12VOLT CENTRAL STUDIOS (06.01.26) – Jammin’ N June… It’s Summer Time and time to ‘Crank It Up’! Your store’s followers can get Jammin’ N June with great gear for their rides. Let them know your store has the HiTech in-dash media, powerful amps, speakers and more to get their rides Jammin’ N June. LED vehicle lighting too! Invite consumers to Crank Up their rides, bikes, boats and UTVs.

That theme can grab the attention of social media followers and consumers to create store traffic for 12volt retailers. Utilize this Jammin’ N June graphic for your social media posts. Screenshot the graphic and use it for social media posts… for free!

Online sales have been on a steady rise for the past several years. Inventory shortages, plus inflation and gas prices have slowed business for many retailers. Jammin’ N June themed activities, by proactive 12volt retailers, can drive consumer awareness and traffic into stores… and very importantly drive sales.

It’s imperative that 12volt retailers create a powerful in-store experience for consumers in the showroom. An impressive demonstration in the showroom will bring a smile to the consumer’s face and can raise the hair on their arms… making the cash register ring also.

In-person retail events and Sound-Off are creating excitement again in the marketplace. These facts indicate 12volt enthusiasts and consumers are ready to Crank It Up and get Jammin’ N June!

From the 12volt Central Studios we will continue to showcase positives across the 12volt industry. The 12voltSTP Tool makes that easier than ever. Snap an image with your smartphone. Txt that image to 318-469-2526 PRESTO! Your positive activities could be in The 12volt News.

As an industry ‘Let’s Get Our Shine On.’ Let’s get Jammin’ N June! Much more to come from the 12volt Central Studios.

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA (05.28.26) – Accele Electronics was very busy from Sunday March May 17 through May 20. On Sunday it was the SSR Distributors show in Dallas followed by the Pacific Northwest Expo from the 18th through the 20th in Seattle WA.

Chris Way, Company VP and Joshua Conant, General Sales Manager traveled from the Santa Fe Springs CA office to Dallas to be on site with Tracy Farr and the crew for the SSR Sunday Show.

Joshua stated “The SSR show was packed with dealers checking out the latest products, making purchases and attending trainings. One of our hot products there was new our wireless Air Horn. Also on site with one of our commercial dealers Geary Palmer from Houston. We were very busy talking with dealers and answering questions about our products they could add
to their inventory. Stops at the food trucks with Tracy were fun too.”

Following the show Chris headed to Seattle to be in the booth at the Pacific Northwest Expo and Joshua headed back to LAX to be in his office on Monday to start the week.

At the Pacific Northwest Expo Accele had an expansive booth and showcased the company’s wide selection of products. The 2026 Pacific Northwest Expo was well attended with a very busy schedule starting Monday night and wrapping up on Wednesday. Stay tuned for much more from Accele in Seattle.

With two shows 1,500 miles apart its terrific to see Accele team members connecting at in-person events to showcase their products with their distributor partner SSR and retailers to drive sales.

For more see accele.com.

ORANIENBURG, GERMANY (05.27.26) – ORAFOL has announced the acquisition of Maxpro Manufacturing, LLC, headquartered in Whiteville, North Carolina. With this transaction, the Group is strategically expanding its international footprint while reinforcing its newly established Functional Films Business Unit as a key future growth driver.

Founded in 2010, Maxpro is a U.S.-based manufacturer of window and protective films, with an additional logistics center in Chandler, Arizona. The company develops and produces a broad portfolio of high-quality film solutions for automotive, architectural, and paint protection applications. In addition, Maxpro offers specialized tools and systems for professional film installation. Its products are distributed globally through an established dealer network. Maxpro is recognized for its innovative manufacturing processes, product durability, and a strong focus on application-driven solutions for professional markets.

Dr. Holger Loclair, Chairman & CEO ORAFOL Group commented, “We are very pleased to welcome Maxpro to the ORAFOL Group. This integration represents a significant strategic step for us, enabling us to further expand our technological capabilities in an important growth segment while also sustainably strengthening our presence and customer proximity in North America. I am convinced that our Business Unit Functional Films will benefit considerably from this partnership – through additional innovative strength, expanded capacity, and an even faster execution speed. At the same time, I am personally very much looking forward to our shared future.”

Joseph Cobbe, Founder & CEO Maxpro commented, “Joining the ORAFOL family marks an incredible new and exciting chapter for Maxpro. ORAFOL brings world-class technology and a global platform that will enable Maxpro to expand our ability to provide the most technically advanced products to the world-wide window film market. This capability along with ORAFOL’s commitment to customer relationships will enable Maxpro to continue providing the same unmatched customer service that has been Maxpro’s trademark for 15 years, while at the same time providing the most up-to-date products. I am excited about the future for Maxpro and for the products and services we can provide to our customers.”

The acquisition of Maxpro expands ORAFOL’s Functional Films Business Unit across the entire value chain – from the extrusion of advanced polymer films to highly specialized coating and laminating processes. Combined with ORAFOL’s recent investments in precision sputtering technologies, Maxpro’s capabilities further strengthen the company’s position in high-performance film innovation. This integration also enables ORAFOL to engineer customized films with precisely controlled physical, optical, and protective properties—meeting demanding standards across a broad range of applications.

Building on these expanded capabilities, the acquisition also supports ORAFOL’s long-term growth strategy, ORAFOL Roadmap 2030 – Shaping the Future. It reinforces the Group’s focus on targeted technology investments and disciplined portfolio expansion—scaling differentiated capabilities and further strengthening ORAFOL’s position in advanced functional materials markets.

To learn more about Maxpro’s product portfolio, visit maxprofilms.com.

SEATTLE, WA (05.26.26) – 5150 Audio is a very proactive retailer based in Kenai AK. Owner Dave Parrott understands the value of connecting across the industry and made his plans early to attend the Pacific Northwest Expo. On Sunday Dave flew to the US and connected with Dave Gates and the Falcon Sales and Marketing team as they prepared everything to head to Seattle for the event with Monday set up.

Falcon Sales and Marketing had a booth on the event floor and spotlighted a number of their brands. There at the event Dave worked closely with Kam Frisbee and Falcon as a key product source for his company shipping products from the US to his store in Alaska. Some times that requires shipping products across the water. A full pallet could cost a grand!

“Falcon is a great partner. This was the first time that I attended this event. I spent time connecting with brands on the show floor and seeing new products, attending trainings plus connecting with other retailers across the industry” Parrott commented.

The 12volt Central Studios staff connected with Dave once he got back to his store. Dave related attending the event in Seattle turned out very very well. He checked off everything on his list plus more.

“Having an opportunity to spend time with exhibitors and check out their new products and programs worked out very well Also catching up with Joseph Norton was a really great surprise. He came to our store last year. He is now working with
Focal and I attended his training session” Parrott added.

Business is strong at 5150 Audio. Open for just over 2 years 5150 Audio is already known within a 100 mile range as the place for mobile aftermarket products and custom installation…pickup trucks are hot. 5150 Audio also participates in consumer events in the area like REV Alaska. REV Alaska is in Wasilla which is 200 miles from the store. At the event the 5150 Audio team made sales and booked installs at their store.

It is terrific to see proactive 12volt retailers driving business in their communities. 5150 Audio is ‘Driving Sound To The Next Level’ in Alaska. Stay tuned for more!

For more see 5150audio.com

SHREVEPORT, LA (05.26.2026) – Memorial Day is the Federal Holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

The exact origins are uncertain, but it came out of Civil War traditions of decorating the graves of soldiers with flowers. Many cities and individuals claimed to have been the first to celebrate the event. In 1868 General John A Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic called for a Decoration Day, which was widely celebrated. By 1890 every Northern state had adopted it as a Holiday. The World Wars turned it into a generalized day of remembrance, instead of just for the Civil War. In 1971, Congress standardized the holiday as Memorial Day and changed its observance.

This Holiday is observed on the last Monday in May. Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of the Summer in the United States.

We trust all across the 12volt industry who have lost a loved one in conflict will remember those lost on this Memorial Day 2026.

STILLWATER, OK (05.22.26) – The KICKER SQ@HQ was back and KICKER welcomed the return of the SQ Competition and Car Show 2026. Attendees experienced some of the best sounding cars around, had an opportunity to explore the KICKER Museum and enjoyed great food from local food trucks… All in one place.

The second annual SQ competition got underway on Sunday, May 17 as competitors put their builds to the test in judged SQ events hosted in partnership with IASCA, MASQ, EMMA and MCA. Spectators and cars were welcomed with free admission. Attendees heard some of the cleanest systems around and spent a great day with fellow Car Audio enthusiast right at the KICKER HQ in Stillwater OK. During the competitions SPL demos were at the top of the hour for five minutes.

“After the success of our first SQ@HQ last year we realized partnering with Sound Competition organizations makes sense for KICKER and the 12volt industry as a whole. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved” KICKER Brand Promoter Ernie Ficklin commented. “Adding, this years event proved that to be true.”

Peter Ashby, East Coast Brand Ambassador for KICKER, rolled his #Nemesis custom-build Award wining Toyota Supra and ground-shaking custom-built LITENLOUD Toyota LiteAce into the event from North Carolina. “The KICKER SQ@HQ is such an amazing event to bring car audio and enthusiasts together and connect with everyday consumers. Everyone on site, including Steve Irby, were amazed with our builds. We had the same reaction at the Shiflet Dickson Distributor show” Ashby stated.

Travis Chin, IASCA President, returned again this year, and was so pleased to see the high level of competitors in the lanes. Travis related he saw several old time competitors who were returning to compete again.   

“Team SQ KICKER made its debut the this year’s SQ@HQ and brought home some hardware to prove it. We congratulate Brandon Laielli, Scott Williams, Jacob Luckey, Joe Hobart and John Myers” Ernie Ficklin added.

Stay tuned for more from SQ@HQ.

More @kicker.com.

HUNTINGTON BEACH CA (05.21.26) – On Sunday, May 17, NAV-TV Zen Audio the product training and Amp launch was hosted by Automotive Entertainment HB and Paragon Sales and Marketing. The free product training certification touched on all the new NAV-TV products.

Ken Ward delivered the majority of the content with Fraser Ryan emphasizing details and differences in the new Zen Audio products.

Wayne Smedile, Paragon Sales and Marketing, was very pleased that everyone in the audience was engaged throughout the presentation. Bikes today continue to be a strong category and the new NAV-TV ’25 Hardy interface it certainly a popular upgrade.

JT Torres, Automotive Entertainment HB, commented following the training event “To say the training was awesome and informative would be an understatement. We offer a huge thank you to Ken and Fraser for sharing so much knowledge during the tuning training. The level of technical information exchanged throughout the event was incredible. We’re grateful for the opportunity to host events like this and bring the industry together in a professional learning environment.”

Continuing “It wouldn’t be one of our trainings without giveaways. In this case we even give away gave away a couple of Zen Audio interfaces.

“We think Ken and Fraser, along withJT and his team for working with us to make this presentation a resounding success” Wayne Schmiedl concluded.

For more email wayne@paragonsalesreps.com

DALLAS, TX (05.20.26) – The SSR Distributors show rolled into Dallas on Sunday, May 17th from 10 AM to 5 PM. Attendees were able to check out a car show, spend time with over 40 vendors in their booths, attend trainings, and take advantage of many show specials. They also took the opportunity to register and win raffle prizes and giveaways. This was a family-friendly event and many families attended and enjoyed an incredible meal provided by Nico’s Cocina, featuring chicken fajita and beef fajita tacos, rice and beans, chips and salsa, and iced tea. The food service was seamless throughout the day, allowing attendees to quickly grab a plate and get right back to networking and enjoying the event.

Tracy Farr, SSR VP Sales and Operations, stated, “We had factory staff members travel from both the East Coast and the West Coast to spend time with dealers and present their products here in our Dallas location. We definitely had a lot of excitement throughout our 25,000 square-foot facility in Dallas, and attendees had an opportunity to check out demo vehicles outside while networking and enjoying the outstanding food provided by Nico’s Cocina.”

Continuing, Farr offered, “Attendance this year was very strong, especially considering the challenges with current tariff pricing and inventory supply. It was definitely encouraging to see such a great turnout. Again this year, our trainings continued to improve. The credit goes to our incredible manufacturers and rep partners as they continue to go above and beyond for us. Their support is something that we never take for granted, and we truly couldn’t do it without them.”

Farr also added, “I want to personally recognize our SSR staff for the tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work that went into making this event such a success for our dealers. Events like this do not happen overnight, and their dedication, preparation, teamwork, and attention to detail absolutely do not go unnoticed. I’m extremely proud of what our team accomplished together.”

“We’re also incredibly grateful to our dealers, both large and small, for their continued loyalty and energy. We genuinely love and appreciate every one of them” Farr concluded.

Visit ssrdistributors.com for more.

ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND (05.19.26) – The Isle of Wight is a beautiful picturesque small island off the South Coast of England. Thousands of car audio enthusiasts from all over the mainland take the ferry for the one hour ride from Southampton each summer to attend the Isle of Wight Takeover. The Isle Of Wight Takeover 2026 took place on Sunday, May 17th.

The event was bigger this year than passed and they said attendance was up. They guess 8 to 10,000 people and the cars on site had to be between 800 and 1000. The Show cars came from everywhere and also had to be ferried across the bay to the island. Sales were amazing and Safe and Sounds Essex business grew substantially this year. The majority of the items sold were PowerBass products. Lee Glover and six members of Safe and Sound Essex staff were on hand doing live on site installs. Carl Huntington and Erik Harbour helped with sales in the stand.

The Safe and Sound Essex crew outfitted Ford OE Direct Fit speakers one after another all day long as they were doing installs in the booth. Other PowerBass products such as the BP-US62 under seat sub and loaded enclosures added to the sales total. Sales were flying out the door from the start of the show nonstop and the PowerBass and Image Dynamics equipped show cars were a huge hit” HARBOUR added.

Call Huntington and the great dealers like Safe and Sound oEssex have done an amazing job with the PowerBass line across the UK. We love seeing our super dealers getting out to events and helping their customers get great sounding Car Audio. We are always happy to be invited by our PowerBass partner Lee Glover along with the Isle of Wight event staff for this year’s great takeover show” Harbour, VP of Product Development and Global Marketing added.

The event staff put on an excellent show, hospitable and well organize, which made it fun for everyone in attendance. All are looking for 2027.

For more see 12votnews.com.

SHREVEPORT LA (05.18.26) – The 12volt industry is’ Cranking it up in May’ and the 12voltBeat staff is staying super busy for sure!

This past week PowerBass has been across the pond working the Isle of Wright annual event off the coast of Southern England. Thousands of Car Audio enthusiast attend and the Safe and Sound Essex team has a major presence at the event along with Erik Harbour supporting Safe and Sound Essex.

KICKER is very busy as always with Lorin Morrell working the American Flat Track at Budd’s Creek in Mechanicsville MD. Also, Kicker is hosting the second annual SQ@HQ event on Sunday at their headquarters in Stillwater OK following the Saturday Car Show.

The 2026 SSR Distributors 5th Annual Show Dallas kicked off on Saturday with the set up, followed by dinner that evening. Sunday the sales floor was was busy with exhibitors showing their latest products to a packed house of area dealers. Outside there were many demo vehicles and activities for families attending the SSR Show.

Preparations were underway for the PNWCEE 2026 in Seattle that runs from the 18th through the 20th with a very active schedule for the three days.

The 12volt Central Studios makes it easy for exhibitors and 12volt industry members to showcase their activities and extend the ROI from the events. With that smartphone in everyone’s pocket all it takes is snapping an image, txting the image with a few words to 318-469-2526 and Presto. You can be in the 12volt Central Studios post across the 12volt Industry.

Stay tuned for more from the events spotlighted above in the following days this week.

See 12voltnews.com for more.