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The 12Volt Spin-To-Win Wheel Is Rolling In 2020 – Code Zero Customs Wins

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SHREVEPORT LA (04.18.20)  WTF…Win This Friday. The 12volt Spin-to-Win Wheel was created to bring an element of fun to the 12volt industry. Two months ago we celebrated the first anniversary of the weekly 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel.

The latest 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel Winner, Number 72, is Cody Landis at Code Zero Customs in Tulsa OK. The Wheel landed on the PowerBass space and a cool PowerBass prize will be headed that way.

Spinning out a new winner each Friday, a 12volt retailer can win a cool prize and top brands receive visibility across the marketplace.

12volt brands with a space on the 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel include Kicker, SiriusXM, Cadence, PowerBass, Sony, CRUX, DS18, SoundStream, AIS, Precision Power, JBL, Power Acoustik, Farenheit, Wilson Electronics and Image Dynamics. 12volt News $100. cash awards have spaces on the 12volt Spin-To-Wheel for a winning 12volt retailer.

Click to view.

Past winners of the 12volt Spin-To-Win include…Stereo & Video Center-Tyler TX, The Outlaw Garage-Franklin TN, Exotic Sounds-West Palm Beach FL, Endless Possibilities-Aurora IL., Go Auto Sound in Union City NJ, Al&Ed’s South Bay CA, No Limitz Car Audio in Upland CA, Neil’s Specialty-Eureka CA, Sturgess Customs-Lexington SC, Audio By Art-San Antonio TX, SMS Car Audio in Marreo LA and Sweet Wheelz in Mississauga Ontario Canada, Cartronics in Biscayne FL, The CarAudio Shop in St Louis MO, Exotic Sounds in West Palm Beach FL, High North Customs in Grand Prairie Alberta Canada and AMS Audio in Bakersfield CA, Team QRT in Abbeyville LA and California Sound in Fontana CA and Jackie Cooper Electronics, Oklahoma City OK, MARS Audio-Orlando FL, All American Audio in Nutley NJ, Proline Car Stereo in Brooklyn NY, Custom Shop Miami, Tunes and Tint in Lakeland FL, Mobile Concepts Inc in Mokena IL, Seismic Auto Sound in Concord CA, Brooklyn Car Audio in Brooklyn NY, Audio Solutions in Florence MS, Enhanced Customs in Largo FL, Rayco Auto Clinic, Audio Design in San Jose CA, Go Bass Mode in Florida, Avenue Sound in Freeport NY, Audio Plus in Riverview FL, Stereo Zone in Whittier CA, In-Phase Car Audio in Omaha NE, AutoLife Group, N&H Electronics, SK Customs, Land & Sea, The Audio One, NC Custom Shop,Tint World Orlando, Ricky Smith’s Audio, VIP Custom Woks, Mobile Audio Concepts, Audio Lad, Sound Sensations, Dave’s Stereo, Stereo Design, Badlands Customs, Custom Audio-Erie PA, Voltz Autosports-Bridgeport CT, Infinity Sound and Security-Kissimmee, Autosport Plus-Canton OH, Stereo City Pros in Carmichael CA, Devine Concepts in Naples FL, The Sound Shop in Indian Trail NC, Extreme Performance Audio in Fresno CA, Audio Depot in Arlington TX, Audio Security in Houston TX, Earmark Car Audio and Marine in Lewisville TX and Audio Jam in Bear DE. Congratulations to all.

WTF… Where’s the Fun. On the next spin of the 12volt-SinTo-Win Wheel Friday, April 24th.

Want to enter for future spins? It’s easy – when making an Instagram post for your store include the hashtag #12voltspin to make sure your company has a slip in the jar. There are over 1100 #12voltspin posts on Instagram.  

With 18 chances to WIN, the 12Volt Spin-To-Win Wheel is ready to shower a lucky weekly winner with one of the cool prizes.

Stay tuned to 12voltnews.com on the web and @12voltnews on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for 12volt Spin-To-Win winner announcements every Friday!

dB DragRacing Busy from the Austin Office

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AUSTIN, TX (04.17.2020) – Everything on the dB Drag Racing planner, like the world, has been put on hold by the Coronavirus National Emergency. Wayne and Celise are well and both have been very busy connecting with members and all around the world. See the latest updates from dB DragRacing below.

Term-PRO Loudspeaker Enclosure Design Webinar
Wayne Harris demonstrated how to use the Term-PRO Enclosure Design software during a recent Zoom Webinar. Attendees learned how to manage the driver library, design various types of enclosures, compare and interpret design results, design vents, and design and view the physical enclosure. This was a free seminar open to the public. Attendees tuned in from US, South Africa, Slovenia, Canada, UK and more! It was great to see everyone and plans are in the works for continuing these type of demonstrations. To view the recorded webinar: https://youtu.be/Tnsq2p3kgtM

Term-LAB SPL Training
An online training program is being developed for the Term-LAB Sound Measurement System. The training program is geared for the first time user as well as the advanced user and consists of a combination of instructional videos, screen shots, online quiz and certificate of completion. The training can also be used in expert mode where the user can go directly to the desired topic of interest.
https://www.termpro.com/magnum/training

dB Drag Racing Competitor Highlights
The dBDRA began a series of highlighting ALL the 2019 Champions through weekly social media posts starting March 30th and running until ALL 2019 Champions are highlighted. The posts are aimed at congratulating 60+ competitors worldwide on their achievements as we look forward to seeing everyone in the lanes again soon!

dB Drag Racing Happy Hour
The dB Drag Racing association conducted a Happy Hour with Zoom last week. It was an open forum where competitors got together to talk about car audio. Many told stories about how they got started in car audio and talked about their current installation builds!

Visit dbDragRacing.com for more.

Best Buy to Furlough About 51,000 Employees Starting 4/19 as Coronavirus-Related Sales Surge Ends

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Click here to view the full story by Melissa Repko on CNBC.com

(04.16.2020) – Starting Sunday, Best Buy will furlough about 51,000 employees, the company said Wednesday. The decision will impact nearly all of its part-time store employees and some of its full-time store employees in the U.S., according to a news release. About 82% of its full-time employees who work in stores or in the field, such as the Geek Squad employees, will continue to be paid.

Best Buy’s shares were down about 7% early Wednesday afternoon. Best Buy shares, which have a market value of $16.8 billion, are down 25% since the start of the year. 

Best Buy is one of the many U.S. retailers who have had to adapt and make tough decisions as the pandemic disrupts customers’ lives and changes their behavior. Since March 22, the company’s stores across the country have been closed and it has suspended all in-home delivery, installation and repairs. It has continued to offer curbside pickup at its stores.

Initially, Best Buy continued to pay its employees, but as the disruption drags on, it will stop paying those who will be furloughed. It will continue to cover the total cost of their health benefits and pay their tuition reimbursements for at least three months, according to a news release.

Best Buy saw a sales surge as the pandemic sparked demand for items that help people work from home, students attend school remotely and families stockpile and cook larger quantities of food. During an eight-day period that ended March 20, its sales were up by about 25% as people bought computers, kitchen appliances and more. The company’s quarterly sales through March 20 grew by about 4%, exceeding the company’s expectations for the period.

In recent weeks, however, Best Buy’s sales have dropped off. The company said it’s seen more demand for some items, such as gaming devices, but has had a sales decline of 30% since March 21. 

Click here to view the full story by Melissa Repko on CNBC.com

Alpine Welcomes Ed Moriarty as Assistant Vice President of Brand Business Unit

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AUBURN HILLS, MI (04.15.2020) – As a commitment to serving the industry, Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. has continued to invest in the aftermarket sales division by creating a new position that supports 12Volt sales and activities.

This morning Alpine welcomed new hire Ed Moriarty as Assistant Vice President of the Brand Business Unit at the Headquarters location in Auburn Hills, MI. Moriarty has an extensive background in OEM and a wide range of experience in sales, product development, marketing, and customer support.

Ed Moriarty, Assistant Vice President of the Brand Business Unit

As the former Vice President and General manager for Car Audio in the Americas and the Asia Pacific at Harman International, Moriarty was responsible for all Branded Car Audio business and was instrumental in increasing revenue. He also held positions at TA instruments and Bose Corporation.

“I’m thrilled to start at a company that has such a large presence in the mobile electronics industry,” said Moriarty.” I look forward to collaborating with our network of sales representatives and contributing to the support and growth of Alpine’s Authorized Retailers.

Moriarty will oversee channel management, supporting the sales representatives and sales activities in the Brand Business Unit.

“Ed’s background speaks volumes to his business and team development, as well as his history of implementing successful sales and marketing strategies,” said Mike Anderson, Vice President and General Manager, Brand Business Unit, Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. “We are thrilled to welcome him into the Alpine family.”

Anderson will continue to support the Brand Business Unit as the Vice President and General Manager overlooking all division activity and planning.

Visit alpine-usa.com for more.

Oracle Lighting Donates Much Needed Personal Protective Equipment to Tulane Medical Center

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METAIRE, LA (04.14.2020) – Oracle Lighting has made a donation of 1,000 N95 respirator masks and nearly 500 surgical masks to the Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans to help its staff battle the COVID-19 crisis in Louisiana where Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is much needed.

“We want to do whatever we can to support those medical professionals on the front lines battling this pandemic as New Orleans has been one of the most affected communities in the country,” said Justin Hartenstein, Oracle Lighting director of development. “Oracle Lighting works with several companies outside of the United States and these partners have more available PPE sources than we have here in the U.S. Some of them heard about the struggles that we were having across our country and, specifically, in the New Orleans area with the shortage of masks and other PPE.”

Oracle Lighting CEO Tiffanie Hartenstein and Oracle Lighting Director of Development Justin Hartenstein are pictured outside their Metairie LA company headquarters with the PPE donation for Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans.

Hartenstein explained that many of these suppliers are now helping out by including procured PPE in Oracle Lighting’s inbound shipments so that Hartenstein and his staff can donate to places in need.

“We are now asking all of our suppliers do the same and we have more supplies on the way,” he added. “This is just the first donation that we plan to make. We will continue to import PPE from other countries with available supplies and donate to medical personnel that are struggling to help people with this virus and need adequate PPE made available to them as soon as possible.”

Hartenstein said that after procuring the PPE supplies, Oracle was able to donate the much needed masks to Tulane Medical Center through Supplies for Saints, a group that is managing the collection of PPE for local hospitals.

“Co-founding Supplies for Saints was such a crucial endeavor for us because we realized how important it was to keep our frontlines healthy so they could continue to care and heal those stricken with COVID-19,” said Kelly Becnel Rovetto, co-founder of Supplies for Saints. “These men and women deserve to feel safe that they are not bringing home this virus to their families or contracting it themselves. PPE donations like this make a big difference in the lives of these men and women.”

Hartenstein asked that other companies importing products consider procuring available PPE from their suppliers and donate to those who are in desperate need for adequate protective equipment.

For more information or to contact Oracle Lighting, visit www.oraclelights.com, call (800) 407-5776, or email info@oraclelights.com.

SEMA Updates Aftermarket Industry with COVID-19 Information Resources

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DIAMOND BAR, CA (04.13.2020) – The health and welfare of the industry is a top priority to SEMA, so the association has taken a proactive approach to supporting SEMA members and is working with lawmakers to ensure they are educated and informed about the auto and auto parts industry and how it’s affected by COVID-19.

While some of SEMA’s more immediate events have been cancelled or postponed, the 2020 SEMA Show is set to take place as scheduled on Nov. 3-6. As the situation continues to evolve, we will monitor the landscape closely and will make decisions based on guidance from local, state, national and international health officials.

LATEST NEWS
COVID-19 Resources Page
The Specialty Equipment Market Association is monitoring the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and tracking what this means for our industry. For the latest updates and resources available, click here.

Pitching In
The SEMA Garage is assisting Stratasys by providing 3D printed visors, which will attach to face shields and assist those who are working in healthcare facilities. Details here.

Status Report
Champion Oil, Impact Racing, and Racecar Engineering are among the aftermarket manufacturers that remain fully operational during the COVID-19 outbreak. Details on how other companies have been affected here.

HR Hub
Human Resources professionals can discover the latest HR news related to the Coronavirus at the SEMA HR Hub. The online resource helps industry professionals stay up-to-date on the latest policies and information on employee matters. Details here.

Data is Key
As online shopping surges due to the current economic climate, the SEMA Data Co-op is showing companies how enhanced product data can be a key component in weathering the storm. Details here.

Seeking Young Entrepreneurs
The SEMA Young Executives Network is accepting applications for the 2020 SEMA Launch Pad Program, which encourages and supports young entrepreneurs in the automotive industry. Details here.

A New Perspective
Independent retailers in the automotive aftermarket remain the most used sales channel for getting parts to consumers, according to the new SEMA Industry Perspectives Report. Details here.

New Products
SEMA Data Co-op members Holley, Klein, and CURT have released new products. See them here.

UPCOMING DATES
• June 24-26: SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, Las Vegas, Nev.
• July 24: SEMA Installation Gala, Newport Beach, Calif.
• Nov. 3-6: SEMA Show, Las Vegas, Nev.

For more info, visit semashow.com and sema.org

The 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel Is Rolling In 2020. Audio by Art Wins

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SHREVEPORT LA (04.11.20)  WTF…Win This Friday. The 12volt Spin-to-Win Wheel was created to bring an element of fun to the 12volt industry. Two months ago we celebrated the first anniversary of the weekly 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel.

The latest 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel winner, number 71, is Audio by Art in San Antonio, TX. The Wheel landed on the Sirius XM space and a SVX300 tuner will be headed Art’s way.

Spinning out a new winner each Friday, a 12volt retailer can win a cool prize and top brands receive visibility across the marketplace.

Click to vew.

12volt brands with a space on the 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel include Kicker, SiriusXM, Cadence, PowerBass, Sony, CRUX, DS18, SoundStream, AIS, Precision Power, JBL, Power Acoustik, Farenheit, Wilson Electronics and Image Dynamics. 12volt News $100. cash awards have spaces on the 12volt Spin-To-Wheel for a winning 12volt retailer.

Past winners of the 12volt Spin-To-Win include…Stereo & Video Center-Tyler TX, The Outlaw Garage-Franklin TN, Exotic Sounds-West Palm Beach FL, Endless Possibilities-Aurora IL., Go Auto Sound in Union City NJ, Al&Ed’s South Bay CA, No Limitz Car Audio in Upland CA, Neil’s Specialty-Eureka CA, Sturgess Customs-Lexington SC, Audio By Art-San Antonio TX, SMS Car Audio in Marreo LA and Sweet Wheelz in Mississauga Ontario Canada, Cartronics in Biscayne FL, The CarAudio Shop in St Louis MO, Exotic Sounds in West Palm Beach FL, High North Customs in Grand Prairie Alberta Canada and AMS Audio in Bakersfield CA, Team QRT in Abbeyville LA and California Sound in Fontana CA and Jackie Cooper Electronics, Oklahoma City OK, MARS Audio-Orlando FL, All American Audio in Nutley NJ, Proline Car Stereo in Brooklyn NY, Custom Shop Miami, Tunes and Tint in Lakeland FL, Mobile Concepts Inc in Mokena IL, Seismic Auto Sound in Concord CA, Brooklyn Car Audio in Brooklyn NY, Audio Solutions in Florence MS, Enhanced Customs in Largo FL, Rayco Auto Clinic, Audio Design in San Jose CA, Go Bass Mode in Florida, Avenue Sound in Freeport NY, Audio Plus in Riverview FL, Stereo Zone in Whittier CA, In-Phase Car Audio in Omaha NE, AutoLife Group, N&H Electronics, SK Customs, Land & Sea, The Audio One, NC Custom Shop,Tint World Orlando, Ricky Smith’s Audio, VIP Custom Woks, Mobile Audio Concepts, Audio Lad, Sound Sensations, Dave’s Stereo, Stereo Design, Badlands Customs, Custom Audio-Erie PA, Voltz Autosports-Bridgeport CT, Infinity Sound and Security-Kissimmee, Autosport Plus-Canton OH, Stereo City Pros in Carmichael CA, Devine Concepts in Naples FL, The Sound Shop in Indian Trail NC, Extreme Performance Audio in Fresno CA, Audio Depot in Arlington TX, Audio Security in Houston TX, Earmark Car Audio and Marine in Lewisville TX and Audio Jam in Bear DE. Congratulations to all.

WTF….Where’s The Fun. On the next spin of the 12volt Spin-to-Win Wheel Friday, April 17th.


Want to enter for future spins? It’s easy – when making an Instagram post for your store include the hashtag #12voltspin to make sure your company has a slip in the jar. There are over 1100 #12voltspin posts on Instagram.  

With 18 chances to WIN, the 12Volt Spin-To-Win Wheel is ready to shower a lucky weekly winner with one of the cool prizes.

Stay tuned to 12voltnews.com on the web and @12voltnews on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for 12volt Spin-To-Win winner announcements every Friday!

Thousands Attend AudioControl’s Online Training Sessions

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SEATTLE, WA (04.10.2020) – AudioControl has rolled out live online presentations for the 12-volt industry that have had over 15,000 views thus far via streaming on ZOOM and Facebook LIVE, providing training and overall excitement during these challenging days. Attendees are interacting with the trainers and asking thoughtful questions.

The AudioControl training session on Thursday, April 9th, was a terrific hour and a half for all who attended. Matt Palumbo was on camera with Chris Bennett adding great input as they covered the AudioControl amplifier line in detail. The duo provided a lot of information regarding features, specs and installation tips.

Matt Palumbo holds an AudioControl amplifier with the top plate in place.

At the conclusion of the session Chris and Matt answered several questions, in great detail, from dealers on the ZOOM call.

David Holland, Shiflet and Dickson, was on the call. Holland, an AudioControl distributor in the Carolinas, related to 12volt News “The AudioControl ZOOM call was really great. Those on the call learned so much about the amp line. Real world installation questions were answered in detail. It is super to see AudioControl supporting their customers with these online sessions”.

Block diagrams were posted during the presentation. Click image to enlarge.

The 12volt News was on the ZOOM Call and encourage industry members to tune into the AudioControl sessions every Thursday at 11 AM PST. Great job Matt and Chris. Your back and forth during the session was so very good!

“The energy and enthusiasm from these trainings has been phenomenal,” said Matthew Palumbo National Trainer & Sales Specialist at AudioControl. “The feedback we are receiving from trainees is incredibly positive and everyone is so grateful to have us jump right in and start doing meaningful, valuable trainings. We are hosting these trainings, open to all, every Thursday at 11am PST. That way everyone knows what day, and at what time, without having to look it up. We are putting lots of resources into these sessions, and they are growing every week.”

The AudioControl LC Amplifier Family was covered in detail during the ZOOM Call.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS CAN BE ACCESSED HERE

CONNECTIVITY LINKS BELOW:

The zoom link is: https://zoom.us/j/219359570 if you’d like to join us (recommended).

Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/audiocontrol

Visit audiocontrol.com for more.

Automotive Industry Groups Seek National Approach for Defining “Essential” Businesses

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 1, 2020) — The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), in partnership with eight other automotive trade associations, urged the National Governors Association and Governors of all 50 states to standardize the definition of essential businesses and workers. The groups recommend adoption of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) March 28 directive, “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response,” which identifies essential workers and business operations throughout the economy. DHS guidance clarifies that automotive repair, maintenance, and transportation equipment manufacturing and distribution facilities are “essential services” that are critical to ensuring the safe and ongoing operations of our nation’s transportation and logistics sector.

The organizations sending the letter represent companies that manufacture parts and supply services to help maintain the nation’s fleet of public and private vehicles during COVID-19—from cars, trucks and buses to police and emergency vehicles. The letter notes that Governors and local authorities have been making difficult decisions balancing “essential” commercial activities with “Shelter in Place” directives. It is important that states adopt the DHS Guidance, which provides a uniform national approach for protecting the country’s critical transportation and manufacturing needs.

Click here to view a PDF copy of the letter.

The letter was signed by the Auto Care Association, Automotive Oil Change Association, Automotive Service Association, California Automotive Business Coalition, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, Specialty Equipment Market Association, Tire Industry Association, Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

Visit sema.org for more.

Covid-19 Update from AudioControl CEO Alex Camara

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AudioControl Friends,

I’m writing to share two things you might find helpful relative to the Covid-19 pandemic.

First, I want to reassure you that AudioControl continues to remain fully open and operational. Please reach out to myself or any of our office and support team, working from home for any needs….

Secondly, after a number of calls and meetings with many of you, I want to provide links to valuable information from the Small Business Administration that might be helpful to you at this time. Many of you may have already tapped into these resources but I wanted to send out what I have collated over the past days….

1) I listen to this brief webinar most days at 9am Pacific. It is noted by Ami Kassar of Multifunding Advisors (NOT a loan company). His webinar is staying abreast of the current situation and provides daily updates as regulations change. A good daily update. Register here:

https://webinars.multifunding.com/

2) Paycheck Protection Program : An SBA loan that helps businesses keep their workforce employed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
3) Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance: A loan advance that provides up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses currently experiencing temporary difficulties. 
4) SBA Express Bridge Loans: Enables small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.
5) SBA Debt Relief: Information on the SBA’s financial reprieve to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
6) U.S. Department of the Treasury: Comprehensive information on all aspects of the CARES Act.

I hope these links and the link to Ami Kassar’s daily update are helpful at this time. Keep in touch with anything we can do to help…

Sincerely,
Alex Camara
CEO – AudioControl

Visit audiocontrol.com for more.