrication portion of the project.

The system would be debuted in two stages. The first stage features a BLAM Signature 165.300 three-way speaker set as the front stage and a Helix Q10W subwoofer. Three Helix C-FOUR amplifiers power the speakers and receive signals from a Helix DSP PRO MK2 processor.

The DSP PRO MK2 was outfitted with an HEC BT – DSP PRO/MK2 Bluetooth interface for high-resolution audio streaming functionality and a Director

Create remote control. The Create forgoes the standard chassis for the remote in favor of a raw circuit board designed for custom installations.

The inner and outer door skins, as well as the rear fenders of the Audi, are treated with layers of SoundSkins Pro dampening material. Doug added a set of SoundSkins Rings to the front mid-bass drivers and rear door speakers to ensure all the energy from the speaker is transmitted into the vehicle and not allowed to echo around in the cavity between the door trim panel and inner door skin. This is how the vehicle was shown at KnowledgeFest in Dallas.

A Showpiece Like No Other There is a second stage planned for the vehicle to demonstrate how an up-mixer and surround speakers work to create excellent imaging from any position in facebook.com/MobileElectronics 52

 tech today

the vehicle and realistic environment processing to provide a sense of venue size. This next step includes a center channel comprised of a BLAM FRS 3N50 3-inch midrange and a TS 20 HR ¾-inch tweeter. BLAM Signature S 165.80 6.5inch coaxial side speakers in the rear doors, another set of FRS 3N50 as rear effect speakers and a Helix DSP Mini to provide filtering and crossover functionality round out the surround system.

The up-mixed 7.1-channel signal for

the system will come from the NAV-TV ZEN-V interface.

As Dobson will be using the vehicle at industry and dealer events all across the country, he added an IOTA DLS-55 power supply under the amp rack and a weather-resistance quick-connect plug under the vehicle. When he arrives at a show, he can plug the vehicle in to keep the battery charged.

Rather than highlight the entire project in a single article, we’ll split this

RTA, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE...

Building from a legacy of trusted professional audio measurement products, DM-RTA™ brings the vital tools you rely on to one indispensable little box. Populated with every connector we could think of, and coupled with the new DM-RTA app, AudioControl’s DM-RTA helps you take your car audio, marine audio or home theater installations to new levels of perfection and control.

DM-RTA isn’t just an RTA. Accessible from the app are five modules, including Voltage Meter, RTA, SPL Meter, Polarity Checker and a fully functional Oscilloscope.

More information at: www.audiocontro.com/dm-rta

Copyright © 2018 AudioControl Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.audiocontrol.com

53 Mobile Electronics October 2018

into two features to provide you with a behind-the-scenes look at some of the highlights of the processes that brought this project together.

This issue features the fabrication of the front stage speaker installation. We’ll cover the amp rack and subwoofer enclosure fabrication next month and highlight a few of the accessories that Dobson added to his Audi Q5.

 installs

Audi

SUBMITTED BY CHRISTERFER PATE, MOBILE TOYS, COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS

If you have opened this magazine any time in the past two years, you have probably seen the name Christerfer Pate. As last year’s Installer of the Year, Christerfer was carrying the banner in style. One of the last builds of his reign was a three-day project by himself and his crew of Matthew Thomas, Edgar Diosdado, William Coats, Matt Vowell and Lance Coffman. This all-star crew got down on a serious SQ build in this Audi A3.

The origination point of the audio signal for the build was the new Alpine iLX-F309 Halo radio. The signal from the radio is fed into a Gladen Aerospace 6 to 8 processor. Receiving the audio signals from the processor were a pair of Mosconi Pro amplifiers. The Pro 110 and 410 amplifiers bump up the voltage to Gladen Aerospace 2-way components and a pair of Gladen Aersopace 10-inch subwoofers.

While the gear in this build is certainly top shelf, the hatch install is what really grabs your attention. Red, white and black vinyl were used to upholster the floor trim panels. The red and white sections have the additional elements of diamond shaped patterns machined in them. The pattern along with the white LED lighting create a stunning visual.

54 Mobile Electronics October 2018

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ďƒŽ installs

SUBMITTED BY ROB DECRANE, SOUNDWAVES, TAMPA, FLORIDA

A music producer recently contacted Soundwaves about upgrading the audio system in his 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider. After a consultation with Rob Decrane, a plan was established and the work began.

The team of Scott Nelson, Sam Maestas and Michael Delaguila set out to install the audio system in a manner that could be removed without leaving a trace of the installation. This required additional time and brackets that were custom designed to utilize factory mounting points.

The audio source in this upgrade was a Sony RSX-GS9 high resolution radio. The signal from the radio travels to two JL Audio VXi amplifiers, a VX800/8i and a VX1000/1i. The JL Audio VXi amplifiers have built-in DSPs for precise signal tuning. The output of the amplifiers travels to JL Audio C7 3-way speakers and a pair of 13TW5-V2 subwoofers.

The enclosure for the subwoofers features custom-stitched upholstery. The front speakers were mounted in factory locations, with the addition of kick panel pods for the C7-350cm midrange speakers.

The final piece of the puzzle was to help protect this F430 while on the open road. A Radenso/AL Priority radar and laser system was custom installed to alert the driver of any threats. The combination controller and display piece for the Radenso system was mounted in a custom fabricated pod on the center tunnel of the car.

56  Mobile Electronics October 2018

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from the President

Maximizing Your MEA Membership The Mobile Electronics Association has partnered with the Member Savings Program and offers numerous opportunities to save on everyday purchases for your business. Let’s take a closer look at some of the details.

It is important to consider cost savings as a part of your bottom line. For example, cost savings of $100 is equal in most cases to a $1,000 sale. Each time you pay for a business-related expense, you should ask yourself the following: “Is this necessary? Is this the lowest cost, highest value solution and is there a way that I can save on this expense?”

At least once per quarter, you should review all recurring expenses and make sure they meet that criteria. To help you control your expenses, the Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) has partnered with the Member Savings Program to present you with many opportunities to save on things you use every day in your business.

MEA Member Savings offers collective buying power through its 150,000-business group alliance. The suppliers include MSC Industrial Supply, Unifirst (uniforms & facilities), Staples, ADP Payroll, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, Exxon/ Mobil, Wright Express (WEX), Penske Rentals and more.

These suppliers offer significant savings on your day-to-day business and personal purchases. Significant savings opportunities include ADP Payroll (25 percent average savings), Hewlett Packard and Staples (20 percent average savings).

These programs were developed in response to MEA member feedback and offer outstanding value for members with the opportunity to save significant money on products and services you may already buy. Let’s look at some of the details regarding cost saving benefits you receive as a member of MEA. Shipping Program Use a leading provider for shipping solutions—including small package, LTL freight and tradeshow shipping. The MEA-endorsed shipping management provider works with nationally known carriers to provide unparalleled customer service and savings on every shipment you send and receive.

MEA Preferred Protection Plan This benefit protects your customer’s purchase. When products break down, your customers are often left with costly repair bills. With MEA Preferred Protection you’ll eliminate customer expenses for covered repairs. By selling your customers this protection, you are guaranteeing that you will handle any repairs directly. This will build an even stronger relationship between you and your customers, creating additional revenue streams for your business.

58 Mobile Electronics October 2018

Consumer Finance Program MEA has a great premium solution for consumer financing. Your store can provide a revolving private label credit card financing product to all your customers and specifically your high-end customers. The program is a great marketing tool to help you attract clients through a variety of promotional credit options. It includes Same as Cash options and Roadside Assistance, as well as a relationship building, customer loyalty and a customer retention tool.

MEA Insurance Center: Business, Health and Life Insurance This new service takes advantage of the buying power of large numbers for many insurance products. An array of insurance plans, such as garage keepers, are available to you with great savings or unique benefits.

KnowledgeFest Events Free for MEA members, KnowledgeFest is a three-day trade show and conference with emphasis on the experience of learning and connecting with others in the mobile electronics industry.

Point-of-Sale and Scheduling (TSS) Our point-of-sale and scheduling system is the industry standard tool for managing a mobile electronics retail store. Used by hundreds of dealers nationwide, TSS is a complete business solution for managing products, sales, installations, and customer activity. This is a complete business management system custom-designed for the mobile electronics retailer and includes online updates, detailed inventory control, layaways and warranty, and much more.

Vehicle Wiring and Fit Guide (MAID) Thousands of mobile electronics dealers rely on us for the most comprehensive mobile electronics installation and fitment database in the industry. With all major product brands represented, more than 3,800 points of data per vehicle, and more than 25,000 vehicles represented, this software and web solutions database is simple enough to aid your technicians in the bay, and powerful enough to provide data to leading manufacturers.

Personality and Aptitude Testing An industry leading company offers pre- and post-employment assessments that measure aptitude and work ethic, important for hiring decisions and staff development.

Our goal is to provide you with benefits that either save you money or assist you in making money. Please take a moment and discover all we have to offer at Join-MEA.com.

GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS WITH

DETECTION

VOXX takes BLIND SPOT DETECTION across to the rear, into reverse adding another level of Driver Safety and Awareness!

REAR CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT

senses approaching vehicles when in reverse

both systems equipped with front interior LED indicator audio/visual alerts

sensors are installed professionally inside the rear of the bumper

sensors are built into the frame that is mounted around the license plate

BLIND SPOT DETECTION 2.0

LICENSE PLATE BLIND SPOT DETECTION

(ACABSD20) (ACABSDLP) For more information or to become a dealer visit us at: www.voxxelectronics.com/become-dealer/

@voxxelectronics

©2018 VOXX Electronics Corporation A VOXX International Company