KarTele Mobile Electronics Marks First-Time Win of Local Award

WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER

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 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,

raffle prizes and the chance to meet dogs available for adoption. For the event, KarTele offered “winter care” packages for two lucky winners, which included a gift certificate for a remote start.

“We’ve [also] recently signed on a new employee, Chris Savard,” Hungerford said. “He’s been a huge asset since coming on board, and was a huge help interacting with people at the benefit we just attended. Now that I have a solid installer available, it lets me work on the business and concentrate on expanding into new areas.”

Car-Tunes, Inc. Installs Wi-Fi on Bus Fleet, Expands Product Offerings

Taking on challenging projects, expanding product offerings and knowing when it’s time to support an employee’s decision to leave are all essential parts of running a healthy business. Car-Tunes, Inc. recently took on the challenge of installing Wi-Fi on a fleet of school buses, while also expanding their product offerings to better cater to customers. Additionally, Car-Tunes recently said farewell to Kristen Trainer, a part-time sales associate and daughter of shop owner Kimberly Trainer, as she was recently accepted into medical school.

The sizeable bus project, which gained some traction on social media, was intended to provide students with Internet access during away games and other opportunities during which they might need the support. Since school buses are so large, the business had to have the 10 buses brought one each day, resulting in a 10-day window until completion.

“It just went over so well,” Trainer said. “It was an interesting project because it was different, and it was something for education which was nice.”

Car-Tunes, Inc., also recently expanded its product offerings to better cater to customer needs, including becoming an authorized Electro-Voice dealer, as well as a Sony Car Audio Mobile ES dealer. When it comes to Sony, Car-Tunes was able to still bring in several pieces from the manufacturer even during the inventory shortage.

“When they debuted their new ES line, [Sony] invited us to become an exclusive ES dealer,” Kimberly said. “We went ahead and got authorized. They were super excited, and they let us know we were going to be the only one in Mississippi to date. I’m sure there will be others added in the future. We’re really excited to have their product. It’s really premium.”

In turn, Electro-Voice, a company that has been in business for over 90 years, offers a range of products that Car-Tunes has carried in “small doses,” specifically in musical instrument and DJ equipment offerings, according to Trainer. The products have become popular with customers, which helped drive the decision to become an authorized dealer. Now, on top of more commonplace pieces like auditorium speakers, Car-Tunes also carries their subwoofers, along with accessories and stands, among several other appealing extras to support the whole line.

Kristen Trainer, who previously acquired her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a minor in Business from Mississippi College, has spent some years working in sales for Car-Tunes. She also provided support in an administrative capacity for the business. Both Kimberly Trainer and the business wish her the best of luck in her new venture to become an optometrist.

WHO’S WHO?

Josh Mojica

Shop: GM-GNC Customs Location: Goshen, Ind. Years of Industry Experience: 20-plus Hobbies: “We like to go camping. I’m a family man, and I love spending time with my wife and kids. I’ve been married 16 years and celebrated my anniversary at KnowledgeFest Indy. We have three children.” What Your Really Good At: “Customers think they know what they want, but based on the conversation we have, I’m really good at putting a system together and designing what they actually need.”

David Hampson

Shop: Stereo West Autotoys Location: Omaha, Neb. Hobbies: “I really like car audio. Even outside of work, I’ll be in my garage working on my car, or helping buddies out with their cars. That’s most of my life, other than my threeyear-old and my six-year-old kids.” What Your Really Good At: “I do a really good job with time management at the shop. I try to make sure we aren’t over- or underbooked, and that we have a good amount of jobs on the schedule each day.”