VAIS Technology Releases SiriusXM Add-On Adapter for 2021-23 Mazda

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ENGLEWOOD. CO (01.20.23) – VAIS Technology has released new satellite radio integrated solutions specifically designed for 2021-23 Mazda. This solution allows owners of these models to add SiriusXM satellite radio to their existing factory stereo, without compromising factory functionality.

Dennis Hopper, VAIS Technology EVP, holds the new SiriusXM add-on adapter for 2021 through 2023 Mazda vehicles in the company’s HQ lobby in Englewood, CO.

“Since 2003, VAIS Technology have been developing satellite radio adapters for vehicles that aren’t equipped from the factory with SiriusXM tuners,” Dennis Hopper, EVP, says. “While satellite radio is more popular than ever, many new OEM vehicles still don’t come equipped from the factory with satellite tuners. For 2022 several more OEM’s have removed satellite tuners from their platforms. Over the last few years Hyundai, Mazda, Kia, Jeep, Honda and Ford have removed satellite tuners from their base model vehicles. VAIS Technology develops simple, easy to install integrated solutions that add satellite radio, but preserve factory functions.”

The new kits provide coverage for new Mazda models equipped with Sync 4 Radios. Also, all these models are compatible with the GSR-UV01 (universal unit) which can be flashed using online software. This allows dealers to only stock one unit to do almost all applications. This adapter connects directly to the original factory radio and allows the vehicle owner to listen to satellite radio through the existing factory system. The VAIS integrated solution also allows for full control of satellite radio functions – changing stations, setting presets, steering wheel functions, etc.

GSR-MZ04 is available for order now.  Retail price is $349.99 with SXV300 tuner included.

Visit vaistech.com for more.

January Events This Weekend to Get The Ball Rolling in 2023

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SHREVEPORT, LA (01.19.23) – There are 5 large events taking place across the U.S. this Friday, Saturday and Sunday weekend, January 20/ 21/22. The 12volt Central Studios is set to highlight each of these events and their positive contribution to the overall 12volt industry.

The AMA Kicker Aenacross will hit the track in Guthrie OK on Friday, January 20th.The AMA Kicker Arenacross series has expanded the series to 14 events this year. The previous 4 events on this year’s schedule have been very well attended with riders flying high and all in the event centers Livin’Loud. The previous Kicker Arenacross events at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie have been very well attended. Guthrie is a mere 33 miles from the Kicker World HQ in Stillwater OK.

“The AMA Kicker ArenaCross in Guthrie was really Livin’Loud last year and we plan for this year to be even stronger” Lorin Morrell, shown at last year’s event,  related.

ARC Audio will host a Dealer Open House at the company’s Modesto CA HQ Saturday and Sunday January 21/22. Scott Baughman, Reliable Product Marketing firm Principal stated “This is shaping up to be a great event for ARC Audio dealers in the area. It’s been a few year since we hosted an event like this. Dealers will see new products, catch up and do fun things like an amp toss plus enjoy special tacos. Weather forecast indicates we should finally have a sunny sky.”

Parts Unlimited will host the NVP Expo in Louisville KY January 21/22 and Patrick Brooks will highlight the latest from NavAtlas as one of the many exhibitors to be on site after a 3 year hiatus of the event. The NVP Expo continues to expand and this year the event will have an increase of over 40% from the previous event and all exhibits will be on one floor.

The HeatWave Tour will present the Texas Showdown Freedom Rally Custom Truck and Car Show January20/21/22 in Rockdale TX. David MacDonald related “Last years event was strong and we anticipate this year will be even larger. The sound-off component of the Freedom Rally has generated a lot of buzz across the area.”

The last of the Five events is the World of Wheels and the David Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburg. Team Nutz will be on site with a 5,000 foot booth. Ed Nuttall and a staff of 20 will work the event with 18 demo vehicles. On LIVE site installations will take place including leather seats, vinyl wrap, paint correction and more. In addition the Mon Valley Technical Center team will travel to set up and participate with a large booth. Buses, trailers and cars take 45 students, booth setup supplies and 8 demo vehicles to work their booth and network with a large number of automotive aftermarket brands and companies on the event floor. Attendance is expected to be north of 30,000 over the weekend.

Chris Mance, Mon Valley CTC Instructor stated “We are so excited to return to the World of Wheels this year. We have an even larger booth and exciting plans. Our first year students will get a chance to see real world opportunities for careers in the automotive aftermarket industry. Spending time with Ed Nuttall in the Team Nutz booth and see their team complete LIVE real world installations will be terrific.”

Set up began on Wednesday for the Team Nutz booth at the World of Wheels.
Mon Valley CTC Members Trent, Katrina, Marry and Nathaniel (LtoR) have plans to put something in this large box. Maybe a full-size motorcycle for their booth at the World of Wheels?

The 12volt Central Studios staff members are anticipating information from each event to provide coverage from each event. Stay tuned for more coverage from these events next week.

Next stop for these Mon Valley CTC team members, plus more, will be their booth at the World of Wheels in Pittsburgh this weekend.

Visit instagram.com/12voltnews for more.

Ken Bundy Announces the CJO Sales Rep Firm

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REDLAND, MI (01.19.23) – Ken Bundy has started his rep firm CJO Sales. “As of January 1st 2023, we opened the doors of the new firm CJO Sales. The firm currently is the rep for Kicker, Compustar, Focal, Sony, Diamond, and Cerwin-Vega within the borders of Michigan. I’m extremely excited to work with such reputable and well-rounded manufacturers” Bundy stated.

Ken Bundy

The CJO Sales firm represents the brands across the state of Michigan from the home-based office in the Detroit suburb of Redland. The firm’s goals are to grow each of the brands by showcasing the competitive advantages one-on-one in brick and mortar retailers throughout Michigan.

“I like to focus on traits that make for easy seamless installation, because that’s what always spoke to me as an installer” Bundy concluded.

Contact Ken Bundy at ken@cjosales.com

Oracle Lighting Announces New LED Tail Lights for Jeep Comanche

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METAIRIE, LA (01.19.23) – Oracle Lighting is proud to announce the launch of its new LED tail lights for Jeep Comanche (MJ). Scheduled to ship in mid 2023, the new taillights fit the 1986-1992 Jeep Comanche MJ models and feature an OEM appearance with modern refinements while still honoring its classic styling.

“Oracle Lighting has created LED tail light upgrades for many Jeep models and is now bringing that design expertise, innovation, and quality to the often overlooked MJ platform,” explained Justin Hartenstein, Oracle Lighting director of development. “Modern refinements include LED Stop/ Turn/ Parking lights which provide an updated appearance and provide better visibility than the original halogen lights.”

Another major refinement for these tail lights is a high powered LED Reverse Light integrated into the design. This module features six high powered LEDs designed to provide 1,000+ total lumens for ample reversing visibility. These LEDs are focused with mixed-beam reflector optics to provide both peripheral and distance light visibility for the driver when backing up at night. 

Another option that Oracle Lighting will offer is Standard (p/n: 5909-003) or Tinted Lenses (p/n: 5909-020). The standard lens option will have a more original OE-style appearance while the tinted option will have a more aggressive blacked-out styling. These options give consumers more ability to choose a traditional classic appearance or a more aggressive modern smoked lens.

Louisiana-based Oracle Lighting has been designing innovative lighting products and technologies for the automotive aftermarket since 1999. Oracle’s philosophy is this: in today’s world of fly-by-night vendors, we think it is important to partner with businesses that you can trust to be there for you today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

For more information on Oracle Lighting and its full product line, please visit www.oraclelights.com, call (800) 407-5776, or email info@oraclelights.com.

King Kong Custom Audio Rocks The Skate-O-Mania Ride

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM (01.18.23) – King King Custom Audio recently completed a truly unique demo vehicle for a local skate rink… Skate-O-Mania. A 12volt Central Studios staff member noticed a King Kong Custom Audio post on Instagram and immediately knew there had to be much more to the story. There definitely was.

This neon graphic highlights the Skate and is showcased in the Skate-O-Mania rink lobby.

Reggie Guzman, King Kong Custom Audio owner, posted on Instagram “Skate-O-Mania dropped off this bad ass roller skate for some work. Disco ball, underglow, wheel halos, headlight halos and with speakers under the vehicle.”

Guzman filled the 12volt Central Studios staff in with more details during a phone call. “This was certainly the most unique vehicle installation we have done in the 11 years we have been in business. And yes, this is a street legal vehicle that is over 10’ tall and was constructed on an old VW frame. The windshield is mounted high on the skate for excellent visibility from the drivers seat with large side mounted rearview mirrors. Entrance is through a door in the back of the skate.”

Via instagram.com/kingkongcustom

Continuing “The Shake-O-Mania owner Coutrney Ballew was looking for a vehicle that would catch attention for his skating rink. We installed Memphis Audio amplifiers and underbody tower marine speakers. The music originates from a smartphone Bluetooth connection. The LED lighting really draws attention parked in front of his skating rink. This was an amazing project build for a local business. We were happy to be a part of this unique and amazing build.”

Click play to view this video via @KingKongCustom

A call to Skate-O-Mania added to the story. Ballew’s father owned a skating rink in North Carolina 40 years ago. The body of the skate was a spec build project of 20 large skates back in the ’80’s to draw attention for skating rinks. There are maybe 6 of the original skates left and one is now in front of Skate-O-Mania in Albuquerque NM.

Via instagram.com/kingkongcustom

Ballew related “It truly is an amazing story about this skate. One of the first chapters was to transport it on a trailer from North Carolina. The height on the skate created a problem that called for a special trailer. Once the skate arrived it took a lot of work to refurbish the frame and get the VW platform back in shape. The Skate-O-Mania looks terrific but there are still some minor thing on the body.”

Concluding Ballew stated “Reggie and his crew at King Kong Custom Audio did a terrific job with the sound system and lighting on the skate. We have participated in local parades and I can do 35 mph on the streets…always watching out for signs and overpasses. No doubt it grabs eyeballs everywhere. All the time people are grabbing selfies by the Skate-O-Mania and that puts is on their phones and social media. Our roller rink definitely gives ’80’s nostalgia while offering a great experience for the whole family.”

For more see @skateomania and @kingkongcustom on social media.

KENWOOD Promotes John Lucas to Vice President of Sales

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LONG BEACH, CA (01.18.23) – KENWOOD USA, manufacturer of premier entertainment and information solutions for the automotive, marine, and motorsports aftermarket, announced that John Lucas has been named Vice President of Sales for the Car Electronics division, a promotion from Director of National Accounts.

Lucas will be tasked with implementing sales programs and initiatives that further support its dealers, along with managing and supporting the company’s regional sales managers and independent sales representatives.  

John Lucas, Vice President of Sales

“I’m thrilled to be able to work with such an established network of true sales professionals,” said Lucas. “The opportunity to grow the KENWOOD brand from this new direction is beyond exciting to me, and I’m ready to give it my all.” 

Lucas’s background consists of over a 30-year tenure in the consumer electronics industry, of which the last 18 have been at KENWOOD. Before KENWOOD, he worked as a merchant for several retailers including Best Buy and Audio King.

“John has done an amazing job at servicing and developing relationships with our national account vendors during his time with us,” said Dave Hoag, Executive Vice President, JVCKENWOOD’s Automotive Sector. “His retail background coupled with his current vendor account experience and company knowledge sets him up for a smooth transition into this role, of which we are excited to embark upon with him.”  

Visit www.kenwood.com/usa/car for more.

John Driscoll Promoted to Southeastern Regional Manager of Mobile and Powersports at Maxxsonics

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LIBERTYVILLE, IL (01.18.23) – Effective Monday, January 16th, 2023, John Driscoll will be promoted from Regional Sales Manager to Southeastern Regional Manager of Mobile and Powersports at Maxxsonics. John’s main focus will be on planning territory development, traveling the territory to build new business opportunities, and developing new distribution partners to better service the southeastern region.

On his new position, John Driscoll of Maxxsonics said, “I am excited to be working with our team of industry veterans in the Southeast region of the US. The Maxxsonics family of brands offers a comprehensive variety of 12 volt products for the Automotive, Marine and Powersports markets with solid growth opportunities in all channels of distribution.”

Planning to maximize new Mobile and Powersports opportunities – newly promoted John
Driscoll looks to bring Maxxsonics new business.

John has been a car audio hobbyist since 1986 and started participating in-car audio events in 1987, going on to IASCA Finals in 1990, 1991, and 1992. John grew to Sales, in the consumer electronics industry, with Quality Auto Sound in 1991 and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1993 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing) degree.

Being one of the first in the nation to be certified as “MECP Installer First Class,” John worked for several CE retailers, including Audio Express, Circuit City, and Ultimate Electronics. In 1997, he started with Current Marketing as a manufacturer’s rep for car and home electronics and continued until 2009, when he became a National Sales Manager for Cerwin-Vega Mobile. In 2012, John entered the Powersports industry with the Arthur Fulmer Companies (Memphis Car Audio and Fulmer Helmets). In 2020 John joined Maxxsonics and is looking to extend his outreach of product knowledge and industry experience with his promotion from Regional Sales Manager to Southeastern Regional Manager of Mobile and Powersports.

On John’s new position, Sam Dattalo, Vice President of Sales, commented, “I am thrilled to have John take on these new responsibilities, and I am excited to see the growth and opportunities he brings to Maxxsonics. From traveling the territory to grow business to continue building new and current relationships for the stability of Maxxsonics – John Driscoll looks to catapult Maxxsonics into 2023 and beyond with his expertise and industry knowledge. I am confident with these new responsibilities and roles that he will continue finding abundant success and company growth.”

John brings over 30 years of experience in the consumer electronics and Powersports industries, making this promotion a perfect fit and mold into 2023. Maxxsonics is excited to see what growth and opportunities John will bring to the company as he looks to expand the Maxxsonics family of audio brands and share more of his impressive assortment and industry knowledge of products in the future.

Visit https://maxxsonics.com for more.

Kicker Awards International Distributor of the Year Award to GemSen

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CONCORD, ONTARIO (01.17.23) – Aziz Masri, International Sales Manager for car audio manufacturer Kicker, has announced that Canadian distributor GemSen, has been awarded the company’s International Distriibutor of the Year award for 2022.

The award was presented to GemSen’s founders Sal and Nadia Riina along with Mike O’Connor, Mike Danbrook, and Dave Singh by Kicker’s Aziz Masri, Chet Weddle, and Kicker Founder Steve Irby in Mexico at the Hard Rock in Puerto Vallarta during the Kicker Trip attended by hundreds of American Kicker dealers and of distributors and from across the globe.

GemSen VP of Sales, Mike O’Connor stated “Escaping the cold and spending time in Hot & Sunny Mexico to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kicker was an incredible treat in itself. Being recognized by an industry pioneer and innovator as being one of the Best in the World was the icing on the cake. Kicker is receptive to the needs of dealers and are continually developing products to cater to market demand. GemSen could not ask for anything more in a business partner.”

Visit kicker.com for more.

ARC Audio Dealer Open House Only 1 Week Away

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MODESTO, CA (01.17.23) – ARC Audio’s open house event will take place this Saturday and Sunday January 21 and 22 FROM 10 AM – 4 PM. The open house will take place at ARC Audio Arc Audio – 4719 Greenleaf Ct, Modesto, CA 95356.

Scott Baughman, Reliable Product Marketing Principal, related “This is shaping up to be a great event for ARC Audio dealers in the area. It’s been a few years since we hosted an area open house at the ARC HQ. Dealers will see new products, catch up and do fun things like an amp toss plus enjoy special tacos. It will also be good to see the sunshine in California.”

Weather: The forecast as of today shows Saturday and Sunday to be sunny and dry!

Food:

Made to order tacos will be available for lunch around noon

Snacks and drinks will be offered throughout the day

Parking:

The plan is to use the ARC Audio parking lot to display cars, product and other things. This means that parking will be in the adjacent parking lot or on the street.

Saturday will have plenty of parking, Sunday however a church across the street will hold service and they will be sharing resources. Try to get there early.

Deals:

Chris, Brian, Brad and Lisa are pulling out all the stops and will have some amazing close out deals so bring a big car or truck to take full advantage. Shipping will be available (But not included).

Trainings:

There will be several rotating trainings. times will be loosely based on when people show up. But they promise you will get every opportunity to learn about any and all things ARC Audio. Just ask!

They are planning to do a DSP training, All Pass Filter Demonstration and a MPAK install overview and maybe more!

Click here to RSVP

Demos:

There will be several cars to listen to including Brian’s multi world award winning Caddy! and his simply ridiculous BlackBird powered Chevy pick up.

Day of Contact:

The office phones will probably not be answered on the weekend. Please call your local rep if you need help finding the event.

Family Friendly:

Although there will not be specific things to keep kids entertained, ARC was built on “Family” and yours is welcome. There is a TON of shopping and a Dave and Busters very close if they get bored while you are getting your learn on!

Visit arcaudio.com for more.

MUSWAY Distributor Global Audio Marketing to Offer Trainings at KnowledgeFest

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MURRIETTA, CA (01.17.23) – Join Chris Bennett and Joseph Norton as they debut new MUSWAY products and discuss the features and benefits the product offering has for their Authorized Dealer Partners. Chris Bennett starts the class with an introduction to business with Global Audio Marketing. Showcasing the benefits for MUSWAY retail partners that include profitability, programs, and support. Joseph Norton
will be doing hands-on training and demonstrating the attributes and audio quality found in all products throughout the MUSWAY product assortment.

Join these sessions as Global audio Marketing debuts the uncompromising quality and sound reproduction from MUSWAY Products and remember “Music is the Way”.


MUSWAY training times during Las Vegas KnowledgeFest will be:
Friday February 3rd 1:45pm in room Versailles 4.
Saturday February 4th 5:30pm in room Versailles 4.

Global Audio Marketing, the US distributor for MUSWAY car audio productions, is proud to announce MUSWAY training sessions at KnowledgeFest, Las Vegas.

To learn more about MUSWAY, please visit www.muswayusa.com or email Chris Bennett directly at chris@globalaudiomarketing.com.