Author: 12VoltNews

MasterTech Expo Announces 2026 Industry Awards

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TEMPE, AZ (02.27.26) – MasterTech Expo is proud to announce its 2026 Awards Program, a prestigious lineup of honors recognizing the individuals, vehicles, brands, and educators who represent the very best of the industry. The 2026 awards will be presented live on Sunday, March 15 at 1:30pm during MasterTech Expo, held March 12-15, 2026 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Ariz.

“Taking place during the Expo’s annual gathering, these awards celebrate not only technical excellence, but also the creativity, dedication, and leadership that continue to drive the industry forward,” said Bryan Schmitt, founder of MasterTech Expo and CEO, founder, and president of Mobile Solutions. “Rooted in the Expo’s long-standing mission of education, collaboration, and professional growth, the awards highlight the people and organizations setting the benchmark for excellence across the community.”

The 2026 awards include:

Industry Awards

  • Clean Wire Tech; recognizes exceptional craftsmanship in wiring execution, organization, and installation standards.
  • Fabricator of the Year; honors an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary skill, innovation, and dedication to custom fabrication within the industry.
  • Lifetime Achievement; the highest honor presented at MasterTech Expo, recognizing an individual whose career has made a profound and lasting impact on the mobile electronics and fabrication community.

Manufacturer Awards

  • Best Booth Experience; recognizes the exhibitor that delivers the most engaging, informative, and memorable presence on the show floor.
  • Best Sounding Vehicle; honors the pinnacle of mobile audio performance and tuning excellence.
  • Best Vendor Training Experience; celebrates the manufacturer or vendor that delivers the most impactful educational session at the Expo.

“MasterTech Expo brings together professionals, manufacturers, educators, and enthusiasts from across North America and beyond for a celebration of achievement and community,” Schmitt concluded. “Each award recipient embodies the passion, professionalism, and innovation that define our industry.”

For event details, registration, and updates, visit: www.MasterTechExpo.com

Team Progressive Is Set To Kick Off The 11th Annual Rock The House Tour

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI (02.27.26) – The Progressive Group is set to power the 11th Annual Rock The House Tour. The tour is set to kick off in Grand Rapids MI on Tuesday, May 5th. Two days later on May 7, the Rock the House Tour will stop in Troy MI. The 2026 Rock The House Tour will include nine locations across the US.

At each of the tour stops there will be strong specials, networking with staff and vendors along with giveaways plus entertainment and delicious food.The Rock The House Tour provides dealers in the area of a Team Progressive location to see new products, meet with with industry members plus connect with other dealers in the area. The stops on the 2025 Tour were very well attended and the outlook for the 2026 tour is already very positive.

Jason Dubie, Director of Business-Midwest, “Turnout was strong across the 2025 Tour. At each event dealers from more than two hours away drove in attend our Rock The House stop in their area. We had positive comments from dealers and vendors at each Tour stop. We are looking forward to a very positive 2026 Tour.” 

For more see teamprogressive.com

Feed Your Sound with Compact Power with Autotek

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LIBERTYVILLE, OH (02.27.26) – Compact MEAN MACHINE amplifiers are engineered for performance in a smaller, more versatile form. These amplifiers are designed for easy installation and greater flexibility in your audio system while still delivering BIG POWER in compact form.

Unleash MEAN POWER with PRO-FI™ high-speed MOSFETs, that deliver clean, undistorted sound at every level of playback through the Compact MEAN MACHINE amplifier series. POWER FORWARD your amplifier game TODAY!

To learn more, click here.

Stereo King Was A Standout In The Garage At The Portland Auto Show

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PORTLAND, OR (02.26.26) – The Oregon International Auto Show is the largest auto show in the Pacific Northwest. Stereo King was on site to show their latest products and builds plus to connect with members of the crowd, estimated at nearly 90,000, during the 4-Day run February 19th-22nd 2026 at the Oregon Convention Center.

“This was our 7th year to exhibit at the Oregon International Auto Show. We set our plan to showcase new in-vehicle upgrades and technologies to attendees and feel that turned out very well. My guess is attendance was up 20% this year and our booth was the busiest ever. Once again we were in The Garage area of the Oregon Convention Center and our decked out Tesla Model 3 stood out in that area. Linkswell and Escort were also located in The Garage area” Kevin Cornutt, behind the Stereo King wheel, related.

Continuing “Our Tesla Model 3 was loaded with premium aftermarket upgrades and a full custom audio system build to impress. The Tesla 3 brought attendees from across all the huge floor. My wife Bethany, Anthony Galster and I worked the booth and it was non-stop every day. I talked to probably 100 people who said ‘I don’t like Teslas…but I love this Tesla. Brad Smith knocked it out of the park with the custom installation. When I popped the front hood and people saw the amplifier

RED lighting on the Tesla 3 wheels also drew attention.
The custom enclosure in the back trunk area also grabbed attention.

Rob Sutton and Crossover Marketing Group were on site throughout the event. “The Garage section has become one of the biggest attractions at this show, and Stereo King is right in the center of its success. Kevin and his crew have refined their event presence into something special and this year the Tesla 3 pulled crowds unlike anything we have ever seen before. A very effective demo” Sutton relayed.

Continuing “Linkswell brings an incredible commitment to events like this, and together we are not just selling product, we are educating consumers and building long term relationships. Walter Detlefsen was on site with family members Jonathan, Gabriel and Victor.”

Many attendees got down on their hands and knees to see if this deep amp installation went all the way to the ground.

“Our legs are a bit sore this week, but we could not be more excited about the opportunity to do it again next year” Sutton concluded.

“As a followup we offer show discounts to anybody that goes into any of our stores and lets them know they visited our booth at the show. One of the discounts is $200 off on Linkswell radios” Cornutt added

Stereo King has stores in Clackamas, Gresham, Aloha and Salem for professional sales and installation for area consumers.

“The 2027 Portland International Auto Show is already penciled in on the Stereo King 2027 event calendar” Cornutt concluded.

Visit www.stereoking.com for more.

SEMA Garage and BigRep America Partner to Bring Large-Format 3D Printing to SEMA Members Across North America

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DIAMOND BAR, CA (02.26.26) – SEMA Garage and BigRep America today announced a new partnership that will give SEMA members throughout North America access to their newly offered large-format 3D printing services. Through this collaboration, the SEMA Garage facility in Diamond Bar, Calif., will serve as the hub for these services, enabling members to produce parts ranging from early-stage prototypes to functional components using BigRep’s catalog of validated 3D printing filaments.

SEMA Garage is the product development and technology resource center of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), serving member companies in the automotive specialty equipment industry. It has consistently positioned itself at the forefront of emerging manufacturing and product development technologies, offering advanced vehicle testing, 3D scanning, OEM data, and manufacturing services to support members’ product development, research, and compliance needs. The addition of large-format additive manufacturing represents the next chapter in that commitment.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership with SEMA Garage. It’s a meaningful step forward in how we bring large-format additive manufacturing to the automotive industry in North America. The automotive sector has always been at the heart of what we do, and by working directly with SEMA Garage, we’re making it easier than ever for their members to tap into that technology for real large-scale applications.”
— Jeff Olson, President, BigRep America

“SEMA Garage is thrilled to partner with BigRep to bring large-format rapid prototyping into our Product Development service lineup. This cutting-edge capability gives our members the tools to stretch the limits of innovation and improve the speed and efficiency of their development process.”
— Jim Moore, Vice President, OEM and Product Development, SEMA

The Diamond Bar facility will be home to the BigRep STUDIO, a large-format 3D printer with a well-established track record in the automotive industry. The STUDIO is purpose-built for professional environments, capable of printing parts at full-scale using a broad range of materials — from standard prototyping filaments to engineering-grade thermoplastics suited for demanding functional applications.

BigRep brings deep roots in the automotive sector to this partnership. The company has worked with major automotive OEMs, including Ford, and has supported aftermarket shops nationwide in producing custom parts, interior components, and fabrication tooling. BigRep technology has also made its way into motorsports through a collaboration with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB of the NASCAR Cup Series, where large-format printing has been used to develop large-scale tooling, aerodynamic components, and race-ready parts.

For more information, visit www.bigrep.com and www.sema.org.

MB Quart’s Ford Bronco Tuned Audio Now Ready for 2025-2026 Vehicles

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LIBERTYVILLE, IL (02.26.26) – Built for the trail. Tuned for the drive. ALL-NEW Ford Bronco® Tuned Audio Packages have arrived, exclusively engineered for NEWER Ford Bronco® vehicles (2025-2026). Get ready to BRING YOUR LOUD with Music. Defined. sound!

MB Quart Ford Bronco® Tuned Audio Packages include front 3-way component speakers with 1-inch Magnesium WideSphere™ Technology tweeters and two 400-watt Class-D amplifiers with on-board equalization.

MBQBRO-STG6A-1-25 Ford® Bronco 2025-2026 Tuned Audio Package works with MBQBRO-302 400-watt Tailgate Subwoofer System and MBQBRO-SUBR-1 400-watt OEM Subwoofer Upgrade.

UPGRADE your 2025-2026 Ford Bronco to be BUILT LOUD!

To learn more, click here.

KICKER Wrapped the AMA ArenaCross Series in the Lazy E Arena with Marketing Pros and Quality Audio

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GUTHRIE, OK (02.25.26) – The 2026 KICKER AMA ArenaCross Series Finale drew a large crowd to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie OK on Friday February 20th. Area KICKER rep firm Marketing Pros was on site and invited an area KICKER dealer Quality Audio to join them in the booth with Lorin Morrell.

“I have attended past KICKER ArenaCross events at the Lazy E Arena with one of our dealers. This year Randy Kirk had a chance to be on site and experience the way KICKER really connects with enthusiast and how Lorin Morrell makes all happen so smoothly. Stephanie and I really enjoy getting feedback directly from consumers. KICKER offers products for so many categories of rides on the road, trails and on the lakes. It’s so good to get consumers input.”

The stands at the Lazy E Arena were packed.

Marketing Pros Rick Dewey, along with his wife Stephanie, spent time in the KICKER booth that was very busy as all entering the Lazy E Arena passed by the KICKER booth on the way to their seats. Dewey invited area retailer Quality Audio to attend the event and Randy Kirk traveled from Choctaw OK to spend time in the booth and also see the exciting activity on the track at the KICKER ArenaCross event.

Lorin Morrell snapped this image with Stephanie and Rick Dewey from Marketing Pros in the booth.
“Attendees seeing and hearing this Kawasaki loaded with KICKER will remember it for a long time” Rick Dewey related. Photo by Phil Lambert.

Kirk related, “This was my first time to attend a KICKER ArenaCross and it was amazing. There was so much excitement throughout the arena. KICKER it’s a very strong brand in our store and it was great to connect with area consumers and put a big stack of business cards in people’s hands when they stopped by the booth. We have 2 businesses in our location. The second being Quality Diesel where we work on a lot of pickups of all sizes. Many leave with aftermarket automotive upgrades including KICKER gear.

Riders bunched in tight turns before flying over mounds ahead.
The Pro Pits were full for enthusiast to meet and talk with the riders.

Concluding “Spending time with Lorin Morrell and seeing all of the branding KICKER was doing to connect with consumers in the area. The track announcers did a great job and it was fun to see the young winner come to the KICKER booth to pick up his Bullfrog prize from the KICKER T-shirt toss. Rick and Marketing Pos provide a lot of support day in and day out for our store. The next time there’s an opportunity to attend an ArenaCross I will certainly plan to be there.”

“It was great having Rick in the booth again with an area KICKER dealer. In the Lazy E Arena all came together with KICKER, a top rep firm with Marketing Pros, a proactive retailer with Quality Audio and consumers. That certainly checked all the right boxes to drive business. All were Livin’Loud!” Lorin Morrell, Maddog_Media,r elated.

Stay tuned for info from next year’s KICKER AMA ArenaCross Series that will fill venues cross the US.

See more at kicker.com.

Wayne Harris to Feature Legendary “Terminator” Hearse During 2026 MasterTech Expo

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TEMPE, AZ (02.25.26) – Automotive audio pioneer Wayne Harris will feature his world-famous Terminator vehicle during a special live interview during MasterTech Expo 2026, held March 12-15, 2026 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Ariz., offering attendees a rare look into one of the most iconic builds in car audio history.

Open to all MasterTech attendees and exhibitors, the Terminator will be on hand and the featured session will take place March 12 from 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM in the Delta AZ Ballroom.

Harris has been a driving force in the 12-volt automotive audio industry since the early 1980s. A designer, engineer, entrepreneur, and innovator, he has earned multiple Design & Engineering awards, he holds several patents for audio technology innovations, and was named one of the Top Ten Most Influential People in Car Audio from 1987–1992.

Originally built in the mid-1980s – well ahead of its time – the Terminator featured groundbreaking concepts including one of the first true symmetry-based system layouts, including six Power 1000 amplifiers and a rotating amplifier rack that redefined what was possible in mobile audio design. The vehicle pushed extreme power levels for its era and became a benchmark for competitive audio builds.

The Terminator Vehicle
The Terminator began life as a 1960 Cadillac hearse before Harris transformed it into one of the most legendary show vehicles in automotive audio history. Packed with massive subwoofers, multiple drivers, and staggering power output for the time, it helped shape early competition culture and left a lasting impression on anyone who experienced it in person.

Today, Harris has been carefully modernizing, refurbishing, and rewiring the Terminator, preserving its original spirit while ensuring it remains period-correct. Decades later, the vehicle remains a cultural icon, still talked about by competitors and enthusiasts who remember seeing – and hearing – it dominate early car audio events.

Live Interview & Walk-Through
Attendees will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear directly from Harris as he walks through the history, design philosophy, and technical innovation behind the Terminator.

The session will be hosted by Matt Schaefer and Gary Bell of the Old Fashion Podcast.

For anyone passionate about car audio history, innovation, and legendary builds, this is a moment not to be missed.

Register today at www.mastertechexpo.com.

Push Power to PRO LEVELS with Hifonics Colossus Mini Amplifiers

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LIBERTYVILLE, IL (02.25.26) – Hifonics Colossus Mini amplifiers create higher PRO POWER where you need it the most. The smallest size footprint of the Colossus family of amplifiers – Colossus Mini amplifiers are innovated with a sleek, bold design that blends into any car or vehicle interior.

Incorporating full-range Class-D chipsets (including the mono models) – all Colossus Mini amplifiers are compatible with a
wide range of drivers, especially pro-style speakers.

Feel BIGGER POWER in a Mini footprint.

To learn more, click here.

Code Zero Customs Was A Standout At The Starbird Show

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TULSA, OK (02.24.26) – Code Zero Customs had a major presence at the 2026 Starbird Rod and Custom Show in Tulsa. The event, the 63rd Annual, was held in the Tulsa Expo Center February 20th-22nd. This was the 10th year for Code Zero Customs to exhibit and the company’s 10th year to be an event sponsor. As part of the event sponsorship 2500 Code Zero Customs VIP Lanyards were provided to be worn on the show floor by attendees.

AudioControl, Memphis Audio and WavTech products were spotlighted in the booth.

Cody Landis, Code Zero Customs owner, related “Attendance this year was the best to date for us. Being on site up front with a 20 x 40 booth at the Starbird Show is always a real branding opportunity for our company. Attendees are serious automotive aftermarket enthusiasts and it’s a great way to showcase our brand, products and work to the right audience. Our Code Zero Customs apparel also grabbed attention.”

This sick ‘77 Chevy pickup owned by Chris Cortest from Kansas received custom door panels, custom dash and all the lighting by Code Zero Customs
2,500 custom lanyards were part of the sponsorship package.

Continuing “We started setting up on Wednesday for the Friday noon opening. Immediately we were seeing attendees in our booth. I talked with so many people about upgrades for their rides. Saturday was the same with the aisles packed and moving slowly. From our up front booth you could see there was always a line to get in the door.

Several Code Zero Customs project vehicles received awards at the show.

The Code Zero Customs booth area included a large tent set up to feature Audio Control, Memphis Audio and WavTech products. In the adjacent area a super slick custom 1977 Chevy Pickup project for Chris Cortest was showcased. Other project vehicles were close by with show trophies spotlighted.

“Showing great project vehicles by the booth really let attendees see the quality Code Zero Custom work Bobby, Jenny and I do. At the Starbird shows our goal is to put our brand in front of the right crowd. Attendees ask if we are local so they can come to the store to talk about projects on their vehicle. Every year we quote packages to members of the crowd and that turns into business at our store. This event was definitely terrific and we certainly look forward to the 2027 Starbird Show” Landis concluded.

Visit codezerocustoms.com for more.