DIAMOND BAR, CA (01.04.22) – Prominent rally racer and action sports star Ken Block passed away after a snowmobile accident in Utah on Monday, January 2, according to a statement posted on the Hoonigan website. Ken was 55 years old.

“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer, and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed,” said his team, Hoonigan Racing, in a statement.

In addition to his autograph sessions and special appearances, Block was a featured speaker at the 2022 SEMA Show Kickoff Breakfast, where he discussed the making of “Electrikhana” a tire-shredding trip on the Las Vegas Strip through the lens of a bespoke, 800-volt, bi-motor, AWD Audi S1, developed and built by Audi.

Block also competed in the American Rally Association (ARA) along with his wife Lucy and 16-year-old daughter Lia, one of three children. Block, a co-founder of the skateboarding brand DC Shoes, was also known for his Gymkhana action videos that received a large following on YouTube and related social media outlets.

For more information on Block, visit the Hoonigan Racing website.

THE 12VOLT CENTRAL STUDIOS (01.03.2023) – Today begins the first business day, for most, in the New Year… HELLO and a Big Welcome Year 2023.

In today’s world, and the 12volt world, it’s hard to find positive news. The 12volt News and the 12volt Central Studios work to deliver positive industry news each business day. A feature article post, along with 2 news articles, are posted on 12voltnews.com each business day. The 12volt Beat newsletter delivers fresh industry news from previous days twice weekly… early Monday and Thursday mornings.

From The 12volt Central Studios we feel it is very important for industry members to stay informed about fresh industry news. New products from manufacturers, event activities happening across in the industry, brick and mortar dealers moving forward with events, new showroom remodels or displays plus successful promotions.

Manufacturer rep firms are a vital to delivering information in the field and bringing a sense of community across the U.S. The annual CES show was traditionally a way for the 12volt industry to kick off the new year. The days of the LVCC North Hall being filled with 12volt exhibitors appears to be history. Not many 12volt companies connecting with industry members in Vegas starting this Thursday, January 5th.

Creating the 12voltSTP in 2020 was another example of making it easy for industry members to put their company’s brand and positive activities in front of members of the 12volt industry.

Put the 12voltSTP Tool to work for your company. The 12volt STP Tool makes it easier than ever to showcase your company’s positive activities and products. Snap..Txt..PRESTO. Your company’s positive news could be in the news. 318-465-0844 is the number. With the advent of social media, Facebook and Instagram platforms became key vehicles for information and news delivery. The fact remains all people still need, and look forward to, receiving positive news to help them grow their respective businesses. That is also true for the business realm that includes the 12volt Industry.

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Today a vast percentage of people spend hours and hours on their mobile devices each day. Reports are the average person spends 7 hours a day on their smartphone. To deliver fresh industry news to members of the mobile electronics industry the 12volt Central Studios makes multiple posts on Instagram and Facebook each business day. No crazy TikTok drunk driving posts.

For more see 12voltnews.com

MIDDLETOWN, CT (1.2.2023) – GoFast Solutions, is proud to announce that Alpine Electronics has appointed GoFast Solutions as the authorized dealer fulfillment partner for the New York Metro, Central & Northern NJ & Long Island Market.

“We are thrilled to partner with Alpine Electronics in NY” said David Prinz, CEO of GoFast Solutions. “Alpine is a premium, high-end brand long known for their innovative products and the high standards of excellence that they demand of their dealer network that represent the Alpine brand to consumers. To be hand-picked by Alpine as their authorized dealer fulfillment partner in NY Metro, Central/Northern NJ & Long Island is an honor and a validation that GoFast exemplifies the integrity, quality & commitment to excellence that Alpine embodies every day.”

David adds, “We knew from day one that it would take hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to add tremendous value to the retailers in NY to win. We invested in a satellite warehouse located centrally in Hicksville, NY and we have a delivery van travel thru the market weekly to stock our Hicksville warehouse and deliver orders to our customers. GoFast Solutions ability to supply dealers with same or next day inventory is a valuable benefit to dealers for a just in time need.”

Bob Hernandez Director of Sales added “We are excited to bring the GoFast Experience to the authorized Alpine Retailers in the New York Metro, Central/Northern NJ & Long Island. Having served Alpine as the authorized dealer fulfillment partner in New England & Upstate NY for several years, this is a natural extension… expect to see us early and often!”

Contact GoFast Solutions at Main Number (203) 641-0272, Info@gofst.com

SHREVEPORT, LA (12.31.2022) – January 1st 2023 marks the beginning of a New Year filled with opportunities. Happy New Year to all across the 12volt industry!

The New Year 2023 presents an opportunity for all to start with a clean slate and implement a fresh set of goals for the year ahead.

There is an old saying “Nothing is more constant than change.” The fact that online commerce continues to capture sales from brick and mortar retailers has become a constant that won’t change – unless brick and mortar retailers change their approach to the marketplace. E-commerce sales during the 2022 holiday season were up nearly double digits over 2021. Between Black Friday and Christmas eve FedEx, UPS along with the US Postal Service combined to deliver over 2 billion packages. To be sure, not all of those packages were Christmas gifts. However, as online ordering surged, the majority were Christmas gifts.

Brick and mortar retailers across the U.S. closed thousands of stores in 2022.

In the evermore digital marketplace, all brick and mortar retailers must change their mindset and marketing approach to engage the consumer marketplace. To be successful retailers must create an overall experience consumers can not get from an online retailer. Hearing crisp highs, and feeling bass in the chest, just can not be experienced online. Seeing in-vehicle lighting plus power sports and marine installations first-hand will drive sales. Safety and convenience products, along with in-vehicle connectivity, are also categories where an exciting in-store experience can capture business for brick and mortar retailers.

Social media outreach is an extremely powerful vehicle through which 12volt retailers can develop a legion of loyal followers and engage consumers. Mobile devices are in the hands of virtually all consumers today. The smartphone is such a valuable tool for 12volt retailers to showcase their respective message to their followers and consumers.

New product arrivals, hot installations, new in-store displays and proactive staff members represent ideal content to highlight through planned social media posts. By the time the morning coffee is brewed a far sighted 12volt retailer could have made an engaging Instagram post for his followers to checkout. That post could feature a new product with an invitation to come into the store for an exciting demonstration. As the Instagram post was made that content could have been shared to Facebook and Twitter accounts also.

The Instagram Business Profile, which is free, features a contact tab. A follower can tap the contact tab and call the store from their smartphone as they view the post. Also, a follower can send an email to the store as well as get a map to the store. Making a post, with the opportunity to get an immediate response from a follower, is an amazing outreach 12volt retailers can’t pass up in today’s marketplace.

For the good of our 12volt industry, the community of suppliers must endeavor to inform the world of the benefits mobile electronics products offer consumers. It’s is well known the price driven “Race to Zero” has stripped marketing budgets. Recent emphasis on high end in-vehicle audio, along with power sports for UTV and marine plus lighting, is a terrific way to kick off the New Year.

We look forward to seeing your company’s brand and positive activities showcased in the 12volt Central Studios in 2023.

TULSA OK (12.30.22) The Car Toys Tulsa Sony Mobile ES Build is already getting action in front of the store in Tulsa. Mark Adams, Car Toys Tulsa store manager’s 2023 Prius, was the retailer’s contest entry. “This was a 2-month project to complete. We finished just a day prior to the contest deadline. Already the Sony ES build is getting attention out front of the store…even in very chilly weather.”

The Car Toys Tulsa store is a free standing building across the street from a Walmart Super Center. Talk about possibilities for visibility for Sony ES Mobile products.

Contestants were tasked with building an effective Sony Mobile ES demo vehicle to show installation creativity highlighting Sony Mobile ES benefits to consumers. Spotlighting the Mobile ES name and outlining how contestants would utilize the vehicle in practical ways to sell Sony Mobile ES systems were added requirements to enter the contest.

Car Toys Tulsa was selected as a Top 10 entry in the ES Mobile Build contest but did not place in the Top 3.

Car Toys owner Charles Stewart related “When our Sony rep Richard Wong told us about the ES Mobile build contest we saw the possibilities and started making plans. An employee’s personal car could be the build vehicle and Mark jumped at the opportunity to make the installation in his Prius. He and I have worked together for probably 20 years and I knew he would give the build his all.”

“I worked on the build in the Car Toys Tulsa installation bay on Sundays as we are closed. Also, Tuesday is an off day for me, so I could work in the bay too. Charles and Chance, along with techs Frank and Gabe, were right there when I asked for input or needed a few extra hands” Adams offered.

Continuing Adams stated “We did a lot of planning to design the system. We wanted the Prius interior to look stock and demonstrate the sound quality of the Sony ES Mobile System. In addition we wanted to highlight in-vehicle LED lighting which we did in a couple ways. There is chasing LED’s around the top trunk interior plus under Mobile ES products installed in the trunk. One of the LED light patterns showcases the ES Mobile theme color. I was able to show the many aspects of the build in a video which I included with our contest entry. All in all we are very pleased with the Car Toys Tulsa Sony Mobile ES build.”

Stewart concluded “We thank Sony for creating the Mobile ES build program and the opportunity to participate. The program shows a lot of thought and in the end equips many dealers across the U.S. to showcase the Sony ES Mobile brand and possibilities in their area. We will definitely plan store activities around the build plus have the Prius on site at many local offsite events we do each year. Ultimately the build program will drive business for all ES Mobile retailers.”

FLORENCE MS (12.29.22) As the Christmas Holidays approached weather forecasts called for record low temperatures in much of the south. In Shreveport LA the temperature dropped to a very chilly 8 degrees.

In Florence MS, close to Jackson, those record low temperatures were also forecast. Wayne Holton, Audio Solutions owner, decided to let followers know that a remote car starter would be a great item for Christmas gift giving. He put a social media plan in place to drive sales.

Holton related “We had a good inventory Viper products and got together with my graphics contact and put together an ad that we posted a few days before Christmas. On yes, it got some good action.”

Once customers came into the store the Audio Solutions team let all know there were more benefits to a remote starter than just keeping their vehicle warm in the winter. We informed customers about heated seats, security and convenience feature benefits in addition to keeping their vehicles cool when the summer heat arrives.

Continuing Holton related “Across the board there are so many products available in the mobile electronics category that consumers are not aware of today. Professionally created social media posts can get the message across for proactive 12volt retailers. An example is window tinting for farm tractors as agriculture is big in our area. We made a post of a completed job which led to more tinting jobs, cameras and audio jobs too.”

In the past year Audio Solutions completed construction of a large new facility in Florence that is definitely driving business for the company throughout the area.

See @audiosolutions49 on Instagram.

12-27-2022 – Sony Car Audio has announced the winners from the Sony Mobile ES demo car build contest, which were chosen from the pool of Top 10 candidates by industry veteran judges Bryan Schmitt (Mobile Solutions), Gary Bell (Define Concepts), Paul Trueman (SiriusXM), and Chris Cook (MEA).

The winners are:

• First Place: Xtreme Auto Sound – Louisville, KY. They receive a $5,000 credit for Sony gear at their distributor (Davis Distribution), a customized plaque, shirts and wireless noise-canceling headphones for the entire crew, and a staff dinner with their Sony Field Account Manager Mike Rundel.
• Second Place: Absolute Electronix, Rockville, MD. They receive a $2,500 credit for Sony gear at their distributor (DAS Companies, Inc.), a customized plaque, and shirts for the entire crew.
• Third Place: Kartele Mobile Electronics – Waterbury, CT. They receive a $2,500 credit for Sony gear at their distributor (GoFast Solutions) and a customized plaque
   

“We were overwhelmed with the high number of retailers that stepped up to be part of this contest. Each had a great example of a vehicle they can use to sell Sony Mobile ES successfully,” said Anthony Tozzi, Sony Car Audio Distribution Accounts Manager. “Our impartial, outside group of judges spent a lot of time reviewing the Top 10 candidates to make great selections with our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. We’re very proud of our retailers and the work they are capable of.”
 
Sony plans to keep retailers engaged in 2023 with new contests, some of which may be tied to new car audio products that will debut throughout the next calendar year.
 
Contact Anthony Tozzi at Anthony.Tozzi@Sony.com for more information about Sony, the Mobile ES line, or how to connect with an authorized distributor.

SHREVEPORT LA (12.26.22) In less than a week we will say goodbye to the Year 2022. No doubt 2022 has been another year filled with continuing challenges including COVID-19 and related variants plus inflation that has impacted brick and mortar traffic. This past week, at the peak of the Christmas season, weather impacted in-store traffic and crippled holiday travel in many parts of the U.S.

The 12volt Central Studios continues to showcase positive news across the 12volt industry. Toys for Tots events during December definitely put smiles on the faces on many children. The 9th Annual Audio Concept Toys for Tots was a terrific example. During the event at the company’s Fresno location nearly 500 toys were donated during the December 17th event that was attended by 144 competitors from BassWars, IASCA, USACi and EMMA. On December 24th and Christmas Day Ray Aragon and his wife Maria visited a number of area organizations to personally deliver toys donated at the Audio Concepts Toys for Tots event.

The weather in Pittsburgh, as in many areas across the country, has been a real challenge for 12volt retailers. Team Nutz in Pittsburgh continued to charge forward with positive activities and social media posts right up to Christmas Day. Snow covered the city and roads. Ed Nuttall, and the crew, charged forward. The installation bay was packed and techs were on the cold floor making installs on vehicles with ice on the hoods and lights.

Companies also took time to have Christmas parties and dinners. Charles Stewart, Car Toys Tulsa, made a social media post with the crew after dinner at a local Japanese restaurant.

As we move into 2023, in a few short days, let’s all think about highlighting positives in our day-to-day business activities. The 12voltSTP Tool certainly makes that possible. Just Snap an image and Txt it to 318 465 0844. Presto…your positive news can be in the 12volt News.

2023 will certainly begin differently for many across the 12volt industry who in the past have planned to travel to Las Vegas. CES 2023 is set for January 5-8 but definitely will not look like previous CES events from the 12volt industry perspective.

The Year 2022 marked the 55th Christmas Holiday Anniversary in the 12volt industry for this old guy. Let’s finish 2022 on a high note.