MIRAMAR, FL (04.19.23) – JL Audio, the leader in premium, high-performance marine audio systems, announced the launch of its MediaMaster® Remote app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Designed to work with the latest JL Audio MediaMaster marine audio source units and network controllers, including the MM105, MM105-HR and MMR-40, the MediaMaster Remote app connects via Bluetooth Low Energy technology and offers comprehensive control of all system features and settings.
“These apps represent an exciting control upgrade for the vast number of vessels that feature the latest MediaMaster audio source units as standard or optional equipment,” said Stephen Leigh, Sr. Vice President, Electronic Engineering, JL Audio. “The wireless control functionality and display of music data offered by the apps is comprehensive, far exceeding the features found on typical wired controllers and key fob-style remote controls.”
The MediaMaster Remote app from JL Audio furthers the brand’s mission of providing the absolute best sounding and feature-rich audio solutions for boating, powersports and RV customers. JL Audio’s MediaMaster Remote app features a clean, intuitive user interface that mirrors the UI layout and menu structure of its MM105 source unit, MMR-40 network controller, and the JL Audio control apps for popular multi-function display (MFD) systems.
Main control functions of MediaMaster Remote mobile app include: · Power ON/OFF · Source navigation and selection · Stored presets · All volume level controls (master & individual zones) · All subwoofer level controls (master & individual zones) · All tone & balance controls (master & individual zones) · Source specific settings ·
The JL Audio MediaMaster Remote iOS and Android apps are available immediately for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. App functionality requires no additional hardware but requires the latest source unit software (version 1.0.1325) to be installed, which can be downloaded here: jlaudio.com/MediaMaster-Support
POMPANO BEACH, FL (04.19.23) – RDV Automotive Technology the go to company for Wireless CarPlay integration is proud to announce an exclusive partnership with Mighty Mount, one of the industry leaders in universal mounts. RDV will serve as the exclusive 12 Volt US distributor for Mighty Mount products.
Rich DeSclafani displays 2 of the Mighty Mount line of products in the RDV HQ in Pampano Beach, FL.
Rich De Sclafani the owner of RDV Automotive Technology said about the new partnership, “I am extremely excited to distribute the Mighty Mount line of products. We will be stocking the full line of Fast Charging wireless chargers, car and motorcycle phone mounts and chargers. The Mighty Mount products are super high quality, offer a 1 year warranty and provide another opportunity for retailers to add onto an existing sale with a price protected line of cell phone mounts and charging accessories. They are a great company to work with and align with our business values and strategy of protecting retailers. We will have full inventory within a few weeks and will display together at KnowledgeFest in Orlando.”
The Mighty Mount line also includes products for motorcycles and Powersports.
Jay Rahman the owner of Mighty Mount said about the new partnership, “I am very pleased to be partnered with Rich and RDV Automotive Technology. The 12Volt industry represents our biggest opportunity to expand our brand and become the go to solution in 12Volt for mounts. As we broaden our strategy to produce quality car specific mounts, the 12Volt industry is important to develop. Our new Tesla Mounts is an example of a hot product line that we hope will play well in this sector.”
AVON LAKE, OH (04.19.23) – Design Engineering Inc.’s (DEI) AN-sized Heat Shroud™ Sleeves for 20, 16 and 12 AN sizes are an ideal way to reduce heat strain and abrasions on lines, hoses and wires, damage that could result in failure of all three of these components.
Sized perfectly for AN sizes and featuring an easy wraparound install, DEI’s Heat Shroud ™ Sleeves are constructed from a high-temperature rated, glass-fiber fabric with an insulating inner layer and a heat-reflective outer surface.
The added convenience of a hook and loop closure design along the edge makes installation easy. There’s no need to remove one end of the hose, just wrap Heat Shroud™ Sleeve around the hose and close the hook and loop edge. It’s that simple.
In addition, the AN-sized Heat Shroud™ Sleeves are lightweight for high-performance applications. They are also pliable, so they can be used on tight bends, and there’s no need to disconnect lines to install them. It also prevents fluids from potential vapor lock. The Heat Shroud protects against oil, dirt, road grime and is fireproof.
Heat Shroud ™ Sleeves are available in 3-feet and 10-feet lengths for 12, 16 and 20 AN sizes and offer the versatility of fitting diameters from 0.5 – 2.5 inches.
Highlights include:
· No need to remove wires and hoses
· Convenient hook & loop closure design
· Available in sizes ranging 0.5 – 2.5 inches in diameter
· Reflects 90% of radiant heat
· Easily trim to length
To learn more about AN-sized Heat Shroud™ Sleeves and DEI’s complete line of heat and sound control products, visit www.designengineering.com.
STILLWATER, OK (04.18.23) – KICKER Marine Audio brings premium sound to two large powerboating events on Lake Havasu, Arizona–Desert Storm April 19-23 and Super Cat Fest West, April 26-29. The two events take place on back-to-back weekends of boating action to bring performance boat enthusiasts to Lake Havasu City, a boating Mecca for the country’s West Coast.
KICKER Marine Audio again joins the new owners of Desert Storm for this 25th Anniversary event. KICKER is especially visible as presenting sponsor for the annual Street Party on Thursday, April 20. Jim Russell, an event producer for 30 years, co-owned the event with its founder, Jim Nichols, Sr., who several years ago, sold it to his daughter-in-law and son, Christina and Jim Nichols, Jr. After several years under their operation, Russell and Lake Havasu realtor and community leader Steve Tichnor wanted to ensure that the event stayed in Havasu, so they invested in buying it back.
Says Russell, “Thanks to the wonderful long-term sponsorship of KICKER Marine Audio, joining with new title sponsor, Anderson Powersports, we were able to acquire the event and make minor changes, making sure it stays in Lake Havasu. We are boating enthusiasts and this event has a place in the hearts of everyone in Havasu—it deserves to stay here and grow!”
KICKER Marine Audio has traditionally brought its XRV (Xtreme Recreational Vehicle), a travel edition of its famous headquarters’ “Wall of Boom” to Havasu’s Main Street for the “Eye of the Storm” Street Party. KICKER’s Real Marine sound equipment will also be seen on many of the millions of dollars of state-of-the art performance boats that will be displayed from 1-9 PM, including boats like the DCB owned by Rod Voegele of California-based Gatorwraps, also located in Lake Havasu, and the Rinker Flotilla owned by Jeff Cuvelier of Elite Audio of Havasu. Both boaters and businessmen are big KICKER Marine Audio fans as Gatorwraps adds the visuals to many KICKER-equipped customer boats, while Cuvelier has installed KMA products for years.
“Jeff provides an excellent example of what KICKER can bring to the party,” says Jeremy Bale, KICKER Marine Audio brand manager, “His own Rinker boat and his customers can attest to the top-sound quality of KICKER and its excellent performance in the marine environment. We are pleased to add our continued support to this anniversary event.”
Eliminator’s new Speedster with KICKER Marine Audio and Jeff Cuvelier’s Rinker loaded with KICKER gear!
Jake Fraleigh of Eliminator Boats is also planning to bring a new Ferrari Red 27 Speedster with twin Mercury 400 engines loaded with KICKER sound equipment to the event. Fraleigh calls the open-bow boat “a perfect example of the company’s dedication to lifestyle, functionality and performance—both with speed and sound.”
The event is moving this year to Havasu State Park where the white sandy beaches of “Windsor 4” will serve as VIP headquarters. On Friday, April 21, the Parade of Power will travel from Thompson Bay to the Bridgewater Channel, passing under the London Bridge. Then, a Poker Run where Russell says “the waters will boil” with over 100 participants, led by the area’s First Responders and a KICKER Boat, will round out the day and end with a party for all participants.
On Saturday, April 22, the Sugrue’s Shoot Out event will run from 9 AM- 4 PM from the Site Six Launch Ramp. The ¾-mile closed course Shoot Out is being organized by Russ Wallach of RPM Racing Enterprises and promises to be an exciting event with the best fan viewing from the park’s surrounding bluffs. The King and Queen of the Desert top speed title awards will be presented at the party that evening with record breaking speeds expected.
Preceding the performance events on Wednesday, April 19 is the annual Kruisin’ for a Kause as volunteer powerboaters with big engines and big hearts take area residents with special needs on boat rides, culminating in a BBQ lunch with karaoke entertainment at Lake Havasu State Park.
The next weekend, Super Cat Fest West takes the annual Lake of the Ozarks event to Lake Havasu, thanks to event producer Alvin Heathman, joined by sponsor River Dave of River Dave’s Place. This boaters’ event boasts Title Sponsors KICKER Marine Audio, Eliminator Boats, Franko’s DLA-M44, Gatorwraps and Dixxon Flannel, the latter which will show its Dixxon Eliminator 28’ Fundeck, and new Eliminator 27’ Speedster. Other sponsors include Elite Sound; Ilmor Marine who will unveil a new power package; Horizon Motorsports, a local boat dealer sponsoring the Saturday night party; Hamilton Marine Finance; Detail Specialties; and Barrett Custom Marine. Private sponsors will also bring notable boats, like DCB and Mauricio & Angie Vivanco with their DLA-M44 DCB, Kenny Gonzales and his well-known 48 MTI, “Wave Adios” and many other high-performance cats.
Heathman says they are looking to get the town “more involved” as the event draws boats from across the country to explore Lake Havasu, which he sees as a similar boat culture to Lake of the Ozarks, “just with different scenery and smaller—but more concentrated. Lake Havasu is amazing in its own way—there is always something performance going on here—it’s a giant playground and I think it is the perfect setting,” he adds.
Since Heathman found logistics a bit more challenging in Havasu, he engaged a new development, Havasu Riviera Marina, to host the event. The marina has a new dock, boat ramp, well over 100 boat slips and can accommodate the many visiting boats and trailers for a three-day street party with food trucks, vendors and entertainment. “It will be like an offshore racers’ village,” says Heathman. He also plans a two-day fun run on land or water where people can explore on their own, visiting local businesses and bringing back receipts to turn in for poker hands. “It will be more casual—come and go as you please,” he says. The Friday and Saturday night parties include the popular Boom Bandits Entertainment group, along with awards, hot rods and boats—including the KICKER-outfitted “Boom Toon.”
The Saturday fun run and evening party will feature an auction for $5,000 in KICKER Marine Audio sound equipment for Super Cat Fest for Kids. The event benefits the “forgotten kids” of Lake Havasu and will give money directly to local schools for lunch programs that some underprivileged kids’ families cannot afford.
PITTSBURGH, PA (04.18.23) – Staff members at Team Nutz are now dressed as a team on the showroom floor and offsite events.
Team Nutz team members at the entrance of the Pittsburgh store. Mike Gosnik, Ben Bjerke, Blake Paul, Thomas May and Ryan (L to R).
Ed Nuttall, Team Nutz owner, related “Team Nutz members suggested the idea of a team look. We connected with Cintas and got onboard with their uniform program. Customers in our store can easily identify Team Nutz employees. Also, at our offsite consumers events, attendees will see our staff outfitted in Team Nutz apparel. This will increase the visibility visibility for the Team Nutz brand.”
Team Nutz members set the enter the bay door.
Team Nutz uniforms ready for delivery at a Cintas facility.
Recent consumer events at the David Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh have topped 30,000 in attendance. Team Nutz customers with the firms’ associated automotive businesses also see the new Team Nutz look.
The Cintas program includes pickup of uniforms, laundry and return to the Team Nutz HQ.
PHOENIX, AZ (04.18.23) – April 17, 2023 – Fullbay, the turn-key platform that improves the operational efficiency of heavy-duty repair shops, will host a shop owner roundtable webinar, exploring the obstacles commercial repair shop owners face and how they overcome them on April 18 at 2 p.m. ET.
Fullbay’s CEO, Patrick McKittrick and COO, Chris O’Brien will welcome guests Jennifer Callaway, Co-Owner of Inland Empire Fleet Maintenance and Henry Uribe, Owner of OnSite Truck & Equipment Repair to discuss the range of challenges and successes shops and shop owners alike experience daily. Registered attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance of the event and can interact with panelists during the live webinar.
Fullbay encourages shop owners and other heavy-duty industry professionals to join this session, which is part of its series of free webinars that take a dive into the industry’s hardest hitting issues affecting shops across the country.
For more information or to register and submit a question for this webinar, click here.
OCALA FL (04.17.23) – Reigning NHRA rookie of the year Camrie Caruso is off to a fast start this season, winning the NHRA Arizona Nationals and grabbing her second career No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Winternationals. The third-generation drag racer is also making noise with new sponsors, including the addition of Big Jeff Audio, which will be the primary sponsor on her Chevrolet Camaro for the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, April 28-30, and an associate sponsor the rest of the season. Caruso is looking forward to introducing a brand-new sponsor to the NHRA and its massive consumer audience.
“This deal came together quickly, and I am looking forward to introducing Big Jeff Audio to the NHRA community,” said Caruso, who will be racing four-wide in Charlotte for the first time. “They are doing amazing things with not just car audio but side-by-sides, home audio and marine audio, Power Sports, and CCTV Needs. We are heading into the summer months, so now is the time to update your audio needs for the lake, pool, or your road trips. I can’t wait to show off the Big Jeff Audio Chevrolet Camaro in Charlotte. It is going to be an eye-catching car, and Big Jeff is going to make an impact in the NHRA, I know.”
Big Jeff Audio is a part of Big Jeff Online Inc., a family-owned business that has been thriving since 2014, initially starting out on eBay and Amazon. With a strong commitment to customer satisfaction, they have now expanded to offer a vast array of products on their site, including car audio and CCTV security systems, all backed by their authorization as an online seller. They have a website full of products for everyone at www.BigJeffAudio.com and have a large social media platform that you can see by searching BigJeffAudio on all major platforms.
“We have never done anything like this before, but after talking with Camrie we saw this as a great opportunity to introduce our company and customer service to a whole new audience,” said Jeff Goldman, president of Big Jeff Online, Inc. “We love working with our customers to give them the best audio service for their cars, boats, side-by-sides, or Power Sports. We have a tremendous online business. I know NHRA is all about the noise and thrill of the racing, and everyone at Big Jeff Audio is looking forward to bringing even more sound to the races and the pits.”
BREA, CA (04.17.23) – For the times on the trail when riders need to communicate, and there is no cell service, that’s the time for the NavAtlas NHR1Dual-Band VHF/UHF Radio.
Patrick Brooks with the NHR1 in the NavAtlas HQ in Brea CA
“When riders need to communicate with the outside world, and cell service is non-existent, the NHR1 has an 8-mile range depending on site line and comes with 250 programmable channels. NavAtlas preprograms 150 of the most popular channels to communicate with competitors radios so it becomes a connected ride” Patrick Brooks, NavAtlas National Sales Manager, related.
No cell service on the dunes….no problem with the NavAtlas NHR1.
The NHR1 is also a great tool for retail stores to communicate amongst sales staff and departments.
“The NHR1 can turn into a great impulse buy by the cash register. When customers see store sales staff using the NHR! and see the NHR1 as they are checking out that can start a conversation that leads to a sale” Brooks concluded.
DIAMOND BAR, CA (04.17.23) – The automotive aftermarket continues to be impacted by shifts in the industry and overall economy. To stay competitive, businesses need to know where the market is headed.
The new “SEMA Future Trends – January 2023” report, available now atwww.sema.org/research, provides a detailed analysis of the industry’s most important issues and trends in 2023 and beyond. Designed to help aftermarket companies make informed business decisions, the report includes four main parts:
Specialty-Equipment Industry Outlook
Sales for specialty-equipment parts are projected to have slowed in 2022, growing only 2% to $51.75 billion. Barring any significant economic disruption, industry sales growth should normalize in 2023 and return to the 3-4% growth seen during typical years.
Vehicle Trends Outlook
New-vehicle sales finished at 13.7 million units in 2022, roughly 1.2 million units below 2021 levels. Due to supply shortages, high prices and rising interest rates, it will likely take until 2025 before things return to pre-pandemic levels.
The prices of new vehicles are exceptionally high, hitting a record $49,507 in December 2022. Prices should soften over the next year, as supply-chain issues ease and sales soften.
U.S. Economic Outlook
Inflation hit record levels in 2022 but has peaked and is starting to lower. SEMA estimates that inflation will continue to go down in 2023. By the end of 2023, it should normalize back to around 2% per year. Similarly, costs for producers are expected to go down in 2023.
Unemployment in Q4 2022 hit 3.6% — its lowest level since the late 1960s. As the economy slows down in 2023, there will likely be an uptick in unemployment. It should improve again in 2024.
Supply-Chain Disruption
Ninety percent of industry companies say they were moderately or severely impacted by supply-chain issues over the last year.
The chip shortage is ongoing, but lead times are improving. As of October 2022, the lead delivery time for a chip was 25.5 weeks—down from its peak. However, supplies of chips for automobiles remain tight and constrained.
The complete “SEMA Future Trends – January 2023” report is available to download for free at www.sema.org/research.
The report is also the subject of the webinar “SEMA Future Trends: Outlook for 2023 and Beyond”, taking place on February 2 at 11:00 a.m. PST. Register for the webinar here.
AUBURN HILLS, MI (04.14.23) – General Motors recognized Alps Alpine North America, Inc. as a 2022 Supplier of the Year. GM celebrated honorees at its 31st annual Supplier of the Year event in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this week.
GM’s Supplier of the Year award recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding GM’s requirements, in turn providing customers with innovative technologies and among the highest quality in the automotive industry. This is the 11th consecutive (21st overall) time Alps Alpine has received the award.
“This year was marked with a mixture of challenges and triumphs, so it is with great appreciation and honor that we accept this award for Supplier of the Year,” said Cameron Hosner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Alps Alpine. “As we move forward, we vow our continued and unrelenting aim to deliver solutions that contribute to the creation of a brighter future for our customers, our partners, and ourselves.”
“We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding suppliers after yet another challenging year in the automotive industry,” said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “They overcame countless obstacles and exemplified what it means to be resilient, resourceful and determined. Beyond that, these suppliers demonstrated their commitment to sustainable innovation and to driving advanced solutions in collaboration with the GM team.”
Each year, GM’s Supplier of the Year recipients are selected by a global, cross-functional GM team for their performance in criteria such Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales and Logistics.
12VoltNews.com 