retail news
WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER
KarTele Mobile Electronics Marks First-Time Win of Local Award KarTele Mobile Electronics, based in Waterbury, Conn., recently celebrated its first-time win in the Automotive category for the Best of Waterbury awards. According to shop owner Mike Hungerford, votes were overwhelmingly in their favor for the category. When asked about what the shop had done differently this year that might have contributed to the win, Hungerford named two key elements: the shop remodel and unparalleled dedication to customer service. KarTele specializes in newer midgrade vehicles, according to Hungerford, ranging from brand-new to 10-year-old cars like Hondas and Toyotas. The bulk of
18 Mobile Electronics November 2021
KarTele’s work is also in remote starts, as well as OEM integration. Hungerford emphasized that the team is able to keep the factory appearance while making the entire system sound much better. As of this writing, Hungerford noted that they plan to celebrate the win with an online post thanking customers for voting for them, as well as running deals for a few weeks. There are also plans a walk-in special, with snacks and drinks for everyone who attends. Moreover, KarTele has been involved with charitable events, such as donating remote starts for raffle prizes, to help support the local community. “[Recently],
in Naugatuck, there was a walk for Mission 22, a nonprofit that brings awareness to veteran suicide,” Hungerford said. “We went down and raffled off a $700 Compustar remote starter, and then all the ticket sales at the end, we donated to Mission 22.” KarTele also donates to a local hockey team’s fundraiser which focuses on Livestrong, a non-profit supporting those affected by cancer. During the month of October, the business took part in Pawtober Fest, which is a local initiative to help find suitable homes for dogs. The event helped support the Wolcott Dog Pound. Visitors enjoyed food, live music,
